Apple brought some design chops back to the iMac lineup with the 24-inch 2021 M1 models, and a pretty good dose of extra performance, too. If you've been looking at getting an 8-core model for productivity or creative chores but found the $1,500 price a tad much, there's good news. The 8GB version with 256GB of storage is now available at Amazon for $1,400, the lowest price we've seen yet. 

The 2021 iMac M1 received an excellent Engadget review score for a variety of reason. With a new M1 chip also found on Apple's MacBooks, it delivers formidable performance for activities ranging from spreadsheets to video editing to gaming. It even loads quickly, waking up almost instantly from sleep mode and getting to the desktop in around 25 seconds from a cold start. On top of that, it's 50 percent quieter than past models.

It's also got a fresh new design, with slimmer bezels and a more refined look. The new 24-inch, 4.5K Retina display is also excellent, thanks to the full DCI-P3 color gamut coverage and 500-nit brightness. Another nice upgrade is the new 1080p FaceTime Camera with larger image sensors and AI tricks that improve exposure, color and noise levels. 

The drawbacks are few, but they include a lack of HDR on the display, a port selection limited to USB-C and the Magic Mouse and Keyboard that can be uncomfortable to use. Also, if you were hoping to pick up a colorful version of the iMac, only the silver model is on sale, alas. Still, it's a nice little saving for deal hunters on a model we haven't seen discounted very often. 

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MGM Resorts is letting applicants try out casino and hotel jobs in virtual reality (VR) before signing on, Business Insider has reported. It's part of a new effort to reduce employee attrition during the "great resignation" that has caused labor shortages in the US and elsewhere during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The casino and resort group is using headsets from a VR company called Strivr that specializes in virtual training for industry health and safety, customer service and more. The idea is to let employees experience typical job activities so that they know what to expect. "It can be very difficult just to verbally explain the types of positions or show a video," MGM Resorts' chief HR officer Laura Lee told BI. Using VR, by contrast, lets applicants "throw a headset on and really experience the job."

MGM plans to use the headsets at its offices and possibly career fairs, starting in January. The idea is to let potential customer service employees experience key aspects of the job, both positive and negative. For instance, the MGM Resorts VR module would include interactions with difficult guests, something that has reportedly become more common with COVID.

The negative interactions could discourage some candidates, but MGM expects that it would also allow for better hiring decisions. The use of the tech "might've resolved some turnover we experienced when people accepted positions and then realized it wasn't quite what they thought it would be," said Lee.

MGM plans to use the tech for its proposed $9.1 billion hotel, resort and casino in Osaka, Japan. It would be the first casino in the nation, so potential employees may not be familiar with typical jobs. As such, the VR option could be offered to candidates (it won't be required) to show them customer-oriented functions like hotel check-ins and gaming operations.

VR might not be the hit everyone expected in the consumer space, but it's certainly caught on with enterprises, particularly for training. MGM also uses Strivr's tech for customer-interaction training with new employees, saying it allows them to fail without consequences while learning a role. "Virtual Reality gives employees the opportunity to think and correct themselves without getting stressed or worried that they did something wrong," Lee said in a Strivr webinar. 

Becoming an astronaut requires perfect 20/20 vision, but unfortunately, the effects of space can cause astronauts to return to Earth with degraded eyesight. Now, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have developed a sleeping bag that that could prevent or reduce those problems by effectively sucking fluid out of astronauts' heads.

More than half of NASA astronauts that went to the International Space Station (ISS) for more than six months have developed vision problems to varying degrees. In one case, astronaut John Philips returned from a six month stint about the ISS in 2005 with his vision reduced from 20/20 to 20/100, as the BBC reported. 

For multi-year trips to Mars, for example, this could become an issue. "It would be a disaster if astronauts had such severe impairments that they couldn't see what they're doing and it compromised the mission," lead researcher Dr. Benjamin Levine told the BBC.

UT Southwestern/NASA

Fluids tend to accumulate in the head when you sleep, but on Earth, gravity pulls them back down into the body when you get up. In the low gravity of space, though, more than a half gallon of fluid collects in the head. That in turn applies pressure to the eyeball, causing flattening that can lead to vision impairment — a disorder called spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome, or SANS. Dr. Levine discovered SANS by flying cancer patients aboard zero-G parabolic flights. They still had ports in their heads to receive chemotherapy, which gave researchers an access point to measure pressure within their brains.

