Singer Praises Kate Middleton’s Piano Skills After Surprise Performance

Scottish singer Tom Walker said he had kept the performance with the duchess a secret — even from his mother.

Will Nuclear Fusion Ever Power the World?

Only an unusually naive child, or a fossil fuel executive, could sincerely argue that our current energy situation is sustainable. For over 50 years now, well before the scope of the climate crisis was clear, scientists have been working toward an alternative: fusion power (i.e., using the heat from nuclear fusion…

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Platform Slippers Are Taking Over TikTok. Here’s Where To Get Them.

Ugg platfrom slide-ons, Champion house slippers and other fuzzy footwear with a little lift.

7 Facial Tools That’ll Give Your Face The Massage It Deserves

Estheticians and dermatologists talk facial firming devices and the part they can play in your skincare routine.

Second Time Capsule Found Under Robert E. Lee Statue, Raising Hopes It Could Be Interesting

Workers dismantling the pedestal of a Robert E. Lee statue that’s currently being removed in Virginia discovered a second time capsule on Monday, raising hopes that the box from 1887 could contain something interesting. The discovery comes after a different time capsule was opened at the site last week but was filled…

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iPhone Without SIM Card Slot Could Arrive Earlier Than Expected

There was a recent rumor that suggested that Apple could be working to launch iPhones without a physical SIM card slot in 2023 with the iPhone 15. However, according to a report from MacRumors, they claim to have received a tip from an anonymous source that corroborated those claims, but also noted that it could arrive sooner than expected.

In fact, according to the report, the tipster claims that iPhones without a SIM card slot could actually make its debut in 2022 with the iPhone 14. The tipster shared a document that basically advised US carriers to prepare for smartphones launching in 2022 that use an eSIM, not a physical SIM.

Keep in mind that the document does not actually specifically mention the iPhone or Apple, which means that there is a chance it could be referring to smartphones from other brands. However, leakster @dylandkt has also since tweeted that he agrees with the recent rumors about Apple removing the physical SIM card slot, but when exactly it will happen remains to be seen.

We should point out that Apple already supports eSIMs on its newer iPhones. Ever since the company adopted dual SIMs in its iPhones, the company has actually used a hybrid of both eSIM and physical SIM. This is actually not a bad solution because it means that users can keep their current line as the eSIM, and use physical SIM cards when they travel overseas.

iPhone Without SIM Card Slot Could Arrive Earlier Than Expected

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Final Fantasy XVI Details Will Be Unveiled In Spring Of 2022

Courtesy of SQUARE ENIX CO, LTD.

Back in 2020, Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XVI. The game would be the next chapter in the company’s Final Fantasy franchise, so you can imagine that many gamers were undoubtedly very excited for it. The plan was that Square Enix would have more details to share in 2021, but given that we’re almost at the end of the year, that will not be happening.

In a tweet by the game’s producer Naoki Yoshida, it seems that the details fans were eagerly waiting for will now be delayed to 2022. According to Yoshida, this will take place in the spring of 2022 where they will be making a big reveal.

The producer notes that the reason for the delay was due to the pandemic. “When we last spoke, I promised I would have more information on Final Fantasy XVI sometime later in 2021. However, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to keep that promise, as complications from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have delayed the game’s development by almost half a year.”

It seems that Square Enix’s attempts to have its developers work from home has resulted in a disruption in their communications, which in turn caused delays and in some cases, even cancellations of certain asset deliveries which did not allow the company to share additional details as they had originally hoped.

The pandemic has no doubt caused huge disruptions in various industries, where factories were forced to temporarily shut down. Companies and people were also getting used to the work from home structure, which we imagine might be challenging for people who are used to being able to walk around the office and speak to colleagues.

Final Fantasy XVI Details Will Be Unveiled In Spring Of 2022

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

The iPhone 13 Is Still Missing The Noise Cancellation Feature

When we’re on the phone, it’s usually a good idea to turn down any background noise if possible, like the TV, radio, music, and so on. This is because it can be picked up by the phone’s microphones and the person on the other end might not be able to hear you. This might be even more difficult for those hard on hearing.

