SpaceX just dipped its toes into the Internet of Things. SpaceNewsreports that SpaceX has acquired Swarm Technologies, a startup best known for smallsats that power IoT services. The two companies aren't shy about how this will help Swarm — this gives the younger company the resources it needs to take on other smallsat operators, no to mention "synergies" that come with a company used to designing and launching satellites.

Swarm's commercial mini-satellite network just went live in February of this year, but it already had enough funding to finish rolling out an array of 150 satellites. It's a small company with roughly 30 employees as of March.

It's not clear if or how SpaceX will alter its strategy as a result of the deal, although an FCC filing suggested Elon Musk's outfit would primarily benefit from Swarm's "intellectual property and expertise." In other words, this might be an acquihire rather than an expansion of SpaceX's strategy.

There are areas where the businesses might mesh well. SpaceX is busy deploying a giant constellation of relatively small Starlink internet satellites. The firm also recently began launching rideshare missions full of cubesats and other small payloads. Swarm would at least serve as a customer for those rideshare missions. It might also help SpaceX refine or expand its smallsat efforts, no matter how much IoT plays a role.

Roku is still busy giving Quibi shows a second life as Roku Originals. The media device maker has revealed that 23 more shows will come to the free Roku Channel on August 13th, including a few that might just catch your attention thanks to their critical acclaim or star power. Memory Hole has Will Arnett revisiting the poorly-aged elements of pop culture, while Mapleworth Murders is an Emmy-nominated spoof of the mystery genre (such as the sheer body count in shows like Murder, She Wrote).

Other picks include Skrrt with Offset (a car enthusiast show starring its namesake rapper), the Reese Witherspoon-hosted nature documentary Fierce Queens and the celebrity stunt show Elba vs. Block.

As before, Roku is focused on filling the gaps Netflix, Amazon and other streaming heavyweights tend to leave in their catalogs. Quibi's shows not only didn't get much exposure during their ill-fated initial run, but offer short (roughly 10 minutes per episode) bites that you're unlikely to find on rival services.These new offerings may be easy choices if you're either pressed for time or just want an alternative when you run out of things to watch on paid services.

Want a smart alarm clock to help you get back to work (or school) now that September is fast approaching? Amazon might help. The internet giant is running a sale on Echo devices, and the latest Echo Show 5 is on sale for only $55, or an even $30 below its official price. You'll get a similar discount on the Echo Show 5 Kids model, which sells for $65 (down from $95) with a year of Amazon Kids+ service thrown in. Both prices are much lower than we saw just a few weeks ago.

Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon - $55

Buy Echo Show 5 Kids at Amazon - $65

If you'd prefer something larger, the current-generation Echo Show 8 has dipped to $100, a $30 savings. That's only $5 higher than Amazon's Prime Day sale price for the previous-generation model. And if you prefer Alexa on your face, the second-generation Echo Frames are down to an all-time low price of $180 (versus the usual $250).

Buy Echo Show 8 at Amazon - $100

Buy Echo Frames at Amazon - $180

The Echo Show 5 and 8 screens are subtle updates, but that's not necessarily a problem. The Show 5 remains a handy nightstand companion, with solid sound quality for the money and a 2MP camera for video chats with family (there's a physical privacy shutter). The Show 8, meanwhile, has both strong sound quality and a 13MP wide-angle camera that can track you as you walk around. It may hit the sweet spot if you're looking for a kitchen display that will help you chat with friends while you cook dinner.

The same catches remain. The on-screen interface for the Echo Show family isn't quite as intuitive as with Google's Nest Hub devices, and you'll miss out on streaming services like Disney+ and HBO Max. The Echo Show isn't for you if you want to revisit Loki or Hacks. Amazon still has a very robust smart home ecosystem, though, and the wide range of Alexa skills could be helpful if you ever need a specialized voice app.

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Acer and Apple aren't the only big PC brands reeling from ransomware attacks in recent times. Bleeping Computer and United Daily News report that Taiwan-based Gigabyte suffered a ransomware attack between August 3rd and August 4th. The company only confirmed that it shut down IT infrastructure and that a handful of servers were affected, but there are hints the attack might have been worse.

According to Bleeping Computer sources, the extortion gang RansomEXX claimed to have stolen 112GB of sensitive internal data as well as info from a code repository. This includes Intel and AMD chip information as well as a debug document. The breach is known to have affected both the Gigabyte support page and parts of the Taiwanese page.

Gigabyte said it contact law enforcement, but didn't say if it would pay the ransom.

RansomEXX started in 2018 under the Defray name, but rebranded in 2020 and has been targeting increasingly higher-profile organizations, including the Brazilian government, Texas' Department of Transportation and Ecuador's state-led telecom. It's not believed to be associated with the REvil group that attacked Acer as well as Apple supplier Quanta.

It's not surprising that PC companies would face these attacks. They not only have the money to pay ransoms, but a raft of technological secrets they're eager to protect. However, the string of attacks is still concerning. Apart from the short-term financial hit, there's also a concern these attacks could leak trade secrets that do long-term damage.

Tesla appears to have come a long way from the days when it was defying local COVID-19 safety orders. Wall Street Journalsources claim Tesla will require all staff at its Nevada Gigafactory to wear masks starting August 9th, regardless of their vaccination status. Employees at the battery plant previously only needed to wear masks if they hadn't been fully vaccinated.

The tipsters said Tesla was toughening its policy in the wake of the more easily transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, including updated CDC guidance recommending that vaccinated people wear masks indoors. Although full vaccinations still reduce the chances of infection and symptoms, there's evidence that breakthrough cases (those instances when vaccinated people get infected) can readily transmit the virus to others.

