April 29, 2025

Web and Technology News

Twitter gives all users access to one-time content warnings

You can now attach one-time content warnings to the images and videos you tweet if you didn’t have access to the feature in the past. Twitter started testing a feature that gives you a way to add warnings for nudity, violence and other types of sensitive content to each individual post last year. Now, Twitter Support has announced that the feature is available to everyone using its Android and iOS apps, as well as its web interface.

When you apply a warning to an individual tweet, the media you attach to it will look obscured to people viewing it until they opt to view what’s behind it. The feature gives you a way to share content that may be upsetting or not appropriate for everyone without having to mark all your tweets as sensitive. 

To add a warning to a single tweet, simply click on the flag icon that shows up while you’re editing the photo or video you attached and then choose between the nudity, violence and sensitive options. As The Verge notes, you can tag multiple warnings for each attachment, and Twitter will place a single warning over multiple media in a single post. 

You can watch Twitter Safety’s video on how to access the feature below:

Gig worker bill backed by Uber and Lyft passes in Washington State House

A new bill that guarantees benefits for ride-hail drivers while still classifying them as gig workers has passed the Washington State House. It’s backed by Uber and Lyft, as well as the local Teamsters union, and represents a compromise between all parties involved. Under the legislation, drivers are guaranteed benefits that include paid sick leave, a minimum pay rate and a resource center for drivers who want to appeal their deactivation — all while still being classified as gig workers

Meanwhile, the companies can’t set their workers’ schedules under the legislation, and cities won’t have the power to regulate ride-hailing firms. According to LaborNotes, the bill is getting mixed reception from drivers, with some arguing that the benefits may not be enough.

Uber, Lyft and other gig companies have long fought attempts to force them to classify their workers as employees, even spending hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure that’s the case. In California, the companies spent over $200 million to campaign for Proposition 22, a ballot that overturns a local law that made drivers full employees. The companies prevailed, and the proposition passed with a decently wide margin. 

Peter Kuel, president of the Teamsters-affiliated Drivers Union, told Bloomberg:

“Thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers — predominantly immigrants and people of color — will benefit from this long overdue expansion of pay raises, benefits and protections statewide.”

LaborNotes says, though, that Drivers Union supported the bill mainly because the companies threatened to pursue a ballot initiative if they don’t get a compromise in Washington. Don Creery, a Drivers Union board member, told the publication:

“They’re also holding the gun at our heads with the possibility of an initiative. They spent $200 million on California. It comes down to the reality that we don’t have the money to buy TV ads. They do. They will misinform the public with a barrage of TV ads, so we will lose an initiative. We could lose everything.”

The legislation is now heading to the State Senate, which will hold a public hearing for it today, February 26th.

US sanctions against Russia will limit its access to technology from overseas

The US government has imposed harsh export restrictions against Russia designed to drastically limit its access to both low- and high-tech goods from overseas. As first reported by Reuters, the Commerce Department has posted a list of expanded licensing policies and requirements implemented in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine

Under the expanded sanctions, US suppliers that want to ship to Russia will have to obtain licenses for goods that didn’t require one in the past. Those goods include microelectronics, telecommunications items, sensors, navigation equipment, avionics, marine equipment and aircraft components. 

In addition, the US is adding companies designated as “military end users” due to their alleged ties to the Russian military to the entity list. Any company seeking to ship products made abroad to those military end users will have to obtain licenses from the United States if they’re using US-made tools, technology and software for their products. The government says these sanctions should “significantly impact Russia’s ability to acquire items it cannot produce itself.”

The new rules state that license requests will be reviewed “under a policy of denial,” which means the Commerce Department will deny almost all of them. The administration will only approve licenses in rare exceptions, such as applications related to aviation and maritime safety, as well as humanitarian needs. Smartphone exports to Russia are also allowed, so long as they’re not shipped to Russian government employees and state-owned enterprises. 

Former Commerce Department official Kevin Wolf told Reuters that the rules are so complex, many companies might simply stop dealing with Russia completely to avoid mistakes despite the carveouts. However, Cordell Hull, another former official, predicted that the rules would be difficult to enforce.

During a speech announcing the new measures, President Joe Biden said partner countries are adopting or have expressed intent to adopt similar sanctions. The list of partner countries includes 27 members of the European Union, such as Italy, France and Germany, along with Canada, Australia, Japan and the UK, to name a few. “Between our actions and those of our allies and partners, we estimate that we will cut off more than half of Russia’s high-tech imports,” he said.

