Month: August 2024
Microsoft’s white Xbox Series X and 2TB special-edition model launching in October
Microsoft’s new Xbox console options will be available worldwide by the end of October. | Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is launching three new Xbox Series S / X console options in October. There’s the $449.99 white discless Xbox Series X, a 2TB “Galaxy Black” special-edition Xbox Series X priced at $599.99, and a $349.99 1TB Xbox Series S. All three models will be available in the US on October 15th, with other markets to follow on October 29th.
The white coating on the exterior of this new discless Xbox Series X matches the “robot white” found on the Xbox Series S, Microsoft’s smaller $299 console. While leaks of the white Xbox Series X hinted that Microsoft may upgrade the heatsink used to cool the console, the company hasn’t detailed any hardware changes beyond the removal of the disc drive here.
Image: Microsoft
The white discless Xbox Series X.
Microsoft is now taking preorders for all three of these new Xbox console variants. Microsoft says these consoles “will be available in all current Xbox hardware supported regions and markets,” including a variety of countries across Europe.
All three consoles arrive in time for a busy holiday season for Xbox Game Pass. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is launching in October, followed by Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Microsoft’s new Xbox console options will be available worldwide by the end of October. | Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is launching three new Xbox Series S / X console options in October. There’s the $449.99 white discless Xbox Series X, a 2TB “Galaxy Black” special-edition Xbox Series X priced at $599.99, and a $349.99 1TB Xbox Series S. All three models will be available in the US on October 15th, with other markets to follow on October 29th.
The white coating on the exterior of this new discless Xbox Series X matches the “robot white” found on the Xbox Series S, Microsoft’s smaller $299 console. While leaks of the white Xbox Series X hinted that Microsoft may upgrade the heatsink used to cool the console, the company hasn’t detailed any hardware changes beyond the removal of the disc drive here.
Image: Microsoft
The white discless Xbox Series X.
Microsoft is now taking preorders for all three of these new Xbox console variants. Microsoft says these consoles “will be available in all current Xbox hardware supported regions and markets,” including a variety of countries across Europe.
All three consoles arrive in time for a busy holiday season for Xbox Game Pass. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is launching in October, followed by Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Nothing is requiring employees to be in the office five days a week
Photo by Steve Jennings / Getty Images for TechCrunch
After launching remotely during the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Nothing has now mandated that its 450 employees will have to come into the company’s London office five days a week. In an email to staffers last week, Nothing CEO Carl Pei suggested that those unable to transition from remote working should leave the company and “find an environment where you thrive.”
Pei’s goal, according to the email he published on LinkedIn, is to improve collaboration and innovation across design, engineering, and manufacturing, which he argues “does not work well remotely.” The new mandate will take effect in two months, and Pei will be accepting live questions about the decision from Nothing staffers during the company’s next town hall meeting.
“Remote work is not compatible with a high ambition level plus high speed,” Pei said in the email, telling employees who are worried about flexibility that “this is a company for grown ups.”
“I know this is a controversial decision that may not be a fit for everyone, and there are definitely companies out there that thrive in remote or hybrid setups,” he added. “But that’s not right for our type of business, and won’t help us fully realize our potential as a company.”
Return-to-office mandates are hardly unique in this industry. Meta, Amazon, Google, Roblox, and even Zoom have all scaled back their remote working policies following the winding down of pandemic-driven lockdowns, but most of those changes require staff to be in offices for up to three days a week.
By comparison, Nothing’s demand for five-day office attendance may sting for employees who helped shape the company while embracing its founding work-from-home environment. We haven’t found any comments from staffers on the situation, but they may be waiting until the company meeting to voice concerns.
Photo by Steve Jennings / Getty Images for TechCrunch
After launching remotely during the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Nothing has now mandated that its 450 employees will have to come into the company’s London office five days a week. In an email to staffers last week, Nothing CEO Carl Pei suggested that those unable to transition from remote working should leave the company and “find an environment where you thrive.”
Pei’s goal, according to the email he published on LinkedIn, is to improve collaboration and innovation across design, engineering, and manufacturing, which he argues “does not work well remotely.” The new mandate will take effect in two months, and Pei will be accepting live questions about the decision from Nothing staffers during the company’s next town hall meeting.
“Remote work is not compatible with a high ambition level plus high speed,” Pei said in the email, telling employees who are worried about flexibility that “this is a company for grown ups.”
“I know this is a controversial decision that may not be a fit for everyone, and there are definitely companies out there that thrive in remote or hybrid setups,” he added. “But that’s not right for our type of business, and won’t help us fully realize our potential as a company.”
