Xbox head Phil Spencer reportedly said he would recognize a union at Raven Software once Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is complete, according to a recording of today’s all-hands company meeting viewed by Kotaku. QA testers at Raven earlier this week voted to unionize, becoming the first organized workers within a AAA gaming studio in North America to do so.
“Once the deal…
You won’t have to wait too long to buy a Mac with an M2 chip inside. Apple has announced that it will start taking orders for the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 on June 17th, with customers getting their orders on June 24th. The system starts at $1,299 ($1,199 for education)…
Spotify’s string of recent acquisitions now includes a potentially huge text-to-speech upgrade. The streaming music service is acquiring Sonantic, a startup that uses AI to produce “stunningly realistic” voices from text. While Spotify didn’t divulge…
IKEA continues its foray into smart home devices with the launch of a Google Matter-ready hub called DIRIGERA and a new IKEA Home smart app. With the new device and app, the Swedish company is promising to handle more smart device segments while making device integration easier. It says the app will be “convenient, easy to navigate and user-friendly” for anyone just getting into smart…
A dozen current and former Activision Blizzard employees have formed a committee aimed at protecting workers from discriminatory practices at the studio, outlining a list of demands for CEO Bobby Kotick, newly appointed diversity officer Kristen Hines and chief human…
A regional director for the National Labor Relations Board has determined there’s “merit to the allegations” that Activision Blizzard violated the National Labor Relations Act. It says there are indications the company and its subsidiaries Blizzard…
Internet Explorer is bowing out just short of its 27th birthday. As revealed last May, Microsoft will no longer support the Internet Explorer 11 desktop app for Windows 10’s usual Semi Annual Channel as of June 15th. You’ll still receive IE11 support if you’re using Windows Server 2022 or an earlier OS release with a long-term service extension, but this marks the effective end…
Apple’s MacBook Air M2 might just be the start of a broader laptop renaissance. Bloomberg sources claim Apple plans to release a 15-inch MacBook Air as soon as spring 2023. The company might return to tiny laptops, too. It’s reportedly working on a new 12-inch…
The Mac Mini is already the most cost-effective way to get an M1-based Apple computer and right now, you can get an even better deal on one. Amazon has the 2020 Mac Mini M1 (with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage) on sale for $570 via a $99 checkout discount, matching the…
Former Activision Blizzard employee Jessica Gonzalez is appealing the publisher’s recent $18 million settlement with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On Monday, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) announced Gonzalez is challenging the settlement on the grounds that it prevents workers who apply as claimants from suing Activision Blizzard in the future.
When the…