Ukraine asks Apple to stop product sales and block App Store access in Russia

Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister has called on Apple to stop selling its products and to shut down its App Store in Russia. Mykhailo Fedorov, who also serves as the country’s Minister of Digital Transformation, has asked Tim Cook for the tech giant’s support in a letter. “The whole world is repelling the aggressor through the imposition of sanctions — the enemy must suffer significant losses… [I]n 2022, modern technology is perhaps the best answer to tanks, multiple rocket launchers and missiles,” he wrote in a bid to convince Apple’s chief executive.

Russia launched a full-scale military assault on Ukraine in early Thursday, entering the country from three sides and attacking by land, air and sea. It bombed the country’s major cities, including the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, which was bombarded with missiles on Friday morning. As a response to the invasion, the US government and its allies have unveiled new sanctions against Russia to block its access to exports in hopes of constraining its military and technological capabilities. In addition, the sanctions are targeting Russian oligarchs by limiting their ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds and yen. 

As Bloomberg notes, Apple has an online store in Russia and offers a local version of its App Store in the country. Last year, it complied with a Russian legal requirement to highlight apps made by local developers. According to the news organization, it also registered a business office and posted job listings for positions in Moscow in the past few months, most likely to comply with local regulations. Russia started enforcing a law last year that requires tech companies like Apple, Google and Meta to have a physical presence within its borders.

Fedorov ended his letter to Cook, which he posted on Twitter, with what Ukraine hopes would happen if Apple pulls out of Russia: “We are sure that such actions will motivate youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression.” Cook previously said that Apple is doing all it can for its teams in Ukraine and “will be supporting local humanitarian efforts,” but the company has yet to publicly respond to Fedorov’s plea.

Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K+ drops to an all-time low of $49 at Amazon

If you missed previous deals to get the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ on Amazon at a discount, don’t worry: The device is currently listed for the lowest price we’ve seen for it on the website. You can get the streaming stick for $49, which is 30 percent off its original retail price of $70. Roku’s 4K+ stick comes bundled with the company’s Voice Remote Pro that gives you the ability to do hands-free voice search and to issue verbal commands, such as “Hey Roku, where’s my remote?” Asking that triggers the remote to play a sound, so you can find it even if it’s lost in the depths of your couch. The rechargeable remote control alone is usually a $30 upgrade.

Buy Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ at Amazon – $49

The streaming stick that ships with the 4K+ bundle is the 2021 version of Roku’s older 4K streaming device. Last year, Roku upgraded its 4K streaming stick with support for Dolby Vision HDR, giving it the capability to dynamically tweak the contrast and brightness levels for every individual frame in whatever it is you’re watching. The stick also supports the HDR10+ format, which has the same ability as Dolby Vision HDR. 

In addition to adding support for those formats, Roku also designed the 2021 version of the 4K streaming stick to boot up around 30 percent faster than its predecessor. The company also said that the newer stick’s wireless receiver enables WiFi speeds that are twice as fast as before. Finally, the bundle gives you a couple of ways to watch movies or shows on your own without disturbing other people in your house. You can either plug in a pair of headphones into the remote’s headphone jack or pair a wireless model with the Roku mobile app. 

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Instant Pot Max hits an all-time low of $75 at Amazon

You can get the 6-quart Instant Pot Max for half the price on Amazon right now if you’ve been wanting to try the multicooker or if you’ve missed out on previous deals. The electric pressure cooker is currently listed for $75, or $75 off its original retail price of $150. While Instant Pots have gone on sale on the website in the past, this is the lowest price we’ve seen this particular model go for. 

Buy Instant Pot Max at Amazon – $75

The Instant Pot Max is capable of reaching 15 pounds per square inch (psi), which in theory means that it can cook food faster than other models that can only reach 12 psi. It has a large touchscreen display where you can set the temperature, pressure level and cooking time, can program the time for when you want the device to start cooking and can ensure the food inside stays warm. 

You also have access to multiple settings, based on what you want to cook or do: pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, soup, rice, canning, sous vide and yogurt. The Max comes with automated venting and lid-lock features, as well, and you can release steam simply by tapping “vent” on the touchscreen display and choosing either “pulse” or “quick release.” 

If you’re completely new to Instant Pots, you can consult the free recipe app that comes with your purchase to look up instruction videos. You can also consult our Instant Pot primer for tips on how to make the most out of the kitchen gadget.

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Sony’s answer to Game Pass on PlayStation could cost up to $16 a month

The Xbox Game Pass rival that Sony is cooking up for the PlayStation will have three tiers that cost $10, $13 and $16 a month, according to VentureBeat’s GamesBeat. Bloomberg first reported about the all-in-one game subscription service codenamed Spartacus back in December. Based on the documents the publication saw, Spartacus would merge the perks offered by PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus and would likely be available for the PS4 and the PS5. This new report gives us more details about the service and what each tier will get you. 

