Posts Tagged: into

How to turn your old phone into a security camera

Have an old phone sitting around unused? These apps can turn your old smartphone into a home security device.
Digital Trends

This cheap accessory turns your AirTag into a 5-in-1 multi-tool

Grab this 5-in-1 AppleAir Tag gadget while it is on sale at Huckberry.
Digital Trends

How Disney’s A Real Bug’s Life docu-series turns insects into giants

Pixar‘s 1998 movie, A Bug’s Life, brought tiny CGI ants to the world’s largest screens. National Geographic’s new docu-series, A Real Bug’s Life inverts that, turning insects into giants in our homes. The only thing digital about the critters featured in the Disney+ series, though, is the technology filming them. But like its animated counterpart, the show explores the world they live in and their adventures in ways we’ve never seen before.

With its focus on insects, A Real Bug’s Life isn’t limited to specific remote habitats. Over the course of the series you’ll visit arid desert planes, tropical jungle, concrete jungle, a rural farm in the UK and even the humble backyard. But thanks to a series of innovations, we see these worlds from entirely new perspectives. “I think that the look and feel of this show, and this is not just me saying it, I don’t think that there’s anything else that looks like this or has ever looked like this” Nathan Small, a self-shooting Producer/Director who worked on the show told Engadget.

A close up shot of a bold jumping spider taken during the filming of Disney's 'A Real Bug's Life.'
National Geographic

The series opens in New York City where we follow the misadventures of an adorable bold jumping spider. While our eight-legged hero begins his journey on a city rooftop, it’s not long before we’re down at street level and joined by a cast of intrepid ants, industrious flies and a menacing praying mantis. Some of the shots instantly stand out without you fully knowing why. But Small does.

He explained that macro professionals have long favored 60- or 100mm lenses, which give incredible detail but have a very shallow depth of field (DOF). “Which means that there’s no context ever, there’s no geography, and you’re always in this sort of very smushy, blurry world,” he said. “In the last few years, there have been lots of what are called ‘probe’ lenses released. The main one, which was a bit of a game changer, is made by a company called Laowa and it’s a 24 millimeter” he added.

A probe lens looks exactly how you’re imagining — more like a vacuum cleaner attachment — but the shots it produces have two key advantages, Small explained. The first one is practical: the 16-inch barrel means you don’t need to be as physically close to the bug you’re shooting. The second, and the real reason those shots are standing out, is that with a 24mm lens you have a much deeper DOF, leaving much more in focus. “You get that geography and you get that setting which gives it a really cartoony and fresh… kind of funky look.” All I’ll say after watching that episode is, a New York all-beef will never seem the same again. You’ll also see a fly dining on a burger in excruciating, stomach-churning detail.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Laowa lens is that it’s relatively affordable. At $ 1,600 it’s not cheap, but it’s the same price as a regular (albeit very good) Canon 85mm lens that serious hobbyists might consider.

Two members of the crew for 'A Real Bugs Life' capture close up shots for the show.
National Geographic

Small also explained that sometimes techology isn’t changing the shot, instead it can improve what happens within it. “Not very long ago, all the lights that I was using were your classic film lights, Arri Blondes and all that kind of thing. They’re very hot” he said. “LED lights, they’re super bright, but they’re cold, so it means we’re getting all the light we need without cooking the animal, which obviously no one wants, while letting it act in a natural way” he added. Capturing critters trying to escape the heat is far less interesting than watching them do what comes naturally.

But the thing that enabled many of the most cinematic shots in A Real Bug’s Life isn’t available to buy, at least not off the shelf. “I never really touch the camera any more,” Small said. “I’m doing everything on custom built motion control rigs. I have a robot that I’ve been working on for the last five years, gradually changing things.” Small’s “robot” is a machine-engineered rig, hewn with the same precision as medical tools — something he says is vital as any shake or wobble at the scale he’s working at is hugely magnified.

The robot allows him to work at a distance and monitor via a large display for a better idea of what the things will look like on a TV. Two rails with sliders provide dual axes of movement while a rotating stage and tilt control provide a full range of motion that, put together, opens up shots you could only dream of with a tripod and slider alone. The robot’s “brain” uses an eMotimo motion controller and he directs it all with a PlayStation 2 DualShock. After years of updating and refining, the robot can finally deliver the dynamic macro footage we enjoy in the show. Head to the episode set on the British farm if you want to see Small’s cinematic robo-shots for yourself.

