Apple employees demand more flexibility after returning to office
Earlier this month, Apple had employees return to work at the corporate office in a hybrid format. This has taken place slowly. They’re currently in the office one day per week, but according to company policy, by May 23 employees will need to be in office at least three days per week.
However, some employees have not warmed up to the idea of returning to the office. Organizing under a new group called “Apple Together,” these individuals are advocating for employees’ well-being and rights. In a letter addressed to company leadership on Apple Together’s website Friday, these employees push leadership for increased flexibility.
As Apple continues its return to office plan, the company is encouraging people to “show their team spirit” by participating in a weekly photo challenge & getting their hands on the latest spirit swag, according to an internal note. One employee described it as “severance vibes”
The letter provides multiple reasons why the employees of Apple Together believe remote work should still be an option.
We tell our customers about how amazing our products can be for remote work but we cannot actually use them remotely. How can we expect our customers to take that seriously? If we haven’t lived it, how can we possibly understand the problems that remote work presents in our products?
It goes on to state how commuting is “a huge waste of time as well as both mental and physical resources.” There’s also the argument of how this hybrid model affects the diversity of the company’s workforce.
The final paragraph says it all:
As Steve stated, “It’s not logical to hire intelligent people and then tell them how to work.” “We hire smart people to tell us what they should do.”
You can earn Nintendo Switch Sports unlockables without Nintendo Switch Online
Nintendo Switch Sportsis, effectively, a party game played with friends. And, 99% of the time, you’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play online multiplayer on any game on the Switch. You can play Nintendo Switch Sports , online by yourself, earning progression towards unlockables.
This may sound hair-splitting but it works. You’ll just be competing against very easy CPU competition in “online” single-player modes. But you will earn points that can be put toward unlockables.
We saw it for ourselves earlier today. You can create a guest account if you have Nintendo Switch Online and log in using that. When you tee up a single-player match, you get a screen informing you that you’ll be playing in trial mode.
Image: Nintendo via Polygon
As we found out after a quick — and easy — badminton match, we still picked up points that can go toward rewards. So, if you’re reading that you don’t need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play Nintendo Switch Sports, that’s technically correct. And that, as we all know, is the best kind of correct.
DxOMark: OnePlus 10 Pro’s cameras score poorly, places behind the Mi 10 Pro
DxOMark published its review of the OnePlus 10 Pro’s camera and it appears to be in line with most of the reviews out there. It is clear that this handset does not match its competitors in quality. As a result, the handset takes 27th place in DxOMark’s global ranking, right behind the likes of Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, Mi 11 Pro, vivo X60 Pro+ and Apple iPhone 12 Pro. All are more than year-old flagships.
The most notable cons DxOMark pointed out are color artifacts with a pink-ish cast, especially in low-light conditions, ghosting and fusion artifacts. Subpar ultrawide camera performance, white balance issues in low-light and lack of detail in videos with good lighting conditions were also mentioned.
However, that doesn’t mean the OnePlus 10 Pro doesn’t have its advantages. For example, the reviewers found that the dynamic range during the day and indoors is excellent and so is the detail. The telephoto camera does a great job and noise is not an issue. The low-light videos also show good detail.
For a deeper analysis on the camera performance of this handset, please visit the complete review linked below.
9to5Mac Happy Hour 379: Apple Self Service Repair store, Studio Display firmware update and Apple Pay Cash changes
The long-awaited Studio Display firmware upgrade is now available to resolve all issues with the webcam. Apple also launched the Self Service Repair Store. Benjamin and Zac also discuss the newest developments with Apple Pay Cash, the App Store old app purge, and more.
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Don’t sell D’s armor in Elden Ring — you will regret it
I can’t bear clutter in my real life and in my videogames. Those people who save up all of their potions and power-ups, not breaking them out even when they’re facing the last boss of a video game? It’s hard for me to relate. If I get something in a game, I use it. I will sell the item if I don’t intend to use it. This is what I have been doing in Elden Ring ,, and it has all been great — until the past week when I realized that I had made serious tactical mistakes.
[Warning: The following contains spoilers for Fia’s questline in Elden Ring.]
I’d like to emphasize that I made it quite far in Elden Ring before my penchant for selling items became a problem. At the time of writing this post, I’ve played for 87 hours, and I still keep my inventory as clean as a whistle. Except for Fia’s questline, when I felt strongly regretting my decisions, I have no regrets.