Sony is reportedly calling the Spartacus tiers Essential, Extra and Premium, with the first one being PlayStation Plus in its current form. It will still cost $10, and it will give you access to games every month that you can add to your library. Meanwhile, the Extra tier will cost $13 and will include access to those monthly games, as well as to a game catalogue with hundreds of older games that you can download. That catalogue could possibly be the same as PS Now’s. 

Finally, the Premium tier will set you back $16 a month and will include all the aforementioned perks, along with access to PS Now’s streaming capabilities and a library of classic games. In addition, it will give you access to a feature called “game trials” that will let you download and start playing new PS games before their release. If it’s similar to EA’s game trials, then you can only play a title before its official launch for a set number of hours. 

At this point, it’s still unclear if Sony will add new first-party exclusives to the service when it becomes available. Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan previously said that it wasn’t sustainable to put new releases that cost hundreds of millions to develop in a subscription service. However, Microsoft has purchased Bethesda since then and has also recently started the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard. The tech giant is adding both developers’ titles to the Xbox Game Pass, so Sony will have to think of ways to make Spartacus a more enticing option. 

Spartacus is reportedly entering the testing phase in the coming weeks. GamesBeat says Microsoft could also officially reveal the details of the subscription service in March. 

Google relaxes COVID-19 rules for its US employees

Google delayed its employees’ return to office a few times over the past year, but it looks like the tech giant is truly gearing up to welcome workers back this time. According to CNBC, the company is easing some of its COVID-related mandates as part of those efforts, including relaxing its vaccine requirements for employees. 

CNBCreported back in December that Google will place employees who don’t comply with its vaccine mandate by January 18th on leave unless they secure a valid medical or religious exemption. The report also said that those employees will eventually be fired if they continue refusing to be inoculated against the virus. Google spokesperson Lora Lee Erickson told the news organization that the company dropped the requirement last month, though they refused to discuss the reason behind the decision. 

Based on an email from Google Real Estate and Workplace Services VP David Radcliffe that CNBC has obtained, the company is also dropping its testing requirements that also applied to vaccinated employees. It’s lifting its mask and social distancing requirements for vaccinated employees, with the exception of its offices in Santa Clara County where its Mountain View headquarters are located, as well. That said, unvaccinated employees must still be approved to work in offices, and they’ll still have to wear masks and get regularly tested if they’re coming in. 

On top of easing up its COVID mandates, Google is also reopening its amenities for employees, including its fitness centers with massages, full shuttle service, more places to eat, as well as lounges and music rooms. Erickson told CNBC:

“We’re giving employees who welcome the chance to come into the office the option to do that wherever we safely can, while allowing those who aren’t ready to keep working from home. Based on current conditions in the Bay Area, we’re pleased that our employees who choose to come in now have the ability to access more onsite spaces and services to work and connect with colleagues.”

Google still doesn’t have an exact date for its return to office, but Radcliffe’s note reportedly said that the company will begin its 30-day transition to its hybrid work week plan if conditions continue to improve. Under the plan, employees will be required to physically come into the company’s offices at least thrice a week.

Twitter restores suspended accounts that tracked Russian military activity

Twitter has admitted that it mistakenly removed accounts sharing Russian military activity in the midst of the Ukraine invasion. As TechCrunch notes, the deleted accounts, which have since been reinstated, included an aggregator of user-generated posts from Ukraine and accounts owned by people doing open source intelligence investigation (OSINT) to debunk fake news and claims. 

While users first blamed mass reporting for the account deletions, Twitter Head of Site Integrity Yoel Roth said it wasn’t a factor at all. Instead, the removals were a result of errors made by human moderators who are proactively addressing manipulated media on the website. 

In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson explained to TechCrunch:

“We’ve been proactively monitoring for emerging narratives that are violative of our policies, and, in this instance, we took enforcement action on a number of accounts in error. We’re expeditiously reviewing these actions and have already proactively reinstated access to a number of affected accounts.”

In addition to proactively monitoring manipulated media coming from the region, Twitter has also responded to the Ukraine crisis with tips on how to secure accounts. Ukraine’s websites have been hit by cyberattacks over the past few weeks, and social media accounts, especially those sharing news and images from the country, might also be targeted. 

Twitter Safety has posted a series of tweets in Ukrainian with tips on how to protect accounts with strong passwords and two-factor authentication. It also included links to its support page for those whose accounts had been compromised and for those who got locked out. Twitter has linked users to instructions on how to disable location info and how to remove it from previous tweets, as well. Finally, it’s advising users to deactivate their account if they feel that the safest option is to delete it completely.

