More than a million new titles are published annually in the US, far more than even the most bibliophilic secret agent could get through. Even with a weekly publishing schedule, we can only bring you 52 Hitting the Books each year. To help shine a spotlight on all the fantastic stories that can’t be featured in our weekly column, we now bring to you Hitting the Books Quarterly, a semi-semi-annual roundup of books that may not strictly be about tech but we figure you’ll like nonetheless.

This edition’s selection runs the gamut from STEM to Sci-Fi including selections from New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi, UC Berkeley Professor of Sociology Carolyn Chen, and journalist Stephen Witt. We hope you enjoy.

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Princeton University Press

Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley by Carolyn Chen

Silicon Valley may tout itself as the Emerald City at the end of America’s yellow brick road but one need only pull back the curtain to find the oppressive capitalist machinery hidden behind. In her new book, Work Pray Code, UC Berkeley Professor of Sociology Carolyn Chen examines how an industry already primed to worship the Myth of the Founder has steadily imposed itself upon the religious beliefs and practices of its workers, hawking Buddhist-adjacent “wellness programs” in hopes of them achieving productivity enlightenment. What, you thought the company town wouldn’t include a company church?

Penguin Books

How Music Got Free: A Story of Obsession and Invention by Stephen Witt

In the earliest days of social media, just as the popularity of physical media began to wane but long before the emergence of omnipresent streaming services, existed a time of boundless possibilities. It was a time when any song ever made could be yours, free and at the click of a button, assuming that at least one other person on your network had a complete copy. Many a music collection was assembled during the unregulated file sharing era, much to the chagrin of the recording industry. But no one pirated music anywhere near the scale of Dell Glover. In his 2016 book, How Music Got Free, journalist Stephen Witt explains how Glover exploited his position working in a North Carolina compact-disc manufacturing plant to surreptitiously steal and leak more than 2,000 albums over the course of a decade before being apprehended. Someone get that guy a medal.

Macmillan

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Stuck in a dead-end gig job amidst the depths of the first COVID lockdown, Jamie Gray is looking for an out, any out of his dreary cash-strapped existence. Unlucky for him, he’s about to get exactly what he wants in The Kaiju Preservation Society, the latest from John Scalzi, NYT bestselling author of Old Man’s War and Redshirts.

Disney Editions

Women of Walt Disney Imagineering: 12 Women Reflect on their Trailblazing Theme Park Careers

Walt Disney may have held the initial spark of inspiration for what would eventually become one of the world’s largest media empires, but ever since his noggin went into cold storage, the responsibility of bringing those stories, rides, and attractions to life has fallen to the company’s legion of passionate designers, fabricators and builders: the Imagineers. Women of Walt Disney Imagineering assembles first hand accounts of a dozen women who worked behind the scenes and struggled in an overwhelmingly male industry to ensure that Disney’s theme parks live up to their reputations as the most magical places on Earth.

G.P. Putnam's Sons

The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch

In this taut, time-travelling thriller, NCIS special agent Shannon Moss is tasked with uncovering as to why a Navy SEAL murdered his family — and where his teenage daughter disappeared to. Exploiting the world’s “Deep Time” chrono-hopping phenomena, Moss skips along the fourth dimension, flitting between alternate realities in search of clues to the killer’s motivation. That is, until she stumbles upon a near-future event that may end humanity entirely.

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Got a recommendation for a book that you just couldn’t put down? Drop us a line at Tips@engadget.com about it and we might just include it in a future roundup!

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a camera system that can seemingly detect sound vibrations with a level of precision that makes it possible to recreate the audio without inference or a microphone. A team from CMU's School of Computer Science's Robotics Institute (RI) built the system, which has two cameras and a laser. It can detect "high-speed, low-amplitude surface vibrations" that the human eye can't see, the university said in a press release.

The system features regular cameras rather than high-speed ones used in previous research, which should lower the cost. "We've made the optical microphone much more practical and usable," Srinivasa Narasimhan, an RI professor and head of the Illumination and Imaging Laboratory, said. "We've made the quality better while bringing the cost down."

