Following scrutiny from state and federal regulators, Activision Blizzard and its CEO Bobby Kotick now face pressure from an unexpected source. Per Axios, state treasurers from California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Oregon, Delaware and Nevada recently contacted the company’s board of directors to discuss its “response to the challenges and investment risk exposures that face Activision.” In a letter dated to November 23rd, the group tells the board it would “weigh” a “call to vote against the re-election of incumbent directors.”

That call was made on November 17th by a collection of activist shareholders known as Strategic Organizing Center Investment Group. SOC, which holds about 0.6 percent of Activision stock, has demanded Kotick resign and that two of the board’s longest-serving directors, Brian Kelly and Robert Morgado, retire by December 31st.

“We think there needs to be sweeping changes made in the company,” Illinois state treasurer Michael Frerichs told Axios. “We're concerned that the current CEO and board directors don't have the skillset, nor the conviction to institute these sweeping changes needed to transform their culture, to restore trust with employees and shareholders and their partners.”

Between the six treasurers, they manage about a trillion dollars in assets. But as Axios points out, it’s unclear how much they have invested in Activision, and it’s not something they disclosed to the outlet. However, Frerichs did confirm Illinois has been impacted by the company’s falling stock price.

To that point, the day before The Wall Street Journal published its bombshell report on Activision and CEO Bobby Kotick, the company's stock closed at $70.43. The day California’s fair employment agency sued the company its stock was worth $91.88. As of the writing of this article, it’s trading at about $58.44.

The group has asked to meet with Activision’s board by December 20th. We’ve reached out to Activision for comment.

Following a trial in 2020 involving 1,700 locations across the US, CVS is expanding the availability of its Spoken Rx audio prescription labels to all 10,000 of its pharmacies nationwide. The accessibility feature is available through the CVS Pharmacy app. It uses your phone to scan Rx bottles equipped with special RFID labels that then allow the device to read the label, including any instructions related to dosage amounts, aloud in English or Spanish.

You’ll need to enroll in the service if you want CVS to put Spoken Rx labels on your prescriptions. You can do so either over the phone or in-person at one of its locations. In the latter case, the company says its pharmacists can help patients with ensuring their CVS app is set up for the service. For those who don’t have a smartphone, CVS will offer a free standalone speaker device. Patients can also ask for prescription bottles fitted with Braille or large-print labels.

"This is a positive step that offers same-day access for prescriptions filled in CVS stores,” said Eric Bridges, the executive director of the American Council of the Blind, which helped CVS develop the feature. “Spoken Rx allows for a greater level of privacy, safety, and independence for blind and visually impaired customers."

Unfortunately, if you get your prescriptions from more than one pharmacy chain, the CVS app won’t work with those. Matt Blanchette, a communications manager with the company, told The Verge Spoken Rx can only read audio prescription labels from CVS Pharmacy. The company currently does not have any plans to make the proprietary feature work with labels from other brands.

Over the last month, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S21 have noticed the Amazon Appstore doesn't work with Android 12. And we say it doesn't work, we mean it's almost entirely broken. Most people report they can't run any of the software they've downloaded from Amazon. Yet others say they don't see any apps when they visit the marketplace. An Amazon forum post spotted by The Verge succinctly captures the situation many Appstore users find themselves in after installing Android 12.

"My rain radar app from the Amazon Appstore is still happily running and giving me alerts via notifications, but I can't actually see them because it is being prevented from running full screen by the Amazon Appstore's failure to run properly," said forum user Lovingboth.

Amazon has yet to say when it plans to fix the problem. The company only added a notice to the top of the Appstore about the Android 12 issues earlier this week. "We're excited about Android 12 too," the notification says. "Unfortunately we're working through some issues. Thank you for your patience as we get your Appstore back."

