Technology

Activision Blizzard has confirmed Diablo Immortal won’t be launching in Belgium and the Netherlands alongside other countries on June 2nd, and has blamed the territories’ “current operating environments” for preventing the release of its new free-to-play title, Eurogamer reports. The two countries are notable for recent rulings taken against loot boxes in games, with authorities in each country arguing that they constitute a form of gambling. The cancellation was first reported by Dutch news site Tweakers. “Diablo Immortal will not be available in Belgium or the Netherlands, and will not appear on Battle.net or the Belgian and Netherlands App or Google Play Stores,” a spokesperson for the game’s publisher told Eurogamer. “This is related to the current operating environment for games in th...

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken a hardline stance against his employees working from home, Electrek and Bloomberg report. In an email apparently sent to the company’s executive staff with the subject line “Remote work is no longer acceptable,” the CEO said employees must spend a minimum of 40 hours per week in the office, or else “depart Tesla.” He said this should be a “main Tesla office,” and not a “remote branch office.” Responding to a screenshot of the alleged email posted to Twitter, Musk did not deny its authenticity, and wrote that anyone who disagrees with a policy of coming into the office “should pretend to work somewhere else.” Tesla did not respond to The Verge’s request for comment, but is widely reported to have dissolved its press office. They should pretend to work somewhere...

Netflix subscribers in Peru have voiced confusion regarding the streaming service’s password-sharing program. The streaming company began testing its program in Peru this march March, and an informal survey has suggested that it is receiving negative feedback. This has led to certain users canceling their subscriptions altogether, while many others question the what the term “household” actually means in Netflix terms and the company’s policy as a whole. Netflix’s new password-sharing program is meant to be straightforward; they charge users who share passwords additional charges. Users are allowed to share with members in a specific household, however, not a family member who lives elsewhere. Users are able to add new members for an additional fee of approximately $2 USD per use...

Coinciding with Nike‘s 50th-anniversary celebration and the launch of Future 50 of Her event in Los Angeles, the sportswear giant has announced a new innovative sports bra technology slated to change the game. Nike continues to make strides in its women’s apparel, first introducing a plus-size range up to 3X in 2017. In line with its inclusivity mission, Nike has also developed a new technology to ensure inclusive sports bra sizing is available for all women. The company’s latest invention is a soft tissue robot named “Brabot.” According to Independent, the sports bra technology “is designed to mimic the tender tissue of breasts, which allows makers to accurately test different sports bra styles and maximize comfortability.” In addition to the “Brabot,” Nike has also developed a “thermoreg...

Just in time for Global Running Day, Garmin is introducing two new running watches to its Forerunner lineup: the $349.99 Forerunner 255 and the $499.99 Forerunner 955. Both GPS watches sport multi-band GPS and new racing features, including a race widget. The Forerunner 955 will also come in a Solar version, which, as the name suggests, adds solar charging for even longer battery life. The Forerunner 255 is a lightweight, midrange running watch that builds on the Forerunner 245. It’ll come in two sizes. The standard Forerunner 255 will measure 46mm and weigh 49 grams, while the smaller 255S will measure 41mm and weigh 32 grams. There’ll also be a Forerunner 255 Music and 255S Music variants, which will be able to store up to 500 songs on the watch itself. Garmin says that also includes pla...

Porsche is strengthening its ties with Rimac, an electric supercar company, by participating in a $500 million investment round for the Croatia-based startup. Porsche didn’t disclose the exact amount it invested in Rimac, except to say it was “eight figures.” And Porsche won’t have a controlling interest in Rimac, retaining its previously disclosed 20 percent equity stake in the company. Over the years, Porsche has grown closer to Rimac, buying shares in the company and setting up a joint venture to run Bugatti after Volkswagen transferred ownership to the startup. Today’s investment news is the latest indication that Porsche has a positive perception of Rimac’s future. Porsche also owns a controlling stake in Greyp, an electric mountain bike company also founded by Rimac’s CEO, Mate Rimac...

There are Apple TV Siri Remote cases of all shapes and colors, with the vast majority of them providing a silicone grip and protection against those inevitable plunges from your couch cushions. But if those are a little too tacky for your taste (and remind you too much of those squishy Wii remote covers), Nomad has developed a sleek alternative: a Siri Remote case made out of American leather and — best of all — comes with a hidden AirTag pocket. The case leaves the front of the remote totally open, so it may not be the best option if you’re looking for something to protect the device from spills or falls. It makes up for that in style, though — removing the solid brown backing reveals a discreet pocket where you can place an AirTag. If your remote ever disappears in the abyss between your...

In response to a swift and all too predictable wave of racist backlash from Star Wars “fans” dismayed by the idea of Black people existing in space, Disney has issued a statement supporting Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Moses Ingram. Though Obi-Wan Kenobi’s first two episodes premiered only just last week, that was all the time it took for Star Wars obsessives to fixate on Ingram’s character Reva Sevander, one of the Galactic Empire’s Inquisitors tasked with exterminating the galaxy’s Jedi. On the Monday following this year’s Star Wars Celebration event, Ingram took to her personal Instagram account to share a selection from the “hundreds” of anti-Black, misogynist messages she’s received for portraying a fictional villain who does evil things. Ingram expressed that, while she’s grateful to fans wh...

Netflix’s test to crack down on password sharing has reportedly left some users confused, according to a report from Rest of World. The streaming service started experimenting with password-sharing solutions in Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica in March, prompting subscribers in these markets to pay an additional fee to enable streaming for others outside their household who use the same account. When speaking to over a dozen Netflix subscribers in Peru, Rest of World found that most users weren’t formally made aware of the policy change through an email or notification sent by Netflix — not even two months out from Netflix’s initial announcement. The outlet also learned that Netflix’s level of enforcement varied from user to user, with some users on shared accounts reporting that they ignored v...

When the company formerly known as Facebook announced its plan to rebrand last October, it also announced a new stock ticker. At the time, execs said that after ten years as FB, its NASDAQ listing would transition to MVRS for the metaverse. However, after the investment fund listed under META vacated the symbol in January, Meta Platforms quickly confirmed that it would use META instead, while at the same time announcing its first drop in daily active users, ever. Now it has filed paperwork saying the shift will become official before the market opens on June 9th (via CNBC). Right now, people still think of Meta as the home of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, but the plan is to make it into much more than those social media mainstays. Changing the company’s name hasn’t been enough for all...

Leica and Panasonic have joined forces to form L² Technology (L squared Technology), Leica Rumors reported. The alliance, which utilizes the two “L” of the Leica and Lumix brands, will reportedly combine camera and lens products with cutting-edge software to create advanced solutions. According to the publication, the two companies will work together to invest in new technologies that can be integrated into cameras and lenses. The mutually-developed technologies will be used for both Leica and Lumix products. Through the alliance, Leica’s optical and imaging technology and Panasonic’s digital technology will serve to enhance the product capabilities of the partner company. “Through this collaboration, both companies will be able to maximize the synergies by Leica’s optical and imaging tech...