An algorithm compares speckle patterns captured by a rolling shutter and a global shutter. It uses the differences between the patterns to calculate the vibrations and recreate the audio. A speckle pattern (which is created by the laser in this case) refers to the behavior of coherent light in space after it's reflected off of a rough surface. That behavior changes as the surface vibrates. The rolling shutter rapidly scans an image from one end to the other, while a global shutter captures an entire image at the same time. 

"This system pushes the boundary of what can be done with computer vision," assistant professor Matthew O'Toole, a co-author of a paper on the system, said. "This is a new mechanism to capture high speed and tiny vibrations, and presents a new area of research."

The researchers say they were able to isolate the audio of guitars that were being played simultaneously. They claim that the system was able to observe a bag of chips, and use vibrations from that to reconstruct audio being emitted by a nearby speaker with higher fidelity than previous optical microphone approaches.

There are a lot of potential applications for this tech. The researchers suggest, for instance, that the system could monitor vibrations from machines in a factory to look for signs of problems. Sound engineers could also isolate the sound from an instrument to improve the mix. In essence, it could help eliminate ambient noise from audio recordings.

Polestar promised Apple CarPlay support for its EVs two years ago, and it's finally delivering. As The Vergeexplains, the car brand has released an over-the-air update for the Polestar 2 that makes CarPlay available on the Android Automotive-based sedan. If you'd rather use Apple Maps instead of Google Maps or prefer to talk to Siri in lieu of Google Assistant, you now have that choice as long as you connect your iPhone.

In 2020, the automaker expected to deliver a CarPlay update in January 2021. It's not clear what prompted the delay (Polestar cited "various factors" last fall), but the wait isn't completely surprising. Android Automotive is built around Google's operating system, and often its services. iPhone support was always going to be a lower priority, particularly when you don't need an Android phone to use Polestar's built-in functionality.

You still can't find CarPlay on numerous other Android Automotive cars, including newer Volvo models as well as Rivian's R1T. You won't have to wait long in some cases, though. Volvo expects to add the interface within weeks, and it will eventually support iOS 16's next-gen CarPlay interface. In that sense, Polestar is just a vanguard for its sibling brand.

If you're concerned that the usual web search engines might be biased, don't worry — Brave thinks it can help. The company has introduced a beta Goggles feature for Brave Search (itself no longer a beta) that lets anyone set their own criteria for search rankings. You can refine a "politics" query to shift the focus to blogs instead of major news outlets, for instance.

You can create, modify or use others' rankings just by running a search and tapping the "Goggles" button. You won't necessarily have to spend time fine-tuning your results, then. A community could also share Goggles to more consistently surface the sites it uses most often.

Brave is pitching the tool as a foil to the algorithms Google and Microsoft's Bing use to prioritize some search results while downplaying others. Those more dominant search providers say they're focusing on trustworthy sources of information and otherwise helping users find useful content, but Brave contends that Goggles can help counter biases inherent to its larger competitors' technology.

The feature may have both positives and pitfalls as a result. While this could help you more easily find smaller sites or differing opinions that frequently get buried in conventional search results, it might also reinforce thought bubbles where you only see content that agrees with your existing views. As with the rest of the internet, you may have to use Goggles judiciously to avoid creating an echo chamber.

Ridesharing isn't typically viable in the US if you want to pay with cash, but that won't be a problem now that Lyft has introduced an option to pay for rides using cash. Visit 35,000-plus stores like Walmart, ACE Cash Express and Kroger and you can present a barcode or ID number to turn physical money into a balance accessible through the Lyft app or website. You'll have to scan approved identification after requesting your first ride.

You'll need to add at least $30 whenever you contribute to the balance. Your transportation options will also be limited if you go cash-only. You have to attach a credit card or another payment option to your account if you want to hire a bike or scooter.

Lyft pitches the feature as a way to democratize rideshare services. About 7.1 million US households either had no bank accounts or only limited access to conventional financial services as of 2019, according to FDIC data, and that frequently affected communities of color. The cash option lets those unbanked people request on-demand rides without paying for cabs. We'd add that this could help if you're uncomfortable with linking payment cards to transportation services like this.

