Federal labor regulators say Amazon illegally fired two employees

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It's Tuesday, April 06, 2021.

Amazon might be going from strength to strength business-wise, but it’s having a tough week in the public eye. The National Labor Relations Board says Amazon illegally fired two employees that publicly criticized its climate and workplace practices. Former employees Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa were let go last year for repeatedly violating Amazon's internal policies that forbid workers from publicly discussing the company without formal approval. The decision prompted the Labor Relations Board to investigate claims that Amazon was retaliating against employees who organize or participate in protests. The news also comes not long after the company offered a public apology for tweets attacking criticism of working conditions for some of its drivers.

Cunningham and Costa's high-profile case gained national attention after they lambasted the retailer for its climate policies last year in a video shared by Bernie Sanders. They later spoke out against the company's workplace conditions during the pandemic. According to recent reports, the labor agency has also seen the number of complaints against Amazon's meddling more than triple during the pandemic. The board added it would accuse the company of unfair labor practices if it did not settle the case with the two former workers.

— Mat Smith

Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th

After that, you may never know.

Yahoo Answers will shut down on May 4th, 2021. The website has been around since 2005, making it one of the longest-running Q&A platforms on the internet. The shut-down process starts later this month, and the site plans to stop accepting new submissions from April 20th. After May 4th, you'll have until June 30th to download an archive of content you posted to the website. When the dust has settled, eventually the Yahoo Answers webpage will redirect to the Yahoo homepage. Continue reading.

'Star Trek: Picard' season two will debut on Paramount+ in 2022

And more ‘Discovery’ later this year.

To celebrate a fictional day in the future when humanity first made contact with the Vulcans (stop rolling your eyes), the Star Trek freight train announced the airdates for both Picard and Discovery. Production on Picard season 2 has started, with the show scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ in 2022. In a teaser showing off new footage, Paramount also announced that season four of Star Trek: Discovery will make its debut later this year. The series will, of course, only be available on Paramount+ upon release, along with the first seasons of Prodigy and Strange New Worlds and a new season of the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks.Continue reading.

TP-Link's latest WiFi 6 router packs 4.8Gbps speeds at a reasonable price

If you can’t wait for WiFi 6E routers later this year, this will probably fit the bill.

TP-Link has introduced the Archer AX5400 (aka Archer AX73), a WiFi 6 box that promises speedy access while keeping the price vaguely in check. The dual-band device mates six antennas with newer tech (such as HT160 and 1024-QAM) to deliver 5.4Gbps of total bandwidth and 4.8Gbps with WiFi 6.

The AX5400 is available now through Amazon for $200. It's not the lowest-priced WiFi 6 router you'll find (TP-Link's range starts at $90), but it arguably strikes a better balance between the modest speeds of the AX3000 and the spare-no-expense AX6000. Continue reading.

Samsung's Adidas-branded Galaxy Buds Pro come in a snapback-shaped case

There’s a sneaker coupon, too.

Samsung is co-branding with Adidas to create some buzz around its latest wireless earbuds. The Galaxy Buds Pro Adidas Original Special Pack comes in what looks like a mini sneaker box with the classic green-and-white Stan Smith branding. The snapback case is made of recycled plastic, and the Galaxy Buds Pro themselves are made of 20 percent post-consumer materials. The special edition Buds Pro will go on sale on April 7th in a limited edition of 6,000 units for 279,000 KRW ($250), only available in South Korea. Continue reading.

Someone made a playable TV-sized Nintendo Switch

Pandemic project!

YouTuber Michael Pick made a Switch that’s 650 percent larger than Nintendo's portable hybrid. He claims it's the world's largest fully functioning Nintendo Switch, weighing in at 65 pounds and measuring 30 inches tall and 70 inches wide. You have to really stretch for those trigger buttons. If you think the entire endeavor is ridiculous, Pick says his goal was to create a Switch that was "harder to lose" — which I think he has achieved. He ends his YouTube tale by donating his creation to a nearby affiliate of St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Don’t worry, there’s a connected normal-sized controller. Continue reading.