As Liliputing points out, the Appstore's problems with Android 12 likely stem from incompatibility between Amazon's built-in DRM and Google's new operating system. "We are aware and working to resolve an issue impacting app performance and launches for the small number of Amazon Appstore users that have upgraded to Android 12 on their mobile devices," an Amazon spokesperson told The Verge. "This issue does not impact Amazon Fire Tablets or Fire TV devices."

With Android 12 only available on a handful of devices and most using the Play Store to download their apps, it's not a problem that affects many people. Still, it's one that's poised to become more widespread as the update rolls out to more devices, particularly if Amazon doesn't work quickly to resolve it.

Reddit is introducing a handful of new features designed to make its social network feel more interactive. Starting today, you’ll notice the vote and comment counts on posts and feeds will increase (as well as decrease) in real-time. Additionally, you’ll see new typing indicators that will tell you when two or more people are replying to a comment. Similarly, another set of real-time indicators will share when five or more people are reading the same post.

Reddit

In both instances, you won’t know exactly who is reading a post or readying a reply, but it will give you a broader sense of how much attention it’s drawing. Lastly, Reddit has reworked the comment pill to display new comments as you’re scrolling through a post. 

Reddit

In practice, the new features will make Reddit feel more like a chat app. The company says they were designed to increase user engagement. It contends they will create a better experience for users. Whether that actually turns out to be the case, we’ll see later today when Reddit starts rolling out the features to its web client, as well as Android and iOS apps.

Twitch is introducing a new machine learning feature to help streamers protect their channels from people attempting to avoid bans. Dubbed "Suspicious User Detection," the tool will automatically flag individuals it suspects may be "likely" or "possible" ban dodgers.

In cases involving the former, Twitch will prevent any messages they send from showing up in chat. It will also identify those individuals for streamers and any mods helping them with their channel. At that point, they can decide if they want to ban that person. By default, possible repeat trolls can send messages in chat, but they too will be flagged by the system. Additionally, Twitch says creators have the option to prevent them from sending any messages in the first place.

Twitch

"The tool is powered by a machine learning model that takes a number of signals into account — including, but not limited to, the user's behavior and account characteristics — and compares that data against accounts previously banned from a Creator's channel to assess the likelihood the account is evading a previous channel-level ban," a Twitch spokesperson told Engadget when we asked about the signals the system uses to detect potential offenders.

While Twitch plans to turn on Suspicious User Detection for everyone, the tool won't automatically ban users for streamers. That's by design because it's impossible to create a machine learning tool that is 100 percent accurate in every context. "You're the expert when it comes to your community, and you should make the final call on who can participate," the company said in a blog post. "The tool will learn from the actions you take and the accuracy of its predictions should improve over time as a result."

The introduction of the tool follows a summer in which Twitch struggled to contain a phenomenon called "hate raids." The attacks saw malicious individuals use thousands of bots to spam channels with hateful language. In many cases, they targeted creators from marginalized communities. Hate raids became such a frequent feature of the platform that some creators walked away from Twitch for a day in protest of the company's lack of action.

Every December for the last few years, Qualcomm has held an annual event in Hawaii to announce its latest flagship mobile chipset. This year was no different with the company taking the opportunity to unveil the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. That’s right, for the second year in a row, Qualcomm is moving away from the sequential numbering scheme that has defined its processors for years. Just as the Snapdragon 865 gave way to the 888, the company will now replace the 888 with the Gen 1. 

The system-on-a-chip includes Qualcomm’s own X65 5G modem. The company says it’s capable of theoretical download speeds of 10Gbps. That’s one of those specs that’s impressive on paper, but won’t mean much out in the real world since some of the fastest 5G networks can’t deliver speeds greater than 4Gbps in ideal conditions. If you have access to a WiFi 6 or 6E router, the Gen 1 can sustain download speeds of 3.6 Gbps over WiFi.