Some things still require a human though. If you ever wondered how they capture seemingly impossible moments, like a spider spinning a web, the answer is… patience. In the show we see an elephant hawk-moth emerging from its chrysalis. “I just didn’t really sleep for about five days, that’s short of it” he said. “You collect a lot of them so you have options. I had my camera on a big rail and then as soon as I saw one start to twitch and move, I slide the camera along and bang, you’re on that one.” The final shot in the show lasts barely 10 seconds, but without it the narrative falls apart, such is the life of a wildlife photographer.

An extreme close up of a dung beetle as featured in Disney's 'A Real Bug's Life' docu-series.
National Geographic

If you want to have a go at recording an emerging elephant hawk-moth or bold jumping spider but don’t have Disney-level budgets, don’t worry. Small says that today’s consumer products are already more capable than a lot of pro gear was not that all that long ago. Specifically when it comes to working in low light. “Before, you were stuck at like ISO 200, which is a nightmare for macro, because everything is too dark or noisy,” he said. “[Now] you can shoot at 3200 and still get really clean images.” As he mentioned earlier, these higher apertures like f11 or above avoid those “smushy” backgrounds. He also says that a lot of his kit is put together with SmallRig parts (no relation).

For the camera itself, that will largely depend on what you want to capture. For close-up macro photos (rather than video), Small says the Olympus system is preferred within the industry, thanks mostly to its internal focus stacking/bracketing. In the same way HDR photos blend multiple exposures for more even, natural light, focus stacking does the same but with, well, focus, so you can have your subject and background pin sharp.

More of a bird person? Then Canon seems to be the industry favorite according to Small. Particularly the larger sensor models and RF mount lenses. Canon’s stellar auto-focus locks onto animals really quickly, and can keep it locked even when the subject is moving (as birds are wont to do). The RF lenses also have a great reputation thanks to their blend of speed and excellent built-in stabilization making them a good option for general wildlife photography too. When not shooting for work, Small uses a Canon EOS 5DS. “I think that’s a good all round camera that does everything that I need it to. Stills are like my hobby now, which is quite sad, isn’t it? Because it’s very close to my job.”

A Real Bug’s Life, narrated by Awkwafina, premieres on Disney+ Jan 24.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/disneys-a-real-bugs-life-docu-series-review-143009674.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

I turned my iPhone into one of 2023’s coolest Android phones

Want to make your iPhone look like one of the coolest Android phones from this year? I’ll show you how.
Digital Trends

[Deal] Save 10% turning your selfies into professional headshots with The Multiverse AI

AI. It’s the buzz word of 2023 and beyond. If you look at the likes of Bard AI and ChatGPT, there are hundreds of everyday tasks that can be handled in a fraction of the time it would take to achieve manually. And it’s not just text based tasks that AI can be used for […]

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This accessory turned my AirPods into a giant mech head

Casetify’s Evangelion collaboration is one of the coolest we’ve seen. Here’s a hands-on with some of the best products from the collection!
Digital Trends

House lawmakers ask for investigation into Apple store labor practices

Apple is facing additional scrutiny over its alleged crackdown against pro-union retail workers. House Representatives Emanuel Cleaver and Sylvia Garcia have sent a letter to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) asking for an investigation into alleged labor abuses at Houston and Kansas City, Missouri stores. The politicians are concerned about claims Apple fired five Kansas City staff in retaliation for unionization efforts, and disciplined multiple Houston employees for attempting to organize.

In March, the Communications Works of America union (CWA) filed charges with the NLRB over the purported retaliation. The CWA believes Apple used thin pretexts to fire and intimidate employees, such as slightly late arrivals and even typos in timesheets. Some of the workers were reportedly forced to sign a release of claims against the company if they wanted a severance package. These practices are illegal, Cleaver and Garcia say.

The House members also pointed to the NLRB's January finding that Apple was violating labor rights with rules barring leaks and discussions of employment conditions. The representatives are worried about a "recurring pattern," according to the letter. In December, the board said Apple also broke the law by holding anti-union meetings in Atlanta.

We've asked Apple for comment. The company has previously argued that it can better care for retail staff without unions. At the same time, it has addressed concerns by raising pay, improving benefits and easing its scheduling rules.

