technology

/ It’s not cheap until you compare it to the cost of car ownership. Expected to ship in September. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Mate Mate, the Indiegogo darling that burst onto the scene in 2016 with an inexpensive and fun folding e-bike, has just shown off a working prototype of its first electric cargo bike. The Mate SUV, as it’s called, targets families looking to replace a car — something that’s not only possible, but preferred in bicycle-friendly cities like Copenhagen, where Mate was founded. Electric cargo bikes aren’t cheap, unless you compare the price to t...

/ The company said recent layoffs were part of a routine performance review cycle and not response to organization efforts.  a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Getty Tesla says recent layoffs at its Buffalo, New York facility were part of a routine performance review cycle and that it is “false” that it fired employees in response to a new union campaign. The Workers United union previously alleged in a complaint filed with the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that the company fired dozens of employees at the plant “in retaliation for union activity” just one day ...

/ Phone 1 owners are starting to see a stable release for Nothing OS 1.5, the company’s Android 13 skin which has been in beta testing. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge As spotted by XDA-Developers, Nothing is starting to release its first major OS upgrade for its very first mobile device: Phone 1. Remember the phone that goes blink blink blink? That one. Its Android 13 skin, Nothing OS 1.5, has been in beta testing since late 2022. Now, beta testers are reporting on Reddit and Discord that the stable version has arrived in the form of Nothing O...

/ Samsung’s preorder promos for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Book3 laptops expire at 3AM ET tomorrow, February 17th. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge If you’ve been hoping to upgrade your smartphone or laptop, you’ll soon be able to get your hands on Samsung’s Galaxy S23, Galaxy Book3 Pro, and Galaxy Book3 Pro 360. The devices will be widely available starting tomorrow, February 17th, but you’ll need to act fast if you’re hoping to take advantage of Samsung’s ongoing preorder promos before they expire at 3AM ET / 12AM PT tonight. a:hover]:shadow-hi...

/ Chief product officer Neal Mohan will take over YouTube as a senior vice president.

/ The Tetris movie finally fell into place, dropping onto Apple TV Plus on March 31st. The Tetris movie that’s been in the works for almost a decade is actually happening, and Apple has finally unveiled an official trailer ahead of its SXSW premiere. This upcoming Apple Original Films “blockbuster” (sorry) is based on a true story, starring Taron Egerton as Henk Rogers, a Dutch entrepreneur who becomes so enamored with the titular game that he travels to the Soviet Union during the end of the Cold War in order secure its distribution rights. There, he encounters the game’s inventor, Alexey Pajitnov (portrayed by A Good Man’s Nikita Efremov), and villainous KGB agents, all while navigating the increasing tensions between the Soviet government and the West. It’s certainly a different approac...

/ A search engine that guilt-trips you isn’t just creepy — it’s bad product design. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Microsoft A while back, there was a little debate over whether to say “please” and “thank you” to smart speakers. Amazon Alexa added a mode that rewarded children who were polite to their devices, attempting to avoid, as the BBC put it, a generation of children who “grew up accustomed to barking orders” at machines. This whole phenomenon bothered me — I felt like it needlessly blurred the lines between real people who you can actually hurt with ruden...

/ Are the robots responsible for what they say?

/ The BTS Dynamite Set, featuring scenes from the 2020 music video, hits shelves in March. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Lego Lego teased a collaboration with BTS earlier this month and, needless to say, the fans had questions. Would the set come with photo cards? Will Jimin play with it on a livestream? Does this mean we’ll see BTS in the next Lego Movie? We don’t have all the answers to those questions yet (although I need an answer on the Lego Movie stat). We have, however, finally gotten our first glimpse of this highly anticipated Lego set, which (fairly accurately) ...

/ Additional sustainability options are still available to test groups only. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>Xbox Google Home app integration.

/ Sorry, no true 4K soccer for MLS Season Pass.

/ The company’s new policy allows significantly more than other major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.