Just when Microsoft’s buyout of Activision finally seemed to be near complete — and we could focus on Google’s legal tussles with the Department of Justice — the Federal Trade Commission said it will revive its attempt to block the $69 billion deal in an adjudicative process. Microsoft received EU approval over the summer when the European Commission endorsed the deal as long as the tech giant could ensure “full compliance with commitments.”

Normally, the FTC drops its challenges to deals when efforts are lost in federal court. This move will not delay the deal, though in the worst-case scenario, Microsoft might have to sell off parts of the gaming company. Microsoft told Bloomberg it’s not concerned about the move preventing its purchase. Regardless of the impact it could have, the FTC’s in-house hearing will only start after the Ninth Circuit issues an opinion on the appeal.

— Mat Smith

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Scientists confirm some black holes spin

The researchers analyzed 22 years’ worth of observations of the galaxy M87.

Observing 22 years of the first black hole humanity has ever imaged has offered “unequivocal evidence” that black holes spin. There’s apparently an oscillating jet that swings up and down roughly every 11 years. An international team of scientists headed by Chinese researcher Dr. Cui Yuzhu analyzed more than two decades of observational data gathered by more than 20 telescopes around the world to make the discovery in the black hole at the center of galaxy M87.

A small fraction of particles not falling into the black hole get jetted out. The telescopes’ observations show that M87’s jet oscillates by 10 degrees in a recurring 11-year cycle —– as Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity predicted. Aside from proving Einstein right, it’s a significant discovery that massively improves our understanding of black holes.

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Honda’s first all-electric SUV has 300-mile range

The Prologue arrives in early 2024.

Honda has revealed more details about its all-electric Prologue SUV. The EV will have a listed range of 300 miles and cost around “the upper $40,000s” before any incentives or tax credits. The pricing puts it well above rival SUVs, like the Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Mustang Mach-E — all of which start around $40,000. Also, the range of Honda’s EV is comparatively shorter.

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This third-party deck makes your Switch feel like a dream

CRKD’s Nitro Deck costs $60.

The Nitro Deck comes from CRKD, a new company founded at Embracer Group’s Freemode incubator lab. The Nitro Deck is a simple idea executed well: Slide your Switch screen into the frame and it acts as a self-contained, beefed-up gamepad, sidestepping the initially innovative but drifty Joy-Con controllers. You can also get it in a decidedly Gamecube colorway. Lots of purple.

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These origami-inspired flying robots change shape in mid-air

The true foldables.

Scientists at the University of Washington have developed flying robots that change shape in mid-air, without batteries, as originally published in the research journal Science Robotics. These miniature Transformers snap into a folded position during flight to stabilize descent. They weigh just 400 milligrams and feature an on-board battery-free actuator, powered by solar. Future-use cases could range from monitoring weather to checking air conditions with a fleet of the lil’ things

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-ftc-is-challenging-microsofts-activision-buyout-again-111600835.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Morning After: The FTC is challenging Microsoft’s Activision buyout, again

Google is sending Jamboard on its way to the company’s ever-growing graveyard full of products and services that didn’t quite work out. It will wind down the Jamboard whiteboarding app sometime in late 2024, it has revealed in a Workspace post, and will switch to working more closely with third-party partners. Jamboard is the tech giant’s home-grown whiteboarding solution that provides people the ability to collaborate in real time. Anything drawn or edited on its website or app, for instance, gets reflected on the Jamboard hardware, and vice versa. 

To continue giving teams that use its tools access to a collaborative digital whiteboard, Google is integrating FigJam, Lucidspark and Miro across its Workspace. It also promised to provide a “retention and migration path” so that users don’t lose any collaborative work they’ve created within an organization. In its post, Google said it received feedback from customers that the advanced features offered by the aforementioned third-party partners helped their teams work better together. Based on that feedback, the company has decided to “leverage [its] partner ecosystem for whiteboarding in Workspace and focus [its] efforts on core content collaboration across Docs, Sheets, and Slides.”

In addition to killing the Jamboard app, Google is also winding down support for the $5,000 Jamboard device. The 4K digital whiteboard, which originally went on sale in 2017, will stop receiving auto-updates on September 30, 2024.

SpaceX has won a $70 million contract with the US Space Force to provide satellite communications for the US Space Force via its Starshield program, Bloomberg reported. The company will effectively be repurposing its Starlink network for military usage as a way to provide a “secured satellite network for government entities,” according to SpaceX’s website. The contract has a one-year duration. 

“The SpaceX contract provides for Starshield end-to-end service (via the Starlink constellation), user terminals, ancillary equipment, network management and other related services,” a Space Force spokesperson told CNBC in a statement. The initial phase requires the Space Force to pay $15 million to SpaceX by September 30th, and SpaceX will support 54 military “mission partners” across Department of Defence (DoD) branches. 

A group of US senators recently criticized SpaceX’s actions in Ukraine, after a biography on Elon Musk revealed that he refused Ukraine’s request to extend Starlink coverage to allow a naval attack on Russian-held Crimea. “We are deeply concerned with the ability and willingness of SpaceX to interrupt their service at Mr. Musk’s whim and for the purpose of handcuffing a sovereign country’s self-defense, effectively defending Russian interests,” they wrote.

However in a post on his social network X, Musk refuted that sentiment. “Starlink needs to be a civilian network, not a participant to combat. Starshield will be owned by the US government and controlled by DoD Space Force,” he said. 

SpaceX is already a key contractor for the Pentagon, providing the military with rocket launches. Last year, the Space Force approved the company’s reusable Falcon Heavy to carry US spy satellites into orbit. Earlier this year, SpaceX won a contract to provide an unspecified number of Starlink ground terminals for use in Ukraine. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spacex-lands-us-space-force-contract-for-starshield-satellite-communications-085045883.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – SpaceX lands US Space Force contract for Starshield satellite communications

Tesla has been tolerating racial harassment at its factory in Fremont, California since at least 2015 until today, according to the lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The automaker has violated federal law by tolerating the “widespread and ongoing racial harassment of its Black employees,” the agency said. Further, affected workers who raised concerns about the abuse they were getting were apparently subjected to various forms of retaliation: They were transferred, their duties were changed, or they were terminated. 

The EEOC’s lawsuit says Black employees were regularly called variations of the N-word, “monkey,” “boy” and “black b*tch” throughout the factory, even in hubs were workers gathered. These employees also encountered drawings of racial graffiti, including swastikas and nooses, on desks, as well as on the walls of bathroom stalls and elevators throughout the factory. If these allegations sound familiar, it’s because they’re identical to the complaints filed by plaintiffs who previously sued Tesla for racial harassment. 

One of those plaintiffs was Melvin Berry, who accused Tesla supervisors of using racial slurs against him. And there was Owen Diaz, who said he was subjected to racial slurs and was made to feel unsafe at work with racist graffiti on his workspace, such as drawings of Inki the Caveman. Diaz was originally granted $137 million in damages, which was one of the highest amounts awarded to an individual suing on the basis of discrimination. However, it was significantly lowered following several appeals, until it was reduced to $3.2 million earlier this year. 

The EEOC filed its lawsuit after doing an investigation on the automaker and trying to reach pre-litigation settlement through conciliation. Now, it’s seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as backpay for all affected workers. It’s also asking the court for an injunction “designed to reform Tesla’s employment practices to prevent such discrimination in the future.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-sued-by-federal-agency-for-racial-harassment-at-california-factory-053220563.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Tesla sued by federal agency for racial harassment at California factory