Amazon sellers use ‘collectible’ label to dodge price gouging rules
Amazon’s measures to prevent price gouging have a relatively simple workaround. The Verge has learned that some third-party sellers are marking products as “collectible” to evade Amazon’s automated price controls. The internet retailer reportedly has price ceilings that normally kick in when a product is listed as “new,” but that ceiling apparently doesn’t kick in with collectible items. There also isn’t much transparency regarding those ceilings, either.
The quirk has been around for a while, according to sellers. However, it wasn’t really an issue before the COVID-19 pandemic, when competition kept prices reasonable. Now that there’s high demand and low supply, unscrupulous sellers have more incentives to hike prices.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/amazon-sellers-price-gouging-workaround-085620344.html
Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch gets spoiled by the FCC
If Samsung was hoping to keep plans for a Galaxy Watch sequel under wraps, it’s probably disappointed. Droid-Life (via 9to5Google) has discovered a series of FCC filings that not-so-subtly reveal the next version of Samsung’s flagship smartwatch. It’s superficially similar, complete with 5ATM water resistance, GPS and LTE models. However, Samsung is backing slightly away from its tendency toward giant smartwatches — the larger model will have a 45mm case instead of the current 46mm, while the more reasonably-sized 42mm model will shrink to 41mm.
What few images are available only show the back of the watch, so it’s unclear if the control scheme will change to the touch-based bezel of the Watch Active 2. SamMobile sources insist that the rotating bezel of the Galaxy Watch will return, though, so fans of direct physical control might get to breathe a sigh of relief.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-watch-2020-fcc-130142390.html
SpaceX Crew Dragon docks with the International Space Station
SpaceX just completed another milestone in Crew Dragon’s historic journey. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have successfully docked the capsule with the International Space Station just under 19 hours after launch from Cape Canaveral. The largely automated process was uneventful. The crew tested manual operation at one point, which they said behaved much like the simulator.
Don’t expect a hasty return after this. Behnken and Hurley are expected to spend weeks aboard the ISS before returning to Earth. The capsule’s solar arrays are only rated for 119 days in space, so it will have to return by the fall no matter how eager the astronauts might be eager to stay. However long they stay, it’s a historic moment — this is the first time a crewed private spacecraft has docked in orbit. If all goes well, this is an important step toward making space more accessible.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/spacex-crew-dragon-docks-with-iss-142250134.html
After Math: Playing around on the PS5 while Blizzcon goes bye-bye
This holiday season likely won’t particularly be a holly or jolly affair what with the [wave broadly at the current state of everything] but at least we’ll see the debuts of not one but two next-generation gaming consoles. Ahead of its release at the end of this year, Sony plans to show off more than an hour’s worth of games from the upcoming PS5. So clear your schedule at 4pm ET on June 4th, grab a bucket of popcorn (or popcorn chicken, even) and hunker down for 60-some-odd minutes of digital escapism.
It’s hard to imagine playing a MAdden NFL game not produced by EA. I mean the company’s been rolling out annual updates to the iconic sports title since 1990! And it looks like they’ll continue doing so for the foreseeable future as EA announced last week that it had yet again renewed its licensing deal with the NFL through the 2026 season... assuming there even is a 2026 season.
Fool me once, Roberto Escobar, shame on me and my reskinned Galaxy Fold. Fool me twice, shame on you and your “gold plated” iPhone 11 Pros. At least throw in a cocaine hippo to sweeten the deal. Just what sort of game are you playing at here?
Epic Games has juked its Fortnite players for a second time, once again delaying the release of Chapter 2 Season 3 until June 11th. But the folks at Epic are a thoughtful bunch and are making up for the lag by holding a one-off event net Saturday (June 6) at 2pm ET.
It’s incredible, I’ve never seen anything like it. Judging by the length of his his last movie, Apple's paying one dollar per minute for Martin Scorcsese’s next film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Eat your heart out Irishman, 'Killers of the Flower Moon' will still be running long after we’re all dead.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/after-math-playing-around-on-the-ps-5-while-blizzcon-goes-byebye-153013698.html
Watch SpaceX’s second attempt at launching astronauts at 3:22PM ET
It’s time for take two. NASA and SpaceX are making their second attempt at launching the Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission after scrubbing the first due to weather, and they’re once again livestreaming the potentially historic event. The launch itself is scheduled for 3:22PM Eastern, although pre-launch coverage is available now and will continue right up to takeoff.
