GadgetFreak

Kate Rooney / CNBC : Sources: FTX is close to finalizing a term sheet to buy BlockFi for around $25M; BlockFi was last valued at $4.8B, per PitchBook   —  - Crypto exchange FTX is close to finalizing a term sheet to buy BlockFi and a deal is expected to be signed by the end of this week, three sources familiar with the situation told CNBC. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/mtuHLN3 via IFTTT

Welp. Three straight weeks of work travel amid a seemingly endless pandemic finally caught up with me. Forgive me, as I’m writing this under the influence of green tea and antivirals, so thank you in advance to the regularly Herculean efforts of our copy editor, David. Apparently the old adage of things happening in Vegas staying in Vegas doesn’t extend to viral loads. After managing to stave off COVID for the past couple of years, it’s fitting that I get to write about our fulfillment panel through the brain fog, as a strong case can be made that the category has benefited from pandemic-fueled automation more than any other. It also comes a week after I devoted a chunk of this column to Amazon’s robotics play, which had an accelerating effect on the category years before the pandemic. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ll be speaking with Amazon’s VP Global Robotics, Fulfillment, Joseph Quinlivan, at our upcoming robotics event , as well as United States Labor Secretary Marty Walsh — on se

Credit: @evleaks New leaks from Evan Blass preview features of Wear OS 3.5 and One UI Watch 4.5, including new watch faces. Leak highlights include a new QWERTY keyboard and seamless voice entry, plus other accessibility customization options. The leak also depicts dual-SIM functionality. With little commentary, trusted leaker Evan Blass dropped a number of images on Twitter, previewing what users can expect to find in Wear OS 3.5 and One UI Watch 4.5. New watch faces and tweaks to accessibility functions are among the features depicted . from Android Authority https://ift.tt/aEZMp7T via IFTTT

Credit: Netflix Stranger Things season 4 finally comes to an end with part 2, streaming on Netflix July 1. Are you a fan? Do you binge new seasons as soon as they drop? Can you memorize details from across the first four seasons? If so, you may want to test your knowledge with our Stranger Things quiz before diving into Stranger Things season 4, part 2 . If you aren’t caught up on Stranger Things, you can watch it on Netflix by hitting the link below. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/5g0NdKC via IFTTT

TechCrunch : Meta says it is rolling out NFT support on Facebook, allowing select US creators to display NFTs on their profiles, after adding the feature to Instagram in May   —  After debuting NFT support on Instagram in May, Meta has launched digital collectibles support on Facebook with select creators. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/s3Ax7CS via IFTTT

Khaby Lame is quite literally on top of the world (if TikTok follower counts are the world). After attending his first VidCon and surpassing Charli D’Amelio as the most followed TikToker, the Italian-Senegalese comedian signed on as an ambassador for Binance , the world’s largest platform for buying and selling cryptocurrencies. Just last week, Binance snagged a partnership with soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, who wants to “ change the NFT game .” These high-profile partnerships come at a troubling time for crypto. In May, the popular cryptocurrency TerraUSD collapsed , meaning that anyone who had invested in the coin lost all of the money they put in . Then, in the face of a macroeconomic downturn, crypto companies like Coinbase, Crypto.com, BlockFi and Gemini have conducted layoffs, and the prices of top cryptocurrencies have dropped as much as 35% week over week. Basically, anyone who has invested in cryptocurrency is feeling a bit nervous right now, unless they’re so bullish that

If you want the inside scoop on which companies are serious about addressing their carbon emissions and which aren’t, take a look at the public comments submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding its proposed climate rule. You can tell if a company is serious by its stance on so-called Scope 3 emissions. Depending on the business, Scope 3 emissions might make up a significant majority of a company’s carbon footprint. Such emissions can result from activities and assets a company doesn’t own or control, like leased office space, business travel or end-of-life processing of their products. They also might occur when customers use their products, like when someone drives their gas-powered SUV. In short, if your company is serious about doing something about climate change, it should probably be estimating its Scope 3 emissions. If it’s making noise about being sustainable, at the very least it probably shouldn’t undermine attempts to make Scope 3 disclosures stan

Dan Goodin / Ars Technica : Research details sophisticated malware targeting a wide range of routers then taking over Windows, Linux, and Mac devices, in N. America and Europe for ~2 years   —  Router-stalking ZuoRAT is likely the work of a sophisticated nation-state, researchers say.  —  An unusually advanced hacking group … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/6NlIoDg via IFTTT