Tesla settles with EPA over Clean Air Act violations in California

The US Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with Tesla after the agency found that the automaker violated the Clean Air Act at its factory in Fremont, California. In particular, the EPA determined that Tesla violated the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Surface Coating of Automobiles and Light-Duty Trucks from October 2016 to September 2019.

Tesla, the EPA said, failed to develop and implement a work practice plan to minimize air pollutants emissions from the storage and mixing of materials used in vehicle coating. It also failed to correctly perform the monthly calculations needed to prove that its coating operations complied with the federal standards for hazardous air pollutants. Finally, Tesla apparently failed to keep required records of the calculations for its air pollutants emissions rate. “People living in communities that are near sources of hazardous air pollutants may face significant risks to their health and environment,” the agency wrote in its announcement. 

According to CNBC, the paint shop at Tesla’s factory in Fremont suffered several fires within that period. The news organizations talked to employees back in 2018 who claimed that the company pushed to hit production goals at the expense of fire and environmental considerations. (If you’ll recall, Tesla was struggling to hit Model 3 production goals at the time.) Those employees claimed that months before a fire in April that year, the shop’s sprinkler heads were clogged and were coated with at least an inch of thick paint. Exhaust systems that were supposed to carry clean air in and out of the building were allegedly coated with thick paint, as well. 

“Today’s enforcement action against Tesla reflects EPA’s continued commitment to ensure compliance with federal clean air laws,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said in a statement. Tesla will only have to $275,000 to settle its violations, however, which is a drop in the ocean for a company that reported a $5.5 billion in net income last year.

Apple drops mask mandate in most US stores

Most Apple Stores in the US won’t require customers to wear masks anymore. The tech giant has dropped its mask mandate and is also preparing for the return of in-person classes at its stores, according to Bloomberg. Apple has reportedly told employees about the changes in its mask requirements this week, and it has also updated its website to note each store’s rules. 

There are a handful of locations that still require masks, particularly those in areas where stricter guidelines remain in place. Apple changed the rules for stores in locations that had already dropped their mask mandates, though, including Kansas, North Carolina and Ohio. Most New York locations don’t require customers to wear masks anymore, so long as they’ve been fully vaccinated. Even so, Apple recommends wearing masks and will provide them to customers who ask for one. Store staff members will also continue wearing them. 

As for Apple’s in-store classes for those who want to get tips on how to use its products from the company’s employees, Bloomberg says some stores will start offering them again within the week. However, most stores are preparing to resume classes in March.

Apple first lifted its mask requirements in the US in November 2021 but reinstated it in December following a resurgence in COVID—19 cases across the country. Based on data from Johns Hopkins, the US is now reporting fewer than 100,000 cases a day, down from a record high of 1.36 million cases on a single day in January. Several states have started lifting their mask requirements, and the changes in Apple’s rules merely reflect the shift in local regulations. 

Apple drops mask mandate in most US stores

Most Apple Stores in the US won’t require customers to wear masks anymore. The tech giant has dropped its mask mandate and is also preparing for the return of in-person classes at its stores, according to Bloomberg. Apple has reportedly told employees about the changes in its mask requirements this week, and it has also updated its website to note each store’s rules. 

There are a handful of locations that still require masks, particularly those in areas where stricter guidelines remain in place. Apple changed the rules for stores in locations that had already dropped their mask mandates, though, including Kansas, North Carolina and Ohio. Most New York locations don’t require customers to wear masks anymore, so long as they’ve been fully vaccinated. Even so, Apple recommends wearing masks and will provide them to customers who ask for one. Store staff members will also continue wearing them. 

As for Apple’s in-store classes for those who want to get tips on how to use its products from the company’s employees, Bloomberg says some stores will start offering them again within the week. However, most stores are preparing to resume classes in March.

Apple first lifted its mask requirements in the US in November 2021 but reinstated it in December following a resurgence in COVID—19 cases across the country. Based on data from Johns Hopkins, the US is now reporting fewer than 100,000 cases a day, down from a record high of 1.36 million cases on a single day in January. Several states have started lifting their mask requirements, and the changes in Apple’s rules merely reflect the shift in local regulations. 

Court rules that Waymo can keep its robotaxi emergency protocols a secret

The California Superior Court in Sacramento has ruled in favor of Waymo, allowing the company to keep specific details about its autonomous vehicle technology a secret. Waymo won the case against the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which it sued back in January to prevent the agency from disclosing what it considers trade secrets that could give its competitors an edge. While the Alphabet company filed a lawsuit against the DMV, it was an unidentified party that made a public records request for its driverless technology that started it all.

The DMV gave Waymo the chance to redact information it deems to be trade secrets from its driverless deployment application before handing the copy over to the requester. However, the third party challenged the blacked out sections, and the DMV had advised Waymo to seek an injunction if it wants to prohibit the disclosure of the redacted materials. 

