Tech

Source: The Verge Telefónica, one of the largest carriers in the world serving the UK, Spain, Germany, and Latin America with the O2 and Movistar networks, will begin preinstalling the Epic Games Store on every new compatible Android phone it sells — including Samsung phones. It’s part of a “long term partnership” to bring the…

Source: The Verge Valve is testing an option in the new Steam client beta that will force games by default to only download updates when you launch them. Currently, Steam by default decides what game updates to download based on a few different things. As explained by Valve: For games you recently played, Steam will…

Source: The Verge MakerHawk Type-C USB Tester Voltmeter If you’ve ever wondered whether the USB-C cables or devices you’re using are delivering the power they promise, you’ll want a voltmeter. MakerHawk offers comprehensive insight into metrics like voltage, current, and power capacity, allowing you to suss out whether that impossibly cheap cable and adapter combo…

Source: The Verge For millennia, the Arctic tundra has helped stabilize global temperatures by storing carbon in the frozen ground. Wildfires have changed that, according to the latest Arctic Report Card released yesterday at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference. Fires, intensified by climate change, release carbon trapped in soil and plants. More frequent infernos…

Source: The Verge Roku City, the purple-tinted cityscape screensaver that debuted in 2018, might look a little sharper and more detailed the next time you see it scrolling by. This week, Roku is increasing the screensaver’s resolution to 1080p; it was still stuck at 720p until now — despite running on millions of 4K Roku…

Source: The Verge Sonos will soon encourage employees on its various product teams who live near its US office locations to come in for at least two days per week, The Verge has learned. That’s a notable break from the company’s history, throughout which Sonos has enthusiastically supported fully remote and hybrid work. Job listings…

Source: The Verge Enhanced job security with ‘just cause’ protections  Guaranteed wage increases for the first time of up to 8.25% (plus additional base rate discretionary compensation) that prioritize the largest wage increases for the lowest paid members over the life of the contract  Additional compensation for on-call work Important protections that lock in guardrails…