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Showing posts from February, 2021

President Biden hails Amazon workers pressing to unionize in Alabama in unusual sign of support

The president tweeted a video Sunday night calling out workers in Alabama, where Amazon warehouse workers are in the process of voting by mail to determine whether they will be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. https://wapo.st/2OeeRcP

To selfie or not to selfie? Why the joy of getting vaccinated is drawing backlash

People are divided over “vaccine selfie" etiquette, but health experts think they are a good thing. https://wapo.st/2PdS0P7

Meet Astra, ‘Valorant’s’ galaxy brain new agent coming in Act 2

Astra is the latest unique agent to be added to "Valorant's" roster. https://wapo.st/3bKagaC

‘Pokémon Legends Arceus’ is the game mainline Pokémon fans have been begging for

I thought Pokémon should break up with Game Freak. Then they announced "Arceus." https://wapo.st/2MtRKL3

Millions of low-income Americans to get up to $50 subsidies for their monthly Internet bills under newly finalized U.S. program

Millions of workers, students and families facing poverty and other hardship during the coronavirus pandemic soon will be able to obtain up to $50 each month in credits. https://wapo.st/3szdpkr

Verily’s coronavirus testing partnership with California is over

Google sister Verily was touted early in the pandemic as a promising coronavirus testing option. https://wapo.st/3knd5Cq

Five sensational vacation destinations from the virtual worlds of video games

From "Stardew Valley" to "Persona 5's" Tokyo to "Hades" itself, here's a guide to five can’t-miss video game ‘vacation’ destinations. https://wapo.st/2NYcX06

As private companies erode government’s hold on space travel, NASA looks to open a new frontier

Space enthusiasts, including NASA, see enormous benefit in the shift — a new era of space exploration that will usher in a more capable and efficient space industry. But the changing dynamic also has left NASA with an uncertain role. https://wapo.st/3utXHIV

Facebook bans Myanmar’s military, citing threat of new violence after Feb. 1 coup

The ban, which also affects Facebook subsidiary Instagram, extends a series of actions in recent years to sharply limit the ability of the nation’s military, called the Tatmadaw, to use the platforms in any way, including through paid advertising. https://wapo.st/2NBenO9

Major Trump backer Rebekah Mercer orchestrates Parler’s second act

Rebekah Mercer, a daughter of a major Republican donor, is a founding investor of Parler, where she reportedly is pulling strings. Mercer holds the majority stake in Parler and controlled two of three board seats as of early February — a board to which she recently appointed allies. https://wapo.st/2NTy8Ag

Growing computer-chip shortage alarms Biden and Congress

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the lack of production capacity “a dangerous weak spot in our economy and in our national security.” https://wapo.st/37H27Ta

PlayStation CEO says PS5 will get its own VR headset, explains console supply chain shortfall

This time, you'll only have to deal with one wire to connect the headset to your PlayStation unit. https://wapo.st/3qNNLYD

Facebook, Australia reach deal to restore news pages after shutdown

Facebook agreed to restore news pages after it said it had reached a favorable deal with the Australian government late Monday. https://wapo.st/3aK7AdV

To the list of places testing driverless cars, add Las Vegas

Hyundai's joint venture with Aptiv is testing driverless cars on public streets. A fleet of robotaxis could soon follow. https://wapo.st/2ZIFBox

How does Riot Games balance ‘League of Legends?’ The answer is a bit meta.

Imagine a traditional sport just breaking the game once every six months. https://wapo.st/2NlKYaJ

‘Rainbow Six Siege’ keeps getting new content. Will it keep getting new players?

With each update, new operators and weaponry infuse a complicated game with even more complexity. https://wapo.st/3pKrz06

‘Diablo II: Resurrected’ won’t reinvent the wheel when the circle was already perfect

The remaster is taking a PC-first approach to retain the original experience. https://wapo.st/3kfKTRW

Blizzard leans into Diablo, Warcraft at BlizzCon for 30th anniversary

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the game publisher is looking to move on from a rough two-year patch by leaning into two of its hallowed franchises. https://wapo.st/3ueIwTS

Start-ups seek to breathe new life into stagnant wheelchair industry

Assistive technology start-ups are gaining traction with hopes to make wheelchairs smarter. https://wapo.st/3qAWz47

Facebook’s brazen attempt to crush regulations in Australia may backfire

Facebook's move to block news publishers in Australia may create an even stronger backlash against the company, adding fuel to arguments that it has too much power. https://wapo.st/3drzmxp

Salsa made with a drill, and more: TikTok offers glimpses of life during the Texas storm

The videos, even the dark ones, share one thing: They make an untenable situation more tenable by creating a community. https://wapo.st/3rYJXE6

A quarter of Trump’s 6,081 Facebook posts last year featured misinformation or extreme rhetoric

Analysis by the left-leaning group Media Matters for America found that a quarter of former president Donald Trump's Facebook posts in 2020 contained misinformation about covid-19 or incendiary rhetoric about the election. The numbers show the wide latitude Facebook gave to Trump's speech and raise new questions about whether a temporary ban of his account should be made permanent. https://wapo.st/3s2zyXW

Google will pay Murdoch-owned News Corp for the right to distribute some of its content

The search giant struck a deal with Rupert Murdoch's media empire to pay for some of its content, including paywalled stories https://wapo.st/3s8qOzH

‘Final Fantasy XIV’ director discusses the challenges of building an always-online game

Now at the helm of the legendary series, Yoshida remains mum about the next installment, Final Fantasy XVI. https://wapo.st/2ZsoPKi

