More electric vehicle drivers will soon be able to charge their car’s battery when they stop by the drugstore. EV charging network Volta is bringing another 1,000 DC fast-charging stalls to 500 Walgreens locations.
This marks a significant expansion of their partnership. The pair started working together in 2019 and there are currently Volta stations at 49 Walgreens stores. The companies say the latest agreement builds on Volta’s plans to expand access to its DC fast-charging network and aligns with Walgreens’ support of efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
"Walgreens is an ideal match for faster forms of Volta charging given the average time a Walgreens shopper typically spends in-store," Volta founder and CEO Scott Mercer said in a statement. "The next phase of our work with Walgreens will provide people with a quick, convenient, and meaningful charge that is tailored to their shopping experience while bringing us another step closer to a clean energy future."
Drugstores and grocery stores are good spots for EV charging stations, since drivers can top up their battery while grabbing some essentials. On top of that, the easier it is for folks to access fast-charging stations, the more likely they might be to switch to an EV. This week, the Biden administration announced a $5 billion plan to improve EV charging infrastructure across the US.
Uber users will eventually be able to pay for rides using cryptocurrency, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told Bloomberg. However, the company is essentially taking the same tack as Tesla by waiting for changes that will lower transaction fees and make it more environmentally friendly.
"Is Uber going to accept crypto in the future? Absolutely, at some point," Khosrowshahi said. "As the exchange mechanism becomes less expensive, becomes more environmentally friendly, I think you will see us lean into crypto a little bit more."
If Uber does jump onto the crypto train, it would be joining a number of firms that already accept Bitcoin, most notably Microsoft, AT&T and Wikipedia. Other major companies have been more reluctant, however, as cryptocurrencies along with related products like NFTs have been under fire for using massive amounts of energy generated in part by burning fossil fuels.
Tesla was the highest-profile company to accept Bitcoin as payment for its EVs, but it suspended the practice, saying it would only use it again "as mining transitions to more sustainable energy." However, the company recently started accepting Dogecoin payments for some of its merch like the Cyberquad for Kids, with CEO Elon Musk tweeting that it’s "better suited for transactions."
Valve may have cautioned Steam Deck buyers about repairing the handheld themselves, but you might not have to be quite so wary in practice. iFixit (which provides official parts for Valve hardware) has torn down the production model Steam Deck and discovered that it’s relatively easy to repair, with a few notable exceptions. It doesn’t require much effort to get inside, with clear labels for "basically everything." The design is modular enough that you can repair many elements without replacing or dismantling more components than necessary.
You can replace the SSD with a similarly small equivalent using one screw, and removing the display doesn’t require much more than a suction cup and some heat. Valve is also keenly aware that Steam Deck owners may be worried about thumbstick drift — you can replace both sticks just by removing three screws. While drift won’t necessarily be a real problem, you won’t have to send in your machine if that problem ever crops up.
This isn’t quite a self-repair paradise. Battery replacements are "rough," according to iFixit, with elaborate procedures that include draining most of the pack for safety’s sake. That’s a problem when the battery can drain in as little as 90 minutes.You may also want to be gentle with the USB-C port and microSD slot, as both are soldered to the Steam Deck’s custom motherboard.
Despite this, iFixit found the Steam Deck easier to repair than some modern laptops. That might be heartening if you either prefer to fix devices yourself or hope to upgrade the storage. You might only need to send the Deck away for service if there’s a truly serious failure.
That’s not a massage table! You are looking at the Lying Face Down Sleep Cushion Z. Pointed out by Gizmodo Japan and PC Watch, it was specifically created for you to place your head between the two cushions and play video games, look at your phone or tablet, and even read books.
This is the latest entry in Japan’s quest to help people be more lazy when gaming.
Glasses are a-okay!Image: Thanko
Created by peripheral company Thanko, it was even designed so that you can wear glasses comfortably while place your head between the two cushions.
Gaming cushions, such as this one released in Japan in 2020, are already a thing. What makes this different is that it’s not a simple cushion, but rather, more of a head rest. In comparison, using a cushion looks like more work. It’s harder.
You can also use the cushion like so. Image: Thanko
This product is for when you don’t even feel like holding up your head and for when lying on your back, holding your gaming handheld over your face seems so tiring. Thanko is known for making silly peripherals, and while this looks goofy, it might actually be useful.
Looking through the two cushions provides, like, a viewfinder to focus on your Switch gaming. Image: Thanko
On Japanese bulletin board 5ch, commenters did have things to say about the Lying Face Down Sleep Cushion Z:
“If you were playing for a long time, this might be good. Since you can easily change how you play the Switch while lying down, if anything, I think it’s aimed more at the Steam Deck.”
“I think facing upwards is better.”
“It seems handy, but the way it looks is so messed up.”
“I’d imagine this makes your head hurt.”
“Lying down and gaming is exhausting.”
“If you have this, [using] the Steam Deck will be fine.”
“I bet if used it for a long time, your arm would go numb.”
“I’ve always thought beanbag chairs were good.”
“How far are they gonna take it?”
