It feels like it’s only a matter of time until Amazon really starts pushing itself as a full-on healthcare provider for its millions of Prime subscribers.
In the meantime, though, the mega store / streaming platform’s gearing up for the February 23rd launch of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, which feels a lot like the kind of show you’d check out while waiting in a doctor’s office.
CEO Alex Chriss told employees that PayPal is cutting existing jobs and open roles as part of an effort to “right-size” the company, according to a report from Bloomberg. The layoffs will reportedly impact around 2,500 workers.
PayPal is far from the only company in the tech industry to get hit with layoffs this year. Microsoft, Google, eBay, and many others have also been affected.
In a post on X, Pokimane announced that she’s leaving Twitch — but didn’t specify where or if she will continue streaming elsewhere. Pokimane has become one of the most popular streamers on Twitch with over 9 million followers.
Twitch replied to her post, saying “What an incredible journey it’s been. We’re so proud of everything you’ve accomplished and what’s ahead in the future.”
It seems as if Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch and Call of Duty esports teams are getting hit with layoffs. On the Overwatch side, the entire observation crew has reportedly been let go along with long-time broadcast talent Soe “Soe” Gschwind and Matt “Mr. X” Morello.
On the Call of Duty side, according to a post from Scott Parkin, senior esports operations manager, Blizzard made the CDL team work a major event over the weekend without telling the team if their jobs were safe — only to lay them off on their first day off. It’s unknown if these layoffs are new or part of the 1,900 people let go last week.
Google Pixels recently updated the built-in password manager to identify accounts that support passkeys — a more secure login method than passwords — and prompt users for a simple security upgrade.
It’s coming to other devices eventually, and Google announced today several companies that not only support passkeys, but they’ve also set up their accounts so users will be taken directly to the correct page to set up a passkey. Better yet, other services can freely add the feature too.
It sounds promising, after GM CEO Mary Barra said in an earnings call this morning that the automaker would be bringing back plug-in hybrids.
Our forward plans include bringing our plug-in hybrid technology to select vehicles in North America.
Is she responding to the influential GM dealers who urged the company to get back into hybrids after EV sales growth slowed? Or is she an avid Verge reader who loves a convincing blog post written by a handsome editor? I’ll let you decide.
The mandate passed last year requires companies to share how much carbon dioxide pollution they create by 2026. But several industry groups have filed suit to try to stop California from implementing the law, the first of its kind in the nation. The SEC, facing similar industry pushback, has been dragging its feet on finalizing similar nationwide rules.
The new sets celebrate the 25th anniversary of Lego Star Wars and most notably include a 9.5-inch-long Millennium Falcon and a 12.5-inch-long Tantive IV. Despite bringing the sets down in size, the Millennium Falcon still costs $84.99, while the Tantive IV is priced at $79.99.
There’s also a new R2D2, Invisible Hand, and Tantive IV diorama set. They’re available for preorder on Lego’s website and will start shipping on March 1st.
Yesterday, Wario 64 posted that military shooter with a message Spec Ops: The Line had been delisted from Steam. While the game still shows up on other storefronts, its removal has confounded the game’s developers. On X, director Cory Davis wrote that the removal, “makes no sense” and that the game’s tackling of war crimes and their human cost — something military shooters have tended to ignore — are relevant now more than ever.
The authorities say they’ve seized nearly 50,000 Bitcoins from an operator of Movie2K, a major piracy website that was shut down in 2013. That’s on top of the $29.7 million in Bitcoin the FBI helped German police seize from the operators in 2020.
The Democratic senator from Hawaii on regulating social media: ‘An algorithm doesn’t have a First Amendment right.’