The information Waymo wants to keep secret includes how it plans to handle emergencies, such as how it analyzes collisions involving its vehicles, and how its technology decides when to hand over control to a human driver. It also includes its software’s ability to handle the one-way streets and hills of San Francisco, where the company offers a robotaxi service

In its lawsuit (PDF), Waymo said allowing the release of its trade secrets will have a “chilling effect across the industry” and could dissuade other companies from investing time and money into developing autonomous vehicle technologies. As TechCrunch notes, though, it’s unclear if all the information Waymo redacted truly are trade secrets that it needs to keep from competitors or if some are safety details that could answer concerns raised by the public.

In a statement, a Waymo spokeperson told TechCrunch:

“We’re pleased that the court reached the right decision in granting Waymo’s request for a preliminary injunction, precluding the disclosure of competitively-sensitive trade secrets that Waymo had included in the permit application it submitted to the CA DMV. We will continue to openly share safety and other data on our autonomous driving technology and operations, while recognizing that detailed technical information we share with regulators is not always appropriate for sharing with the public.”

OnwardMobility is dead, and so are its plans to release a 5G BlackBerry phone

There’s won’t be a big revival for BlackBerry phones anytime soon. OnwardMobility, the Austin-based startup that announced its plans to release a 5G BlackBerry device with a physical keyboard back in 2020, is shutting down. The company posted a notice of its closure on its website, making it clear that it won’t be proceeding with the development of the smartphone. This comes a month after it responded to people asking about the status of the project with a blog post entitled “contrary to popular belief, we are not dead.”

While OnwardMobility didn’t expound on the reason behind its closure, Android Police reported a few days ago that its license to use the BlackBerry name had been canceled. Apparently, BlackBerry wants to distance itself from its past as a smartphone manufacturer after it sold off its remaining mobile patents for $600 million in the beginning of February. OnwardMobility reportedly decided not to push through with the development of a new smartphone without the BlackBerry name, especially since it won’t be easy entering the market with an ongoing global component shortage. 

OnwardMobility was never able to release images of the phone it was developing, but it was reportedly going to take design cues from the BlackBerry Priv. As Android Police notes, the Priv was BlackBerry’s first Android phone and the only one it designed in-house before it outsourced the production of its mobile devices to TCL. If BlackBerry, in its current form, truly does want to distance itself from its past, then we might never see a new BlackBerry-branded phone again.

OnwardMobility is dead, and so are its plans to release a 5G BlackBerry phone

There’s won’t be a big revival for BlackBerry phones anytime soon. OnwardMobility, the Austin-based startup that announced its plans to release a 5G BlackBerry device with a physical keyboard back in 2020, is shutting down. The company posted a notice of its closure on its website, making it clear that it won’t be proceeding with the development of the smartphone. This comes a month after it responded to people asking about the status of the project with a blog post entitled “contrary to popular belief, we are not dead.”

While OnwardMobility didn’t expound on the reason behind its closure, Android Police reported a few days ago that its license to use the BlackBerry name had been canceled. Apparently, BlackBerry wants to distance itself from its past as a smartphone manufacturer after it sold off its remaining mobile patents for $600 million in the beginning of February. OnwardMobility reportedly decided not to push through with the development of a new smartphone without the BlackBerry name, especially since it won’t be easy entering the market with an ongoing global component shortage. 

OnwardMobility was never able to release images of the phone it was developing, but it was reportedly going to take design cues from the BlackBerry Priv. As Android Police notes, the Priv was BlackBerry’s first Android phone and the only one it designed in-house before it outsourced the production of its mobile devices to TCL. If BlackBerry, in its current form, truly does want to distance itself from its past, then we might never see a new BlackBerry-branded phone again.

Amazon warns ‘Lost Ark’ players in central Europe that its servers are ‘at capacity’

Amazon’s Lost Ark free-to-play MMO exploded in popularity as soon as it was released in Europe and the Americas earlier this month. It became Steam’s most-played MMO ever merely a week after its launch, and players in Europe have had to deal with lengthy queues even earlier than that. In an attempt to solve the problem, Smilegate (the game’s developer) and Amazon have created “Europe West.” It’s a completely new server region meant for new players, however, and those already playing in “Europe Central” might have to keep struggling with long wait times.

“The Europe Central region is at capacity and unfortunately there is no way to increase the number of players per world in Europe Central,” the company’s latest announcement about the situation said. It’s apparently not possible to add more servers in the region “based on the complexity of all the systems that need to work together.” Amazon and the developer are positioning Europe West as an appealing option for those who haven’t made much progress in Central yet, because it’s not possible to transfer server regions at the moment. 