As with its past flagship chipsets, Qualcomm has put significant effort into improving the camera experience. The Gen 1 features an 18-bit image signal processor. That’s a first for the company, and something it says allows the component to process 4,000 times more data than the 14-bit Spectra ISP found on the Snapdragon 888. Additionally, phones with the Gen 1 will have the ability to capture photos at 3.2 gigapixels per second. In practice, that means the Gen 1 can process data from three 36-megapixel cameras simultaneously without any shutter lag, according to Qualcomm.

In another first for a mobile device, the company says the chipset can record 8K HDR footage at 30 frames per second. Again, that’s not the most practical feature for a phone in 2021 since 4K is the top end for most content. On that note, the Gen 1 supports UHD capture at 120 frames per second and can record slow motion footage at 960 frames per second at 720p. Separate from its Spectra ISP, the Gen 1 includes a always-on image signal processor that can power a camera while consuming very little battery power. It’s a feature that will allow Gen 1-equipped devices to offer always-on face detection for biometric authentication.

The Gen 1 won’t offer greatly improved CPU performance over what was already possible with the Snapdragon 888 Plus. What it does promise is faster performance when it comes to AI-related tasks. That’s thanks to Qualcomm’s new seventh-generation AI engine, which the company says is up to four times faster than its predecessor thanks to more shared memory and a faster tensor accelerator. Gaming performance is another highlight of the Gen 1. According to Qualcomm, its latest Adreno GPU offers 30 percent faster rendering performance while consuming 25 percent less power. Over on the audio front, the Gen 1 includes support for Qualcomm’s recently announced aptX Lossless Bluetooth codec. It can deliver up to CD-quality 16-bit 44.1kHz audio streaming over a wireless connection.

Rounding out the Gen 1’s feature list is a dedicated Trust Management Engine. The Gen 1 is the first mobile chipset to support Google’s Android Ready SE standard out of the box, which means it has the capability to store things like digital car keys and IDs.

With its mix of performance improvements and new features, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 offers an intriguing look at the next generation of Android flagships. Now we have to wait to see what capabilities manufacturers decide to enable in their latest devices. The first Gen 1-equipped phones will arrive later this year, with more expected to come in the first half of 2022.

Separately, Qualcomm announced it’s partnering with Google to bring the company’s Neural Architecture Search platform to its product portfolio. The technology, which will be available first on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, allows companies to create and optimize AI models automatically instead of manually. According to Google, NAS optimize AI models in weeks rather than months.

Meta’s Reality Labs unit is rolling out one last major software update for the Quest and Quest 2 before the end of the year. And it’s one you’ll want to download as soon as you can because it adds some handy features.

One of them allows you to record yourself while inside a game or app. If you own a VR headset, you’ve probably seen videos like the one above where you can see how a game physically plays. Before today, you needed special equipment to capture footage from that mixed reality perspective. With the new update, you can use your phone instead.

Reality Labs

Naturally, the final result isn’t as polished as the above video, but you can still get an idea of how games like Beat Saber play out in the real world. You’ll need an iPhone XS or above with iOS 11 or higher to use the new mobile mixed reality camera. With today’s release, about a dozen games support the feature, including Superhot VR, Pistol Whip and Synth Riders.

The update also includes a number of features Meta said were coming “soon” at its Connect conference in late October. To start, you can now make voice calls through the Messenger app on Quest and Quest 2 headsets. The feature allows you to not only call other Quest users, but you can also dial up your Facebook friends.

Reality Labs

Starting today, some games will also allow you to back up your save data to the cloud. The feature may not be immediately available on your headset after downloading the update. That’s because Reality Labs says it’s rolling it out at a slower pace to make sure it works correctly. Additionally, it’s an opt-in feature for developers, so not every game may support it even after it’s broadly available. While not new to the Quest platform, today’s update also removes the experimental tag that had been applied to the multi-user and app sharing features that were introduced at the start of the year.

Lastly, while not directly related to today’s update, in the “coming weeks” Reality Labs plans to introduce new customization options to Horizon Workrooms. To start, you’ll have the option to choose from multiple virtual office environments and the ability to decorate the space with custom posters and your company's logo.

