Meta's Portal devices are now much more practical for the deaf and hard of hearing. The social media giant has teamed with ZP Better Together to enable Video Relay Services (VRS) on Portal hardware through apps, letting you bring an English or Spanish sign language interpreter into conversations with hearing people. You can place video calls to a far larger audience, in other words, and ZP's interpreters are available 24/7 if a chat can't wait.

The functionality works across the range of Portal products. You can also apply to receive a free Portal through ZP's website if you're deaf or hard of hearing.

The move could help Meta corner video calling for those with hearing issues, of course, but that doesn't change the vital role it could serve for some people. While smart displays have long been useful for calls between sign language users, this expansion could help the hard of hearing communicate with virtually anyone. That's particularly important during a pandemic, when in-person interpreters might not be available.

Pixelmator Photo has been available for pros and enthusiasts who want to work with photos on their iPads, and now it's an option in their pockets. Pixelmator has released a version of Photo for the iPhone that brings the advanced image editor to smaller screens. Much like the tablet app and Pixelmator Pro, you can make a wide range of non-destructive edits to photos either from the phone (including ProRAW from some iPhones) or from 600-plus RAW formats from dedicated cameras.

You'll most likely be using some of the 30-plus color adjustments, including basics like exposure and white balance through to a wheel-based color balance system like you'd find for video grading. However, Pixelmator Photo also makes use of some helpful (if increasingly familiar) AI editing features, including object removal and upscaling for low-resolution shots. You can also expect fairly tight integration with Apple's Photos and iCloud, such as saving edits to (or opening images from) your library.

Pixelmator Photo normally sells for $8, but it's available for $4 to help spur iPhone buyers. The app is a free update for those already using the iPad version. This probably won't tear you away from Adobe Lightroom and other pro photo editing apps, but Pixelmator's classic strategy might still apply here. It's offering an affordable, pay-once alternative to Lightroom's Premium membership and other subscriptions you frequently need for this level of editing.

Ransomware has been a recurring problem throughout 2021, and the latest attack could be particularly severe for some workers. NBC Newsreports workforce management heavyweight Kronos has suffered a ransomware attack that could affect its ability to handle hours and payroll at well-known companies like GameStop, Honda and Whole Foods. With many final pre-Christmas paychecks slated to arrive this week, there's a concern some employees might not get paid in a timely fashion when they need it most.

Kronos reported the attack on December 11th, but it wasn't until December 13th the company warned it might take "several weeks" to fully restore functionality. The company didn't identify the perpetrators. It also couldn't completely rule out a connection to the recent Log4j vulnerability, but went through "rapid patching" and supply chain checks to make sure its systems weren't susceptible.

It's not clear how soon hours and payroll functionality might come back. In the meantime, though, companies have had to scramble to find alternatives. Whole Foods told NBC it had found a way to pay staff this week, but Honda only said it was "taking steps" to mitigate any problems. One anonymous Whole Foods worker said teammates had been asked to rely on paper punch sheets and handwritten schedules.

The Kronos incident illustrates the sheer breadth of ransomware victims in recent months, including a meat supplier and a key oil pipeline operator. It also underscores the fragility of modern workplace technology. While a payroll company might not be considered critical infrastructure like food or fuel providers, a cyberattack against it can still deal significant economic damage.

You'll have to say goodbye to Via's personal on-demand rides. Bloombergreports Via is shutting down its ride-hailing operations, currently in New York and Washington, DC, after December 20th. After that, the company will shift its attention to mass transit systems like buses, shuttles and vans. You might still use Via to arrange pickups (including for paratransit) or check schedules, but you won't have much more control and will likely share the vehicle.

The company isn't shy about its reasoning: its public transportation business is more successful. Via chief Daniel Ramot told Bloomberg his firm's transit business is "growing quickly," and it's a more reliable revenue stream thanks to long-term contracts. Via would have needed a "major investment" to return its ride-hailing business to pre-pandemic levels, and the company didn't want to incur those costs when transit was thriving.

Via's challenges contrast sharply with its ridesharing rivals. Lyft and Uber have been scrambling to find drivers as demand picks back up. They have far larger slices of personal ride hailing than Via, however. Even if Via were to remain committed to personal rides, it would be competing for a small slice of a market with two clear incumbents. The ride-hailing shutdown lets it sidestep that battle entirely and corner a segment Lyft and Uber have largely left untouched.

Apple is closing more stores in response to COVID-19's resurgence. Bloombergreports the iPhone maker has temporarily shuttered three stores in the US and Canada following increases in exposures and outbreaks among employees. Shops in Annapolis (Annapolis Mall), Miami (Brickell City Centre) and the Canadian capital Ottawa (Rideau Centre) will remain closed until either December 18th or December 19th.

It's not clear how many employees developed COVID-19 at the affected stores. In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple reiterated a prior statement indicating that it "regularly monitor[s]" pandemic conditions and has a "comprehensive" store safety initiative that includes daily health checks, masks, extra cleaning and paid sick leave. All workers will have to take COVID-19 tests before they return.

There's no certainty closures like this will continue in the near future. With rising infection rates and uncertainty around the new coronavirus' Omicron variant, however, it won't be surprising if there are more until this latest wave dies down.

The move also underscores the persistent risks for retail staff at many stores, not just Apple's. While many retail employees have to wear masks and share their health statuses, they can't necessarily avoid sick customers —and there are concerns Apple store managers may have pressured subordinates to come in despite showing COVID-19 symptoms. Stores can minimize risks, but they can't completely avoid them so long as the disease persists.

After some cameos and talk of an animated series, Ubisoft is finally ready to make a new Splinter Cell game — in a manner of speaking. The game developer has revealed plans for a Splinter Cell remake that aims to recreate the stealth action of the early games while embracing modern technology.