The server transfer function has just rolled out in Korea, where the game was first released back in 2019, and it requires the developer to process transfers in weekly batches. It also doesn’t support region transfers yet and won’t do European players any good in its current form, but the companies said they “will not rest until [they’ve] exhausted all options.” 

While unfortunate for European players, it’s a nice problem to have for Amazon. In 2020, it pulled the plug on Crucible, the free-to-play shooter it had been developing since 2016, after evaluating the feedback it got from a closed beta. Its New World MMO became a hit in 2021, but the reception for the older game wasn’t quite as intense as Lost Ark’s.

The IRS will let taxpayers authenticate their identity without using facial recognition

Taxpayers in the US don’t have to use facial recognition or any kind of biometric data to access their accounts online if they don’t want to. The IRS has announced that users can opt for a live, virtual interview to authenticate their identity instead of registering for an ID.me account. This move comes a few weeks after the agency said it will back away from using facial recognition following pressure from both sides of the political aisle. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about the privacy and security implications of using ID.me facial recognition and how it will make the IRS a prime target of cyberattacks. 

To sign up for an ID.me account, taxpayers will have to send the service a copy of their government ID, a utility bill and a video selfie of themselves. Those who don’t mind using facial recognition to be able to file taxes online can still use it for verification if they want. The agency’s announcement said it put a new safeguard in place to ensure images the taxpayers provide are deleted going forward. The existing biometric data provided by users who previously created an online account has also been collected and will be “permanently deleted over the course of the next few weeks,” the IRS said. 

It’s unclear how the IRS plans to make sure that it can conduct verification interviews in a timely manner for everyone who doesn’t want to use facial recognition. As The New York Times notes, the agency is dealing with staff shortages and lack of funding, and it currently has a backlog of around 24 million tax returns. The agency called the virtual interview option a “short-term solution” for this year’s filing season. It said it’s now working with partners to “achieve security standards and scale required of Login.Gov,” so it can roll out the sign in service already being used by government websites after the 2022 filing deadline. 

Skype can now make 911 calls in the United States

Microsoft has released Skype version 8.80, and it comes with the ability to make 911 calls if you’re in the US. As first noticed by XDA Developers, the app’s release notes list its new emergency calling support in the United States for both PC and mobile. In addition to being able to dial emergency services for you, the app can also automatically detect and share your location with emergency operators. 

The company included a disclaimer in the Skype support page that the app will only share your location if you dialed 911 for the purpose of calling emergency responders to where you are. Of course, you must be using a device that can share your location, and you must be in a place where sharing is available for the feature to work.

Skype has never supported emergency calling in the past, and this new ability could be especially useful if you have access to a computer but not to a mobile phone. Location sharing is switched off by default, though, and you’ll have to opt in first. To do so, click on your profile picture on Skype, go to Privacy under Settings to toggle on 911 emergency location sharing. You can switch it off anytime you want. 

The new emergency calling capability is now available for Skype on Windows, Mac, Linux, the Web, Android, iPhone and iPad.

Salesforce employees protest against its NFT ambitions

Salesforce employees aren’t happy with the company’s plans to enter the non-fungible token (NFT) market. According to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, over 400 employees around the world have signed an open letter raising concerns about the environmental impact of NFTs, as well as their “unregulated, highly speculative” nature as financial assets. “The amount of scams and fraud in the NFT space is overwhelming,” the employees reportedly wrote.

The company, the San Francisco cloud-based software firm that owns Slack, told its employees in early February that it’s planning a series of NFT-related initiatives. They include launching an NFT Cloud that could help people create NFTs and list them on marketplaces. NFTs have blown up in popularity over the past year, and big companies have been cashing in on the craze. While not all ventures have been successful, some have made big money: Adidas, for instance, made $23 million during its first NFT drop.

That said, NFTs remain controversial for several reasons, including their environmental impact. It takes a lot of energy to sustain the blockchain activities associated with the tokens. One estimate backed by researchers put an average NFT’s footprint at over 200 kilograms of carbon, which is equivalent to driving 500 miles in a gas-powered car. Salesforce employees’ concerns about the environmental impact of the tokens come from the fact that the company positions itself as a leader in sustainable business — it even released a Superbowl ad starring Matthew McConaughey emphasizing its commitment to sustainability.

A Salesforce spokesperson told Thomson Reuters that the company welcomes “employees’ feedback and [is] proud to foster a culture of trust that empowers them to raise diverse points of view.” They also said that the company is holding a listening session with employees next week. 

