TechNews
Microsoft’s Surface Duo is down to $600 at Woot
This week brought some unexpected bargains by way of an eBay sitewide code that can knock up to $100 off a pricey purchase, such as a 4K TV, as well as an excellent Humble Bundle with 100 percent of proceeds going toward COVID-19 relief in India and Brazil. There are more, including a day-long sale on AT&T-locked Microsoft Surface Duo phones and more, so take a spin through this dispatch to see what we thought stood out from the rest in deals world this week.
Microsoft’s Surface Duo is just $600 at Woot
We featured a popular deal on the Surface Duo earlier this week, which had the foldable phone selling for $690. That was a great promotion, especially because it was for the version that worked on Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T. That deal is over now, but Woot is picking it back up and improving on the price. You can get the AT&T-locked version of the phone with 128GB of storage for just $600. The 256GB version costs $670. This is good news if you’re on AT&T.
Get a fantastic 4K TV for up to $100 off at eBay
Whether you primarily game or watch sports, movies, or TV shows, eBay is listing some really good televisions. Better yet, through Sunday, May 16th, you can get up to $100 off on eligible products when you use the offer code PICKSUMMER15. The code actually knocks 15 percent off your purchase, but it caps the discount at $100.
The TVs below are an even better value than usual because of this discount, so check them out if you’re in the market for an upgrade. Of course, this deal isn’t limited to TVs, so I suggest that you go to eBay and see what else might appeal to you.
Buy the second-generation Apple Pencil for $20 off
If you own one of the iPad Pro or iPad Air models that has a USB-C port, the second-generation Apple Pencil should make for a good companion if you want to draw or write. At Woot, you can get one of these rarely discounted accessories for $110 new. Other retailers are selling it for $130. Compared to the first-gen Apple Pencil that recharged via its Lightning jack, this one attaches magnetically onto the side of supported iPads and charges wirelessly.
Two 20W USB-C wall adapters cost just $14 at Amazon
The items above are a bit pricey. If you’re looking for something that’s less expensive but very useful, check out this deal on RavPower’s two-pack of 20W USB-C chargers that costs $13.60 before tax. We highlighted this deal earlier in the week (it was almost $2 cheaper then) because it’s what iPhone users should get instead of buying Apple’s equivalent gadget that costs $20. It’s for more than just iPhones, though. It’ll fast-charge many Android phones, and it should work great with charging the Nintendo Switch.
To get this deal, make sure to click the “Save an extra 15% when you apply this coupon” prompt located underneath the product price at Amazon.
Donate to COVID-19 relief, and get several great indie games, software, and more
The latest Humble Bundle package will turn your pledge for a smattering of indie games, software, and more into a donation to support COVID-19 relief in India and Brazil. Humble suggests at least a $25 pledge — and that’s very fair based on what you’re getting in exchange — but you can donate as much or as little as you can. To name a few games included, you’ll get Into the Breach, Superhot, BioShock, The Witness, Undertale, Hyper Light Drifter, and much more.
Starfield Will Be Exclusive to Xbox and PC, No PS5 Version
Even more Starfield news is starting to come out as the highly anticipated Bethesda title is said to be exclusive to Xbox and PC.
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“Starfield is exclusive to Xbox and PC,” said Venture Beat reporter Jeff Grubb. “Period. This is me confirming that.” Previously, no consoles were announced, although some fans were still holding out hope that it would come to PlayStation consoles.
This isn’t shocking news as Microsoft purchased Bethesda, but it is a major statement. Fallout and The Elder Scrolls have been highly popular on PlayStation consoles, so this means Microsoft has a potential system seller in Starfield. Microsoft hasn’t been releasing next-gen exclusives so far, so expect the game to follow suit and work on a wide range of Xbox systems from the Xbox One on the low end to the Xbox Series X on the high end.
Earlier today, images from a 2018 build leaked from the game. Clearly, many improvements have been made since then and we’ll get to see them soon. The game was hinted at for years by Bethesda and is said to be the sci-fi equivalent to Skyrim. It was officially revealed back in 2018 but hasn’t been seen much since then.
