Hasta La Gadget!

Technology is meant to make our lives easier, and most of the time it does. But there have been instances when technology doesn’t go as planned.

Instagram’s DM’s just got a major makeover. The overhaul, which adds seven new features to enhance the platform’s messaging functionality, comes amid a broader reimagining of Instagram away from image sharing and toward super-app status.

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We’ve known from the get-go that Halo The Series would split apart from the established lore of the beloved Microsoft gaming franchise to offer its own spin on familiar beats and ideas that have been touched upon in over 20 years of games, tie-in books and comics, and more. But one of its most fascinating differences…

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The initial results of a second union election at Amazon’s BHM1 warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama have finally come through. Workers have voted against unionization in a closely contested 993-875 vote (with 59 voided votes) out of 6,153 eligible. Turnout appears to have been considerably lower this time around, as more than 3,000 employees cast ballots in the early 2021 vote. However, 416 votes have been challenged — the definitive outcome might not be available for a while.

The decision potentially ends a long and messy saga at the facility. Bessemer workers voted against unionization in early 2021, but the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Amazon violated labor laws by allegedly interfering with the vote. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) accused Amazon of repeatedly trying to intimidate workers through measures like an unauthorized ballot box and anti-union campaign material. While Amazon disputed the claims, the NLRB ultimately ordered a second vote.

The rerun election didn’t go smoothly, either. The RWDSU has maintained that Amazon interfered with the second vote by removing pro-union posters, forcing attendance of anti-union meetings and limiting time spent on company grounds to discourage organization. Before the vote, the RWDSU also accused Amazon of illegal retaliation against worker Isaiah Thomas’ pro-union efforts. The company has again argued that its actions are legal.

BHM1 was the first major Amazon facility in the US to hold a union vote, but it’s no longer the only one. One Staten Island warehouse is already voting on possible unionization, while another is holding its vote starting in late April. Simply put, there’s a growing desire for stronger labor rights at Amazon’s fulfillment centers — it’s just a question of how well those efforts succeed.

A new leak claims Microsoft is preparing to update its Xbox Game Pass subscription with a new plan for family and friends to share. Here’s what we know so far.