The letter doesn't obligate the NLRB to respond, and there's no certainty that an investigation will lead to official action. Even so, it's notable that Apple's stance on retail labor has drawn Congress' attention. It won't be surprising if there's more interest from the federal government, whether or not the NLRB responds to the letter.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/house-lawmakers-ask-for-investigation-into-apple-store-labor-practices-195248699.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Rode’s Wireless ME squeezes a second mic into its receiver

When Rode released the original Wireless GO, it was an instant success. The ease of use, audio quality and reasonable price made wireless microphones much more accessible. In fact it was so successful that it spawned a number of copycat products from rivals. After releasing the Wireless GO II ($ 299) with dual mics, the company is back with a more affordable option – the $ 149 Wireless ME. There’s also a new video app called Rode Capture aimed at creators which offers tight integration with the Wireless ME and other products from the company.

If you’re thinking “more affordable” means fewer features, then you’d be right. But also you might be surprised. Even though there initially appears to be just one transmitter (mic) and one receiver, the latter also has a mic built-in so you can still record two speakers at the same time with their own separate audio files. That said, Rode is calling the second mic the “ME mic” and describes it as a “narrator” microphone because you can’t use it wirelessly (it’s the one that plugs into your recording device) so it can only really be used by someone off camera. That obviously is no problem if you’re not recording video, but worth knowing if you are.

There are, of course, other minor compromises. For one, the receiver doesn’t have any type of display, so visual feedback for connectivity is limited to a pair of LEDs. There doesn’t appear to be any feedback for gain levels at all. There’s also no onboard storage for recording away from a camera, computer or a phone. This also means there’s no option to record a safety track at a lower gain level which, given the lack of a way to see levels means you’ll have to really be sure you have everything set right up front. As a reminder, though, the ME is half the price of the GO II.

Rode's Wireless ME lav mic system connected to a phone.
Photo by James Trew / Engadget

There are tools to help, though. The Wireless ME comes with a feature called GainAssist which internally monitors the signal and sets levels automatically depending on your environment and the volume of the subject. This definitely helps keep things from clipping, but you can still go into the red with it. It appears to be using either a limiter or compression (or both) but you can still make it go into the red. There’s a “dynamic” mode too for when recording things with a more consistent volume than speech.

In terms of range, you can expect about 100 meters / 328 feet (line of sight) but in practice this can vary a little in either direction depending on the conditions. This is a shorter range than the Wireless GO II (200 meters / 656 feet) and DJI’s Mic (250 meters / 820 feet) but likely ample for most scenarios. As for battery life, it’s a respectable seven hours but there’s no charging case as with DJI or Anker’s solutions.

With no way to change settings directly on the device, you’ll want to get familiar with the Rode Central app. It’s here where you’ll be able to turn the receiver’s microphone on or off if you want to use it, change whether it records to one or two separate files (if using both mics) and adjust the gain settings. There are versions for both desktop and mobile (Android/iOS) so you can change modes on the go, even if it’s a bit more involved than doing it on the receiver as with DJI and Anker’s products.

Given that the narrator-guest setup isn’t ideal for recording two speakers on camera at the same time it's a shame that the receiver doesn't have the option to plug an external 3.5mm lav mic into it. This would mean you could theoretically run one with a longer cable and have two on camera hosts. You can still use 3.5mm mics with the main transmitter though. Alternatively, if you have access to another transmitter, such as a Wireless GO II, you can pair it with the ME’s receiver and record up to three people at the same time – though two of them will have to share an audio channel in case having separate files for all speakers is important to you.

Screenshots of Rode's new video recording app
Rode

The interoperability between the Wireless GO II and the ME shows that Rode is thinking about how these products can work together, meaning creators can collaborate seamlessly with their own gear or continue using older products even as new ones come around. Expect to see more interoperability with other wireless devices in the future.

Along with the new microphone kit is the aforementioned Capture app. It’s a dedicated video app with a twist: direct access to the settings of compatible Rode microphones. Most video apps don’t even let you know what mic you’re using which can cause anxiety when you’re not sure it’s working with the one you plugged in. Having this assurance alone is useful and the direct access to microphone settings is always going to be a welcome bonus for creators. The app is entirely free and doesn’t require a Rode product to work but will need one of Rode's compatible products if you wish to access its settings.

