iOS 16 will support Nintendo’s Joy-Cons and other game controllers

Yesterday at WWDC 2022, Apple discussed how iOS 16 would improve the gaming experience with updated Metal 3 graphics, Game Center improvements and more. Now, it looks like iOS 16 will offer support for more third-party gaming controllers as well, most notably Nintendo’s Joy-Con and Pro controllers, 9to5Mac has reported. 

Developer Riley Testut found that he could play games with Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and Pro controllers on iPhones and iPads with the latest iOS 16 beta release. The update also supports the 8Bitdo, BADA MOGA XP5-X Plus and Logitech F710 Gamepad controllers, according to the internal code spotted by 9to5Mac. 

iOS 16 lets you pair the Joy-Cons as one controller or separately, and you can customize the controls in the Bluetooth settings. You can even dynamically switch between using both Joy-Cons as a single controller or two separate controllers by pressing and holding the screenshot and home buttons. “Apple seriously killed it with this implementation,” said Testut. (In a reply to his tweet, another user noted that Apple apparently initiated support for Switch Pro controllers last year with macOS 12.)

It looks like Apple will be able to add support for more controllers without the need to ship a new iOS version, using something called “mobile assets.” That’s similar to another new feature that allows Apple to automatically issue security updates in between iOS releases. 

Etsy introduces purchase protection measures for both buyers and sellers

Online marketplace Etsy has unveiled a new purchase protection program designed to safeguard both buyers and sellers. Right now, you have limited options if something else goes wrong with a purchase — usually, Etsy will send you back to the seller and let you work out problems with them. Starting August 1st, though, buyers will get full refunds on purchases if they “don’t match the item description, arrive damaged, or never arrive,” Etsy wrote. 

On the seller side, Etsy plans to invest at least $25 million per year to cover refunds for sellers on orders up to $250 for issues out of their control. “This program will help buyers feel more confident when they shop from businesses on Etsy, while we invest directly in our sellers to provide them an important layer of assurance,” said Etsy CEO Raina Moskowitz in a statement. 

Angry Etsy sellers recently went on strike over fee hikes and slow support response times. The company defended the increases by saying it would put the extra money back into the business rather than boosting profits. On top of the $25 million in purchase protection, it recently announced $50 million in spending to improve customer support. It promised to use that money to expand its team, improve live chat support and reduce response times.

“Etsy’s Purchase Protection program will complement our broad efforts to improve customer support, increase trust signals across the user experience, and maintain the integrity of our marketplace as a destination for unique and special items,” said Moskowitz. Whether sellers will be convinced remains to be seen, however. 

Sony and Honda want to make their EV partnership a standalone business

Sony and Honda recently announced plans to build EVs together, with Honda focusing on the manufacturing and Sony creating the mobility service platform. Now, it looks like the companies plan to make it a separate business. “We shared the view that it is better to make the joint venture independent, in the long run, rather than putting it under Sony or Honda,” Sony President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida told Nikkei. 

Yoshida didn’t provide more details, but did say it’s a “possibility” that the companies may sell a stake in the joint venture or have an initial public offering. “I hope to be able to talk a little about it at some point in the near future,” he added. 

The companies announced the joint venture back in March. Sony said it aimed to “fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology,” likely via high-tech interiors and fancy entertainment systems. It added that it wants to create a mobility system “centered around safety, entertainment and adaptability.”

Last year, Honda announced plans to shift its entire vehicle lineup to EVs and fuel-cell vehicles by 2040. As part of that, it’s going to invest $40 billion and launch 30 new EVs by 2030. It’s not yet clear how the Sony tie-up fits into those plans, but Honda is far behind rivals — its only true EV sold in the west is the niche, Europe-only Honda E.

Sony apparently believes that other tech companies like Apple may soon be jumping into the fray, and that EVs will become more connected much like gaming consoles or the company’s Aibo robot dog. “Mobility is becoming more of a service,” he said. “We want to contribute to the evolution of mobility by providing the basis with network functions.” 

TikTok launches a $5 subscription comedy series

TikTok is joining forces with Pearpop to launch a comedy docuseries hosted by creator Jericho Mencke, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s cost $5 for all eight episodes, each 30 minutes long, with the first two running for free for all TikTok users. 

Called Finding Jericho, the series will feature Mencke doing comedic interviews with characters like a clown from Craigslist. It’ll be executive produced by Pearpop executives Zack Bernstein and Austin Sokol, along with Mencke. 

Last month, TikTok unveiled the Live monthly subscription tool for creators on an invitation-only basis, after unveiling the service in January 2022. It allows creators to “increase their earnings while continuing to grow their communities” with perks like subscriber badges, custom emotes and a subscriber-only chat. 

In 2020, TikTok announced a $200 million fund to support creators, but the subscription service gives personalities a more direct stream of income. Pearpop, meanwhile, is a separate platform that allows creators to “monetize their influence” through challenges and brand sponsorships. The first episode of Finding Jericho premiered late yesterday at 9PM PST and following episodes will arrive Tuesday and Thursdays at the same time on the @Jercho1 and @pearpopofficial TikTok accounts.

