Technology

Hasbro has officially partnered with The Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX) to release its very first NFT collection with the Power Rangers franchise on the dedicated blockchain. VP and General Manager at Hasbro Pulse said, “The WAX platform gives fans an easy entry point into the world of NFTs and digital collectibles. Now, fans will have the opportunity to expand their collections with a unique Power Rangers NFT, uniquely transacted through the blockchain that can be redeemed for a special edition Dino Megazord.” Hasbro’s Power Rangers NFT collection is now available through Hasbro Pulse while supplies last. The NFTs are redeemable for a physical Hasbro special edition Power Rangers collectible figure, specifically the Lightning Collection Zord Ascension Project Special Edition Dino Megazord...

According to TechCrunch, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowes will no longer be selling security cameras from Lorex and Ezviz after the outlet reported on the brands’ parent companies’ involvement in supplying the Chinese government with surveillance tech. According to the US government, both Dahua (Lorex’s owner) and Hikvision (Ezviz’s owner) stand implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. They have reportedly helped supply surveillance equipment for monitoring ethnic minorities. One of the largest oppressed groups is the Uyghurs, a largely Muslim ethnic group the Chinese government is accused of putting in detention or reeducation camps, using as forced labor, and more. The home security cameras and systems from Lorex and Ezviz aren’t banned fr...

Facebook plans to spend at least $10 billion this year on Facebook Reality Labs, its metaverse division tasked with creating AR and VR hardware, software, and content. “We are committed to bringing this long-term vision to life and we expect to increase our investments for the next several years,” the company wrote in its third-quarter earnings release this afternoon. Facebook sees AR and VR as being core to “the next generation of online social experiences.” A sign that Reality Labs should be judged separately from Facebook’s core apps The division, which already makes the Oculus Quest headset and Portal lineup of calling devices, is clearly being positioned as the next big thing inside of Facebook. For one, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been talking about the metaverse nonstop for the past sev...

Bored by the few Apple-certified MagSafe accessories like the MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe wallet (2021), or the MagSafe Duo Charger, and feel stifled by its small ecosystem? If you want to expand your MagSafe-compatible collection, you’ll need to look to third-party accessory makers like Anker for some fresh ideas. Anker, known for its affordable charging products like portable batteries and universal plugs, is introducing its own suite of MagSafe-compatible gadgets called MagGo that go beyond just wirelessly charging your iPhone 12 or 13. Its opening lineup has six new gadgets that take advantage of the convenience and security of attaching to the phone by magnets — these products are ideal for when you’re on the move and at home. Because Apple is so reluctant to certify third-party acc...

An email sent to Jeff Bezos from an Amazon warehouse worker began an internal investigation that found that the e-commerce giant falls behind when it comes to supporting its 1.3 million employees, according to The New York Times. From unjustified terminations to losing benefits with no warning, the employees inside the warehouse and the ones administering the leaves found themselves on the brink of burnout and sacrificing their lives to make up for countless HR issues related to paid and unpaid leave. Employees struggled to reach case managers, and doctor’s notes seem to simply disappear as paychecks were docked. To add to the dysfunction, Amazon’s team didn’t have any policies to accommodate local laws like one in its home state. An employee filing for unpaid leave under a Washington stat...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he’s redirected teams within his company to “make serving young adults their north star.” The comment, made on a call with investors this afternoon, speaks to Facebooks’ concerns about declining usage among teens and young adults. “So much of our services have gotten dialed to be the best for the most people who use them, rather than specifically for young adults,” Zuckerberg said. TikTok is “one of the most effective competitors we’ve ever faced” He suggested the change will be more than just lip service. Facebook usage among older users will grow slower than it otherwise would have because of the changes, Zuckerberg said. Even with those tradeoffs, he said, “I think it’s the right approach.” Zuckerberg expects the changes to take years. One of the more i...

When you buy a product labeled “smart,” it should be better than the “dumb” version, especially considering it costs twice as much (at least). But that’s not the case with smart alarm clocks, which are very dumb in one specific way. Smart alarm clocks are bedside buzzers with smart features, letting you set an alarm with just your voice, waking you up with your favorite Spotify playlist, possibly tracking your sleep, and definitely controlling your smart home. Most have touch screens, some have radar, very few have cameras (thankfully), and others can use lighting to wake you up more naturally than a jarring buzzer. But what none of them have is a backup battery, something that’s been standard on the dumb versions for decades. If your power goes out in the middle of the night and doesn’t c...

Facebook probably wishes it had a delete button for its timeline now that it’s threatening an upcoming TV show with a lawsuit for potentially tarnishing the brand’s reputation. Doomsday Machine is the upcoming television adaption of An Ugly Truth, a book that exposes Facebook’s missteps on issues like misinformation, hate speech, user security. The drama will star Claire Foy as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and will tackle the chaos surrounding misinformation during the 2016 election, as well as more recent controversies like the XCheck program, which let celebrities and other high-profile figures bypass content moderation. As the series begins to come together, Facebook is threatening producers Anonymous Content with a lawsuit — and it’s using Britney Spears’ lawyers to do so (via Deadline...

The latest version of macOS, Monterey, is now available to download according to Apple. The software has been available in public beta for several months, but today’s release means Apple thinks the software is ready for everyday use. As is tradition, Apple announced its latest version of macOS at WWDC in June. New features include the ability to set Macs as an AirPlay target to play content from iPhones and iPads, as well as Shortcuts, Apple’s iOS automation software. There have also been improvements made to FaceTime, as well as a new Quick Note feature. For a full rundown of what’s on the way, check out our preview from July, as well as Apple’s own feature list. Apple’s drag-and-drop demo from WWDC 2021. Unfortunately, some of Monterey’s biggest new additions, Universal Control and Share...

Samsung has announced three new additions to its Galaxy Book line: the Galaxy Book, the Galaxy Book Odyssey, and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G. While none of the models have features that will knock your socks off, they seem like a natural progression of Samsung’s recent efforts to bring the Galaxy Book line out of the enthusiast space and into the mainstream. The most accessible offering looks to be the regular 15.6-inch Galaxy Book. This is the only one of the three that’s available now; the other two products hit shelves November 11th. I’m currently seeing a $749.99 model at Best Buy that includes a Core i5-1165G7, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage, as well as a Core i7-1165G7/16GB/ 512GB configuration for $999.99. Those seem like reasonable prices to pay for these specs, assuming that t...