The Wireless ME is available for $ 149 starting today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rodes-wireless-me-squeezes-a-second-mic-into-its-receiver-000009619.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

AI turned Breaking Bad into an anime — and it’s terrifying

A TikTok user recently shared a video showing AI-generated pictures of the Breaking Bad cast as anime characters, and the results are alarming.
Digital Trends

G-Shock’s latest watch turned my wrist into a poisonous frog

G-Shock’s latest connected Frogman watch is styled after a poisonous frog, but don’t let that put you off. We wore it and loved it.
Digital Trends

Plugable’s new USB-C Docking Station can turn your smartphone or tablet into a workstation

Modern smartphones and tablets are capable of so much more than just scrolling through social media, with many models able to be used as pseudo laptops when it comes time to get a spot of work done. Whether it’s a Galaxy S22 Ultra, iPad, or perhaps a Surface Duo, Plugable’s new USB-C Docking Station with […]

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How to turn a Live Photo into a video on your iPhone

When you shoot an iPhone Live Photo, it captures 1.5 seconds before and after you tap the shutter. We show you how to convert that photo into a video.
Digital Trends

Fan-made mod turns ‘Half-Life 2’ into a fully playable VR game

If Half-Life: Alyx left you with an itch to revisit its seminal 2004 predecessor, now you can do so in virtual reality. On Friday, a group of fans known as the Source VR Mod Team released Half-Life 2: VR Mod. As long as you own the original, you can download and play the mod free through Steam.

While it’s currently in public beta, the mod allows you to play through Half-Life 2’s single-player story from start to finish. The Source VR Mod Team integrated a handful of features found in Half-Life: Alyx to modernize the experience and make it playable in VR. For instance, you switch between weapons using the same selection grid found in Valve’s 2020 game.

Other VR-minded tweaks include the addition of optional laser sights, over-the-shoulder ammo storage, manual reloading and two-handed weapon handling. There’s even support for room-scale movement. The Source VR Mod Team says the project isn’t finished, but that hasn’t stopped people from enjoying the experience, with the mod currently holding an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on 732 reviews.

Like Black Mesa before it, Half-Life 2: VR Mod has been a long time coming. As Eurogamer notes, the project was first announced in 2017 and went through development hell before remerging in 2021. The fact you can play it today is thanks to a recent influx of new team members who "revitalized" development.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

FBI says investors should take precautions before putting money into decentralized finance platforms

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting security flaws in smart contracts to steal cryptocurrency, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In an advisory it published on Monday (via Bleeping Computer), the agency warned investors of a significant uptick in attacks targeting decentralized finance platforms.

Between January and March of this year, hackers stole $ 1.3 billion worth of cryptocurrencies, with almost 97 percent of that money coming from DeFi platforms, the FBI said citing data from Chainalysis. That’s an increase from both 2021 and 2020 when DeFi-related thefts represented 72 percent and 30 percent the source of all stolen crypto. The agency has seen criminals employ a variety of methods to fleece DeFi platforms. In one case, hackers employed a so-called flash loan attack to steal approximately $ 3 million worth of cryptocurrencies. In a separate attack targetting a signature verification vulnerability in a platform’s token bridge, cybercriminals made off with $ 320 million.

DeFi chart
Chainanalysis

Many of the most prolific hacks in recent months fall into those categories of attacks. For instance, the largest crypto heist ever saw the Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored hacking collective, target Axie Infinity. The group reportedly exploited a backdoor in a Remote Procedure Call node from Axie creator Sky Mavis to forge fake withdrawals using compromised private keys. More recently, a hacking “free-fo-all” saw Nomad bridge users lose $ 200 million worth of crypto due to a misconfiguration.

The FBI recommends investors take a handful of precautions before risking their money with a DeFi platform. You should research the platform you want to invest in, as well as the details of the smart contract they employ. Additionally, only put money down on a firm or company that has paid for independent code audits. You also want to avoid investment pools with extremely limited timeframes to join.

“Cyber criminals seek to take advantage of investors’ increased interest in cryptocurrencies, as well as the complexity of cross-chain functionality and open source nature of DeFi platforms,” the FBI said. “Investors should make their own investment decisions based on their financial objectives and financial resources and, if in any doubt, should seek advice from a licensed financial adviser.”

