Technology

Samsung has warned that it might not be able to ship a Galaxy Note phone in 2021 after all, citing difficulties in launching two flagship phones in one year, in comments at its annual shareholders meeting reported on by Bloomberg. “[The] Note series is positioned as a high-end model in our business portfolio,” said mobile chief DJ Koh. “It could be a burden to unveil two flagship models in a year so it might be difficult to release [a] Note model in 2H. The timing of [the] Note model launch can be changed but we seek to release a Note model next year.” The comments came as Samsung sounded the alarm about a global semiconductor shortage, saying that its business will likely be affected next quarter. The potential delay or cancellation of a 2021 Galaxy Note is apparently separate, however; K...

Riot Games is closing an investigation into whether CEO Nicolo Laurent harassed or discriminated against former employee Sharon O’Donnell, saying it found “no evidence” of the claim. “After review of the results of the investigation,” Riot said in a statement, “there is no evidence that Nicolo harassed, discriminated, or retaliated against Ms. O’Donnell. The Special Committee has also expressed its full confidence in Nicolo’s leadership, that no action against him is warranted, and that he will continue to operate as CEO.” The Washington Post reported the news earlier today, and Riot posted an overview of the investigation’s conclusions as well as a letter from Laurent. The Post also reports that Riot asked a court to speed up legal proceedings for a suit filed by O’Donnell earlier this ye...

Uber will classify around 70,000 drivers in the UK as workers and give them some benefits after losing an appeal at the Supreme Court level in February, following a years-long legal battle over their employment status. Drivers will still not be considered full-time employees, but they will receive a minimum wage, holiday time, and will be enrolled in a pension plan starting on March 17th. The decision in February was one of the biggest wins yet for drivers, and for gig workers writ large, in the UK. But that victory came just a few months after voters in California approved Prop 22, a ballot measure that reversed a previous decision to classify drivers as employees. And despite repeated claims that classifying drivers as employees would make things more expensive for customers, all the maj...

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Cricut is changing its recently announced plan to require a subscription to get the full use of its crafting machines for precisely cutting paper and other materials. Following backlash from crafters and fans who rely on its machines, Cricut CEO Ashish Arora apologized for the decision, and announced that the company will postpone the requirement for a subscription and give unlimited uploads to all users with a registered Cricut device purchased before December 31st, 2021 — for the lifetime of their machine. Without an upload limit, crafters will be able to use Cricut and its required Design Space app as usual. They can create designs in the app or third-party software like Procreate, and then format it to be cut out of materials like paper, fabric, vinyl, and even wood using a Cricut mach...

Starting April 1st, users setting up a new iPhone in Russia will see a screen that allows them to automatically install apps that are officially sanctioned by the Russian government, in compliance with Russian law (via Engadget). The law in question was passed back in 2019, and requires smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and smart TVs sold in Russia to come pre-installed with specific apps made by Russian companies by April 1st, according to Russian news site Vedomosti. (The law was originally set to go into effect in July 2020, but was pushed back to April 2021). Vedomosti also says that apps won’t be installed if users don’t want them. Apple confirmed to The Verge that it will comply with the law by giving the users the option to install the apps when activating the phone. Which ap...

Sony has announced that the PlayStation 5 will get DVR functionality in Japan by way of a new app that’ll work with its Nasne tuners. The app will be called Torne (pronounced to-ru-ne) and should be available later this year. Torne was originally a TV tuner add-on for the PS3 that was released in 2010 and allowed you to save broadcast shows to your console’s hard drive and transfer them to a PSP or PS Vita. It was followed by Nasne, which added its own storage and worked more like a NAS drive, with the recordings available through a mobile app. Sony stopped selling Nasne in 2019, but last year Japanese peripheral manufacturer Buffalo announced that it’d take over the product and release Buffalo-branded versions, with the first models set to ship this spring. The new Nasne still looks like ...

Activision Blizzard on Tuesday said it was laying off about 50 people across various divisions dealing predominantly with live events and esports as part of a restructuring. The company cites the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on both the viability of live productions for its esports leagues and the changing viewership habits of its core audience over the past year. “Players are increasingly choosing to connect with our games digitally and the e-sports team, much like traditional sports, entertainment, and broadcasting industries, has had to adapt its business due to the impact the pandemic has had on live events,” an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told Bloomberg in a statement. According to Bloomberg, laid-off employees will receive three months’ severance, health benefits for the next 12 ...

Microsoft has once again reiterated that VR support for Xbox was not a focus for the company, following reports earlier today that hinted it was working on a VR headset compatible with the Xbox Series X / S. The rumor first surfaced after IGN Italy reported that some Italian Xbox users received messages, which translated to “[a]n update for the VR headset is available” and “[u]pdate VR headset,” when connecting the recently released Xbox Wireless Headset to their Xbox Series X or Series S consoles. My colleague, Cameron Faulkner, reviewed the Xbox Wireless headset and did not encounter this pop-up message while using the headset on an Xbox Series X console in the US. “VR for console is not a focus for us at this time.” A Microsoft representative told The Verge that “the copy in this error ...

Apple announced today that Apple Maps has been updated with vaccine locations from VaccineFinder, a site run by Boston Children’s Hospital that provides information on vaccine eligibility and availability. People can search for nearby vaccination sites in Apple Maps or ask Siri, “Where can I get a COVID vaccination?” Over 20,000 locations are now listed, with more to be added in the coming weeks. Vaccination sites in Apple MapsImage: Apple Each vaccine site listing in Apple Maps includes the operating hours and contact information for the site, with a link to the provider’s website to find vaccine availability and make an appointment. With the new feature, Apple joins a number of other tech companies offering more ways for people to check their eligibility, locate vaccination sites, and ge...

Huawei has a plan to compete in 5G without being able to sell its 5G phones everywhere. Today, the technology company announced that it intends to seek royalties from companies like Apple and Samsung in exchange for the use of its patents, according to Bloomberg. Huawei believes it can strike licensing deals despite sanctions in the US, and it plans to use its earnings to invest even further into research and development. Huawei obtained patents on new technology during the development of the larger 5G standard — alongside companies like Qualcomm and Ericsson — that are needed for interoperability between different 5G networks, according to CNBC. “Huawei has been the largest technical contributor to 5G standards,” Huawei’s head of intellectual property rights, Jason Ding, said in a stateme...

The excellent and massively popular anime Demon Slayer has had as successful of a run at the box office as you can get in Japan — the movie adaptation of its “Mugen Train” manga arc is the highest-grossest film in the country’s history. Now, the film is finally coming to North America, starting with a theatrical run in the US and Canada on April 23rd with distribution from Aniplex of America and Funimation. The film’s official title, in true anime style, is a bit of a mouthful: Demon Slayer – Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train. But that hasn’t stopped the film from its box office domination. It broke the $100 million milestone in Japan in just 10 days, and it’s since grossed nearly $400 million in the country alone, beating out Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away and Titanic for the all-...