The move might give Lyft an edge in the country. Its rival Uber lets American riders use a balance to pay for trips, but they currently have to load funds using payment cards, PayPal and Venmo. For now, Lyft is your only major choice if you'd rather pay with paper.

Google has introduced a label that will allow a business to make it clear that it's LGBTQ+ owned. That should help users to find and support queer businesses in their community via Search and Maps. Merchants in the US with a verified Google business profile can add the LGBTQ+ owned label starting today.

Google

The update comes during Pride Month and is the latest effort by Google to support diverse and inclusive businesses. Google Maps previously rolled out labels for Black-owned, Latinx-owned, veteran-owned and women-owned merchants. In 2018, the company added a way for business owners to show that their establishment is LGBTQ-friendly and/or a safe place for trans folks. As The Verge notes, Yelp introduced a similar LGBTQ+ business label label last year.

On a support page for business identity attributes, Google notes that it doesn't tolerate harassment or abuse of its retail partners. It said its abuse teams will act promptly to tackle mistreatment, such as harassing user reviews. Earlier this year, the company laid out some of the steps it takes to detect and combat review bombing in Maps. These measures may not protect LGBTQ+ businesses from in-person harassment, though Google seems to be doing what it can to safeguard their online reputations from bad actors.

Amazon is once again facing allegations of firing union organizers. The Washington Postreports employee group Amazonians United has filed National Labor Relations Board charges accusing Amazon of illegally firing two workers at a Maryland warehouse for labor organizing. The staff at the DMD9 delivery outpost in Upper Marlboro allegedly lost their jobs for both collecting petition signatures and promoting a large-scale walkout protest in March.

The petitions, created in August and December of 2021, pushed for improved working conditions that included healthier food, less restrictive bathroom breaks and pay raises that had been granted at other facilities. The August petition led to some changes, but Amazon's refusal to budge on the December petition prompted the March walkouts. One of the fired employees, Jackie Davis, said she was fired weeks later without a clear or justified reason.

Company spokeswoman Kelly Nantel denied any wrongdoing in a statement to The Post. Amazon fired Davis for "time theft" and not being at the facility after clocking in, the representative claimed. Nantel also maintained that worker support for a movement "doesn't factor" into terminating employment, and that the staffers simply didn't meet "basic expectations."

The charges come in the wake of numerous accusations of anti-union activity on Amazon's part. The NLRB found that Amazon illegally fired a New York union organizer last fall, while two workers at a Staten Island warehouse claimed they were fired for helping to organize the first successful Amazon union election. The tech pioneer has also been accused of intimidation tactics that include threats of lower pay, labeling labor organizers as "thugs" and multiple attempts at interfering with union votes. In 2021, Amazon spent $4.3 million on consultants known for thwarting unionization campaigns.

Whatever the reasons for these latest firings, it may be difficult for Amazon to avoid pressure to change. Amazonians United has secured some improvements by replacing conventional union strategies with grassroots relationship building and pressing for smaller material gains. This won't necessarily lead to more successful unionization efforts, but it won't be surprising if there are more reforms.

Slack is bringing more features to huddles, which debuted as an ad hoc voice call option last June. While huddles will start as audio-only chats by default, you'll be able to switch on video as well. Video huddles can be opened in a separate window and you'll have the option to blur your background.

The revamped huddles will support multi-person screen sharing. Several people will be able to share their screens at the same time, which could make it easier to work on documents and presentations together. You can also draw on shared screens and use a live cursor feature as a visual aid while you're discussing something specific.

Slack

Everything you share in the huddle (other than your voice and webcam feed) will be saved in the direct message thread or channel where it was started. That includes things like links and notes. Slack says these will be searchable. Folks who do not take part in a huddle will be able to catch up using these live messaging threads or keep an eye on the conversation as it's happening. Users can pin these threads to a channel or direct message. You can give the huddle a name too, so it's easier to find.