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

You can bend Corsair’s new OLED gaming monitor into a curved display

If you’re in the market for a new gaming monitor, one of the early decisions you need to make is whether to buy a flat or curved display. The two formats offer different advantages and frequently mean the difference between picking up an IPS or VA panel when considering an LCD screen. Corsair is developing a new monitor that would seem to offer the best of both worlds.

This week, the company announced the Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240, a 45-inch 3,440 by 1,440 monitor you can manually bend to switch between a flat panel and a curved screen. The prototype features a pair of handles on its sides that allow you to adjust the curvature of its LG-made W-OLED panel up to a maximum of 800R. You can even adjust the sides independently of one another – though there’s no practical reason for doing so.

The conventional wisdom when it comes to whether you should buy a flat or curved monitor is that the former is better suited for daily use and productivity tasks while the latter is ideal for gaming since it can make the experience feel more immersive. What will be interesting to see with the 45WQHD240 is just how durable it proves to be over time. Samsung’s foldable phones have a noticeable crease where you bend them open and their screen protectors are known to wear down. For a monitor that will likely cost thousands of dollars, no one wants to see those kinds of imperfections.

Judging by its other specs, the 45WQHD240 will be a more than capable gaming monitor. Its 21:9 ultrawide panel features a 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms gray-to-gray response time and 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage. It’s also G-Sync compatible and can max out at 1,000 nits of brightness. The biggest downside is that it won’t support VESA mounting, but the included stand offers plenty of ports.

The Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 doesn’t have a release date or price tag yet. Given the feature set, it will probably be eye-wateringly expensive when it arrives. Corsair promised to share more details later this year.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Duolingo is expanding into math lessons and brain training

Duolingo is holding its annual Duocon event today to show off some of what it's working on. One of the big things the company has in the pipeline is an app called Duolingo Math, which marks its first move outside of language learning.

The app has two main elements. The first is a math course designed for elementary school-level kids. As you'd expect if you've used the main app, Duolingo will offer short, gamified math lessons. The app also has a brain training component geared toward those aged 13 and older. The idea is to help you improve your math and everyday thinking skills. 

Meanwhile, Duolingo is set to add another language course. This time it's for Zulu, which is the most widely spoken first language in South Africa. Duolingo said the introduction of the Zulu course is part of its efforts to increase cultural awareness of lesser-studied and endangered languages.

In addition, the company will offer a look at a redesign for Duolingo ABC, a literacy app for kids. Duocon will also include details on some upcoming social features. One of those is called Friends Quest. Duolingo says it hopes to help folks have more fun while they work toward their language learning goals.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

SpaceX’s reusable Falcon Heavy rocket can now carry US spy satellites into orbit

SpaceX may soon handle some of the US government's highest-priority satellite missions. Bloombergreports the Space Force has certified SpaceX to launch top secret spy satellites using Falcon Heavy rockets equipped with reusable boosters. The move gives SpaceX more high-profile government missions, of course, but also promises to save federal money by reducing the costs of ferrying these satellites to orbit. The Space Force has already saved over $ 64 million for GPS missions by using reusable Falcon 9 rockets, Space Systems Command's Falcon chief Walter Lauderdale said. 

The Space Force issued the certification in June, but didn't disclose the approval until now. SpaceX can carry spy satellites aboard Falcon 9 rockets, but they don't always have the power needed for heavier payloads. The first Falcon Heavy-based launch is expected sometime between October and December, when SpaceX will deliver a National Reconnaissance Office satellite.

This could represent a significant if temporary blow to rival rocket producers. The Boeing and Lockheed-Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance still hasn't received similar approval for a version of its Vulcan rocket using Blue Origin motors. Air Force officials are still reviewing the approach to 39 national security launches slated for fiscal 2025 through 2027. SpaceX isn't guaranteed to win business that would otherwise go to ULA, but its earlier certification could influence any decisions.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

TCL Stylus 5G review: A clunky first step into the stylus smartphone market

If you’re a fan of Samsung’s Galaxy Note line or smartphones with a stylus in general, your options are limited these days. Samsung’s Note line has been discontinued in favor of putting the S-Pen in the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and LG has totally stepped out of the game. On the budget side of things Motorola […]

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Apple’s digital driver’s license drives slowly into Maryland

After Arizona, Apple is bringing support for driver’s licenses and IDs in the Wallet app to Maryland. Other states are expected to follow soon.
Wearables | Digital Trends