Fia, an NPC from Elden Ring , offers you a hug whenever you visit the Roundtable Hold. This safe place is where you can upgrade your weapons and perform administrative tasks. After you have reached a certain level in the game Fia will ask you to give her a dagger.
She won’t tell you to whom the dagger belongs, but if you happen to talk to a guy named D, you’ll have the option to give him the dagger. If you do give it to him, though, Fia will use it to murder him, after which you’ll be able to grab the armor off of his corpse.
You can guess what I did next. I sold the entire set. I’ve been wearing Radahn’s set of armor since I beat him, and it’s stronger than D’s armor, which was worth thousands of runes. I often sell armor to the blacksmith while I’m upgrading my weapons, because many times I need only a few runes to pay for the job, and he’s got a “Sell” option right there (although, importantly, there is no buy-back mechanic).
After selling D’s armor, I continued on in Fia’s questline. Next came the battle against Valiant Gargoyles of Nokron. Even with my Mimic Tear summon to help me out, I found it to be a tough fight. They spit out a lot of poison, and there are two of them; you’ve got to keep one distracted so you can take out the other. After a few tries, I looked up whether or not I could summon any NPCs to help me get through this fight. It turned out that the NPC outside of the boss arena was D’s brother. He’s cursed to go to sleep forever unless I give him D’s armor. It would have been possible to awaken him and get his assistance with the gargoyles if I had held on.
Image: FromSoftware via Polygon
Image: FromSoftware via Polygon
Image: FromSoftware via Polygon
Image: FromSoftware via Polygon
Folks, I still have not beaten those gargoyles. I’ve gained several levels. I beat some mid-bosses at the Mountaintops of the Giants. I also redid Renalla’s character build to make me a stronger force. When I return, I believe I will be able take out the gargoyles.
Yet I have to admit: I fucked up. Also, I was repeatedly warned about my behavior. Whenever I would stream Elden Ring with my pals on Discord, they would tell me that my empty inventory screens made them feel “stressed out.” My coworker Mike McWhertor saw me bragging in Polygon’s Slack about how often I sell stuff in Elden Ring and he didn’t mince words, telling me, “I cannot support this behavior.” Readers, I admit: I thought this mindset was ridiculous. What’s the point of holding on to weak swords or leggings that I have never worn? It was worthwhile, even if it cost a few ranes. Each rune is important!
But if I had only searched online as to whether D’s armor had any plot relevance, I would have easily avoided this — and usually, I do check that, but I saw the high rune cost and cashed in. I regret my mistake, yet I don’t intend to change my lifestyle choices, even though I also regret the time period when I sold my GameCube and all of its games (including Super Smash Bros. Melee) because I was short on cash at the time and I didn’t think I’d care that much in the future.
It can be difficult to decide what is worth keeping and what should be thrown out. My penchant for getting rid old stuff has helped me keep my home clean and not stress me. However, in Elden Ring , I have no reason to make this mistake. I could have simply Googled it. It is my hope that I will do it again next time. But no promises.
Apple TV+ renews ‘Pachinko’ as ‘The Afterparty’ picks up new plot and cast members
New details have landed about several Apple TV+ shows today. The international epic drama series Pachinko has been renewed for a second season, The Afterparty cast for season two has been revealed along with a teaser of the new plot, and a new Charlie Brown special is coming next week.
Pachinko season two
As my colleague Benjamin Mayo pointed out last month, the first eight-episode season of Pachinko covers about 1/3 of the book the show is based on. The showrunner also allegedly created a 4-season series arc.
In a press release today, Apple shared ahead of the season one finale that Pachinko will be renewed for a second season. Creator, writer, and executive producer Soo Hugh shared excitement about the news:
“Words cannot express my joy in being able to continue telling the extraordinary story of this indomitable family,” said creator, writer and executive producer Hugh. “I’m grateful to the amazing team at Apple and Media Res studio for believing and supporting this show, and to our passionate fans who have cheered us on. It’s an honor to be able to continue working with this amazing cast and crew.”
The Afterparty season two – new cast and plot
Just before coming to a resolution in the modern whodunnit’s first season, we learned that The Afterparty was getting renewed. Now a new report from Variety reveals the cast and general plot for season two.
Season 1 stars Sam Richardson, Zoe Chao and Tiffany Haddish are back. However, the rest of The Afterparty’s cast seems to be fresh as “The Afterparty” season 2 will revolve around a murder at an .”
wedding.