This is why Apple has a feature built into iOS that actually lets users enable noise cancellation to help cancel out ambient noise that could interfere with the call’s quality. This is an accessibility feature we’ve seen in most iPhones, and we say most because for some reason, it was not included with the iPhone 13.

Some have speculated that this could be a hardware issue due, but apparently it is a glitch that Apple has yet to fix. According to user dagocarlito on Reddit, they have spoken to Apple Support who claims that it is a known issue, but one that doesn’t seem to have any resolution timeline at this moment.

Given that this issue was noted back in October and we’re nearly at the end of the year, it means that it has been a problem for two months and Apple hasn’t addressed it yet. When you consider how much Apple loves to boast about the accessibility features they build into their products, you would think they would be all over this. Hopefully a fix will be issued soon.

The iPhone 13 Is Still Missing The Noise Cancellation Feature

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Riot Games settles class-action gender discrimination lawsuit for $100 million

Riot Games has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed in November 2018 by former employees alleging gender discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. The League of Legends publisher was only going to pay $10 million per the preliminary settlement in 2019, but the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing went to court to block the agreement. $10 million was much too small, the agency argued, and the women suing the company could be entitled to as much as $400 million.

The lawsuit was originally filed by Melanie McCracken and Jess Negrón after a Kotaku report exposed the developers’ “men-first” and “bro” company culture. In the report, Kotaku detailed employees’ experiences within the company, such as instances of “genital grabbing” and senior leaders passing around lists of employees they would sleep with. One former employee who left the company due to sexism said working for Riot was like “working at a giant fraternity.”

Under the terms of the settlement, $80 million will go towards members of the class-action lawsuit, while $20 million will go towards the plaintiffs’ legal fees. All employees and contractors in California who identify as women and who worked at Riot between November 2014 until present day qualify for a payout. Those who’ve been with the company longer will get a bigger cut than newer workers. And there are quite a lot of newer ones — while only around 1,000 workers were qualified for a payout in 2019, there are now around 2,300 eligible personnel. In a statement, the developer told The Washington Post:

“Three years ago, Riot was at the heart of what became a reckoning in our industry. We had to face the fact that despite our best intentions, we hadn’t always lived up to our values. As a company we stood at a crossroads; we could deny the shortcomings of our culture, or we could apologize, correct course, and build a better Riot. We chose the latter… While we’e proud of how far we’ve come since 2018, we must also take responsibility for the past. We hope that this settlement properly acknowledges those who had negative experiences at Riot.”

In addition to paying $100 million, Riot Games is also required to get a third-party expert to conduct “sex/gender equity analysis of total compensation, assignment and promotion outcomes for California employees.” Riot must also allow pay transparency and will have to be monitored by a third party, who’ll keep an eye on things like HR complaints and pay equity, for three years. The monitor will be able to recommend changes to the company that Riot can implement. 

Genie Harrison, the women’s rights attorney who represented the plaintiffs, said in a statement:

“This is a great day for the women of Riot Games – and for women at all video game and tech companies – who deserve a workplace that is free of harassment and discrimination. We appreciate Riot’s introspection and work since 2018 toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive company, its willingness to take responsibility for its past, and its commitment to fairness and equality in the future. Along with the DFEH and DLSE, the brave women of Riot who carried the torch of justice have achieved a precedent-setting result that stands as a beacon for other women and as a warning that employers had better pay and treat women fairly, or else be held accountable.”

Digital Unwrapping of Pharaoh's Mummy Reveals Curly Hair, Amulets, and Jewelry

The mummy of pharaoh Amenhotep I has been undisturbed for thousands of years, but now scientists have used non-invasive imaging to see inside the burial wrappings. Their research has revealed some new details about a life cut short—though it’s still a mystery why this ruler died around age 35.

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