The company hasn't responded to requests for comments, although it's not expected to do so when it quietly disbanded its public relations team in fall 2020.

Tesla has been slightly slower than its Detroit-based competitors, which reinstated mask mandates a week earlier. However, it's a sharp contrast from the EV maker's attitude in May 2020, when it defied an Alameda County lockdown and kept its Fremont car plant open. Elon Musk also threatened to move Tesla's headquarters out of California and sue the county. The move may have led to additional infections at the Fremont plant, and Musk said he contracted COVID-19 in November 2020.

It's easier for Tesla to comply this time when its factory can remain open. The car brand also can't afford to test officials' patience when it's struggling to keep up with demand for its vehicles. Still, the reported mask order is a sharp contrast to Tesla's previous attitude — it's volunteering to take action rather than fighting back.

Rocket Lab is narrowing down the details for its first Moon launch. The private spaceflight firm has revealed that its CAPSTONE mission will lift off from the company's original launch complex in New Zealand sometime in the fourth quarter of 2021. The mission was originally slated to launch in early 2021 from NASA's Wallops facility in Virginia.

The CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) cubesat will serve as a vanguard for NASA's Artemis program. It will verify the propulsion needs for a highly elliptical lunar orbit, test spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation systems and show the potential for private support in future missions. A successful mission would help NASA's future Gateway spacecraft safely approach and orbit the Moon.

The launch should also represent a technical breakthrough for Rocket Lab. While the Electron rocket will serve a familiar role in carrying the mission into space, this will be the first time the company uses its Photon platform to put a satellite on a lunar trajectory.

CAPSTONE could serve as redemption for the company. Rocket Lab has dealt with two prominent rocket failures, and only recently resumed launches following its May incident. A successful Moon launch would both reinforce that return to form and show that Rocket Lab can handle particularly ambitious projects.

Don't worry about claims Spotify won't support AirPlay 2 on iOS — the doom and gloom were a bit premature. iMorereports that Spotify has 'clarified' its plans and will support AirPlay 2 streaming after all. The digital music giant didn't say when you might expect the feature, but promised updates "when they become available."

A representative previously claimed AirPlay 2 wasn't practical due to audio driver compatibility problems. It hadn't completely ruled out the concept, but suggested that it wouldn't be viable in the "foreseeable future."

We wouldn't expect a prompt turnaround on the feature even after Spotify's follow-up statement. However, this could still prove reassuring. AirPlay 2 should make it easier to stream music to HomePods and other devices that support Apple's media technology but have either limited or non-existent integration with Spotify itself.

Don't worry if you're determined to play an Xbox game into the wee hours of the morning — those late-night sessions will soon be easier on your eyes. The Vergenotes that Microsoft has started publicly testing an Xbox night mode that should make it more comfortable to play after dark. The feature can dim the screen, power button and even your controller light. An optional blue light filter theoretically helps reduce eye strain, and you can disable HDR to avoid searingly bright images.

You can manually toggle the feature if you'd like, but you can also schedule it either at fixed times or automatically based on sunset and (if you've been gaming long enough) sunrise.

The Xbox night mode is currently limited to testers in the very early Alpha Skip-Ahead ring. The perk will take a while to reach a polished release. Still, it's likely to be appreciated. It's easy to find night modes on your PC and your phone, but you haven't really had that luxury on consoles. If all goes well, you'll have a more consistent nighttime experience regardless of which screen you're using.

You'll have to temper your expectations if you were hoping to drive a Cybertruck before 2021 was over. Electreknotes that Tesla has quietly pushed the release of the electric pickup to next year on its configuration page, telling you that you'll get to customize your truck when "production nears in 2022." This applies regardless of model — Tesla had already warned that single-motor trucks would arrive later, but that now applies to the dual- and tri-motor machines.

Tesla had already hinted the 2021 target might not be realistic. Elon Musk said in January that there would only be a "few deliveries" of Cybertrucks in 2021, and that volume production was set for 2022. While the company stuck to that claim in its July quarterly report, the company only recently finished the engineering design for the EV — it would have just a few months to finish development and ship those initial trucks.

That could pose a competitive challenge for Tesla. GMC's Hummer EV is now poised to beat the Cybertruck to market barring delays. Even with setbacks, Rivian is still due to release its R1T truck in September. And while Ford's F-150 Lightning isn't due until spring 2022, the Cybertruck may have lost its first-mover advantage.

The delay wouldn't be surprising, though. The Cybertruck's cold-rolled steel body requires unique manufacturing techniques, and that's not including broader technical hurdles like the tri-motor system. Tesla is also known for optimistic timetables that clash with the realities of production. The automaker can at least count on pent-up demand, though. With over 1 million Cybertruck reservations, Tesla could have plenty of demand even if many of those would-be buyers have second thoughts.

WeChat may be a staple of Chinese digital life, but that isn't stopping the country's government from clamping down on the messaging giant's behavior. Reutersreports that Beijing prosecutors have sued Tencent over claims We Chat's restricted "youth mode" violates laws protecting children. The lawsuit didn't explain how the mode allegedly violated the law.

Youth mode prevents younger users from accessing payments, finding nearby friends and playing certain games. It's effectively a parental control tool for a "super app" that can handle many daily tasks in China.

Tencent hasn't commented on the lawsuit. It recently set stricter limits for young Honor of Kings players, capping their play time to just an hour a day on weekdays.

The suit might be part of a broader crackdown. China's state media blasted the game industry and online platforms just this week, and officials have previously demanded better protections against online threats to kids. The country has also focused much of its recent attention on reining in tech giants like Tencent, Alibaba and Didi, slapping them with antitrust fines and temporary app bans — the suit may be an extension of that effort.