The new cast members are: Zach Woods (“Silicon Valley,” “The Office”) as Edgar; Elizabeth Perkins (“Sharp Objects,” “Weeds”) as Isabel; Poppy Liu (“Dead Ringers,” “Hacks,” “Better Call Saul”) as Grace; Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird,” “Cruella”) as Travis; Anna Konkle (“Pen15”) as Hannah; Jack Whitehall (“Travels With My Father,” “Jungle Cruise”) as Sebastian; and Vivian Wu (“Away,” “Dead Pigs”) as Vivian.
Snoopy presents: To Mom (And Dad), With Love
And finally, a new Peanuts cartoon is arriving on Apple TV+ on Friday, May 6 ahead of Mother’s Day.
“To Dad (And Mom), With Love” celebrates friendship and family with the Peanuts. Peppermint Patty isn’t excited about the occasion, but it’s a reminder of the fact that her mom wasn’t there when she was growing up. With her good friend Marcie by her side, she soon realizes that real families come in all shapes and sizes, and that Mother’s Day is an opportunity to thank that special person in your life who means the most to you. Snoopy, Woodstock and Woodstock set out on an adventure to search for Woodstock’s mom.
Resolve is a confusing but necessary stat in Rogue Legacy 2, as it essentially caps how many Relics you can carry. Our Rogue Legacy 2 Resolve guide explains how Resolve works and what you can do to increase it.
What is Resolve?
Resolve is the little stat next to the white glowing flame in the top left corner of your screen and it represents your Heir’s confidence in their own abilities. Higher stats indicate more confidence.
The non-loremeaning is that the Heir’s Resolve decreases as you equip more armor and relics.
If your Resolve is below 100%, your Heir loses Max HP by an equal percentage. You start the game with 225% Resolve at default.
What affects Resolve?
You can increase your starting Resolve through the Psychiatrist upgrade in the skill tree, and several other upgrades improve things that passively affect Resolve, like armor weight and Relic Resolve cost.
Wearing excessive armor can directly reduce your Resolve. Also, you will be able to pick up Relics which usually have a cost. The closer your character is to holding their max weight in armor, the less Resolve they’ll have.
You’ll have to consider how you can accommodate your style without losing too much of Resolve.
Image: Cellar Door Games via Polygon
If you rarely get hit by enemies, cutting down on your Resolve below 100% may be worth it to pick up extra abilities to help you clear out rooms and challenges. However, if you’re damage-prone, you might want to focus on armor to help reduce your HP loss.
Skull & Bones gameplay leak shows six minutes of footage
Ubisoft Singapore’s Skull & Bones was a long-awaited release. Announced at E3 2017, the pirate adventure has been delayed for several years; the most recent update from Ubisoft came in September 2020, more than 18 months ago.
Skull & Bones finally resurfaced Friday when a Redditor uploaded a leak showing six minutes gameplay. It described it as a tutorial video meant for Alpha testers — and detailed the “infamy system” as well as crafting features. Ubisoft has confirmed that this leak is genuine to Polygon.
The leaked footage comprises a narrated tutorial video that goes over the infamy system, which tracks your reputation as a pirate. As you rank up your infamy, you’ll get access to new opportunities like the ability to build better and cooler-looking ships. To level up, you will be able to make “high-risk, high-reward” contracts with NPCs in the game, the narrator says, as well as explore, plunder, and complete world events.
Along with exploring the land, you can also set sail to board ships and navigate them — Skull & Bones a pirate game. The video emphasizes survival elements and the importance of keeping your ship well stocked. You can’t give your crew enough food and they will rebel against you. According to the video, crafting is an “essential” part of the game that will allow you to upgrade your ship’s stats, like attack damage and HP.
Asked for comment on the leak, a Ubisoft representative confirmed to Polygon that the footage comes from an “early version” of Skull & Bones:
We can confirm this is a glimpse of our upcoming game Skull & Bones. We recently ran a technical testing of the game, and some details were made public. This video footage was taken from an early version of the game and doesn’t reflect the quality and features of the final game. More information about the game will be available soon.
Skull & Bones‘ development has been plagued with setbacks. It was first shown at E3 2017 and has since been delayed several times. The game was originally supposed to come out in 2019, and then got pushed to 2020. It’s 2022 now, but it looks like this ship might finally be ready to set sail.
So far, there’s been no substantive update on Skull & Bones from Ubisoft. However, the game’s official Twitter account posted a brief clip this morning with the text “Keep your eyes on the horizon…” and a desert island emoji. It’s only the second tweet from the account since the aforementioned development update in September 2020.