In 2018, astronauts aboard the International Space Station plugged a 2mm "hole" in a Soyuz MS-09 vehicle that had docked with the station in June of that year. While the pressure leak never posed an immediate threat to those aboard, it set off a bizarre turn of events that saw Russia open an investigation to find out if the incident was the result of sabotage.

Per an RIA Novosti article spotted by Ars Technica, the country's Roscosmos space agency recently completed its probe of the event and sent the results to Russian law enforcement officials, opening the door for them to announce criminal charges. Roscosmos didn't' say anything official about the cause of the pressure leak, but that hasn't stopped Russian media from spreading misinformation.

The RIA Novosti article references Russian media reports that allege the hole may have been drilled by NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, a crew member of the ISS at the time of the incident. Specifically, per Russia's TASS news agency, the country's Izvestia newspaper claimed Aunon-Chancellor may have drilled the hole out of a "desire to return to Earth because of a blood clot or a fight with her onboard the International Space Station." Citing its own source, TASS claims "the hole had been drilled in weightlessness by a person not acquainted with the spaceship's design."

According to NASA, the possibility that its astronauts were involved in creating the pressure leak is non-existent. As Ars Technica notes, NASA knew the location of all of its astronauts before the leak started and the moment it began. None of the US astronauts aboard the ISS at the time of the incident were near the Russian compartment where the Soyuz was docked when it started leaking air. The US shared this information with Russia when Roscosmos began its investigation in 2018.

"These attacks are false and lack any credibility," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told the outlet. "I fully support Serena and stand behind all of our astronauts." We've reached out to NASA for additional information.

The accusations come at a time when the relationship between NASA and Roscosmos is already fraught. On November 15th, Russia conducted an anti-satellite missile test that created a debris field that forced astronauts on the ISS to seek shelter aboard their spacecraft. The US condemned the trial, accusing the country of putting everyone aboard the ISS, including Russian cosmonauts, in danger.

CD Projekt Red is "on track" to release the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Cyberpunk 2077 in the first quarter of 2022, the studio's parent company announced on Monday. CDPR had initially planned to release the update in late 2021 until it announced a delay to early 2022 in October. 

CD Projekt also confirmed anyone who purchased the game on either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One will receive the next-gen update for free. Since the game is currently playable on the current generation systems through backward compatibility, everyone who owns the game on a console will get the upgrade for free. If you don't already have Cyberpunk 2077, you can buy it while it's currently 50 percent off on the PlayStation and Microsoft Stores and get the game at a discount before the updated version comes out next year.

On November 18th, Miami voted to end a multi-year pilot that had allowed companies like Bird and Lime to operate electric scooter rentals within the city’s downtown core. The practical result of the decision was that scooters weren’t allowed in the city. Less than two weeks later, Miami commissioners have now voted to launch a new temporary program that will allow six companies to rent out the vehicles in the city’s Edgewater, Brickell and Coconut Grove neighborhoods until January 5th, 2022.

"This news comes as a relief to Miami residents who've long relied on e-scooters as a safe, affordable and sustainable way to get around. We look forward to working closely with the commissioners and Mayor Suarez to develop a permanent program that prioritizes safety for riders and non-riders alike,” said Bruno Lopes, senior manager for government relations at Lime. “We specifically hope the city will continue to invest the millions of dollars in e-scooter fees Lime and other operators pay into protected bike lanes, the most proven way to ensure the safety of all road users."

Under the new program, riders will need to wear helmets when they travel on a scooter. Additionally, the city will enforce a stricter parking limit to reduce sidewalk clutter. Commissioners voted three to one in favor of implementing a new rental program after they voted four to one to scrap the previous one 11 days ago. Both votes were led by Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla. The short duration of this latest pilot is due to a local city law that limits the length of temporary programs. It’s possible Miami could once again outlaw scooters while the city conducts a public bid to select three companies that will operate under a permanent program.