Return-to-office mandates are hardly unique in this industry. Meta, Amazon, Google, Roblox, and even Zoom have all scaled back their remote working policies following the winding down of pandemic-driven lockdowns, but most of those changes require staff to be in offices for up to three days a week.
By comparison, Nothing’s demand for five-day office attendance may sting for employees who helped shape the company while embracing its founding work-from-home environment. We haven’t found any comments from staffers on the situation, but they may be waiting until the company meeting to voice concerns.
The Democratic platform is doubling down on tech antitrust and children’s online safety
While billionaires have pushed Kamala Harris to depart from President Joe Biden’s antitrust policy, the Democratic Party seems to be doubling down.
The word “competition” comes up 18 times in the party’s 2024 platform, compared to nine in the 2020 version. Other key policy areas, like tackling junk fees and noncompetes, are mentioned several times in the 2024 platform as well, compared to just one passing reference to noncompetes in the 2020 document. Notably, those are areas where the Federal Trade Commission, led by Lina Khan — a target of ire from more business-minded Democrats like Reid Hoffman — has been instrumental.
The platform is an indication of where Democrats stand on key issues, which will serve as an important signal to Harris about where the party base is. The document passed through committee before Biden decided not to run again and, in its present form, refers repeatedly to Biden’s “second term.” According to The Associated Press, convention platform committee cochair Regina Romero told delegates that, nevertheless, the platform includes input from many parts of the party and has a “forward-looking vision for our party that echoes the voice of all.”
The document refers repeatedly to Biden’s “second term”
Even though it predates Democrats’ swap of their leading candidate, the platform, along with some other early indicators, begins to paint a fuzzy picture of where Harris stands on tech policy. So far, it’s been difficult to pinpoint her specific views on topics like antitrust enforcement and a potential TikTok ban since she’s had little incentive to stray publicly from President Biden’s views.
Now that Harris is the nominee, it’s increasingly reasonable to assume that the Democratic Party’s platform and convention lineup are a reflection of her agenda.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who is viewed by many progressives as sympathetic to business interests, said in a speech on the first night of the Democratic National Convention that Harris would “forge an economy with fair competition, free from monopolies. Monopolies that crush workers and small businesses and startups.”
The 2024 Democratic platform also has a greater focus on protecting Americans from the potential harms of technology. There’s an entire section of the 2024 platform dedicated to “Protecting Kids Online, Strengthening Americans’ Data Privacy, & Promoting Competition.” Harris has already come out in support of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSPA), which combines the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) with the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), a bill that passed with 91 votes out of the Senate. The platform makes clear such legislation will be a continued priority, including another area she’s been interested in since her time as prosecutor and senator: combating nonconsensual intimate images.
There’s an entire section of the 2024 platform dedicated to “Protecting Kids Online, Strengthening Americans’ Data Privacy, & Promoting Competition”
“Democrats will pass bipartisan legislation to protect kids’ privacy and to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and put stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us,” the platform says. “And, the Administration has strengthened legal protections for survivors and victims of non-consensual intimate imagery, including those generated by AI, building on the federal civil cause of action established under the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization of 2022.”
The platform again calls for new laws promoting competition and privacy in tech, echoing goals championed by a set of bills that passed the House Judiciary Committee in 2021. “Important policies include promoting interoperability between tech services and platforms, allowing users to control and transfer their data, and preventing large platforms from giving their own products and services an unfair advantage in the marketplace,” the document says. It also calls for stronger data privacy protections and “fundamentally” reforming Section 230, which shields platforms from being held liable for their users’ posts and for content moderation.
There’s also a section on “Seizing the Promise and Managing the Risks of AI,” that discusses combatting biases perpetuated by the technology and banning “voice impersonations.” In 2020, the technology was only mentioned as part of a broader discussion about technology and US competitiveness in the 2020 platform.
Republicans’ 2024 platform has just three references to “competition,” two of which refer to protecting Americans from “unfair Foreign Competition.” Their commitment on AI is to “repeal Joe Biden’s dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology.” They promise in exchange, “AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.”
“Our platform reflects our values, and after years of tech companies manipulating our economy, endangering people seeking reproductive care, and making the climate crisis worse, it’s clear that Democrats are now committed to holding them accountable,” Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project and veteran Democratic campaign strategist, said in a statement. “This is in large part due to President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership and willingness to stand up to tech monopolies over the past four years, and we look forward to continuing this work with a future Harris-Walz Administration.”
While billionaires have pushed Kamala Harris to depart from President Joe Biden’s antitrust policy, the Democratic Party seems to be doubling down.