Lawrence Abrams / BleepingComputer : Firefox now offers a way to strip URLs of certain tracking parameters, like from HubSpot, Marketo, and Meta, following similar functionality in Brave Browser   —  Mozilla Firefox 102 was released today with a new privacy feature that strips parameters from URLs that are used to track you around the web. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/qwDF2ob via IFTTT

Credit: Netflix The Umbrella Academy is back! Netflix debuted the third season of its hit superhero show in June, giving fans what they’ve been waiting for since 2020. Once you’re all caught up, you may be wanting to keep the party going, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the best shows like The Umbrella Academy. See also: The best original streaming shows on every platform from Android Authority https://ift.tt/k2s5jg3 via IFTTT

Disney’s board unanimously voted to extend CEO Bob Chapek’s contract for three more years, the company announced yesterday. His current deal was set to expire in February 2023. Despite a chaotic tenure that began at the height of COVID, the new three-year agreement will begin Friday, July 1. “Disney was dealt a tough hand by the pandemic, yet with Bob at the helm, our businesses—from parks to streaming—not only weathered the storm but emerged in a position of strength. In this important time of growth and transformation, the Board is committed to keeping Disney on the successful path it is on today, and Bob’s leadership is key to achieving that goal. Bob is the right leader at the right time for The Walt Disney Company, and the Board has full confidence in him and his leadership team,” said Susan Arnold, chairman of the board, in a statement . The extension is Chapek’s chance to prove to the board, Wall Street and subscribers that he is capable of running a streaming business in thi

Adlan Jackson / New York Times : A look at YouTube “media critics”, who use humor to dissect the output of more popular YouTubers, discuss the absurdities of influencers, and more   —  One of the most popular genres of videos online is to comment on other videos online.  Are they comedians or media critics? from Techmeme https://ift.tt/5fvZs14 via IFTTT

Leave your wallet at home and store your credit, debit, and other cards right on your wearable. Samsung’s digital payment platform works just like its competitors. We cover everything you need to know to set up Samsung Pay on your Galaxy Watch. Read more:  The best Samsung smartwatches you can buy from Android Authority https://ift.tt/pHkYI7x via IFTTT

Image Credits: Coalition In 2020, Thrive Capital asked a cohort of folks — including Glossier VP of Communications Ashley Mayer , Cityblock Health co-founder Toyin Ajayi , Umbrella co-founder Lindsay Ullman and Tribe AI co-founder Jackie Nelson — if they wanted to be scouts, or invest tiny checks on behalf of the firm with a potential for shared upside. Instead, the four-person group had an idea: Why not pool the scout capital they were being offered and formalize it into a micro-fund to be invested out together. Checks wouldn’t just come with one stamp of approval, but four; and instead of playing subtle scouts, the four operators can see and back a broader range of companies. After all, invest for the job you want, right? Twenty checks and two years later, the quartet decided to pitch another idea, this time as a firmer bet on themselves and to a broader group of investors. The vision, launching publicly for the first time today, is Coalition , a fund and operator network d

You know you’re living in the space age when a rocket hits the moon, and the industry as a whole points to the sky and, like an angry teacher holding up a paper airplane, asks “Who launched this?!” Truly, that is what occurred this week as an unidentified rocket stage (!) impacted the lunar surface, forming a new and interesting crater and leaving us all wondering how it’s possible not to know what happened. The short version of this story is that skywatchers led by Bill Gray had been tracking an object for months that, based on their calculations, would soon impact the moon. It was obviously a piece of rocket trash (rockets produce a ton of trash), but no one stepped up to say “yes, that’s ours, sorry about that.” Based on their observations and discussions, these amateur (though by no means lacking in expertise) object trackers determined that it was most likely a SpaceX launch from 2015. But SpaceX didn’t cop to it, and after a while Gray and others, including NASA, decided it w

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Cricket Wireless is the no-contract subsidiary of AT&T , offering customers a way to get affordable smartphones with cheap prepaid plans. While many of Cricket’s smartphones are already priced pretty reasonably, some special Cricket deals stand out right now. We’ve compiled the best Cricket deals in this post, but please note that various terms and conditions apply. Cricket mainly offers savings on phones when you join the carrier, although they have occasional price drops on plans. To learn more about what Cricket offers in terms of plans, check out our Cricket Wireless buyer’s guide . from Android Authority https://ift.tt/c6ltvFT via IFTTT

Reuters : A deep dive on Truth Social's struggles, as the social network flails in its efforts to build a competitive platform while alienating tech talent and partners   —  The firebrand former President Trump's social media firm has struggled to build a competitive platform. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/aVZgMku via IFTTT

