Motorola has announced that big news is coming on April 16 — and it’s likely where we’ll get official details on the company’s next flagship smartphones.
Digital Trends
Geek Squad agents have been flooding Reddit with images of their badges and posts about “going sleeper” after the company reportedly conducted mass layoffs this week. A former employee who spoke to 404 Media said they were sent an email notifying them to work from home on Wednesday and were then called individually to be told the news about their jobs. Some, per 404 Media’s sources and numerous Reddit posts, were longtime Geek Squad agents who had been with the company for more than 10 or even 20 years. Best Buy has not yet responded to Engadget’s request for comment.
There has been an outpouring of support for the laid off workers on the unofficial Geek Squad subreddit, where many have lamented the loss of jobs they’d dedicated much of their lives to and noted that things in the lead up had been heading in a concerning direction. Some commented that their hours had dwindled in recent months, with one former employee telling 404 Media it’s been “a struggle to get by.”
Best Buy conducted mass layoffs affecting employees at its retail stores just last spring, and as The Verge reports, CEO Corie Barry indicated during the company’s February earnings call that more layoffs were coming in 2024 as Best Buy shifts resources toward AI and other areas.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-buys-geek-squad-agents-say-they-were-hit-by-mass-layoffs-this-week-185720480.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Samsung Galaxy S23 series has a big week this week, as its phones will be the first devices post-launch to receive Samsung’s One UI 6.1 update.
TalkAndroid
The Mint Mobile free trial allows you to test drive its wireless network absolutely free. Find out more here.
Digital Trends
We rely heavily on a steady supply of electricity for almost everything we do, from working, cooking at home to going outdoors off the grid. Power interruptions can be more than just inconvenient; they can disrupt our lives and even put us at risk. With BLUETTI’s Power Week sale in September, you’ll transform the way […]
Come comment on this article: [Promoted] BLUETTI Power Week: Unleash Unbeatable Power Solutions for Every Scenario
Microsoft is set to launch its abusive-voice reporting feature for Xbox consoles. Announced in July, it lets gamers submit inappropriate remarks heard while playing multiplayer titles. The system captures a 60-second clip saved to the console; you then have 24 hours to complete the report. The feature arrives this week in the September update for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. However, it’s initially limited to the “select English-language markets” of the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Microsoft says it tailored voice reporting to balance ease of use with minimal gaming interference. “Our feature is designed so that only you, the player, can initiate the capture of the last 60 seconds of gameplay activity that occurred for content moderation purposes,” the company wrote. It works similarly to capturing standard gameplay clips, but content recorded for moderation review is only used for that purpose. “They will not appear in your recent captures, and clips cannot be downloaded, modified, or shared,” Microsoft wrote.
The company stressed that the console won’t save or upload any clips unless you start the reporting process. After capturing a clip of spoken chat that you believe breaks Xbox’s community standards, the sample will remain on your console for “24 online hours,” and you can choose to submit it immediately or wait for your gameplay session to end. In addition, your Xbox will alert you as a final reminder to send the report if the 24-hour period is about to expire. Finally, you’ll receive a notification later telling you whether the company took action against the perpetrator.
Also included in the Xbox September update is the ability to quickly stream Xbox gameplay to Discord. After updating your console, you can link your Discord account and join voice channels on the platform directly from the console. You’ll find the activation controls in the Xbox guide by navigating to Parties & Chats and choosing Discord.
The September update also lets users toggle the console’s variable refresh rate (VRR). You can now turn the feature off or back on by navigating to General > TV & display options > Video. You’ll see options to leave VRR “always on,” switch it to “gaming only” or disable it altogether.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xboxs-reporting-system-for-abusive-voice-chat-arrives-this-week-175806184.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Threads by Instagram will get a web version as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. Earlier this month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised a web version with better search functionality, and Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently said that one is in testing. Currently, a full version of Threads is only available on iOS and Android, with limited read-only functionality on browsers.
A web version is near the top of the list of most-desired features for Threads, but the company is exercising caution with the release. “It’s a little bit buggy right now, you don’t want it just yet,” Mosseri said Friday on Instagram. “As soon as it is ready we will share it with everybody else.”
Threads recently added new features to Threads like the ability to set notifications and view posts in chronological order. The company also started labeling state-controlled media outlets after some were seen posting propaganda. Another new update is the “repost” tab makes it easier to see all reposted content. (X, previously called Twitter, recently renamed “retweets” to the more generic “reposts,” ironically following Threads’ lead.)
A web version would be coming at a good time for Threads. After a torrid launch with over 100 million users signing on in the first week, the number of daily active users (DAUs) dropped down to 80 percent by mid-August. Still, Threads is by far the most successful alternative to X, which counted around 238 million DAUs in August 2023 and 364 million monthly active users, X reported last year.