TikTok is diving into games

TikTok is pulling a Netflix by venturing into video games, testing them on younger audiences in Vietnam.
Mobile | Digital Trends

#VanLife: How a Sprinter van was turned into a mobile office

Take a tour of this completely outfitted Sprinter van that’s been converted into a rolling connected office by two remote web developers.
Mobile | Digital Trends

Apps are turning people into snitches, experts say

A new smartphone app will allow members of the public to submit evidence of speeding drivers to police forces.
Mobile | Digital Trends

Federal investigation into child sexual abuse targets TikTok

The Department of Homeland Security is said to have launched an investigation into TikTok over the platform’s handling of child sexual abuse material.
Mobile | Digital Trends

Twitter reverses change that turned embeds of deleted tweets into blank boxes

Twitter has temporarily walked back a controversial change that made it difficult for people to preserve deleted tweets. On Wednesday, writer Kevin Marks pointed out that the company had recently tweaked its embedded javascript so that the text of deleted tweets was no longer visible in embeds on third-party websites.

By late Friday evening, however, one Twitter user noticed the company had reverted the change, with Twitter confirming the move one day later. “After considering the feedback we heard, we’re rolling back this change for now while we explore different options,” a spokesperson for the company told The Verge. “We appreciate those who shared their points of view — your feedback helps us make Twitter better.”

When the initial change was first spotted, Twitter product manager Eleanor Harding said the company made the tweak to “better respect” people who decide to delete their tweets. Part of what made the move problematic for many was that it simply left a blank space where the embed of a deleted tweet had been previously. Harding said Twitter was planning to roll out additional messaging that would explain why a tweet was no longer visible.

Twitter didn’t elaborate on the “different options” it was exploring following its reversal. For many, the decision to change how embeds work was a strange one. When Twitter first introduced embedding in 2011, it said it intentionally wanted to maintain the text of deleted tweets. And for many years afterward, company executives, including former CEO Jack Dorsey, stressed the role of the platform as a kind of “public record.”

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Sens. Sanders and Warren urge investigation into Amazon’s ‘no-fault’ attendance policy

A group of Democratic lawmakers led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) want regulators to take a closer look at Amazon’s points-based attendance policy, which they believe may be punishing workers for taking legally protected time off. First reported by Vice, the letter to the Department of Labor and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission focuses on Amazon’s “no-fault” approach to absences, which adds points every time an employee misses work without giving advance notice, regardless of the reason. If workers reach a certain number of points, they are automatically reviewed for termination.

Under the company’s attendance policy, an employee whose child has suddenly fallen ill or who suffers a medical emergency would still be penalized. Employees who don’t report absences at least 16 hours before the start of shift receive two points on their record. If they give notice less than two hours before a shift, they receive two points and an “absence submission infraction”. If workers receive three absence submission infractions and eight attendance points, Amazon will consider firing them.

Lawmakers believe that Amazon’s attendance policy could violate current laws that allow workers to take sick, family, medical and pregnancy leave without advance notice. For example, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees eligible workers unpaid leave for a variety of circumstances, including pregnancy or the need to take care of a sick family member.

“We field numerous calls from Amazon employees; while many workers know about Amazon’s punitive attendance policies, they describe never receiving information about the federal, state, and local laws that entitle them to legally protected time off—much less understanding how such laws apply in practice in their own lives,” noted labor rights group Better Balance in a letter to Congress.

Other companies with "no-fault" attendance policies have run into legal troubles in the past. Back in 2011, Verizon was ordered to pay $ 20 million after the EEOC found that the company's no-fault attendance policy made no exceptions for disabled workers. 

Many warehouse workers have complained that Amazon neglected to inform them of their rights under FMLA or disability laws. The company has had a poor track record with how it treats workers at its many warehouses and fulfillment centers. A number of warehouses, in response to poor working conditions at the e-commerce giant, are currently pushing to unionize.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

HTC aims to turn your carpool into a VR roller coaster

Holoride and HTC have partnered to bring immersive virtual reality experiences to your car.
Mobile | Digital Trends

SEC opens investigation into Elon Musk over possible insider trading

Elon Musk isn't about to catch a hoped-for break from the SEC any time soon. Sources for The Wall Street Journalclaim the SEC is investigating whether Musk and his brother Kimbal violated insider trading regulations with recent share sales. Officials are concerned Elon might have told Kimbal he planned to ask Twitter followers about selling Tesla stock, leading the brother to sell 88,500 shares just a day before the November 6th tweet. If so, the company chief might have broken rules barring employees from trading on undisclosed information.

