Technology

Govee has carved out an interesting niche in TV bias lights that use a mounted camera to match the lighting to what’s on-screen. With its latest product, the Govee DreamView G1 Pro Gaming Light, it brings this formula to desktop computers and gaming monitors. The DreamView G1 Pro is derived from its larger, TV-sized cousins, but it features a much more streamlined all-in-one camera and wire housing, with a higher asking price of $179 direct from Govee or from Amazon (though it’s likely to get frequent discounts like Govee’s other lights). There’s no separate control box for the wiring, as the 56-inch flexible light strip and two 17-inch light bars plug right into the camera via USB-C, and the whole kit thankfully takes up just one power outlet. Verge Score 7 out of 10 Good Stuff Install is...

Google is forming a team to create services for developers who want to launch Web3 apps. Amid a rise in new blockchain and cryptocurrency ventures, the company wants to make its Google Cloud platform the go-to spot for backend services. “While the world is still early in its embrace of Web3, it is a market that is already demonstrating tremendous potential with many customers asking us to increase our support for Web3 and Crypto related technologies,” Google Cloud Vice President Amit Zavery told employees in an email on Friday, per CNBC. In an interview with CNBC, Zavery said the company isn’t “trying to be part of that cryptocurrency wave directly.” Rather than launch its own cryptocurrency projects, Google plans to offer tools for developers to build their own Web3 systems, streamlining ...

A harrowing report from The Wall Street Journal gives us a look at what happens behind the scenes at TikTok, with former employees describing unusually long work hours, stressful working conditions, and a cultural disconnect between TikTok’s US and Chinese branches. Employees at TikTok’s Los Angeles-based outfit reportedly say they’ve experienced sleep deprivation caused by working late and attending meetings with fellow workers located in China. According to the WSJ, some employees report spending around 85 hours per week in meetings and needing to make more time to finish their work. And since Sunday in the US is already Monday in China, many workers report working on the weekends so they can be on par with their colleagues on the other side of the globe. Some employees described an imme...

We already knew that Netflix’s sci-fi anthology Love, Death and Robots was returning for a third volume. But thanks to a fresh trailer, we now also know what to expect. As always, the show will feature short animated stories that generally fall into the genres of sci-fi, horror, and, occasionally, fantasy. But what really makes Love, Death and Robots stand out is the variety of stories it tells. This season looks no different, with animation ranging from hyper-real to cel-shaded trippiness. Netflix says the new season will feature nine stories, and if there’s a unifying theme — aside from the titular love, death, and robots — it might just be animals. The trailer includes giant crabs, warrior rats, cyborg bears, and what appears to be an astronaut kitty. Also, there’s a not very subtle dig...

A group of non-fungible token (or NFT) creators and collectors will soon be able to display their tokens on Instagram. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed in a post today that the company is testing NFTs on the platform, with “similar functionality” coming soon to Facebook. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a video today that a small group of US users will have the ability to display NFTs on their feed, stories, and in messages. NFT details are displayed in a similar way to tagged profiles and products and are named “digital collectibles.” Clicking on the tag will display details like the name of the creator and owner. NFTs on Instagram This week we’re beginning to test digital collectibles with a handful of US creators and collectors who will be able to share NFTs on Instagram. There wil...

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi vowed to rein in costs at the ride-hailing company in the face of a “seismic shift” in the financial market, according to a memo sent to employees that was first reported by CNBC. The effort to reduce spending is in response to the dramatic upheaval in the labor market that has Uber scrambling to find drivers to meet growing demand. Khosrowshahi said that, moving forward, the company will treat corporate hiring as a “privilege,” suggesting that Uber may be looking to freeze or even reduce its staff numbers as it aims to become a leaner operation. Uber is the latest company to commit to a hiring slowdown as the labor market tightens and tech stocks in particular have plunged sharply from their heights at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meta, the parent com...

As the date nears for the release of the Apple iPhone 14 Pro, more rumors have surfaced regarding the size of the new iPhone. Towards the end of April, 9to5Mac uncover that the tech giant is likely to unveil four different iPhone 14 models with two screen sizes at 6.1-inches and 6.7-inches. Twitter user Saran Byte took to social media to reveal that iPhone 14 front panels were leaked on Weibo, seemingly confirming that the Pro models will feature a thinner bezel. It also suggested that the Pro phone will be slightly larger for the iPhone 14 pro and Pro Max models to ensure that the new 20:9 aspect ratio will fit. The previous iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max model had an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 for comparison. There is currently no further announcement corroborating these leaks from Apple. However...