In any case, the launch of a web version will be particularly useful for social media power users, just when Twitter has put one of its key tools for those folks, Tweetdeck, permanently behind a paywall.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-web-app-could-arrive-this-week-082645402.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Mint Mobile free trial allows you to test drive its wireless network absolutely free. Find out more here.
Digital Trends
Here with a bunch of deals for Black Friday is AT&T with the carrier offering big savings on Pixel, Samsung, and Motorola handsets, Galaxy Tab, and iPad tablets, as well as smartwatches such as the new Pixel Watch. The deals consist of discounts and Buy-One-Get-One-Free offers and are already live on the AT&T website. We’ve […]
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Grab some big savings on the Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy Z Flip 4 with AT&T this Black Friday week
The RockSmith+ subscription service can help you learn how to play guitar for a monthly fee.
Android | Digital Trends
Ubisoft’s Rocksmith+ subscription service will arrive on September 6th, the publisher announced today. Following a nearly year-long delay, the guitar learning platform will be available on PC exclusively through the Ubisoft Store. With 5,000 songs available at lunch, including tunes from Alicia Keys, The Clash and Santana, Ubisoft claims Rocksmith+ will feature the “largest catalog of official songs ever offered in a music learning service.” Additionally, the company has pledged to add “millions” of more tracks in the future.
If you played a previous Rocksmith release or participated in the closed beta, you can take advantage of loyalty pricing. Subscribe for three months upfront and you’ll receive one month free. You can also prepay for a year of service and Ubisoft will give you an additional three months for free. One-, three- and 12-month subscriptions are priced at $ 15, $ 40 and $ 100 per respective billing period.
You will need a way to connect your electric, acoustic or bass guitar to your computer. Your first option is to download the Rocksmith Plus Connect app on an iOS or Android device. It will use your phone’s built-in microphone to detect your playing. Alternatively, you can use Ubisoft’s Rocksmith Real Tone Cable to connect your instrument. The advantage offered by the latter option is that you can add effects to your playing. Ubisoft notes it’s also possible to use a third-party audio interface, but not every single one will work and the company won’t offer you technical support in that case.
Notably, Ubisoft makes no mention of the previously announced PlayStation and Xbox versions of Rocksmith+. It does note, however, that the mobile release will arrive this fall.
Save big at Best Buy this week on these Samsung Galaxy smartwatches to start achieving all of your health goals.
Wearables | Digital Trends
With Amazon Prime Day on the horizon, let’s take a look at when it will happen, what Prime Day phone deals to look for, and more tips those who want to buy one!
Android | Digital Trends
OPlayer is the latest app to earn a spot as MyAppFree’s App of the Week. You can pick it up free of charge from the 20th to the 22nd of November, saving yourself a cool $ 4.99 in the process. For the uninitiated, OPlayer is a professional video playbook tool from Olimsoft that’s been eight years […]
Come comment on this article: [Sponsored] OPlayer, the Acclaimed Video Playback Tool, Is MyAppFree’s Latest App of the Week
Just a few days after a global Facebook outage, Instagram went down for over two hours due to a different technical issue.
Mobile | Digital Trends
Fallout 76 has had a weird run of issues going back to the bug during its beta that deleted the game and forced players to reinstall all 76GB. Now the game’s Steel Dawn update that was scheduled for release on December 1st is available now on all pla…
Engadget
In a world where foldable smartphones are fast becoming a ‘thing’, LG’s Explorer Program has led it down a different path that has culminated in the Wing, a phone with a secondary display that swivels to produce a ‘T’ shape. Powered by the popular Snapdragon 765G processor with 5G connectivity and gimbal camera technology, Verizon […]
Come comment on this article: The LG Wing goes up for pre-order from Verizon this week for $ 999
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch3 has been unboxed, set up, and compared with other smartwatches over a week before the device is officially announced. This particular Galaxy Watch3 is finished in the same beautiful bronze color as seen with leaked Galaxy Note 20 and is the smaller 41mm model. We’ve seen enough of the Galaxy Watch3 leaked […]
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s Galaxy Watch3 unboxed and compared over a week before it’s official
This week Disney+ is premiering Artemis Fowl on streaming, a movie that had been scheduled for a theatrical release. On Netflix, Pokémon Journeys is streaming, and season three of the Marcella will arrive. Meanwhile, for gamers a brand new Samurai Sh…
Engadget RSS Feed
This week HBO makes its assault on streaming with the new HBO Max service. At launch it will include tons of archival content like the back catalog of Friends, Rick & Morty and 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as a fleet of new original shows, movi…
Engadget RSS Feed
This week FX's tie-up with Hulu begins, and it's streaming the first couple episodes of Devs. On Netflix, a big week of releases includes the Mark Wahlberg-starring movie Spenser Confidential, season three of its animated Castlevania series, and seas…
