Eight former SpaceX employees said they were illegally fired for penning a letter criticizing Elon Musk have filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the company, according to The New York Times. If you’ll recall, The Times reported back in June that SpaceX fired employees involved in writing an open letter condemning Elon Musk’s “harmful Twitter behavior.” In particular, they were referencing how the CEO made crude jokes on Twitter about a sexual misconduct accusation against him by a flight attendant for the company’s corporate jet. SpaceX paid $250,000 to settle with the flight attendant, who claimed that Musk offered to buy her a horse in exchange for sex acts. 

Apparently, nine workers lost their jobs over the letter, and the charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for eight of them. “Elon’s behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us,” part of the letter read. The people who penned the letter also included proposals on how to make the company better and how to strengthen its sexual harassment policies, including the suggestion that SpaceX should disclose any other harassment claims against Musk.

SpaceX executives were reportedly sympathetic in the beginning and seemed like they were receptive to the ideas the workers included in the proposals. However, they quickly changed their tune. SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell told employees in a letter back then that some employees involved in writing the letter had indeed been terminated. “The letter, solicitations and general process made employees feel uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views,” she added. 

The legal experts The Times consulted said the workers are most likely protected under the National Labor Relations Act, which gives them the right to self-organize and band together for collective bargaining or other “mutual aid or protection.” Wilma Liebman, the former NLRB chairperson under Barack Obama, told the publication that SpaceX could argue that the workers penned the letter only to criticize Musk, which isn’t protected by the law. However, she said that the board would probably disagree and would see Musk’s tweets as an act that creates a hostile work environment.

Source: Engadget – SpaceX employees who were fired after criticizing Elon Musk file NLRB complaint

Lyft and Motional have announced plans to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in Los Angeles using Ioniq 5 EV Level 4 robotaxis. Los Angeles will be the second city serviced by the two companies, which started offering public rides in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Motional, a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv, has been testing autonomous vehicles without safety drivers for exactly two years. As with the Las Vegas service, the Ioniq 5 vehicles will be integrated into Lyft’s Los Angeles network. When the car arrives, you can unlock the doors using the Lyft app, and each vehicle has a dedicated passenger display that can be used to contact a remote agent at any time. 

“Los Angeles was the second city Lyft launched back in 2013 and it’s only fitting that it will be the second AV market we launch with our partner, Motional,” said Lyft CEO Logan Green in a statement. “Los Angeles is the second most populated city in the U.S. and represents a huge market opportunity for AV adoption,” added Motional CEO Karl Iagnemma.

Motional says it has given 100,000-plus rides in Las Vegas with Lyft and received over 95 percent five-star ratings. The company recently signed a 10-year agreement with Uber as well, saying its vehicles will be “strategically deployed” in cities around the US and that it will start offering passenger rides later this year.

Apart from Motional, only Alphabet division Waymo and GM’s Cruise are offering true driverless services at a reasonably large scale. The Waymo One service is operating in Phoenix and San Francisco, while Cruise rides are currently limited to San Francisco. Both operate only in specific areas of cities and some vehicles still use safety riders.

Source: Engadget – Lyft and Motional to offer driverless taxi rides in Los Angeles

Twitter might lose even more employees following the mass layoffs that halved its workforce earlier this month – and after the company fired engineers who publicly called out its new owner. Elon Musk gave the remaining staff an ultimatum and asked them to commit to an “extremely hardcore” Twitter, going forward. “If you are sure that you want to be part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below,” he reportedly wrote in an email that links to an online form.

The executive apparently said it will mean “working long hours at high intensity.” He added: “Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.” The email said those who don’t sign the form by 5 PM ET today would be let go and receive three months’ severance pay.

The work is stacking up, too. Alongside the Twitter Blue subscriptions and verification drama, the company seems to be working on end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for its direct messaging feature. Researcher Jane Manchun Wong spotted code in Twitter’s Android app suggesting E2EE is on its way.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Toyota’s 2023 Prius is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the lineup

• Apple’s Major League Soccer Season Pass debuts February 1st for $99 per year

• Evernote, once the king of note-taking apps, has been bought by Bending Spoons

• Samsung brings game streaming to its 2021 TVs

• The best gifts for space lovers in 2022

• The Instant Pot Duo drops to $50 ahead of Black Friday

• A ‘Streets of Rage’ movie written by John Wick’s creator is on the way

• Genesis unveils a sleek X Convertible concept EV

Yes, you can now play ‘Solitaire’ and ‘Minesweeper’ in Microsoft Teams

Don’t tell your boss.