To combat SANS, researchers collaborated with outdoor gear manufacturer REI to develop a sleeping bag that fits around the waist, enclosing the lower body. A vacuum cleaner-like suction device is then activated that draws fluid toward the feet, preventing it from accumulating in the head.  

Around a dozen people volunteered to test the technology, and the results were positive. Some questions need to be answered before NASA brings the technology aboard the ISS, including the optimal amount of time astronauts should spend in the sleeping bag each day. They also need to determine if every astronaut should use one, or just those at risk of developing SANS.

Still, Dr. Levine is hopeful that SANS will no longer be an issue by the time NASA is ready to go to Mars. "This is perhaps one of the most mission-critical medical issues that has been discovered in the last decade for the space program," he said in a statement. 

It's now that much more affordable to scoop up an AirTag and track your keys or bag from your iPhone. Woot is selling single units of Apple's item tracker for $25 to Amazon Prime Members, and $27 for everyone else. The sale runs either until the end of 2021 or supplies run out, so this might be ideal for last-minute gifts or post-holiday splurging. Just be aware that Woot's return policy isn't the same as Amazon's, although you will have until January 31st to return anything purchased by December 31st.

The AirTag has a handful of tricks to help it stand out from other find-my-stuff devices. The NFC-based pairing makes it easy to set up with iPhones, but the real star of the show is ultra-wideband support that helps you find tags with high precision. So long as you have a UWB-equipped Apple handset (the iPhone 11 or newer), you may know the exact spot where you lost your goods — helpful if something fell between the couch cushions.

The main catch, as is often the case with Apple gear, revolves around the ecosystem. While you can use an Android phone to help return an AirTag-equipped device or (soon) spot nearby tags, you'll need an iPhone to set up those tags and track them from afar. You'll also need accessories if you want to clip a tag to a keychain or backpack. The batteries are replaceable, though, and the simple design might be appealing if you think the alternatives are unwieldy or dull.

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People aren't done hijacking major politicians' Twitter accounts for financial gain. TechCrunch reports an intruder temporarily seized control of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter account on December 12th in local time. The attacker tweeted a bogus claim that India had adopted Bitcoin as legal tender and pointed users to a (thankfully broken) scam website. The post was at odds with India's well-known disdain for cryptocurrency.

The Prime Minister's office didn't say much about the incident. It acknowledged that Modi's account had been "briefly compromised," but that it contacted Twitter and "immediately secured" the politician's profile. Twitter told TechCrunch something similar.

It's not certain just who's responsible, or how they hijacked the account (some speculated the attackers exploited a website flaw). This wasn't a large-scale campaign like the one that defaced the Twitter accounts of Joe Biden, Elon Musk and other major figures, though. It's chiefly concerning that someone breached Modi's account in the first place — world leaders are expected to have strict security, and Twitter even has a system for protecting high-profile users against attacks. While those measures aren't foolproof, they theoretically reduce the chances of incidents like this.

Amazon just made it easier to rationalize the Fire TV Cube as a do-it-all speaker and streaming hub. The internet retailer has put the Fire TV Cube on sale for $75, or $45 off. That's a record low price for the media device, and even better than the Black Friday pricing from just two weeks earlier. You may want to act quickly.

The Fire TV Cube is still a very capable box two years after its introduction. It can play the latest 4K HDR video (including in Dolby Vision and HDR10+) from virtually every major video service, complete with Dolby Atmos sound. As a smart speaker, meanwhile, it offers hands-free Alexa that can help you control your smart home or get answers whether or not the TV is turned on.

If there's a reason for pause, it's Amazon's own lineup. The company recently introduced a Fire TV Stick 4K Max that, at a $55 normal price, may be a better value if you're more interested in streaming than Alexa chats. At this sale price, though, the Cube makes plenty of sense if you're looking for a single Amazon device to handle your living room tech duties, whether it's checking the weather or catching up on Wheel of Time.