Engadget RSS Feed
It’s a couple of months since Google rolled out the first Pixel Feature Drop, and it seems that the search giant is preparing to release a second batch of improvements in the next week or so, according to the folks over at 9to5Google. As you might expect, this second Pixel Feature Drop will bring a […]
Come comment on this article: The next Pixel Feature Drop could roll out next week
On February 11th, a House panel will hold a hearing that could help shape the future of self-driving vehicles in the US. The Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee under the Energy and Commerce Committee will hear from trade groups representin…
Engadget RSS Feed
Our last collection of listings for 2019 looks into the new year, where we'll dive into another season of Doctor Who. Blu-ray and videogame releases largely take the week off, but there's still going to be a lot of new stuff on streaming. Meanwhile,…
Engadget RSS Feed
This week Netflix is taking its foot off on the gas with just one major release, a new comedy special from Michelle Wolf. Meanwhile, Amazon is firing off a new season of its big sci-fi acquisition, The Expanse, and Hulu is delivering the third and fi…
Engadget RSS Feed
Hideo Kojima's next game is almost here. Later this week you can finally play Death Stranding on your PS4 and probably either be confused about what exactly the game is, or thoroughly enjoy being confused about exactly what the game is. Other options…
Engadget RSS Feed
Buying a Tesla in China could be more expensive in the very near future. The automaker will increase prices on its cars in the country this Friday, according to Reuters. That potential price lift is said to be in response to the yuan weakening agains…
Engadget RSS Feed
Whether you’ve been playing The Elder Scrolls: Blades since the beginning or if you’re a more recent convert after the E3 content update, you can probably use a few more golden chests. Bethesda’s running an event this week that’s going to make this easy for you, too. Every daily job you do this week is […]
Come comment on this article: Heads up, ‘The Elder Scrolls: Blades’ is running a golden chest week right now
Google is acting quickly on its plans to bring clever new filters to Lens. The search firm is starting to roll out its promised Dining and Translate filters to Lens on Android and iOS, giving you some potential time savers. Translate is likely to b…
Engadget RSS Feed
At Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, annive…
Engadget RSS Feed
Free and discounted goodies should never be scoffed at, even if you pay a monthly subscription for the privilege. If you are signed up to the magenta uncarrier then you have access to the T-Mobile Tuesdays rewards program where you can grab a medium latte from Dunkin Donuts and a taco from Taco Bell on […]
Come comment on this article: Grab a free latte, taco, and discounted Hellboy tickets from T-Mobile Tuesday next week
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds continues to ramp up the changes as it fights back against Fortnite for the battle royal crown. One part of the plan that we'd already heard about is a smaller map option called Codename: Savage measuring at 4×4 Km, whic…
Engadget RSS Feed
Nobody wants an assistant they can't trust. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't put my faith in Samsung's Bixby. It's the newest entry in the crowded field of virtual assistants, and its youthful inexperience shows. After living with Bixby on…
Engadget RSS Feed
The delays related to Samsung’s release of the voice-activated portion of the their digital assistant platform, Bixby, are well known and seem to continue with no end in sight. Until now that is if a tipster on Reddit is to be believed. According to this source, the official release date is set as next Tuesday, […]
Come comment on this article: Source claims Bixby Voice U.S. launch next week
Elon Musk recently announced that his tunnel-digging operation, The Boring Company, is done carving out its first segment. He bundled the announcement with a declaration of love for tunnels — which he totally loves more than floors, by the way — bu…
Engadget RSS Feed
Regular thermometer not cutting it? VivaLnk, the company behind eSkin technology and the Digital Tattoo, is offering a smart alternative that sticks to your skin like a bandage to continuously measure temperature.
The post Fever Scout lets you track your temperature for a week with zero interruptions appeared first on Digital Trends.
Not sure what new music to listen to? We’ll let you know what new tracks and albums dropping this week are worthy of your attention. Up this week: Slowdive, Gary Clark Jr., and more.
The post 5 songs you need to stream this week: Slowdive, Gary Clark Jr., and more appeared first on Digital Trends.
Not sure what new music to listen to? We’ll let you know what new tracks and albums dropping this week are worthy of your attention. Up this week: Bob Dylan, Mac Demarco and more.
The post 5 songs you need to stream this week: Bob Dylan, Mac Demarco, and more appeared first on Digital Trends.
Has Tesla succeeded in creating a vehicle that reacts faster than its driver? A recently-surfaced dashcam video appears to show Tesla's autopilot mode predicting an accident moments before it actually happens. It currently takes hours to charge an el…
Engadget RSS Feed
Not sure what new music to listen to? We’ll let you know what new tracks and albums dropping this week are worthy of your attention. Up this week: Madvillain, The Flaming Lips, and more.