New York sues Amazon alleging ‘flagrant disregard’ of health standards at warehouses

New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Amazon of failing to adequately protects its warehouse workers from covid-19 and retaliating against employees who raised concerns. https://wapo.st/2ZnjmEn

The rise, fall and resonance of ESPN Esports

The inside story on the construction and elimination of ESPN's esports department. https://wapo.st/3poEgxl

On social media, vaccine misinformation mixes with extreme faith

Across social media, vaccine misinformation targeted toward Christians and other religious groups is reaching sizeable audiences. This area is the hardest for tech companies to police. https://wapo.st/37iVd6l

Parler is back online, more than a month after tangle with Amazon knocked it offline

The social media site popular with Trump supporters went dark when its cloud support was cut. https://wapo.st/3dgeWat

Can esports make you more productive at work? IBM, Walmart and others think yes.

Imagine playing "League of Legends" or "Overwatch" with your co-workers. You’d better be communicating really well. https://wapo.st/2ZhBHm6

The making of the ‘Hitman 3’ murder mystery mansion

Contrary to popular belief, “Knives Out” wasn’t a direct inspiration. https://wapo.st/3ah4mhD

Your best tips for hunting vaccine appointments online

How tech-savvy Post readers are nabbing scarce coronavirus shots for themselves — and their neighbors https://wapo.st/3jKQ3VD

U.S. eyes flurry of new taxes on Amazon, Facebook and Google, trying to force tech to pay its ‘fair share’

State lawmakers around the country are exploring a range of new taxes targeting Amazon, Facebook, Google and other Internet giants, seeking to capture some of Silicon Valley’s eye-popping profits and soaring share prices in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. https://wapo.st/3qgeTPI

‘The Last of Us’ is already an HBO show in game form. Is there more story to tell?

The show presents a unique opportunity to talk about our current reality. https://wapo.st/3tM1uky

Biden asks for pause in Trump’s effort to ban WeChat

The move comes a day after it asked a separate court for a similar delay involving Trump's proposed ban of TikTok. https://wapo.st/3qbUuuZ

How to turn on — and off! — a Zoom cat filter

Like the cat lawyer, you can spice up conference calls using settings in the desktop Zoom app or with external apps like Snap Camera. https://wapo.st/3qdK4eC

The OWL’s London Spitfire are hoping to go big by going home

The United Kingdom's Overwatch league franchise is investing in the local Overwatch scene for the (eventual) return of homestand matches. https://wapo.st/3ry99RE

At first cat lawyer was embarrassed. Then he realized we all could use a laugh.

As far as courtroom disclosures, this one was unique: “I’m not a cat.” https://wapo.st/2LBT79V

Will holograms be the next innovation in the post-pandemic workplace?

Companies envision a future where employees collaborate via 3-D holograms. https://wapo.st/2Nd41mU

‘Little Nightmares II’ made me dread every moment. And I loved it.

In "Little Nightmares 2," you're rarely ever safe. That's one of the best things about it. https://wapo.st/2YZj5aH

Lacking a Lifeline: How a federal effort to help low-income Americans pay their phone bills failed amid the pandemic

An estimated 33 million American households are eligible to obtain federal aid under the program known as Lifeline -- but poor service, and years of government mismanagement and neglect mean few do. https://wapo.st/3q4cdol

House committee asks if Trump was offered a stake in Parler

A House committee investigating conservative social media site Parler demanded answers on Monday about its ownership, possible ties to Russia and whether the company offered a significant stake to former President Donald Trump to entice him to join the platform. https://wapo.st/3tGatnq

NASA says SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts have set a space record

The Crew-1 astronauts, launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center, on Sunday eclipsed a record that was set by the Skylab 4 crew in 1974. https://wapo.st/3a018ie

Researchers find more victims of one of Iran’s oldest hacking groups

The victims include high-profile academics, activists and business leaders, and government officials in the United States and Europe. https://wapo.st/2YYmWEE

‘River City Girls’ is the game ‘Scott Pilgrim’ hoped to be

Scott Pilgrim may be from Canada, but his roots are in River City. https://wapo.st/3pNIKPf

Dominion Voting tells Facebook, Parler and other social media sites to preserve posts for lawsuits

Dominion Voting’s lawyers have asked the social media companies to preserve potentially defaming posts about the company, even if they contain misinformation. https://wapo.st/2MXQMqa

Virtual reality is starting to see actual gains in gaming

A series of signals in the VR market suggest the slow-growing platform may be on the rise for gaming. https://wapo.st/2O9qr9k

AI chat bots can bring you back from the dead, sorta

We’re living through an artificial intelligence revolution that’s unlocking new ways for companies to replicate humans. https://wapo.st/2YLOnS4

Pro-China propaganda campaign exploits U.S. divisions in videos emphasizing Capitol attack

The videos promote pro-Chinese propaganda delivered by a robotic voice speaking fractured and sometimes-ungrammatical English. https://wapo.st/3at6KRi

Antitrust threats, unionization, workplace unrest all await Amazon’s next CEO

Jeff Bezos’s successor, Andy Jassy, will step into a thicket of thorny issues when he becomes CEO this summer, and Amazon’s foes are already waiting for him. https://wapo.st/3cGS7wA

With Bezos out as Amazon CEO, Zuckerberg is the last man standing

With Bezos out as CEO after 27 years, Mark Zuckerberg is the last founder to run a tech giant. https://wapo.st/3cEqjIT