Technology

The Oura Ring was one of the buzziest gadgets during the pandemic. Not only did it spark a weird sleep competition between Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian, but it was also featured in the NBA’s COVID prevention plans, and there were several studies to see whether wearables could predict COVID-19. And now, there’s a Gucci version that costs an eye-watering $950. The Gucci x Oura Ring is made out of “black synthetic corundum” detailed with a braided border and an 18-karat gold Gucci G. It weighs four grams, and the band measures 0.3 inches thick. Other than the luxe design, this is basically the same as the “regular” $299 Oura Ring Generation 3. The main benefit of the Gucci version is that it comes with a lifetime membership. Starting with the Gen 3 ring, Oura began charging a $6 monthly...

Sony expects to have over 20 “major” titles available for its PlayStation VR2 headset at launch, according to a company investor presentation. While it didn’t confirm the names or developers of all the games, a slide confirmed that the list will be made up of a combination of first- and third-party titles, and suggested it’d include the previously announced Horizon spinoff — Horizon Call of the Mountain. “There is a considerable amount of money being spent on partnerships with independent and other third-party developers to secure a considerable pipeline of attractive VR content at the launch of PlayStation VR2,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan, in comments reported by Video Games Chronicle. A slide in Sony’s presentation with details of the PS VR2’s release.Image: S...

Microsoft’s long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator is now available free for all players. After being delayed to match the movie’s shifted release date, the Top Gun expansion arrived on Wednesday to test players piloting skills. The free update includes a Top Gun: Maverick Edition livery for the F/A-18E Super Hornet, three training missions for the Super Hornet, and even a particularly demanding aircraft carrier landing challenge. The training missions are designed to train Microsoft Flight Simulator players to learn unrestricted take-offs, high-speed maneuvering, and the low altitude stunts that are found in Top Gun: Maverick. Once training is over there are five challenges that will test traversing through canyons and above mountains at high speed. The ex...

What if your cable could magnetically stick to itself, forming a neat coil that doesn’t get all floppy and tangled in your drawers and bags? What if they were good cables, too, capable of charging and syncing all the things over USB-C, Lightning, and more? Well… you can now buy USB cables that do the first part! And they’re cool enough that I really wish cable manufacturers would figure the rest of that shit out. For the past few weeks, I’ve been testing some seriously nifty USB cables that can actually do the magnetic coiling snake trick. Originally brought to the English-speaking world’s attention by a brand called SuperCalla, they’re now sold by a whole bunch of no-name brands at the likes of Amazon and Alibaba. And they are incredible fidget toys, just as SuperCalla’s Indiegogo c...

Joby Aviation, a leading electric aviation company based in Northern California, announced that it has received its first certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agency awarded the company with a Part 135 Air Carrier Certification, which Joby will need to operate an on-demand air taxi service. The certification was awarded ahead of schedule, with Joby initially targeting the second half of 2022 for its receipt. Under Part 135, Joby can officially conduct commercial air taxi services — though it still needs two more certifications, alongside type certification and production certification, before its aircraft can legally carry passengers. Type certification means the aircraft meets all the FAA’s design and safety standards, while production certification is the app...

Apple has officially revealed the program for the Worldwide Developers Conference 2022. The annual conference is set to include a keynote as well as a Platforms State of the Union. The event is set to give developers a chance to share and learn from Apple’s key leaders. WWDC22 is slated to be free for all developers and designers looking to explore the newest technologies, frameworks and tools that are arriving to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS. The week-long conference allows developers from different facets to join in converations with Apple engineers and developers to receive guidance on building their own projects including apps and games. The event kicks off on June 6 with a Apple Keynote which will provide a first look at this year’s upcoming updates for the some of the tech gi...

Twitter has agreed to pay a $150 million USD fine after it supposedly violated the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and a Commission order from 2011. The prior order states that the company vowed not to use any information gathered for security purposes, such as phone numbers and email addresses, to better assist advertisers targeting people with ads. However, the Federal Trade Commission claims that Twitter broke its vows and continued its practice, taking data from more than 150 million users between May 2013 and September 2019. According to Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, “Twitter obtained data from users on the pretext of harnessing it for security purposes but then ended up also using the data to target users with ads.” The Justice Department recently filed&...

Although the long-rumored Pixel Watch has finally arrived, there’s still no sign of Google’s mysterious folding phone — and we likely won’t see it for another year. According to reports from Korean industry site The Elec and supply chain analyst Ross Young (via Android Central), the release of Google’s rumored folding phone has been delayed until next spring. Google was originally expected to reveal the device in 2021, but that prediction was pushed back to the fourth quarter of 2022. This most recent delay could explain why we didn’t see the device at Google I/O earlier this month alongside the brief tease of a future Pixel tablet. Sources with knowledge of the situation reportedly told The Elec that the phone’s release date has been postponed simply because it isn’t finished yet. Young b...

Some workers delivering packages for Amazon were more than twice as likely to be injured on the job compared to non-Amazon delivery workers, according to a report from the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) advocacy group (via CNBC). The union coalition compiled data submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) by Amazon and its contractors and discovered that an estimated 18.3 percent of Amazon’s subcontracted delivery workers were injured seriously enough to be reported. As the report notes, Amazon deliveries aren’t made entirely by workers that the company directly employs. The SOC says that a large portion of packages are delivered by people working for a Delivery Service Partner (DSP), or a company that contracts with Amazon to make deliveries in a certain area...