The post 5 songs you need to stream this week: Madvillain, The Flaming Lips, and more appeared first on Digital Trends.
HTC has sent out invitations in Taiwan for an event on November 22, that’s likely to bring the debut of a new phone. This device is expected to be the international variant of the HTC Bolt, but with a different name.
The post Similar phone, new name: HTC may unveil international version of its Bolt next week appeared first on Digital Trends.
During the CE Week convention taking place in New York City, Targus displayed its new Mobile ViP line of travel bags for professionals. A smartphone-sized USB 3.0 dock for adding ports and an additional display to a laptop was also on hand at the show.
The post Targus intros its new Mobile ViP collection for 15.6-inch laptops at CE Week 2016 appeared first on Digital Trends.
CE Week is winding down, and while most of the big players don’t have a large presence, there’s still a lot of new and exciting products to take a look at — take a peek at these five handy mobile accessories.
The post Gear up with these five handy mobile accessories from CE Week appeared first on Digital Trends.
Bluetooth 5 will be unveiled next week at an event in London hosted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. The next iteration of the wireless standard will offer broader support for the growing array of smart home devices on the market.
The post Bluetooth 5 doubles range and quadruples speed, full reveal due next week appeared first on Digital Trends.
In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on, in fact, that it’s almost impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories.
The post Weekly Rewind: Apple’s no good week, Musk aims for mars, and more appeared first on Digital Trends.
Anyone from the United States and United Kingdom who pre-ordered the unlocked edition of HTC 10 will be happy to know that the company intends to ship the phone next week.
@Bah_story We should ship whatever you picked, yes. We start shipping to US customers next week.
— Jeff Gordon (@urbanstrata) April 29, 2016
@srjohnston80 Should be early May, as well.
— Jeff Gordon (@urbanstrata) April 29, 2016
Jeff Gordon, HTC’s Senior Global Online Communications Manager, responded to inquiries regarding the shipping date for its new flagship. The unlocked edition of the HTC 10, at least in the United States and United Kingdom, should be shipping the week of May 2. This follows the acceptance of pre-orders on April 14, which is the same day HTC announced the phone.
Buying options through carriers in the United States is a little tough because of exclusivity and limited availability. Verizon is the exclusive seller of the HTC 10 until May 13 when Sprint starts offering the phone online and in retailer stores. We’re still waiting for T-Mobile to give a specific date along with pricing, but AT&T already stated it will not be selling the HTC 10 to its consumers. It’s not a favorable situation for a company in need product to get in the hands of millions, While the phone itself is really good, availability is a letdown.
HTC’s unlocked edition of its flagship works on any GSM network; therefore, AT&T and T-Mobile customers can get the HTC 10 right away.
Source: Jeff Gordon (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Unlocked edition of the HTC 10 ships next week
Big names like Sony, Samsung and even Huawei sat out China’s first CE Week, but the smattering of smaller brands in attendance showed off an amusing array of oddities.
The post Drones, Apple clones, and a robot named Pudding at China’s first-ever CE Week appeared first on Digital Trends.
According to a new post on Twitter from Des Smith, a product manager with T-Mobile, the carrier will be rolling out the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update to the LG V10 starting next week. This comes a little more than two months after T-Mobile started the upgrade process to Marshmallow for last year’s flagship, the LG G4. Since then, LG also released their newest flagship device, the LG G5.
No details were shared about what the upgrade may include outside of the normal Marshmallow features and updates like Doze, Now On Tap, and the changes to app permissions. Since the LG UI on the LG V10 was essentially the same as what came on the LG G4, this upgrade should be similar. The one thing that is different is the second screen that LG makes available on the LG V10, but owners who received the Marshmallow update on their LG V10 with other carriers have not noted any issues.
Guess who should start seeing #Android #Marshmallow next week! #LGV10 ???#tmobile pic.twitter.com/jRR7cuUjzU
— Des (@askdes) April 8, 2016
source: Des Smith (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: LG V10 on T-Mobile to get Marshmallow update next week
BlackBerry is planning to rollout a Marshmallow beta test for the Priv this week!
While the BlackBerry Priv is scheduled to get Marshmallow sometime in May, a beta update is reportedly coming this week. Just a few days ago, the director of Handheld Software Product Management at BlackBerry, Michael Clewley, hinted the beta on his Twitter page. More news on this should be coming this week, as said by Michael Clewley himself.
In the meantime, check out this leaked video that reveals some of the features Marshmallow will bring to BlackBerry’s Priv.
Source: Michael Clewley (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: BlackBerry plans to release a Marshmallow beta for the Priv later this week
Looking for new apps to download? Pick from these top five of the week, ranging from one that will file your taxes, one that will add more security to the websites you visit, to one that can deliver some dinner tonight.
The post Check out these five apps of the week appeared first on Digital Trends.