Technology

Amazon and EA will be giving away free PC games and content through Amazon’s Prime Gaming program for the next few months, so it may be time to check in on the gaming service if you’ve forgotten that it comes included with Prime. This month, Prime subscribers will be able to get a free Origin code for the surprisingly decent remaster of 2010’s Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and Amazon says that four more of EA’s “most popular titles” will be coming in 2022 (though given the starting game, it may be worth keeping your expectations in check). If it’s still November when you’re reading this, you can also snag EA’s Dragon Age Inquisition for free from Prime Gaming. Amazon’s partnership with EA also includes skins for games like Apex Legends and Battlefield 2042, as well as some additional conten...

On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve Verizon Wireless’ purchase of Tracfone in a deal worth more than $6 billion, positioning Verizon to become one of the largest prepaid service providers in the US. Tracfone is the largest reseller of wireless devices in the US and maintains over 20 million subscribers with more than 90,000 retail locations. Verizon’s Tracfone acquisition combines the largest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) with the largest wireless provider in the country. When Verizon first proposed the deal last September, the company said that the acquisition would bolster Tracfone’s networks while making low-income wireless services more competitive. “After rigorous review, the Commission found that the transaction, as modified by Verizon’s enforce...

Roku says it’s working to fix issues that users have been reporting following its 10.5 software update. TechCrunch reported the problems earlier on Monday, citing posts on Reddit and Roku forums where users said that apps like HBO Max, ESPN, Disney Plus, and more wouldn’t allow them to watch any video content after updating the OS on their smart TVs. According to Roku, “certain older Roku TV models or older Roku Ultra players” are affected by the problematic update. In a post on its forum, the company instructs users with Roku Ultra models 4660, 4661, 4662, or 4670, and users with a Roku TV model 7XXX to manually check for a software update, and tells owners of other devices to subscribe to the thread for future details. System update got you down? We’re aware of a small set of users...

Update November 22nd, 8:25PM ET: Sony appears to have sold out of PS5 consoles for the day. We’ll make sure to let you know when the next opportunity comes up. If you’re still trying to get your hands on a PlayStation 5, lining up at Sony’s digital storefront is one of the more reliable ways to snag Sony’s next-gen console. Sony has reopened the digital queue on its direct store to place orders for the $500 disc-based PlayStation 5, as well as the $400 PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. Provided you’ve already registered and logged into your PlayStation account, you should be able to line up once you’ve hit the landing page. Once you’ve entered the queue, you’ll be given an ETA of when you’ll be able to check out and, once that timer hits zero, it’s all systems go. It’s no secret t...

The U.S. ranks among the top 10 countries with the most expensive internet costs, according to new research by U.K. price comparison site comparethemarket.com. According to the site, the U.S. ranks as the world’s 9th most expensive country for broadband, with people paying an average of $66.13 USD per month. In contrast, Ukraine has the cheapest broadband in the world, with monthly costs of around $6.08 USD. Ethiopia has the most expensive broadband costs in the world, with monthly fees totalling about $423.88 USD per month. Here are the top 10 countries with the most expensive internet costs: Ethiopia — $423.88 USD per month United Arab Emirates — $98.80 USD per month Qatar — $86.90 USD per month Zimbabwe — $80.27 USD per month Oman — $76.06 USD per month Honduras — $75.80 USD per month S...

Twitter has introduced a Live Shopping feature so people can shop looks and products during live broadcasts. In a blog post, the company said that the new feature will allow users to check out the Shoppable Banner and Shop Tab on the Live event’s page, toggle back and forth between the Latest Tab and the Shop Tab throughout the live stream and continue to watch the livestream on the merchant’s website within an in-app browser. The company will be trialing the Live Shopping feature during an upcoming livestream hosted in partnership with Walmart and Jason Derulo. The event starts at 7 p.m. ET on November 28, and will feature electronics, home goods, apparel, seasonal décor and more. “Livestreaming on Twitter gives businesses the power to engage with their most influential fans, and adding t...

Tile popularized marking items and tracking them from your phone with its small Bluetooth tags, but is suddenly facing more competition from giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung. Now the company that started out of an incubator and crowdfunding campaign has announced it will be acquired by Life360, which calls itself a “leading family safety platform.” The deal is valued at $205 million and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022. Tile has developed its product line over the years with a variety of different trackers, as well as partnerships with other companies to use its technology. It also has a subscription service, Tile Premium, with extra features, battery replacements, and even offers insurance against potential losses. However, the game may have changed once App...

Food delivery platform DoorDash has agreed to pay $5.3 million to the city of San Francisco to settle allegations it failed to provide healthcare and paid sick leave to some 4,500 delivery drivers, as the city requires. The company did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, most of which will be used to reimburse drivers who made deliveries in the city between 2016 and 2020, before a new state law covering gig workers took effect. California’s gig workers law, which voters approved in November 2020 as ballot measure Proposition 22, allows companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash to treat workers as independent contractors, not employees. A judge ruled in August that the law was unconstitutional, but it remains in effect pending an appeal by the companies. “We believe (DoorDash cour...

So far, Elizabeth Holmes’ defense has been at pains to show us that Theranos had a real device and worked with real pharmaceutical companies. That actually hasn’t been in question, particularly in the time period the defense was asking about. Still, the point seems to be hey, look, some things at Theranos were real. But today, in her wire fraud trial, we saw a science-y presentation — not actual science, just the marketing version. We saw the guts of Theranos devices. We heard about the company iterating on the device. We saw emails with pharma companies. Theranos’ work with drug companies was never in question; we saw money Theranos made from that work early in the prosecution’s case, with comptroller Danise Yam. The issue with drug companies has been the “validation” reports that Therano...

As Black Friday approaches, several retailers are already offering significant discounts — and Walmart is no exception. Right now, the retail giant is dropping early Black Friday deals on everything from the AirPods Pro to the most popular TVs and streaming devices. We’ve featured a few of these items in our guide to early Black Friday deals, however, the list below highlights all of the best sales Walmart is offering across several categories rather than just a few. It’s perfect, then, for anybody who plans on shopping primarily at Walmart. The store will continue to publish more deals as we get closer to the big day, with many of the better deals going live on November 22nd, according to a recent online circular. If you subscribe to Walmart Plus, the retailer’s equivalent to Amazon Prime...

Ironically, if you’re looking for a great Apple deal this Black Friday season, you shouldn’t shop at Apple. That’s because Apple doesn’t typically offer discounts on its new products in-store or on its website, at least outside of the occasional educational discount. Don’t fear, however, as there are plenty of reliable third-party retailers like Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy that do. Even better, these retailers have already started discounting some of the most popular Apple products ahead of Black Friday, dropping prices on everything from the latest MacBook Pro to the Apple Watch Series 7. Below, we’ve rounded up the best deals we’ve found by category, and we’ll continue to update this piece as more deals are published. Also, if you’re looking to save even more, make sure to check ...

GoDaddy has suffered a security breach that gave an attacker access to more than 1 million email addresses belonging to the company’s active and inactive Managed WordPress users, according to a disclosure it filed with the SEC on Monday. The company says the attacker gained access to a provisioning system (meant to set up and automatically configure new sites when customers create them) in early September by “using a compromised password.” GoDaddy says that it noticed the intrusion on November 17th and immediately locked the attacker out before beginning an investigation and contacting law enforcement. The compromised password gave the attacker access to emails and much more The hackers had access to more than just the email addresses — they could also see the original WordPress admin pass...