Hasta La Gadget!

The team had just announced the guard’s return to the organization.

Even Microsoft is feeling the sting of ongoing Xbox shortages. Kotakunotes Microsoft resorted to using Xbox Series X dev kits (not pictured) to run the first big Halo Infinite tournament, the Halo Championship Series’ Raleigh Major, this weekend. Simply put, the company couldn’t find enough retail consoles to use — the “global supply chain shortage is real,” 343 Industries’ eSports lead Tahir Hasandjekic said.

The dev kits are “functionally identical” to off-the-shelf consoles and will operate in that mode, Hasandjekic added. They don’t look quite the same, but competitors shouldn’t notice any differences from the systems they have at home.

The irony is thick, but this also underscores the severity of console shortages over a year after the Xbox Series X made its debut. It’s still difficult to buy the machine between scalpers and industry-wide chip shortages, and Microsoft doesn’t necessarily have privileged access to its own hardware. With that said, the company probably doesn’t want to make a habit of using developer units. We won’t be surprised if Microsoft ensures future in-person HCS matchups rely on store-bought Xbox systems, if just for the sake of burnishing its public image.

The president’s first wife, Neilia, was broadsided while getting a Christmas tree.

The delivery giant is under fire after its Edwardsville, Illinois, warehouse collapsed, killing six, when a twister struck.

The next chapter of GM’s electrification strategy is officially underway. The Vergereports GM has started deliveries of the Hummer EV as promised, with its first “supertruck” (an Edition 1) rolling off the line at Factory Zero in Hamtramck, Michigan. The automaker didn’t name the initial customer, but that person clearly paid for bragging rights given the Edition 1’s $110,295 sticker.

You’ll have to wait considerably longer for other trim levels. The $99,995 3X (which drops from 1,000HP to ‘just’ 830HP) doesn’t arrive until fall 2022, while the $89,995 2X variant (625HP) will wait until spring 2023. The $79,995 2 trim doesn’t surface until spring 2024. All but the base version deliver a claimed 300 or more miles of range, while that ‘entry’ model musters 250 miles per charge.

The steep prices won’t leave Tesla, Hyundai and other EV competitors too worried. This is a luxury machine that will sell in limited numbers. However, popularity isn’t entirely the point. This is the first consumer-oriented vehicle to ship using the Ultium battery technology that will underpin numerous GM EVs going forward, including the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevy Silverado. The Hummer is both a halo vehicle for the brand and an answer to challengers like Tesla and Rivian.