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CNN just landed a big name for its upcoming streaming video service. The network has revealed that Fox News host Chris Wallace is leaving his TV home of 18 years for CNN+ ahead of that service's early 2022 launch. The departing Fox News Sunday anchor said he was eager for the "freedom and flexibility" streaming would allow for interviewing major figures.

In his last Fox News Sunday show, Wallace said he wanted to both "try something new" and to "go beyond politics." He didn't indicate where he was heading next during that broadcast, however. Wallace is believed to be jumping ship as his contract expires.

WarnerMedia, meanwhile, wasn't shy about touting its coup. The Wallace hire showed CNN's "commitment" to both CNN+ and journalism as a whole, CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker said.

It's too soon to say if CNN's move will prompt a talent war among streaming news outlets like CBSN. Fox News Sundayhasn't always fared well against comparable shows, like Face the Nation. Regardless, Wallace represents a big bet — CNN is clearly hoping his name will draw viewers to its internet-only service and provide an edge over competitors that might only see streaming as a nice-to-have extra.

One of the Halo series' best-known multiplayer modes is coming to Halo Infinite sooner than you might have expected. As Windows Centralnotes, 343 Industries community lead Brian Jarrard has confirmed a dedicated Slayer playlist is coming as part of an update on December 14th. This will be a "basic" mode rather than the variants 343 wanted to release after the holidays, but the developers planned to "bolster and expand" it in the future.

The Slayer playlist is coming alongside three already-promised options that include Fiesta, FFA and Tactical Slayer (SWAT). The December 14th update will also remove or ease the requirements for existing challenges while adding more to accompany the new playlists. There's a new challenge category based on player score that should better reflect your in-game performance, although it's only billed as an "initial step" toward true performance-based experience points.

This addition won't satisfy fans still waiting for promised features like campaign co-op or Forge, which won't arrive until mid-2022 at the earliest. However, the Slayer playlist release shows that 343 is eager to court those enthusiasts as quickly as it can, even if it means stripping out some extras.

Now's a good moment to buy if you've been chasing down the Apple Watch Series 7 as a gift — or as a treat for yourself. Amazon is selling the 41mm GPS model in blue aluminum for $350, a sizeable $50 below the usual price. Green and red models are also down to $380 if they're more your style. And if you'd rather save money with the Apple Watch SE, the gray 40mm model is down to $230 versus its usual $279.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is a subtle iteration of a familiar design, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The large screen (even on the 41mm model) makes a big difference for readability, not to mention control. Dust resistance and a more crack-resistant screen will help for venturing outdoors, while the fast charging should keep you going if sleep tracking or a lengthy workout has chewed through the battery. Add a strong app ecosystem and solid health features and the Series 7 is strong both as a first-time watch and a solid upgrade for anyone coming from Series 4 or earlier.

There are a few catches beyond the usual iPhone requirement. Apple's built-in sleep tracking won't compare to what you get from rivals like Fitbit and Samsung, and the S7 chip isn't a breakthrough in performance. There's not much to tempt an upgrade if you're using a Series 5 or 6. Beyond that, however, t's an easy choice at this reduced price.

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Amazon has explained the Web Services outage that knocked parts of the internet offline for several hours on December 7th — and promised more clarity if this happens in the future. As CNBCreports, Amazon revealed an automated capacity scaling feature led to "unexpected behavior" from internal network clients. Devices connecting that internal network to AWS were swamped, stalling communications.

The nature of the failure prevented teams from pinpointing and fixing the problem, Amazon added. They had to use logs to find out what happened, and internal tools were also affected. The rescuers were "extremely deliberate" in restoring service to avoid breaking still-functional workloads, and had to contend with a "latent issue" that prevented networking clients from backing off and giving systems a chance to recover.

The AWS division has temporarily disabled the scaling that led to the problem, and won't switch it back on until there are solutions in place. A fix for the latent glitch is coming within two weeks, Amazon said. There's also an extra network configuration to shield devices in the event of a repeat failure.

You might have an easier time understanding crises the next time around. A new version of AWS' service status dashboard is due in early 2022 to provide a clearer view of any outages, and a multi-region support system will help Amazon get in touch with customers that much sooner. These won't bring AWS back any faster during an incident, but they may eliminate some of the mystery when services go dark — important when victims include everything from Disney+ to Roomba vacuums.