Technology

Google’s latest diversity report shows that despite some gains in the number of Black employees, the company is lagging in its goal to double the number of Black workers by 2025. And the search giant is having particular difficulty retaining women of color, the report released Thursday (pdf) shows. Google uses a scale it calls an attrition index, with the number 100 used as a benchmark. The attrition figure for Black women on that index rose from 110 in 2020 to 146 in 2021, the report shows. Among Native American women the attrition index was up to 148 in 2021, compared to 123 in 2020. The 2021 attrition figures also were higher for Asian men and women and for Latinx men, the report showed. “We recognize the platform that we have and the brand position that we have and we know that there a...

Porsche is recalling its first EV, the Taycan, to fix an issue where some cars suddenly lose power while in motion. The automaker has already sold around 43,000 Taycans globally to date, though it claims (without further clarification) that only a small number are affected. Owners will have to bring their electric Porsches to a dealer for the software fix, which the company says will take between 60 and 90 minutes. The fix is being applied to new Taycans coming off the production line. The same issue is also affecting the new Audi E-Tron GT, as it is built on the Taycan’s electric powertrain. That recall involves far fewer vehicles, though, as Audi only just started shipping the electric sports car. At least a dozen Taycan owners have filed complaints to date with the NHTSA about the power...

An internal survey designed by Apple employees shows respondents want the option to work from home and fear their colleagues may have to leave if the company forces people back to the office. In the survey, which was sent out in early June, nearly 90 percent of respondents said they “strongly agree” with the statement “location-flexible working options are a very important issue to me.” A total of 1,749 people answered the question. Employees defined “location-flexible” as the option to work from home indefinitely. The news comes on the heels of Tim Cook’s announcement that Apple will be rolling out a new hybrid work model that will require employees to return to the office three days a week starting in early September. While the move is a big shift for Apple, which discouraged remote work...

The Witcher: Monster Slayer, an upcoming Pokémon Go-like augmented reality game for mobile devices set in The Witcher universe, will be released on July 21st, CD Projekt Red announced on Friday. It will be available for free on both platforms. In Monster Slayer, you’ll explore the world around you and fight menacing virtual monsters in AR. You’ll also go on “story-driven quests that propel you through epic adventures inspired by the Witcher series, taking you deep into the heart of what it means to be an elite monster slayer,” according to the game’s website. The game was first announced in August 2020. [embedded content] If you’re on Android, you can pre-register for the game on Google Play right now. If you do, you’ll be able to play the game as soon as it launches and you’ll get access ...

A bipartisan group of lawmakers have asked that the FTC continue its antitrust lawsuit against Facebook after setbacks in court. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), together with House representatives David Cicilline (D-RI) and Ken Buck (R-CO), signed a letter addressed to FTC Chair Lina Khan detailing why the regulatory action is needed. “It is essential that the Commission take action to deter anticompetitive conduct by digital monopolists by ensuring that they are held liable for antitrust violations to the full extent of the law,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is essential that the Commission take action” This letter comes just four days after Judge James E. Boasberg dismissed the federal government’s key antitrust complaint against Facebook on Monday, as well as a complaint ...

Microsoft is warning Windows users about an unpatched critical flaw in the Windows Print Spooler service. The vulnerability, dubbed PrintNightmare, was uncovered earlier this week after security researchers accidentally published a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit. While Microsoft hasn’t rated the vulnerability, it allows attackers to remotely execute code with system-level privileges, which is as critical and problematic as you can get in Windows. Researchers at Sangfor published the PoC, in what appears to have been a mistake, or a miscommunication between the researchers and Microsoft. The test code was quickly deleted, but not before it had already been forked on GitHub. Sangfor researchers had been planning to detail multiple 0-day vulnerabilities in the Windows Print Spooler service at...

General Motors has struck a deal with a mining company to source lithium, a key ingredient in electric-car batteries, from geothermal deposits in the US. The automaker is making a “multi-million dollar” investment in Australia’s Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) to bolster the mining firm’s efforts to extract lithium from California’s Salton Sea Geothermal Field. It’s a risky bet by GM, given that there is no full-scale lithium production in the US from geothermal wells. Most of the world’s lithium comes from two places: lithium brine deposits in South America’s “lithium triangle” of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia; and hard-rock deposits in Australia. But its a sign that GM is trying to think holistically about the challenge of becoming an EV-only company by 2035. It’s a risky bet by GM CT...

Facebook is testing prompts that will link users to anti-extremism support and resources if the company believes the user knows someone who could be on the path to extremism, or if the user has been exposed to extremist content themselves, according to a report by CNN Business. In a statement to The Verge, a Facebook spokesperson said that the test is part of the company’s “larger work to assess ways to provide resources and support to people on Facebook who may have engaged with or were exposed to extremist content, or may know someone who is at risk.” Facebook says that it’ll continue to remove extremist content that violates its rules, though the company has had issues tracking down and removing similar content, even from groups that it’s actively tried to kick off the platform. Faceboo...

Amazon is bringing the conclusion to the Rebuild of Evangelion film series — adaptations of the beloved anime Neon Genesis Evangelion created by Hideaki Anno — to Prime Video on August 13th. Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.01 Thrice Upon a Time came out in Japan in March but will be making its global premiere on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories, Amazon says. Alongside the final fourth film, Amazon will also stream the other films in the series, Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance, and Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo. The company hasn’t said when those films will be available on its service, but hopefully in time to catch up for Thrice Upon a Time’s August release. You can watch a trailer for the new movie below: [embedded content] The Evang...

Humble Bundle has announced that it’s going to change how payment sliders will work in its storefront by removing the ability to donate all of what you spend to charity and setting an average minimum cut for Humble Bundle itself between 15 to 30 percent (via Kotaku). The change goes into effect in “mid-July.” When you buy a bundle of games, ebooks, or software on Humble Bundle, you’re traditionally given the option to choose how much of your money goes to Humble Bundle, the creator of what you’re buying, and a charity via a slider for each. Those sliders are sticking around, but now they’ll have a bit less range. The company justified the change in a blog post announcing its plans: Why change after ten years? The PC storefront landscape has changed significantly since we first launched bun...

The Olympics are back on this summer in Japan — despite local opposition — and athletes will of course find themselves outfitted in the lightest, slickest gear to assist in record-breaking performances. Ahead of the games, Nike has unveiled some of the apparel the US team will wear (including “Rawdacious” themed track spikes with carbon fiber plates), but you may want to keep an eye on outfits reserved for medal winners. Nike is highlighting sustainability themes with pants and jackets that are made from 100 percent recycled material, and while the accompanying footwear is made partially from recycled materials, that’s not the only thing special about it. This year’s medal stand features Nike’s FlyEase tech, which is made for easy entry that brings comfortable athletic shoes to people who ...

The next big software update for Apple TV will arrive with tvOS 15. While it won’t become widely available until later this year, users who are part of Apple’s public beta program can now take it for a spin ahead of time. It’s possible and even likely that Apple will continue tinkering with tvOS 15 features ahead of its official launch, but particularly for those looking to test-drive Apple’s forthcoming SharePlay feature, the public beta has officially landed. The goodies arriving in tvOS 15 that Apple has disclosed so far are small — you’re not going to notice a massive redesign of the tvOS interface, for example — but they’re not insignificant, either. Though, a warning: once you install tvOS 15 on a newer Apple TV 4K box, there’s no turning back. Uninstalling the beta from your Apple T...