Volkswagen Group subsidiary Electrify America said Tuesday it raised $450 million in a deal that includes its first external investor as it aims to accelerate its rollout of ultra-fast charging stations in the U.S. and Canada. The deal, which values North America’s largest ultra-fast EV charging network at $2.45 billion, includes more than $100 million from German industrial company Siemens and additional capital from VW Group. The money will help Electrify America toward its goal of more than doubling its footprint to 10,000 ultra-fast chargers across 1,800 charging stations in both countries by 2026. The company currently operates 3,500 ultra-fast chargers at 800 stations. Siemens, now a minority shareholder with a seat on the board, will invest “a low triple-digit USD amount” as the charging company’s first outside investor, Electrify America said. Meanwhile, Volkswagen said it plans to increase its capital investment in Electrify America beyond its original commitment of $2 bil

Annie Palmer / CNBC : Amazon plans to host two Prime shopping events in a year for the first time, the second one set for Q4 2022, according to a notice sent to third-party merchants   —  - Amazon is planning to hold a “Prime Fall deal event” in the fourth quarter, according to a notice viewed by CNBC. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/z2LoctY via IFTTT

Amount, a fintech that reached unicorn status last year, has laid off 18% of its workforce. The exact number of how many people were affected is not known, but when TechCrunch reported on its last raise in May of 2021, the company said that it had 400 employees. If that is still the case today, then about 72 people were let go. When contacted, the company confirmed that the 18% figure was correct but did not specify the exact number. In a written statement, CEO Adam Hughes said: Due to the current macro-economic environment, we have decided to take some proactive adjustments to ensure Amount’s ability to thrive for years to come.  We believe these actions are the prudent thing to do for the long-term health of the company and remain extremely excited about the future. Amount was spun out of  Avant — an online lender that has raised over $600 million in equity — in January of 2020 to provide enterprise software built specifically for the banking industry. It partners with bank

Google has announced that starting today, people who are still using Hangouts on mobile will see an in-app prompt asking them to move to Chat in Gmail or the Chat app. The company says the new prompt will help remaining users move to Chat as Google works toward officially shutting down Hangouts in November. People who use the Hangouts Chrome extension will be asked to move to Chat on the web or install the Chat web app, the company says. In July, people who use Hangouts in Gmail on the web will be upgraded to Chat in Gmail. Google notes that although it encourages everyone to make the switch to Chat, Hangouts on the web will continue to be available until later this year. Users will see an in-product notice at least a month before Hangouts on the web starts redirecting to Chat on the web. Image Credits: Google The company says although conversations will automatically migrate from Hangouts to Chat for most people, it encourages users who want to keep a copy of their data to use

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Android 13 beta 3.3 just landed. It fixes numerous bugs with the previous versions. It does not appear to carry any new features. On June 8, 2022, Google launched the newest beta of Android 13 . Since then, the company has launched two point updates to that beta. Today, the company is throwing another point update on the pile. Android 13 beta 3.3 is now the fourth overall beta launch in June. As with the other point updates, this one has one purpose: to squash bugs present in the previous releases. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/E2qZ05t via IFTTT

Joe Rossignol / MacRumors : SSD benchmarks show the 256GB 13" MacBook Pro with M2 has ~50% slower read and ~30% slower write speeds than the previous gen 256GB MacBook Pro with M1   —  Following the launch of Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip, it has been discovered that the $1,299 base model with 256GB … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/NTqsPEQ via IFTTT

New York Times : Hundreds of documents detail the software bought by China to sift through its vast troves of surveillance data to “predict” who will become troublemakers   —  The more than 1.4 billion people living in China are constantly watched.  They are recorded by police cameras that are everywhere … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/0bGDvK1 via IFTTT

Brian Kahn / Protocol : In the wake of SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade, tech companies give “no comment” in response to questions about users' data that can be used in prosecutions   —  Tech companies have created employee reimbursement programs, but they have been silent on whether they'll protect users' data … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/nQIUJuw via IFTTT

Backstage Capital has downsized its staff from 12 to three people, managing partner and founder Arlan Hamilton said during her “Your First Million” podcast that was published Sunday. The layoff comes nearly three months after Backstage Capital narrowed its investment strategy to only participate in follow-on rounds of existing portfolios. This workforce reduction further underscores that the venture capital firm is struggling to grow, both externally and internally. “It’s not that I feel like there’s any sort of failure on the fund side, on the firm’s side, on Backstage’s side, it’s that this could have been avoided if systems were different if the system we work within were different,” Hamilton said during the podcast. Hamilton did not respond to TechCrunch’s request via email for further comment. Backstage announced in March it was pivoting to fund only existing portfolio companies and would no longer make new investments. At the time, Hamilton said that “there will be peopl