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Current rumors indicate that Bethesda will reveal the game at E3 2021. There is even word that it could release this fall, although that has been debated between reports. Either way, Microsoft is making a huge move with Starfield and will be using it as a marquee Xbox title going forward. Expect to hear more soon and likely at Micorosft’s June press conference.
Ex-Apple Worker Claims Apple Knew About His ‘Misogynistic’ Writings
Former Apple employee Antonio García Martínez has refuted the company’s portrayal of his high-profile ouster this week and claims Apple knew about his past writings demeaning women and people of color, which came under fire from employees this week, before it made a job offer.
“Apple was well aware of my writing before hiring me. My references were questioned extensively about my bestselling book and my real professional persona (rather than literary one),” he wrote in a Twitter thread Friday. “I did not ‘part ways’ with Apple. I was fired by Apple in a snap decision,”
“Apple has issued a statement that clearly implies there was some negative behavior by me during my time at Apple. That is defamatory and categorically false,” Martínez continued. He argued that Apple “actively recruited” him for the role on its ads team, even roping in one of his former colleagues to “convince” him to take the job.
On Wednesday, the Verge reported that Apple employees circulated a petition objecting to his hiring and asking for an investigation. At issue is Martínez’s autobiography Chaos Monkeys, which chronicles his journey from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. The petition, which you can read in full here, cites several “overtly racist and sexist remarks” from his writing, such as when he refers to Bay Area women as “soft and weak, cosseted and naive despite their claims of worldliness, and generally full of shit.”
In another damning passage, the former Facebook product manager writes: “There were few women one would call conventionally attractive at Facebook. The few there were rarely if ever dressed for work with their femininity on display in the form of dresses and heels.”
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Apple employees argued that Martínez’s “misogynistic statements” didn’t align with Apple’s stated values concerning diversity and inclusion. They also called for Apple to explain how its recruitment team either missed or ignored his published views before offering him the position.
Hours after the Verge’s report, Apple told Bloomberg that it cut ties with Martínez.
“At Apple, we have always strived to create an inclusive, welcoming workplace where everyone is respected and accepted,” an Apple spokesperson told the outlet. “Behavior that demeans or discriminates against people for who they are has no place here.”
Apple declined to comment on details of his departure and has not confirmed what job title Martínez held, but sources say he was hired as a product engineer on Apple’s advertising platform team, according to Bloomberg. Apple did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment, but we’ll update this blog once they do.
The iPhone maker and other tech giants have repeatedly come under scrutiny for their lack of workplace diversity. Apple’s latest diversity statistics show that 66% of its employees are male and 47% are white despite notable increases in its number of women, Hispanic, Latino, and Black workers in recent years.
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Biomutant – Official PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X Gameplay – IGN
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Itch.io is waiving all sales fees today for ‘Creator Day’
Indie game storefront Itch.io is waiving sales fees on everything today, May 14th, as part of the company’s first Creator Day. Anyone selling things on the diverse storefront (which includes everything from indie games to music to entire magazines) will be able to keep “100 percent of sales after taxes and payment processor fees.” It’s similar to Bandcamp’s monthly creator program Bandcamp Fridays (although Itch.io hasn’t said on what schedule it’ll run the promotion in the future).
Itch.io is beloved by creators for being relatively easy to use and generally more transparent than other bigger game storefronts like Steam. It also takes a smaller cut than most other online game platforms: Itch.io traditionally only asks for 10 percent of what creators earn on its storefront in comparison to Apple’s App Store and Steam, which typically start with a 30 percent cut (you can read about other platform fees in our handy guide).
Content standards are also a bit looser on Itch.io, which might be the other reason you’ve heard about the storefront recently. Epic Games started offering Itch.io’s desktop client in April as a free download in its storefront (yes a store inside a store, it’s odd). As part of the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit, Apple attempted to use the fact that Itch.io features experimental and often sexually explicit content as justification for why Epic shouldn’t be allowed to offer its app store as an alternative to Apple’s. Of course Epic has no responsibility to moderate games sold on an entirely separate platform just because they offer that store as a download.