Microsoft has added a new app called Games for Work to Teams, so you can dive into some casual multiplayer titles with your coworkers. As many as 250 people can play Microsoft Solitaire, Microsoft Minesweeper, Microsoft IceBreakers and Microsoft Wordament together. With Wordament, there’s even a leaderboard for extra competition.

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The best gifts for travelers in 2022

Make sure friends and family have great the best gear for their next trip.

Now many of us are traveling (or planning to travel) again, are you ready for it? We’ve curated a list of upgrades you or your friends and family might appreciate, including things like sleep masks and packing cubes – not to mention tech gear like battery packs and noise-canceling headphones.

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Black market fears are hampering cannabis waste recycling efforts in California

This is why you can’t drop off your expended carts at the dispensary.

Cannabis is more popular than ever in the US — 44 percent of adults have access to it, either medically or recreationally. What’s more, edibles and concentrates continue to rise in popularity among all age groups. This increased demand for vape cartridges — both near-ubiquitous 510-threads, like those from Rove, or more specialized carts, like the Pax Era Pods — has led to their increased production and, in turn, their inevitable arrival in American landfills. In California, the nation’s largest legal cannabis market, due to the state’s strict hazardous waste disposal regulations, it’s a major challenge to dispose of components responsibly. Andrew Tarantola explains why.

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NASA’s mighty Artemis 1 rocket finally launches

It’s now following an elliptical orbit around Earth.

NASA’s mighty Artemis 1 rocket has launched for the first time, headed toward the moon. It has passed through key milestones, including solid rocket booster jettison and space launch system (SLS) first-stage separation without issue.

The agency had penciled in a launch attempt for November 14th, but Hurricane Nicole forced a slight delay to those plans. NASA kept the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the launch pad as the hurricane battered the Kennedy Space Center. They sustained minor damage, but not enough to force a lengthier delay.

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GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini review

This smaller camera may be perfect for some.

If you don’t want all the bells and whistles and want an honest-to-goodness action camera with all the Hero 11 Black video credentials, then the Mini ($300) might be the camera for you. While it lacks a screen, Engadget’s James Trew says it makes a good secondary camera for a different angle. And if you use a full-size GoPro for drone FPV footage (rather than its dedicated Bones camera) then the Mini is also a great option.

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Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Elon Musk issues ultimatum to remaining Twitter employees

The James Webb Telescope has been providing clearer images of celestial bodies that had only been poorly imaged in the past ever since it became operational. Its first photo showed the “deepest” image of the distant universe to date, followed by an unprecedented photo of the Pillars of Creation and the best view we’ve had of Neptune’s rings, among many others. Now its latest image reveals the once-hidden features of a very young protostar within the dark cloud L1527, giving us a look into how stars form and turn into something like our sun. 

The photo above shows an hourglass-like figure blazing blue and orange. This can only be seen in infrared light and was captured using James Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). But where’s the protostar, you ask? It’s actually right in the middle, or the neck of the hourglass, showing up as a black band. Stars form by gathering massive amounts of gas and dust, which spiral around the center as they’re sucked in by gravity. This forms an accretion disk of material that surrounds the young star. 

Meanwhile, the blue and orange “bulbs” actually outline the cavities created by the materials shooting away from the protostar and colliding with dust around the structure. NASA says the colors represent the layers of dust in between the dark cloud and James Webb. Areas with the thinnest layer of dust show up as blue. The orange areas represent places with the thickest layer of dust, since less blue light is able to escape them. 

NASA says the 100,000-year-old protostar is at the earliest stage of star formation — our sun formed 4.6 billion years ago or so — and will give us an idea of what our solar system was like in its very early years. 

Source: Engadget – James Webb telescope captures the hidden features of a young protostar

Google has started its Black Friday deals early, offering solid discounts on many of its Pixel and Nest devices. That includes offers of up to 33 percent of the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro, along with home products like the Nest Thermostat, Nest Security Cam and Nest Doorbell. 

Shop Google Pixel and Nest products on Amazon

For smartphone shoppers on a budget, Google’s Pixel 6a is on sale for just $299 (33 percent off the regular $449 price), matching the best sale we’ve seen so far. It has top-notch performance, while giving you the purest Android experience possible. At the same time, you get excellent camera quality, thanks to the two 12-megapixel rear cameras and 8-MP front sensor delivering bright, colorful pictures and video. It also comes with a distinctive design, sharp 6.1-inch OLED screen covered with Gorilla Glass 3, long-lasting battery, IP67 water/dust protection and more.