The Lying Face Down Sleep Cushion Z is priced at 6,980 yen ($60) and went on sale this week in Japan.
The cheapest version of Valve’s Steam Deck comes with just 64GB of internal storage, but that might not be as much of an issue as it sounds, with early tests suggesting games will run surprisingly fast off a micro SD card. YouTubers who have their hands on the devices early have started testing the Steam Deck’s load times, with some games running only slightly slower, or in some cases at the same speed as off the SSD, PC Gamer reports.
The speed testing comes courtesy of tech YouTubers Linus Tech Tips and The Phawx, both of whom have been able to put the Steam Deck through its paces ahead of the handheld device’s launch on February 25. The results, when it comes to loading games off an external micro SD card, are promising, especially during a time when a lot of games come with huge install sizes.
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While the number of games available for testing at this point are limited–and likely the best optimised for the system at launch–The Phawx found that load times on games like Dead Cells and Street Fighter V were almost exactly the same between SSD and micro SD, with the longest delay around 2 seconds long. Other games like Portal 2 and Ghostrunner took a longer time to load on the micro SD, with the longest delay coming in at around 17 seconds.
Both YouTubers concluded that players had very little to lose from loading their Steam Deck games directly from a micro SD card, which is good news with the Steam Deck’s internal storage maxing out at 512GB for the most expensive model. Even the entry-level 64GB model will make a great gaming machine with a 1TB micro SD slotted in.
The Steam Deck’s portable hardware does have some drawbacks, with other tech tests showing that players will have to be more mindful of their game settings to get the most out of the device’s battery life.
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Editor’s note: This article contains discussions of suicide. If you or someone you know is having a crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
You can also reach The Trevor Project’s TrevorLifeline 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386. Counseling is also available 24/7 via chat every day at TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting 678-678.
A bipartisan group of seven lawmakers from the House of Representatives told Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in a letter that they were gravely concerned over how easy and fast it was for people to buy a chemical compound, which is legal in the U.S., used to die by suicide on its platform, according to a new report in the New York Times.
Published on Friday, the report states that Amazon didn’t take action on the availability of the chemical compound on its platform after it was informed of the deaths and potential danger associated with the product by family members of the deceased and others. Most importantly, it found that enough people had bought the chemical compound to kill themselves that Amazon’s algorithm began recommending other products that users bought to help them take their lives.
In addition, Rep. Lori Trahan, Democrat of Massachusetts, told the outlet that there are claims that reviews warning others about the product were removed on Amazon.
The lawmakers asked Jassy for more information on sales of the chemical compound and related suicides. They also want to know how it handled the potential dangers surrounding the product and the complaints it received.
The Times found that at least 10 people had killed themselves using the chemical compound after buying it on Amazon in the past two years. Gizmodo has chosen not to name the substance out of an abundance of caution and sensitivity for those struggling with thoughts of suicide. As of Friday, the substance was still available on Amazon.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones personally affected by suicide,” an Amazon spokesperson told Gizmodo in a statement on Friday. The spokesperson added that the chemical compound “is commonly used to preserve foods such as meats and fish, and can also be used in laboratories as a reagent. It is a widely available product offered by retailers, and unfortunately, like many products, it can be misused.”
The company pointed out that it requires its partners to follow the law and its own policies when selling on Amazon. It also stated that it had provided customers in crisis with various resources, such as including a banner under certain search results in its store with the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
One of my searches on Amazon did indeed show the hotline number. However, my search also brought up extremely alarming and triggering content, including explicit methods that guaranteed death, on suicide as one of the first results. We’ve followed up with Amazon to ask why this type of content remains on its platform.
Trahan explained to the Times that lawmakers were focusing on Amazon because they believe the platform is the one most often used to obtain the chemical compound quickly, as well as over concerns raised by families and others that product reviews urging caution were removed.
“Amazon had the opportunity with their response to collaborate with us on this issue that’s tragically ending the lives of people across our nation,” Trahan told the outlet. “Instead, they failed to answer many of our most critical questions.”
As someone who has struggled with suicidal thoughts in the past, I can assure you that’s not helpful to have a chemical compound like this available at the click of a button with lightning-fast delivery. It’s risky and dangerous. Furthermore, failing to acknowledge or have a conversation on what’s being done with these products, and taking appropriate action, can cost people their lives.
To all of those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. Help is available and it can make a difference. Take it from someone who’s been there and who is, gratefully, still here.
The indie games platform Itch.io has spoken out to slam NFTs, labelling them a "scam" and asking people who support them to "please reevaluate your life choices."
In a statement on Twitter, the company did not mince words with its stance on NFTs. "NFTs are a scam. If you think they are legitimately useful for anything other than the exploitation of creators, financial scams, and the destruction of the planet the we ask that please reevaluate your life choices," the company said.
In another tweet, the company spoke out against companies that endorse NFTs and also claim to support creators. "They only care about their own profit and the opportunity for wealth above anyone else," Itch.io said. "Especially given the now easily available discourse concerning the problems of NFTs. How can you be so dense?"