The word “competition” comes up 18 times in the party’s 2024 platform, compared to nine in the 2020 version. Other key policy areas, like tackling junk fees and noncompetes, are mentioned several times in the 2024 platform as well, compared to just one passing reference to noncompetes in the 2020 document. Notably, those are areas where the Federal Trade Commission, led by Lina Khan — a target of ire from more business-minded Democrats like Reid Hoffman — has been instrumental.
The platform is an indication of where Democrats stand on key issues, which will serve as an important signal to Harris about where the party base is. The document passed through committee before Biden decided not to run again and, in its present form, refers repeatedly to Biden’s “second term.” According to The Associated Press, convention platform committee cochair Regina Romero told delegates that, nevertheless, the platform includes input from many parts of the party and has a “forward-looking vision for our party that echoes the voice of all.”
Even though it predates Democrats’ swap of their leading candidate, the platform, along with some other early indicators, begins to paint a fuzzy picture of where Harris stands on tech policy. So far, it’s been difficult to pinpoint her specific views on topics like antitrust enforcement and a potential TikTok ban since she’s had little incentive to stray publicly from President Biden’s views.
Now that Harris is the nominee, it’s increasingly reasonable to assume that the Democratic Party’s platform and convention lineup are a reflection of her agenda.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who is viewed by many progressives as sympathetic to business interests, said in a speech on the first night of the Democratic National Convention that Harris would “forge an economy with fair competition, free from monopolies. Monopolies that crush workers and small businesses and startups.”
The 2024 Democratic platform also has a greater focus on protecting Americans from the potential harms of technology. There’s an entire section of the 2024 platform dedicated to “Protecting Kids Online, Strengthening Americans’ Data Privacy, & Promoting Competition.” Harris has already come out in support of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSPA), which combines the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) with the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), a bill that passed with 91 votes out of the Senate. The platform makes clear such legislation will be a continued priority, including another area she’s been interested in since her time as prosecutor and senator: combating nonconsensual intimate images.
“Democrats will pass bipartisan legislation to protect kids’ privacy and to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and put stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us,” the platform says. “And, the Administration has strengthened legal protections for survivors and victims of non-consensual intimate imagery, including those generated by AI, building on the federal civil cause of action established under the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization of 2022.”
The platform again calls for new laws promoting competition and privacy in tech, echoing goals championed by a set of bills that passed the House Judiciary Committee in 2021. “Important policies include promoting interoperability between tech services and platforms, allowing users to control and transfer their data, and preventing large platforms from giving their own products and services an unfair advantage in the marketplace,” the document says. It also calls for stronger data privacy protections and “fundamentally” reforming Section 230, which shields platforms from being held liable for their users’ posts and for content moderation.
There’s also a section on “Seizing the Promise and Managing the Risks of AI,” that discusses combatting biases perpetuated by the technology and banning “voice impersonations.” In 2020, the technology was only mentioned as part of a broader discussion about technology and US competitiveness in the 2020 platform.
Republicans’ 2024 platform has just three references to “competition,” two of which refer to protecting Americans from “unfair Foreign Competition.” Their commitment on AI is to “repeal Joe Biden’s dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology.” They promise in exchange, “AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.”
“Our platform reflects our values, and after years of tech companies manipulating our economy, endangering people seeking reproductive care, and making the climate crisis worse, it’s clear that Democrats are now committed to holding them accountable,” Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project and veteran Democratic campaign strategist, said in a statement. “This is in large part due to President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership and willingness to stand up to tech monopolies over the past four years, and we look forward to continuing this work with a future Harris-Walz Administration.”
Rocket Money vs. YNAB
Both of these popular budgeting apps can help you make sense of your money. Here’s how to pick the right one for you.
Both of these popular budgeting apps can help you make sense of your money. Here’s how to pick the right one for you.
Best Business Credit Cards for Travel for August 2024
The best offer flexible rewards points, airline miles or hotel points, and useful card perks.
The best offer flexible rewards points, airline miles or hotel points, and useful card perks.
Ring’s budget battery doorbell can now see packages left on your porch
Ring has updated its entry-level wireless doorbell with a new field of view showing more vertical space around your door. | Image: Ring
Ring has refreshed its entry-level battery-powered doorbell camera, bringing a new head-to-toe view to better capture footage of packages on your porch. According to the company, the Ring Battery Doorbell ($99.99) also has improved battery life and color night vision, plus a new mounting system to make removing the doorbell for charging easier.