Google’s latest phones are also on sale. The Google Pixel 7 128GB (5G, unlocked) is available for just $499 instead of $599, while the top-end Pixel 7 Pro (5G, unlocked) is priced at $749, or $150 off the regular $899 price. Both models have the new Tensor G2 chip, excellent cameras and new software and features like Direct My Call and Photo Unblur — helping them both achieve high scores in our Engadget review. The main differences between the two are in the display, with the Pixel 7 Pro being better for mobile gaming thanks to the 120Hz display, compared to 90Hz on the Pixel 7.

If you’ve had your eye on Google’s sleek Pixel Watch, now is the time to act, as it’s on sale for $300, or $50 (14 percent) off the regular price. It’s easily one of the prettiest Wear OS watches out there, offers excellenbt health and fitness tracking and useful new faces. Meanwhile, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are discounted by 25 percent, bringing the regular $200 price down to $150. We called them “Google’s best earbuds yet,” thanks to the solid ANC performance, punchy bass and reliable touch controls. 

Finally, multiple Google Nest products are available at some of the lowest prices we’ve seen. You can grab the Google Nest Thermostat for $90, a savings of $40 (31 percent) off the regular price. The Google Nest Security Cam (wired) has been reduced by 30 percent to $70, and if it’s a Google Nest Doorbell you’re after, that item is on sale for $120, for a savings of $60 (33 percent). The sale runs nearly two weeks until November 28th, but it’s still best to act soon in case any of the items run out. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Source: Engadget – Google’s Black Friday sale offers big discounts on Pixel phones, Watch and more

On December 16th, a hyper-realistic avatar of the late East Coast rap legend Notorious B.I.G. will be holding a concert and performing tracks from his catalogue in Meta’s Horizon Worlds. The show, which will use a virtual recreation of 90’s era Brooklyn as a backdrop, will also feature performances by guest artists like Bad Boy Records founder Sean “Diddy” Combs and a narrative journey of Biggie’s life by American music journalist Touré

Not everyone’s impressed that Meta is bringing an artist back from the dead in avatar form, of course, and the effort was met with a deluge of criticism in HotNewHipHop’s tweet about the project. Meta said, however, that it received the blessing of The Notorious B.I.G. Estate and that the concert will celebrate his life and legacy. Touré, who was in charge of the narrative aspect of the concert, also said that he “interviewed Biggie’s mother and sat in her kitchen, so she knows that [he loves] her son and will take care of his legacy.”

Meta’s Horizon Worlds is the company’s social universe that can be accessed using a Quest headset. Viewers with the a headset will be able to watch the premiere in virtual reality on December 16th, but they can also stream it on Meta Quest TV after it debuts. Fans who don’t have a Quest will have to make do with a 2D version of the show, which will be streamed at The Notorious B.I.G.’s official Facebook page. 

It’s worth noting that 10 years ago, AV Concepts and Dr. Dre’s production company brought back Tupac, whose feud with Biggie was well documented, as a hologram for Coachella. Over the past years, the technologies that can bring artists back from the dead have grown even more advanced. We’ll likely see more events like this going forward, and we can only hope that the companies behind the projects will treat the artists’ legacy with respect. 

Source: Engadget – Meta is hosting a ‘hyper-realistic’ VR Notorious B.I.G. concert

Blizzard Entertainment will be suspending key games like Overwatch 2 and World of Warcraft in China because it failed to reach an agreement with partner NetEase, it announced. Those titles along with Hearthstone, Starcraft, Heroes of the Storm, Diablo III and Warcraft III: Reforged will be unavailable in China starting on January 23, 2023. Diablo Immortal, which arrived earlier this year, won’t be affected as it’s covered by a separate agreement, according to NetEase. 

“The two parties have not reached a deal to renew the agreements that is consistent with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitments to players and employees, and the agreements are set to expire in January 2023,” Blizzard said in the press release. “We will suspend new sales in the coming days and Chinese players will be receiving details of how this will work soon. Upcoming releases for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Hearthstone: March of the Lich King, and season 2 of Overwatch 2 will proceed later this year.”

NetEase is China’s second largest gaming company and has partnered with Blizzard since 2008. It’s a key player for Blizzard in the nation, helping guarantee that its games meet China’s strict content requirements. The deal wasn’t just about money, but also who owned the the intellectual property and player data, according to Bloomberg. 

The longstanding agreement didn’t appear to end amicably. “One day, when what has happened behind the scene could be told, developers and gamers will have a whole new level understanding of how much damage a jerk can make,” said NetEase’s president of global investment and partnership, Simon Zhu, in a LinkedIn post spotted by TechCrunch. Blizzard, meanwhile, said “we are looking for alternatives to bring our games back to players in the future.”

Source: Engadget – Blizzard games like ‘World of Warcraft’ will go offline in China next year