HBO Max lures in new subscribers by cutting its premium price in half

HBO Max, one of the largest streaming services on the market, is luring in new and returning subscribers by slashing the cost of its premium plan for up to half a year. The price decrease makes the premium plan cheaper than the ad-based plan, at least during the promotion, giving subscribers access to new theatrical movies from Warner Bros., HBO … Continue reading

Apple mandates frequent COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated employees

Apple is implementing a new COVID-19 testing policy for US employees who work out of its offices and retail locations. Moving forward, the company will require unvaccinated employees to get tested more frequently than their vaccinated counterparts. News of the development was first reported by The Verge, with Protocol later obtaining confirmation from Apple.

We’ve reached out to the company for additional information. 

The policy is the latest effort by Apple to push its employees to get inoculated against the coronavirus. Unlike Google, Facebook and several other tech companies, Apple has yet to mandate employee vaccinations. However, it has started asking employees to voluntarily disclose their vaccination status, according to a report published by Bloomberg at the start of September. This latest measure would likely put the company in compliance with upcoming guidelines from the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration that will require companies with more than 100 employees to either mandate immunization or provide weekly testing.

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This Week's Toy News Is Monstrously Big, Monstrously Alien, and a Little Marvelous

Welcome back to Toy Aisle, io9’s regular roundup of the latest toy and merchandise around the internet. This week, Lego goes queer and festive, McFarlane brings some alien oddities to its Warhammer line, and your next phone upgrade might just be a pretty sweet Pokémon Pokédex. Check it out!

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HBO Max Slashes Price After HBO's Departure From Amazon Prime Video

Like a New Jersey mobster struggling to take care of his family while simultaneously confronting his own mental health issues, HBO is trying to make you an offer you can’t refuse.

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Former R. Kelly Employee Says He Threatened Her When Accused Of Sexual Harassment

“He said generally in these situations people come up missing,” Cheryl Mack recalled him telling her.

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France Recalls Ambassadors To US, Australia Over Sub Deal

The French Foreign Minister said Australia’s cancellation of a big contract to buy French submarines is “unacceptable.”