The project will use the Snowdrop engine present in newer games like The Division 2 and the upcoming Avatar title, but you'll play in small, linear environments rather than Ubi's signature (and frequently formulaic) open-world spaces. The company wants to meet present-day gameplay expectations, but is also aware that early Splinter Cell was appealing precisely because it rewarded truly stealthy players who demonstrated patience, intelligence and methodical planning. Don't expect to survive a full-fledged gunfight, in other words.

It's clearly too soon for Ubisoft to provide a release date for the remake, but the Toronto studio is helming the effort with a mix of veterans from previous Splinter Cell games and fresher faces that will include some new hires. Whether or not the team succeeds isn't clear. Ubisoft Toronto's one and only Splinter Cell game was Blacklist, which was well-received but not as revered as the original. The Toronto branch is also still grappling with the consequences of Ubi's misconduct scandals — VP and Blacklist co-director Maxime Béland resigned following assault allegations.

The gameplay promises might bode well if you were worried the remake would stray too far from what made Splinter Cell great, though. And crucially, this could be the launchpad for a true revival. The game's creative lead, Chris Auty, characterized the re-do as a "solid base" for the future of the franchise. Even if you don't like the thought of a rehash, this could lead to true sequels to a series that many had previously written off.

SiriusXM has been accused of doing too little to make its podcasts accessible. The National Association of the Deaf and Disability Rights Advocates have filed a lawsuit against SiriusXM (including its Pandora and Stitcher brands) accusing it of excluding the deaf and hard of hearing by failing to provide captions or transcripts for any podcasts. The company has allegedly violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and New York laws by denying equal access to its content.

The suit demands both damages and an injunction to force SiriusXM to offer podcast transcripts. The company would also have to "affirmatively" advertise the transcript option to deaf and hard of hearing people.

We've asked SiriusXM for comment. The lawsuit notably doesn't include other heavyweights, although Apple and Spotify already offer at least some form of captioning or transcription. Spotify has promised to auto-transcribe all podcasts, for instance. In a statement to The Verge, DRA's Christina Brandt-Young added the organizations couldn't sue "every bad podcast provider" in a single lawsuit. You may well see more complaints in the future.

The lawsuit is, effectively, a request for podcasts service operators to rethink accessibility. NAD and DRA want equal access to be a given, not a nice-to-have extra. In theory, the pressure on SiriusXM will prompt better treatment across the wider podcast industry.

Apple has hinted it might not revive its controversial effort to scan for CSAM (child sexual abuse material) photos any time soon. MacRumorsnotes Apple has removed all mentions of the scanning feature on its Child Safety website. Visit now and you'll only see iOS 15.2's optional nude photo detection in Messages and intervention when people search for child exploitation terms.

It's not certain why Apple has pulled the references. We've asked the company for comment. This doesn't necessarily represent a full retreat from CSAM scanning, but it at least suggests a rollout isn't imminent.

While Apple was already scanning iCloud Photos uploads for hashes of known CSAM, the change would have moved those scans to the devices themselves to ostensibly improve privacy. If iCloud Photos was enabled and enough hashes appeared in a local photo library, Apple would decrypt the relevant "safety vouchers" (included with every image) and manually review the pictures for a potential report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That, in turn, could get police involved.

The CSAM detection feature drew flak from privacy advocates. Apple stressed the existence of multiple safeguards, such as a high threshold for reviews and its reliance on hashes from multiple child safety organizations rather than government. However, there were concerns the company might still produce false positives or expand scanning under pressure from authoritarian regimes. Moreover, the only way to prevent on-device scans was to avoid using iCloud Photos altogether — you had to accept Apple's new approach or lose a valuable cloud service.

Apple delayed the rollout indefinitely to "make improvements" following the criticism. However, it's now clear the company isn't in a rush to complete those changes, and doesn't want to set expectations to the contrary. If local CSAM scanning reappears, it might take a long while (Apple expected a return in the "coming months") or bear only a partial resemblance to the original system.

You or your kids might now have a good reason to try Apple's SharePlay feature. Disney+ has released an update that adds SharePlay group viewing to its iPhone, iPad and Apple TV apps, letting up to 32 people watch and chat together. This will help you discover the latest plot twists in Boba Fett or Hawkeye, of course, but it could also be helpful for young ones who want rewatch Frozen with their distant friends.

Before you ask: everyone in the call needs Disney+ to stream, and this only works if a given title is available to everyone in your virtual gathering. You can still choose audio and subtitles separately from everyone else — the group only shares the image and playback controls. Apple TV users can also watch on the big screen while using their iPhone or iPad to stay in touch.

The launch conveniently dovetails with a flurry of Disney+ show and movie releases. It's still a welcome addition, though, and it might be particularly useful during a holiday season when the pandemic still poses challenges for some in-person family gatherings.

You can now place some Microsoft Teams calls with the confidence they'll be reasonably secure. The Vergenotes Microsoft has made end-to-end encryption widely available for one-on-one calls after publicly testing the feature since October. If your company's IT administrator enables E2EE and both ends of the call choose to use the feature, it should be that much harder for intruders to spy on conversations.

Microsoft cautioned that you'll lose several significant features if you use the stricter encryption, including recording, call transfers, expanding to group calls and live captions. You'll have to disable E2EE to regain those options.

This could still be important. While Teams was already using encryption both in transit and at rest, it still offered a window for decrypting content so that approved services could honor data retention records. End-to-end encryption prevents anyone beyond the intended recipients from decrypting call data — that's great for privacy, but not so hot for companies, governments and law enforcement agencies that want backdoors. It won't be surprising if authorities bristle at Microsoft's move.