Apr 08
Still haven’t picked up a Steam Deck? Maybe the OneXPlayer will better suit your needs. Be warned, though, it doesn’t come cheap even with the promo discount.
Apr 08
Police officers in Alameda, California, last year knelt on Mario Gonzalez’s back for nearly four minutes, until he died. None will be charged.
Apr 08
Amazon will reportedly object to a recent union election victory at its warehouse in Staten Island, alleging that organizers pressured workers into voting to organize. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company revealed its intention to appeal JFK8’s election in a legal filing released to the public on Thursday. Roughly 55 percent of workers at the JFK8 warehouse voted to join the Amazon Labor Union, the first victory of its kind for Amazon workers in the US. The company has until April 22nd to gather evidence and formally file its objections to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
In the document, Amazon gave a preview of what objections it plans on raising. The company wrote that it believes that the union threatened employees unless they voted to unionize. Some may think this is a fairly ironic move on Amazon’s part, considering NLRB accused the company of threatening employees unless they did the opposite. Amazon also accused the union of “electioneering” or interfering while employees waited in line to vote. It argued that unusually long waits at polling booths led to insufficient voter turnout. The company also believes organizers loitered by the polling area and intimidated voters, even going as far as to threaten immigrant employees with the loss of their rights if they didn’t vote to unionize.
Eric Milner, an attorney who represents the ALU, believes that Amazon’s objections will be dismissed. “To say that the Amazon Labor Union was threatening employees is really absurd,” Milner said to Reuters. “The Amazon Labor Union is Amazon employees.”
Meanwhile, a separate labor union attempting to organize an Amazon facility in Alabama filed its own objections on Thursday regarding the pending results of its recent rerun election. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) is accusing Amazon of “countless attempts to intimidate workers” in the Bessemer plant, including firing or suspending workers who supported the union. The results of that election are currently too close to call and will be determined in the coming weeks by an NLRB hearing over several hundred challenged ballots.
“Amazon’s behavior must not go unchallenged, and workers in Bessemer, Alabama must have their rights protected under the law. We urge the NLRB to carefully review our objections and ensure no company, not even with the bottomless pockets of Amazon, is allowed to act above the law,” said RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum in a statement.
Engadget has reached out to Amazon for comment on both matters, and will update if we hear back.
Apr 08
A new report claims Instagram hasn’t done enough to protect women from threatening and abusive private messages, citing the experiences of multiple celebrities.
Apr 08
The administration argued that the Constitution gives the president, as the head of the federal workforce, the same authority as the CEO of a private corporation.
Apr 08
Smart is finally ready to show the production version of its Concept #1 electric SUV, and you’ll be glad to hear that the distinctive design largely remains intact. The newly unveiled Smart #1 looks much like the prototype compact SUV inside and out, including the frameless windows and “floating halo” glass roof. You mainly give up usual concept car excesses like the scissor doors and giant 21-inch wheels (you’ll have to make do with 19-inchers), and there’s a standard three-seat bench in the back instead of two chairs.
More importantly, the performance appears healthy for an EV this size. While the 273 miles of maximum range (according to the WLTP test cycle) isn’t exceptional, it comes from a 66kWh battery that charges rather quickly. You can reportedly bring the Smart #1 from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in under 30 minutes if you use a 150kW DC charger, and even a 22kW AC supply will accomplish the same feat in less than three hours. You could plug in at the end of a long day knowing that you’ll have plenty of range in the morning.
The mini-ute should be reasonably quick, too, with the equivalent of 268HP and 253ft/lbs of torque. The 112MPH top speed isn’t blistering, but it easily puts the 81MPH of Smart’s EQ Forfour to shame.
The in-cabin tech will also seem familiar if you’ve seen the concept. The finished Smart #1 includes a 12.8-inch infotainment screen, a 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-inch heads-up display. You can also expect driver assistants (including for the highway and stop-and-go traffic), over-the-air updates and a “digital key” option to share your EV with friends.
Smart hasn’t narrowed down the release window or pricing, but said last fall that it would sell the #1 in China in 2022. It’s headed to Europe as well. We wouldn’t count on a North American debut when Smart backed out of the region years ago. With that said, this is the closest Smart has come to appealing to the continent’s SUV-centric tastes — it’s something you could imagine on American roads, however unlikely that may be.
Apr 08
Have you been thinking about buying a power station for the home or on the road? Bluetti’s Easter Sale is a great opportunity to get started while saving money.
Apr 08
Peter Thiel Shreds $100s and Mocks the Unwashed Masses at Crypto Conference
Posted in: Today's Chili
Peter Thiel is a lot of things—a Republican megadonor, an avowed fan of monopolies, and the guy responsible for this website’s former parent company, Gawker Media, going bankrupt some years ago. And if his latest public appearance is any indicator, he’s ready for war.
Apr 08
On Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the Crew Is Even More Important Than You Think
Posted in: Today's Chili
Recently we got a chance to speak with Disney Imagineer Alex Lee, an entertainment producer for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. In the first part of io9’s interview, conducted over video chat, Lee shared how guests have been influencing the ongoing evolution of Walt Disney World’s first fully immersive experience. In…
Apr 08
The first wholly privately funded and crewed mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to blast off from Kennedy Space Center on Friday. You can watch the action live right here.
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