Destiny 2 Xur April 29-May 3, location and items guide
The weekly Exotic item merchant, Xur, hangs out in random locations around the world of Destiny. In Destiny 2, he can appear all over the map, as well as inside the Tower. This week, you can find Xur in Nessus, standing on a giant tree overlooking the Watcher’s Grave.
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Xur’s inventory this week consists of the following:
Hard Light, Arc/Solar/Void auto rifle: 29 Legendary Shards
Gemini Jester, Hunter legs: 23 Legendary Shards
Mk. 44 Stand Asides, Titan legs: 23 Legendary Shards
Nezarec’s Sin, Warlock helmet: 23 Legendary Shards
Exotic Engram: 97 Legendary Shards (you can now purchase a second with an Exotic Cipher)
Exotic Cipher quest: free
As of Season of the Risen and The Witch Queen, Xur sells a random roll of both Hawkmoon and Dead Man’s Tale each week.
As of Season of the Lost, Xur also sells a collection of old armor and weapons — similar to Banshee-44 and Ada-1. Usually, these items are difficult to find and from seasons long past. Each item (whether armor or weapon) costs only 1,000 Glimmer and 50 Legendary Shards.
Xur’s Legendary inventory this week consists of the following:
Seventh Seraph Carbine, Arc auto rifle
Jian 7, Arc pulse rifle
False Promises, Kinetic auto rifle
Timeline’s Vertex, Solar fusion rifle
Widow’s Bite, Solar sniper rifle
Negative Space, Solar sword
Frozen Orbit, Void sniper rifle
Season of the Splicer armor set
Xur’s items drop at a power level similar to that of your character.
Hard Light
Hard Light’s exotic perk, Volatile Light, causes its projectiles to have no damage fall-off at range, and to pierce targets and ricochet off walls. Shots that bounce off of walls deal bonus damage. Hard Light can also shift between all three elemental types by holding down the reload button.
Hard Light is a great gun for matching elements in a Nightfall or for PvP. Pick this up if you don’t have it.
Gemini Jester
Gemini Jester is one of the Exotics added in Curse of Osiris. Its main exotic perk is Misdirection. If you dodge near an enemy, you’ll disorient them, removing their radar if they’re a human player. This is a decent PvP exotic if you’re sick of running the classics. To be successful, you must be near the target.
Xur’s roll this week comes with 62 total stats.
Mk. 44 Stand Asides
The Mk. 44 Stand Asides‘ main perk in Destiny 2 is Seriously, Watch Out. When Titans are equipped with Seismic Stike ,, Shield bash and they have maximum health, they can get an Overshield while sprinting at full speed. Your melee energy is quickly replenished when you strike an enemy using these abilities. This perk works well for Titans who are aggressive, particularly in PvP. If you have a Titan, pick these up.
Xur’s roll this week comes with 68 total stats.
Nezarec’s Sin
Nezarec’s Sin isn’t a particularly exciting Warlock helmet, but it’s very good. The main perk is Abyssal Extractors, which causes Void damage kills to recharge your ability energy. It’s boring but it is very effective. This includes Void damage from your subclass and from your energy or power weapons. If you ever play Voidwalker or have a Void weapon that you use all the time, pick up this great helmet.
Xur’s roll this week comes with 69 total stats.
Exotic Cipher quest
Image: Bungie via Polygon
Starting in Beyond Light, Xur has a new quest for an Exotic Cipher. You can buy Exotics at the Monuments to Lost Light kiosk located in the tower with the Exotic Cipher. These items will be required along with other currency to purchase Exotics such as Heir Apparent or Truth.
This week, Xur wants you to complete 21 Strikes or win Crucible or Gambit matches. You’ll get an Exotic Cipher if you complete the quest.
Google I/O schedule hints at what to expect from this year’s event
This year’s I/O keynote is targeted at developers who work with Android’s ecosystem. However, we get to often see hardware or hear exciting news about Google’s future products. The company published a schedule of the keynote that gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect.
The event will kick off with Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, who should give us a rundown of the company’s future plans, green projects and privacy. Some believe that we are about to finally see the Pixel Watch and also a budget Pixel 6a smartphone.
The program suggests that some AI-related announcements are due. Perhaps some new Google Assistant features and improvements await along with smart speakers for our homes.
After all the hardware talk, the conversation will likely transition into more technical stuff regarding Android 13 and the next-generation Wear OS. Some developers talk about Chrome OS, AR and AI are also expected.
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