Since this is Slack, you'll of course be able to use emoji reactions in video huddles. There are new animated effects, such as confetti and clapping hands. With stickers, users can show everyone that, for instance, they want to speak next or they're going AFK for a minute. If you add a sticker, it will stay on the screen until you remove it.

Slack

Slack, which will continue to support live transcriptions in huddles, is taking a leaf out of Discord's playbook with the addition of video and screen sharing. It hopes to turn huddles into more of a virtual coworking space with these tools, where you and your colleagues can collaborate on the fly (akin to having a quick chat in a physical office). The features are coming to the app soon.

Meanwhile, the company says GovSlack, a version of the service designed for secure government use, will be available in July. Slack says it meets key government security standards, affords users access to their own encryption keys and allows folks to connect to other agencies that use GovSlack via Slack Connect. The company announced GovSlack in September.

Fitbit is delving further into sleep tracking with a new feature for Premium subscribers. Sleep Profile will examine 10 metrics, including new ones like time before sound sleep, disrupted sleep and bedtime consistency. Fitbit aims to provide a more in-depth look at a person's sleeping habits over time via monthly reports.

Users will receive advice on how to fall within the ideal range for each metric, based on their body type. The goal is to help people improve their sleep and overall health. Fitbit notes the feature isn't intended for medical use.

To use Sleep Profile, you'll need to wear a compatible Fitbit to bed for at least 14 nights in a calendar month. Fitbit says you'll receive a more accurate evaluation the more nights you wear it. Among the other metrics the feature tracks include sleep duration, REM sleep and restfulness. 

Fitbit

The metrics will be shown on a monthly aggregate view for the first time, Fitbit says. Sleep Profile will compare a user's trends to what's typical for their age and gender to help them find areas for improvement. Fitbit says it will use animal characters to help users interpret their sleep data. Your animal may change from month to month, but Fitbit says there's no "ideal" creature to aim for.

The company, which says it has analyzed 22 billion hours of sleep data since 2009, notes that the feature will be available on Fitbit Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge 5, Luxe and Inspire 2 devices at the outset. Users will get their first report as soon as the week of July 4th, with subsequent profiles appearing on the first day of each month.

Other smartwatch makers are looking to improve sleep tracking. Apple's watchOS9 will introduce a sleep stage feature that tracks REM, core and deep sleep stages over time.

Twitter has teamed up with Shopify to give merchants in the US an easy way to use the social network to grow their business. Merchants can now add a Twitter sales channel app to their Shopify admin dashboard to access a manager where they can see the social network's shopping tools and features. That sales channel automatically and regularly syncs with Shopify merchants' catalogs, so users won't have to worry about updating product information on multiple platforms. 

That will make it easier for merchants to showcase their products through Twitter's Shop Spotlight, which is a dedicated space at the top of a profile that can display up to five items. Visitors to a merchant's account will be able to scroll through those carousel of products to purchase them without having to leave Twitter. Merchants can also choose to highlight a bigger collection of goods through Twitter's in-app shops, which can list up to 50 handpicked items. Both features used to be on beta testing, but they're now available to all merchants in the US. Those who want to see what the Shopify integration looks like on Twitter may want to check out Trixie Cosmetics, which is one of the first users to take advantage of Twitter sales channel app on Shopify. 

Amir Kabbara, Director of Product at Shopify, said:

"Reaching potential customers where they are is critical to the success of Shopify merchants. Twitter is where conversations happen, and the connection between conversations and commerce is vital. Our partnership with Twitter, and the launch of the Twitter sales channel, will let merchants seamlessly bring commerce to the conversations they’re already having on the platform.” – Amir Kabbara, Director of Product at Shopify."

In addition to its team-up with Twitter, Shopify has announced other new features and products at its first semi-annual showcase called Editions. One of its upcoming offerings is the ability to accept customer payments right from an iPhone using Shopify's Point of Sale. The company has built PoS hardware merchants can attach to their iPhone, and merchants in the US will even have access to the new Tap to Pay on iPhone feature.