Whether or not it goes ahead is unclear. Much like the original May 27th window, there’s a very real chance the operations team will have to scrub the launch again if the weather conditions are too risky at both the pad and across the flight path. Elon Musk said there was a 50 percent cancellation risk. There at least won’t be as long of a wait if conditions are too rough, though. Another launch opportunity will be available on May 31st at 3PM Eastern.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/watch-spacex-crew-dragon-demo-2-livestream-attempt-2-160913086.html
Zoom plans to offer stronger encryption to paying customers (updated)
If you want your Zoom video calls to be as secure as possible, you may need to pay up. Zoom security consultant Alex Stamos told Reuters in an interview that the company plans to offer stronger videoconference encryption to paying customers, enterprises and institutions like schools, but not to free accounts. He cautioned that the plan could change, and that it wasn’t clear if non-profits, dissidents and other might get exceptions, but that was the current goal. A number of “technological, safety and business factors” went into the decision, according to Reuters.
While Stamos wasn’t too specific about the plan, he noted that full encryption would make it impossible for Zoom staff to address abuse in real-time and might rule out people calling in on phone lines.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/zoom-stronger-encryption-for-paying-customers-164426954.html
Waymo’s self-driving vans will return to Bay Area streets on June 8th
In a statement, Waymo told Engadget that it was ramping up after “careful consideration” and that its team’s health and safety was its “number one priority.” You can read the full statement below.
A driver talking to The Verge characterized this as Waymo exploiting a “loophole” to get back to testing, but that’s not necessarily the case. The company believes its deliveries are well within the rules, and that it’s safe as part of a gradual return to multi-person trips. Provided that’s accurate, it may just be a matter of when Waymo and rivals can resume something resembling normal business — that may take much longer.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/waymo-may-resume-san-francisco-driving-june-8-183821348.html
SpaceX’s historic launch succeeds on its second attempt
“Today a new era in human spaceflight begins as we once again launched American astronauts on American rockets from American soil on their way to the International Space Station, our national lab orbiting Earth,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a press release. “I thank and congratulate Bob Behnken, Doug Hurley, and the SpaceX and NASA teams for this significant achievement for the United States. The launch of this commercial space system designed for humans is a phenomenal demonstration of American excellence and is an important step on our path to expand human exploration to the Moon and Mars.”
Officially designated Demonstration-2, or Demo-2, this mission is the final test before NASA certifies the Dragon system for regular use in shuttling astronauts to and from the ISS.
Roughly nine minutes after the Falcon 9 took off, the first stage rocket successfully set down on its autonomous sea barge, “Of Course I Love You” and, at T+12:30, the Crew Dragon capsule (nicknamed Endeavor) successfully separated from its second stage. Behnken and Hurley will now spend the next 19 hours en route to the ISS and are expected to reach the station at roughly 10:30 am ET on Sunday, May 31st.
If you’d like to try your hand at steering the Crew Dragon capsule yourself, SpaceX has recently released a docking sim but be warned, it makes Top Gun’s carrier landing level seem like a cake walk.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/spacex-nasa-iss-crewed-mission-launch-success-192904084.html
Toyota’s RAV4 plug-in hybrid will be available this summer for $40,000
The RAV4 Prime will come in two versions: SE and XSE. While the basic SE grade will set you back $38,100, the more premium XSE grade will cost you $41,425, excluding the delivery fee. The latter has a two-tone exterior paint scheme, including a Supersonic Red version, 19-inch two-tone alloy wheels, a moonroof and a Qi-wireless phone charger. It will also be equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen display with Toyota’s Audio Plus system, whereas the SE grade will have a 8-inch touchscreen entertainment console. As Autoblog notes, the vehicle might not cost you that much overall, since its price could still be offset by up to $7,500 in federal tax credit, as well as potential state incentives.
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/toyota-rav-4-prime-priced-at-40000-195446077.html
Senator Ted Cruz asks DOJ to investigate Twitter over Iran sanctions
Twitter is facing yet more scrutiny over its approach to politicians, albeit for different reasons. Axios (via The Verge) has learned that Senator Ted Cruz sent letters to the Justice and Treasury Departments ‘urging’ them to investigate Twitter for allegedly violating sanctions against Iran. It’s reportedly violating laws that bar it from providing “goods or services” to sanctioned people by declining to ban Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Twitter was “willfully and openly” breaking the law after receiving formal notice, Cruz said.
The social network declined to comment. However, it previously defended the practice in a letter by arguing that denying service would be “antithetical to the purpose” of Twitter, including its aim to “elevate and amplify authoritative health information.” It also argued that making a communication tool available was “broadly exempted.”
Article source: https://www.engadget.com/ted-cruz-wants-doj-twitter-investigation-215010950.html