Ring has been slowly upgrading its video doorbell line from its original 16:9 aspect ratio to 1:1, with a 150-degree by 150-degree field of view that shows a full top-to-bottom view of what’s in front of your door. This square view is common among most of Ring’s competitors, as it’s more useful for seeing packages left on the floor.
Ring first introduced the square aspect ratio to its line with the Ring Pro 2, a wired doorbell, in 2021. Earlier this year, it launched the Battery Doorbell Plus ($179.99) and the Battery Doorbell Pro ($229.99) with the same view. Now, the company’s budget battery-powered buzzer is being updated. The new Ring Battery Doorbell will replace the Ring Video Doorbell 2, leaving only the entry-level wired doorbell ($49.99) with the 16:9 view in the company’s main lineup.
Image: Ring
The Ring Battery Doorbell is a refresh of the company’s entry-level battery doorbell. It has a new square field of view and longer battery life.
The entry-level Battery Doorbell features 1080p HD video, compared to 1536p HD video on the more expensive Plus and Pro models. It has a standard PIR motion sensor for motion-activated recording, also found in the Plus model; the Pro model has an upgraded radar sensor for more accurate motion detection.
Unlike the Pro and Plus, the Battery Doorbell has no removable battery. This means you have to take it off your door to charge it unless you can wire it to doorbell wiring, which will trickle charge the battery. Ring says it has redesigned the mounting system on this model to make it easier to remove using a push-pin tool.
The new doorbell’s battery life has been extended from its predecessor, the Ring Video Doorbell 2. Ring says the Battery Doorbell “delivers up to 23 percent longer battery life than the previous model (based on commonly used settings).”
As with all Ring doorbells, the Ring Battery Doorbell can send motion alerts, allow for a live view of the camera’s footage, two-way talk, and customizable motion zones — all for free. With a Ring Protect subscription (starting at $4.99 a month / $49.99 a year), you can see recorded videos with 180 days’ worth of cloud storage, plus get person and package alerts.
The Ring Battery Doorbell is available now to preorder on Ring.com and Amazon.com for $99.99 and will start shipping on September 4th.
Ring has updated its entry-level wireless doorbell with a new field of view showing more vertical space around your door. | Image: Ring
Ring has refreshed its entry-level battery-powered doorbell camera, bringing a new head-to-toe view to better capture footage of packages on your porch. According to the company, the Ring Battery Doorbell ($99.99) also has improved battery life and color night vision, plus a new mounting system to make removing the doorbell for charging easier.
Ring has been slowly upgrading its video doorbell line from its original 16:9 aspect ratio to 1:1, with a 150-degree by 150-degree field of view that shows a full top-to-bottom view of what’s in front of your door. This square view is common among most of Ring’s competitors, as it’s more useful for seeing packages left on the floor.
Ring first introduced the square aspect ratio to its line with the Ring Pro 2, a wired doorbell, in 2021. Earlier this year, it launched the Battery Doorbell Plus ($179.99) and the Battery Doorbell Pro ($229.99) with the same view. Now, the company’s budget battery-powered buzzer is being updated. The new Ring Battery Doorbell will replace the Ring Video Doorbell 2, leaving only the entry-level wired doorbell ($49.99) with the 16:9 view in the company’s main lineup.
Image: Ring
The Ring Battery Doorbell is a refresh of the company’s entry-level battery doorbell. It has a new square field of view and longer battery life.
The entry-level Battery Doorbell features 1080p HD video, compared to 1536p HD video on the more expensive Plus and Pro models. It has a standard PIR motion sensor for motion-activated recording, also found in the Plus model; the Pro model has an upgraded radar sensor for more accurate motion detection.
Unlike the Pro and Plus, the Battery Doorbell has no removable battery. This means you have to take it off your door to charge it unless you can wire it to doorbell wiring, which will trickle charge the battery. Ring says it has redesigned the mounting system on this model to make it easier to remove using a push-pin tool.
The new doorbell’s battery life has been extended from its predecessor, the Ring Video Doorbell 2. Ring says the Battery Doorbell “delivers up to 23 percent longer battery life than the previous model (based on commonly used settings).”
As with all Ring doorbells, the Ring Battery Doorbell can send motion alerts, allow for a live view of the camera’s footage, two-way talk, and customizable motion zones — all for free. With a Ring Protect subscription (starting at $4.99 a month / $49.99 a year), you can see recorded videos with 180 days’ worth of cloud storage, plus get person and package alerts.
The Ring Battery Doorbell is available now to preorder on Ring.com and Amazon.com for $99.99 and will start shipping on September 4th.