Online marketplace drama aside, Itch.io is absolutely worth a browse, especially today. The games can be a bit NSFW and even unfinished, and there’s almost certainly stuff you won’t want to play, read, or listen to, but it’s also on the cutting edge. Whether you realize it or not, the next big thing (or your next favorite game) could already be hanging out on Itch.io, made by someone on their free time. And if you buy that game today, they’ll get to keep more of the proceeds.
Itchi.io’s Creator Day runs all of May 14th and ends at 11:59PM PT / 2:59 AM ET (May 15th).
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- View Full Coverage on Google News
Rumor: Apple to Announce Third-Generation AirPods and HiFi Apple Music Tier on May 18
A new rumor suggests that Apple will announce the third-generation AirPods and the recently rumored HiFi, or high-fidelity Apple Music tier, on Tuesday, May 18, via a press release on its website.
The new rumor comes from Apple YouTuber Luke Miani who shared the alleged exclusive news with the AppleTrack website. According to the YouTuber, Apple plans to release the next-generation AirPods through a Newsroom update and website refresh.
Miani, who we reached out to, said that new AirPods could be announced on May 18 via a press release that could also include a ‘Apple Music HiFi’ debut
In 2019, Apple released the all-new AirPods Pro via a press release on its website, so while it seems plausible, the information should be taken with a grain of salt. The new AirPods are expected to feature an updated design that’s more in-line with the design of the AirPods Pro but lacking in “Pro” features such as Active Noise Cancellation.
The new AirPods will be the first major update to the standard AirPods following a slight refresh in 2019 which featured wireless charging, Hey Siri support, and improved battery life. Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that the new AirPods would entire mass production in the third quarter of this year.
Alongside the new third-generation AirPods, Apple plans to announce a brand new HiFi or high-fidelity Apple Music tier, according to the new rumor. A report earlier this month indicated that Apple plans to begin offering Apple Music subscribers higher quality streaming with a new subscription tier in the “coming weeks.”
According to that report, the tier will cost the same $9.99 as the current individual Apple Music package. Still, specifics around how Apple plans to include HiFi music streaming into its existing tiers remain unknown. Code within the first beta of the upcoming iOS 14.6 update found by MacRumors suggests that HiFi Apple Music streaming could be limited to only compatible hardware.
While the source for the HiFi Apple Music report pinned a launch of the new tier and AirPods as being only a few weeks away, it may have been referring to a launch at WWDC. Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference beginning on June 7 where it is expected to announce brand new updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Despite WWDC being software-focused, hardware announcements at the event are certainly possible.
Maker of expensive Japanese toaster gets into smartphone business
Balmuda, a Japanese design company known for its stylish appliances, has announced plans to make a smartphone. There aren’t many details on the device itself yet, but it’ll be a 5G handset that’s expected to be released in November. SoftBank will sell it as a carrier model, while Balmuda will also offer an unlocked version.
In its announcement, Balmuda notes that since the smartphone business is getting increasingly commoditized, the company wants to provide an experience that only it can. However, the actual manufacturing is out of Balmuda’s wheelhouse, so it’s partnering with Kyocera on the phone.
Balmuda has a fairly limited product line for the home including air purifiers, humidifiers, lights, speakers, rice cookers, and so on. Its best known product is a toaster called “Balmuda The Toaster,” which sells for 25,850 yen (about $235, though it’s available in the US for $329 through the MoMa Design Store) and uses steam to ensure your shokupan, among other things, is perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Bloomberg reported five years ago that it had become a cult hit in Japan with a three-month waiting time to buy one.
I have the toaster, and while I’m not sure I would necessarily recommend anyone spend $235 or $329 on a toaster, it is a pretty great toaster. The neat design touches everywhere, from the tiny little mug you use to pour in water for the steam to the cute noises it makes when you turn the timer dial, do make me somewhat curious as to what Balmuda could bring to a phone. We’ll let you know when we find out.