Elon Musk is reportedly looking to cut the Tesla workforce by 10 percent

Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to cut around 10 percent of jobs at Tesla, according to a report from Reuters. In an email to executives, he wrote that he has a “super bad feeling” about the economy. Including its subsidiaries, Tesla employed around 100,000 people as of the end of 2021, so any layoffs could be substantial.

Tesla has struggled with production more than some automakers, as most of its vehicles bound for Asian and European markets are manufactured in China at its Shanghai factory. Like other firms that manufacture in the nation, it has had difficulty restarting production following COVID-19 lockdowns.

On top of that, investor sentiment has been down due to inflation and the war in the Ukraine. However, the US jobs market is as good as it’s ever been, with unemployment holding steady at a 3.6 percent, the lowest level since the start of the pandemic. Demand for Tesla vehicles remains strong as well, according to Reuters. 

Musk recently told SpaceX and Tesla employees that they had to return to the office full-time or leave the company. His uncompromising stance on remote work contrasts with other major tech companies that have allowed workers to request work-from-home permanently, including Salesforce, Slack and Facebook. Tech talent agency founder Jason Stomel told Reuters that Musk’s stance could be a “disguised layoff” because he “knows there’s a percentage of workers who are just not going to come back.” 

Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Miles Morales’ games are coming to PC

Back in 2017, Sony’s Insomniac Games famously tweeted that its Spider-Man game was a “permanent PS4 exclusive” that would “never appear on Xbox or PC.” Welp, Sony just announced that the Spider-Man series is coming to PC, with Spider-Man Remastered arriving on August 12th, 2022 and Spider-Man: Miles Morales coming in the fall.

Sony mildly acknowledged its previous ultimatum (“That’s right…), while pointing out that the port isn’t due to any lack of success on PS4 or PS5. It said that the series has now sold through more than 33 million copies globally as of May 15, 2022, which makes it one of Sony’s biggest first-party hits. 

From the footage shown in the teaser, the visuals look pretty great. The remastered version includes adjustable render settings and ray-traced reflections, and you’ll of course be able to use your keyboard and mouse. The game “will include the full main story and its continued narrative in Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City that Never Sleeps DLC,” with three accompanying Peter Parker story chapters along with additional missions and challenges, according to Insomniac.

Despite the “never” tweet, a Spider-Man port looked far more likely after Sony purchased Nixxes, a studio known for porting games to PC. Nixxes did in fact do the work, saying it focused on “creating the best possible PC experience that takes advantage of all the exciting possibilities the PC platform has to offer.” As mentioned, Spider-Man Remastered arrives on August 12th and Spider-Man: Miles Morales shortly afterwards in autumn. More information about both games will arrive closer to the launch dates. 

Toyota’s prototype ‘cartridge’ is a way to make hydrogen portable

One of the myriad issues with hydrogen as a clean energy source is infrastructure, as it’s very expensive to move around and store an extremely explosive gas. Toyota and its subsidiary Woven Planet believe they may have a solution with a new portable hydrogen cartridge prototype. The idea is that they can be filled up at a dedicated facility, transported where needed, then returned when you receive your next shipment. 

The cartridges would be relatively small at 16 inches long, 7 inches in diameter and about 11 pounds in weight. Toyota calls them “portable, affordable, and convenient energy that makes it possible to bring hydrogen to where people live, work, and play without the use of pipes.. [and] swappable for easy replacement and quick charging.” 

They could be useful for “mobility [i.e. hydrogen cars], household applications, and many future possibilities we have yet to imagine,” Toyota said. It didn’t mention any specific uses, but it said that “one hydrogen cartridge is assumed to generate enough electricity to operate a typical household microwave for approximately 3-4 hours.”

In its press release, Toyota acknowledges that most hydrogen is made from fossil fuels and so not exactly green. But it thinks that it’ll be generated with low carbon emissions in the future, and that the cartridges could help with some of the infrastructure issues. 

Toyota plans to test that theory by conducting proof of concept trials in various places, including its “human-centered smart city of the future,” Woven City in Susono City, Zhizuoka Prefecture in Japan. The company is also “working to build a comprehensive hydrogen-based supply chain aimed at expediting and simplifying production, transport, and daily usage,” it said. 

Hydrogen is an impractical fuel for automobiles, mainly due to the expense and lack of places to refuel. It’s more viable for things like trains and semi trucks, where electrification can be more of a challenge. It also holds promise for air transportation, as batteries are too heavy to be practical in that situation. However, Toyota seems to be pitching the cartridges for personal and home use, but it’s not yet clear what you’d use them for. 

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 offers more speed and storage capacity

After a leak yesterday spoiled the surprise, Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Laptop Go 2, a $600 starter laptop with premium looks. It looks very much like the original, has an near-identical 12.4-inch 1,536 x 1,024 touch display, anodized aluminum …