US and Britain blame Russia for cyberattacks on Ukraine’s websites

Russia is responsible for the cyberattacks that took down the websites for Ukraine’s government agencies and major banks back in January, according to The White House. Anne Neuberger, the administration’s deputy national security adviser, said the government has “technical information that links the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate or GRU” to the hacks. Neuberger added that “GRU infrastructure was seen transmitting high volumes of communication to Ukraine based IP addresses and domains.”

According to AP and Reuters, Britain has also publicly attributed the incident to Russia, saying that the country’s GRU military intelligence agency is almost certainly involved. While the attacks managed to take down the targeted Ukrainian websites, Neuberger said they had “limited impact,” thanks to the the country’s officials that quickly secured and restored them. 

Ukraine’s defense and foreign ministries were among the affected websites, and a message in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish left by the attackers on the latter translated to: “Ukrainians! All your personal data has been uploaded to the public network. All data on the computer is destroyed, it is impossible to restore them.” The message also referenced the “historical land” and showed crossed-out versions of the Ukraine map and flag. 

The Ukrainian Information Ministry said back then that there were early indications Russia carried out the attacks. In addition, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy also suggested that references to Ukrainian ultra-nationalist groups were merely an attempt by the Russians to mask their footprint. 

Neuberger said the White House is publicly calling out Kremlin, because “[t]he global community must be prepared to shine a light on malicious cyber activity and hold actors accountable for any and all disruptive or destructive cyber activity.” Although the attacks had “limited impact,” the White House believes Russia could carry out more disruptive activities in the future followed by an invasion of Ukraine. President Biden has announced on Friday that the US has obtained intelligence showing that Russia’s Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine in the coming days. 

‘The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask’ joins Switch Online next week

Nintendo is addingThe Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask to the Switch Online Expansion Pack lineup on February 25th. The classic title was first released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000, was the second Zelda game to feature 3D graphics and became one of the best-selling games at the time. It also received critical acclaim for its gameplay, writing and visuals that showed an improvement from its predecessor, Ocarina of Time.

Majora’s Mask picks up from where Ocarina of Time left off, with Link finding himself in a parallel world to Hyrule called Termina. There, he learns that the mask is being used to summon the moon and destroy the world within three days. 

Nintendo launched Expansion Pack in October 2021 as a higher subscription tier for Switch Online. It costs $50 a year for an individual membership, or $30 more than a basic subscription. In addition to being able to enjoy the perks of basic Switch Online, Expansion Pack members are also able to access the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis titles the gaming giant adds to its library. Plus, it gives them access to a copy of Happy Home Paradise, a $25 Animal Crossing: New Horizons DLC.

Ocarina of Time was one of Expansion Pack’s launch title. Players reported experiencing emulation issues, such as bad input lag, shortly after the tier’s debut, but Nintendo has released some improvement updates since then.

Apple taps ‘Oldboy’ director to shoot a martial arts fantasy film on an iPhone 13 Pro

Apple has commissioned famous Korean director Park Chan-wook to create a short film as part of its “Shot on iPhone” campaign. Park, perhaps best known for the action thriller flick Oldboy, used an iPhone 13 Pro to shoot a 20-minute fantasy martial arts movie entitled Life Is But a Dream, which the tech giant has released on YouTube. 

The film starts off with horror-like elements after an undertaker digs up a grave to steal a coffin and awakens the ghost of a swordsman, who then awakens the ghost of a hero who fell after saving the undertaker’s village. After that, it becomes a blend of action, romance, dark comedy, dancing and pansori, a Korean genre of musical storytelling. 

Apple has also released a behind-the-scenes clip alongside the short film showing Park and his crew using an iPhone 13 Pro on gimbals and mounts for the shoot. The crew specifically praised the phone’s ability to quickly shift focus, blur the background and shoot in low light. In the behind-the-scenes footage released alongside the film, Park said it’s a story he’s always wanted to tell and that he didn’t have a specific camera in mind when he conceptualized it. 

You can watch the “making of” video below:

Amazon union buster reportedly warned workers that they could get lower pay

An Amazon union avoidance officer has reportedly told workers at the company’s JFK8 warehouse that there’s a possibility they could get lower pay than what they’re currently getting if they unionize. Motherboard has obtained an audio recording of a mandatory anti-union meeting that happened on Wednesday, wherein the officer could be heard describing the collective bargaining process. “The negotiation phase of the process is called collective bargaining, and in the negotiation, there are no guarantees. You can end up with better, the same, or worse than you already have,” the officer said. 

An employee then cuts in and asks what they mean that workers could end up with worse, and the officer responds that there are no guarantees what would happen: “We can’t promise what’s going to happen. Amazon can’t promise you that they’re going to walk into negotiations and that the negotiations will start from the same [pay and benefits workers have already]. They could start from minimum wage for instance. I don’t think that will happen, but it’s a possibility.” 