Kimbal Musk has frequently traded Tesla stock at regular intervals under a plan. He didn't on November 5th, according to an SEC filing.

We've asked the SEC for comment. Tesla isn't available for comment as it disbanded its communications team sometime in 2020. Musk clearly isn't on friendly terms with the Commission, however, as he said a day earlier that he "will finish" a fight he believed the SEC started.

If the report is accurate, the investigation will add more tension to a years-long feud. It began in 2018, when the SEC took action against Musk over tweets about taking the company private. While Musk agreed to a settlement that included approval requirements for any financially relevant social media posts, that wasn't the end of the fight between the two. The SEC has been looking into Musk's tweets over the past few years over concerns production-related tweets weren't approved, and just days ago subpoenaed Tesla for information on the EV maker's processes for honoring the 2018 settlement.

Musk has publicly sparred with the SEC at the same time. This year, he accused the regulator of conducting a "harassment campaign" that unfairly singled him out and excluded the court from monitoring. The SEC denied the accusations. Whatever the truth behind those claims, it's safe to presume Musk won't welcome any new investigation with open arms.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Tesla’s latest update turns your EV into a boombox

Your Tesla could soon broadcast your taste in music to the world — if you have the right car, at least. Electrek notes that Tesla has released its promised holiday update, and the centerpiece appears to be a Boombox mode that pumps media outside as l…
Engadget

Hackers tricked GoDaddy into helping attacks on cryptocurrency services

GoDaddy’s 2020 security woes aren’t over. KrebsOnSecurity has found that hackers tricked GoDaddy employees into handing ownership or control of multiple cryptocurrency services’ web domains, inadvertently aiding attacks that brought sites down. It’s…
Engadget

Zoom is getting into ticketed online events

By this point in the pandemic, chances are you’ve already used Zoom to not only attend work meetings but to take part in classes and workshops. So it should come as no surprise Zoom plans to capitalize on that trend. The company has started beta test…
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Google may turn YouTube into a shopping destination

At some point in your YouTube watching career, you’ve probably dug into the description of a video to tap on an Amazon referral link. Whether you’re into tech, photography, gaming or almost any other hobby, most channels use those links as a way to g…
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Nikola founder resigns following SEC probe into electric truck business

Following a fraud accusation by a short firm and potential probe by the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), Nikola founder Trevor Milton is stepping down as executive chairman. “Nikola is truly in my blood and always will be, and the focus shoul…
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Turn your Amazon Echo Flex Mini Speaker into a Smart Clock for only $15/£15

If you’ve got an Echo Flex Plug-in mini speaker with Alexa built-in, you can make it even smarter with the Smart Clock accessory that turns it into, you guessed it, a smart clock that lets you set timers. The all-new Smart Clock accessory costs $ 15/£15 from Amazon, and simply plugs into the USB slot on […]

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Chromebooks just turned into much better gaming machines thanks to NVIDIA GeForce Now

Chromebooks aren’t known for being particularly gaming-friendly. They have access to the Google Play Store, which does open up quite a few games that you can play, but they’re usually either really not optimized for Chromebook hardware or clunky on that particular form factor. You can also almost completely forget about any true modern AAA […]

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Apple TV’s Ted Lasso turns a viral video into a pretty good sitcom

Part-way through the first episode of Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso, I realized that internet streaming has killed the fish-out-of-water-comedy. American shows can’t mock how the funny foreigners do things, since they’re just as necessary these days to a glo…
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Hitting the Books: How to huck a human into low Earth orbit

Astronauts may get the glory for successful spaceflights but they’d never even get off the ground if not for the folks at Mission Control. In Shuttle, Houston: My Life in the Center Seat of Mission Control, Paul Dye vividly recounts his 20-year caree…
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Adobe sneaks ads into Android’s share menu

Adobe is apparently planning on getting pretty aggressive on promoting their own apps, according to a recent leak from a test group. The leak shows links in Android’s share menu promoting installing Adobe’s own apps for certain files, which all seems to be linked to Acrobat Reader if it’s installed on your phone. Adobe ads […]

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Is Amazon TV the next live TV streaming service to get into a crowded market?