“So you’re saying that Amazon’s gonna say…” the worker said, to which the officer responded: “I just said I’m not saying that.” When the worker asked “So why put that out there?” the officer completely changed the topic. In addition, the officer also talked about how workers will be liable to pay union dues if they unionize and that there’s no limit to how much they could be charged in New York. The election will have “significant and binding consequences not just for yourselves but for future associates, your coworkers, and potentially for your family,” they warned. 

Frank Kearl, the lawyer representing workers at JFK8, told Motherboard:

“The [union avoidance consultant] makes the threat and tries to walk it back but once you’ve poisoned the well you can’t take it back. Even though she realized she made a mistake in making the threat, it doesn’t mean the threat wasn’t made and heard by all the workers who were forced to sit in on that session. It’s against the law and an unfair labor practice to make a threat of reprisal.”

The National Labor Relations Board had previously accused Amazon of threatening, surveilling and interrogating workers at its JFK8 warehouse to discourage them from unionizing. A union avoidance consultant reportedly told them back then that organizing at the warehouse would fail anyway, because the organizers were “thugs.” Amazon denied the allegations. 

The Amazon Labor Union, which is an independent group seeking to represent workers in the company, successfully collected enough signatures at JFK8 in its second attempt to unionize. Amazon and the ALU have reached an agreement to hold an in-person union vote at the facility between March 25th and March 30th. 

Telecoms giant Ericsson may have paid ISIS for access to Iraq

Ericsson’s chief executive officer Borje Ekholm has told Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri that the company may have made payments to the Islamic State (ISIL/ISIS) terrorist organization for its operations in Iraq. According to Bloomberg, the CEO said the telecoms giant has identified “unusual expenses dating back to 2018.” While the final recipient of those payments has yet to be identified, Ekholm has admitted that they’re seeing records of purchased transport routes “through areas that have been controlled by terrorist organizations, including ISIS.”

Ekholm’s admission comes after Ericsson issued a statement in which it said it continues to “invest significantly” into an investigation regarding compliance concerns surrounding its Iraq-based business. In that statement, Ericsson said that unusual expense claims triggered an internal investigation in 2019, which led to the discovery of “serious breaches of compliance rules” in the conduct of its employees, vendors and suppliers in Iraq. Regarding those purchased transport routes in particular, Ericsson said they were used in “connection with circumventing Iraqi Customs.” The company wrote:

“Ericsson invested significant time and resources to understand these matters. The investigation could not identify that any Ericsson employee was directly involved in financing terrorist organizations.”

After Ericsson released its statement, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that the company spoke to address the wrongdoing the consortium uncovered as part of a global investigation. The ICIJ also said that it will publish its own findings “soon.”

Ericsson has been landing massive 5G contracts around the world in the past couple of years, in part because some countries need to replace banned Huawei equipment used in their networks. This isn’t the first time the telecoms giant has been caught in a corruption scandal, however. It was previously charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act between 2000 and 2016 for bribing officials and falsifying records. In 2019, Ericsson settled with the US Justice Department and the SEC for $1.1 billion to leave it mostly free of criminal convictions, sanctions and penalties. But US prosecutors determined last year that it violated the terms of the settlement by failing to provide certain documents and information related to it. 

Sony sends people on a code hunt for a chance to win a PS5

Sony is still struggling to keep up with the demand for the PlayStation 5 due to the global chip shortage issue affecting companies across industries. It even recently dropped its sales forecast and told analysts that the company expects the console to continue to be in short supply this year, especially in the first half. Indeed, retailers’ PS5 listings often show that it’s “Out of Stock” or “Currently Unavailable” most of the time, and catching a restock is a race against scalpers and other fans also on the lookout for a unit. Now, Sony has launched a contest that gives you (the semblance of) a chance to finally get your hands on a PS5. 

Over the next few weeks until March 7th 10AM PST/1PM EST, Sony will be releasing 14 unique codes resembling the PlayStation controller through various means. It will post some online, on its social media channels, but it will also release them through high-profile events in sports, gaming, film and music. In other words, you’ll have to keep their eyes peeled and maybe even make friends to turn the hunt into a group effort. Finding them doesn’t automatically mean you win a console, after all. 

Nope — each code will only give you the opportunity to win a draw for the PS5. You’ll have to enter the code in the dedicated page for the promo and then answer a question relevant to where the code was shown before you can be eligible. Oh, and the promo is only open to residents of participating territories:

Argentina, Canada, Chile, Mexico and United States, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, Poland, United Kingdom.

At least you’ll have 14 chances to win if you can find all the codes (and live in the right country,) but you may have a better chance just refreshing the PS5’s Best Buy listing over and over again.