Live TV streaming services are a dangerous game to play. We’ve seen big names fold out of the market, like Sony’s PlayStation Vue, despite offering a great service. We’ve also seen reliable services consistently increase pricing, like from Sling TV and even YouTube TV, all thanks to thorny deals with the actual content providers. It […]

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Will Samsung integrate Google Duo into regular smartphone messaging?

A new rumor has suggested that Google Duo might be getting a new kind of integration, starting with the Galaxy S20 launch. Apparently there have been talks between Samsung and Google to implement an ability to quickly send Google Duo video messages right inside of Samsung’s SMS messaging application, putting video chatting on a whole […]

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Vizio gets into the OLED market and beefs up their focus on gaming-friendly TVs

Vizio is easily one of the most popular TV manufacturers in the market, and they’re more than happy to compete in whatever segment they can. Whether that’s smaller budget-friendly sets, mid-range TVs aimed at cord-cutting enthusiasts, or the high-end market for someone chasing the perfect home theater, Vizio usually has an option available. They’re finally […]

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[Deal] Power into 2020 with these discounted Anker accessories

Christmas has come and gone which means that you’ve either been gifted a new device or that you wish you had instead of receiving yet another pack of handkerchiefs, socks, or ties. If you need to keep your new smartphone or tablet charged up or simply want to buy the present you wished you’d received, […]

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Netflix and Disney+ get integrated into Google Play Movies & TV

Google Play Movies & TV can be more than just a storefront to buy digital content. It can also keep all of your movies and TV shows from all of your streaming services in one place, making it easy to access everything from one place. It works with quite a few different services, but so […]

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Microsoft merges all of their mobile productivity apps into one Office hub

Microsoft has announced that they’ll be taking their existing Word, Excel, and Powerpoint applications on Android and iOS and merging them into a single Office app. Fortunately there’s no loss of functionality with this change, but it should make things a little more fluid on your phone and take up less space, too. Alongside this […]

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Samsung has combined RAM and ROM into one package for even smaller, more efficient devices

Samsung has made a big move towards even smaller, more efficient mobile devices. They currently offer LPDDR4X RAM in up to 12GB packages for tons of memory in mobile phones, and they make high-speed, eUFS storage to hold everything a device could need, but now they’re combining the two for even bigger space savings. Innovation […]

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Malware uses web apps to turn PCs into conduits for attacks

It's not just botnets that can hijack PCs for nefarious ends. Microsoft and Cisco's Talos researchers have identified a new malware strain, Nodersok (or Divergent), that uses web apps to turn systems into proxies for malicious internet traffic. The…
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OnePlus TV is official, and shows why OnePlus probably shouldn’t have gotten into TVs

OnePlus not only announced the OnePlus 7T today, but they also took the wraps off of the highly anticipated OnePlus TV. It’s pretty much a standard high-end TV set, but with attention to just the weirdest details. It looks like it’ll be a small launch at first, so it might just be a way for […]

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Anker crams a Fire TV into a soundbar, in case you really don’t like Android TV

Anker has announced a new Nebula Soundbar that wants to do a little more than just make your TV sound better. Nope, this soundbar is more in line with JBL’s Link Bar, but with Amazon Fire TV instead of Android TV, for better or worse. It’s cheaper, too. The Nebula Soundbar is a 2.1 soundbar […]

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Weirdest IFA 2019 news: Samsung wants to turn your phone into a Square reader

Samsung hasn’t had a huge IFA 2019 (they rarely do) but they did talk about the relaunch of the Galaxy Fold. Aside from that, they’ve been pretty quiet. The might take home the award for weirdest announcement after this one, though. A new feature called SoftPOS aims to turn your Samsung smartphone or tablet into […]

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Hackers broke into a contractor for Russia’s spy agency

The Russian government is used to perpetrating hacks, but it just became a target — and the data says a lot about its goals. A hacking group nicknaming itself 0v1ru$ infiltrated the servers of SyTech, a contractor for the FSB intelligence agency on…
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[Prime Day Deal] Jump into Amazon’s ecosystem with these discounted Fire TV sticks, tablets, and Echo devices

It’s Amazon Prime Day(s) again, and this year the retailer is holding it over two days instead of one. We’ve covered the price reductions on Anker Accessories here and a whole host of other well-known brands in this constantly updated mega-deal post here, but what about Amazon itself? Well, as you would expect, the online […]

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