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Sega of America plans to lay off 61 employees in March, according to a California WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) report. Eurogamer and X user @WhatLayoff first reported on the government notice, which lists two separate job cuts classified as “layoff permanent” on March 8. It’s the latest chapter in a year-plus of brutal job cuts in the tech and gaming worlds.

California’s WARN Act, passed in 1988, requires employers to provide 60 days’ notice for upcoming layoffs — allowing the affected workers time to prepare. It applies to companies with at least 75 full-time or part-time workers and covers layoffs of 50 or more people within 30 days. It isn’t clear precisely how many workers Sega of America employs.

The WARN report lists separate layoffs (one of 12 and another of 49 workers) at two Irvine, CA-based Sega of America offices. The job cuts both have a “notice” date of January 8, and the reports were “processed” by California on January 29 with “effective” dates of March 8.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Sega in November after the publisher allegedly said it would lay off 80 unionized workers. At the time, the organization said Sega presented the proposal in a captive audience meeting, describing the circumstances as “a clear case of bad faith bargaining.”

The Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA (AEGIS-CWA), the union representing Sega workers in the US, wrote on X Tuesday that the company announced the latest plans “a few months ago,” suggesting the layoffs posted in the WARN notice are part of the same roadmap. The union said Sega plans to outsource quality assurance and some localization work “in a move that would significantly impact our workforce.”

Sega hasn’t publicly confirmed the layoffs. Engadget reached out to a company representative, and we’ll update this article if we hear back.

The layoffs come less than two months after Sega said it would refresh its classics Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Eurogamer notes the company’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which launched last week, has been a high mark for the publisher.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sega-of-america-plans-to-lay-off-61-workers-180100573.html?src=rss 

Online commerce platform eBay will pay $59 million to settle allegations from the Justice Department that it assisted in the sale of pill press machines, which are used to manufacture both legitimate and counterfeit prescription medications. The platform sold thousands of these presses, along with other products to create pills, such as molds, stamps, dies and encapsulating machines. For the uninitiated, encapsulating machines are used to fill capsules with medication.

Pill press machines are used by legitimate pharmaceutical companies to manufacture medication, but they are also a required tool for making counterfeit pills. Criminals use these machines to make fake medications that look like actual prescription pills, typically for sale on the street or via the dark web. When combined with molds, stamps and dies, these fake pills will look exactly like the real McCoy, down to the logos and letters on each side. Additionally, these presses can whip up thousands of pills per hour. 

The issue here is that companies that facilitate the sale of pill presses and related equipment are required to verify the buyers’ identities and send records along to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to ensure the machines can be traced if used illegally. It looks like eBay shirked its duties here, which is a violation of the Controlled Substances Act.

“Through its website, eBay made it easy for individuals across the country to obtain the type of dangerous machines that are often used to make counterfeit pills,” US Attorney Nikolas Kerest told ABC News.

eBay’s failure to follow “basic reporting and record keeping requirements” allowed people to “set up pill factories in their homes and to do so without detection,” added US Attorney Henry Leventis.

Beyond the hefty payout, eBay has agreed to comply with regulations moving forward, so information regarding each pill press machine sold, along with accessories, will be sent to the DEA for perusal. Additionally, many of the people who bought the machines on eBay have been charged in illegal counterfeit pills trafficking cases, according to the DOJ.

This is a big deal, because these counterfeit pills are often filled with all kinds of junk, including fentanyl. The synthetic opioid is largely responsible for the deadliest overdose crisis in US history, with nearly 74,000 people dying from fentanyl overdoses in 2022 alone. This drug accounts for more than two-thirds of overdose deaths in the US. You won’t fall into a coma by touching it, no matter what cops say, but you should still stay far, far away from the stuff.

As for eBay, this isn’t the first time the company had to pony up money to the DOJ. It recently had to pay $3 million to settle a truly bizarre cyberstalking case involving the shipment of live animals. The DOJ is also suing eBay for allowing the sale of aftermarket “defeat devices,” which bypass vehicle emission controls.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ebay-will-pay-59-million-to-settle-doj-suit-involving-over-pill-press-machine-sales-181919125.html?src=rss 

Sony is set to host its first PlayStation showcase of 2024 and it’s shaping up to be a big one. The State of Play stream will run for over 40 minutes and feature more than 15 games. The event starts at 5PM ET and you can watch it below.

We know for sure that we’ll get extended looks at two games in particular: Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin. Shift Up’s Stellar Blade is a Sony-published action-adventure game that’s coming to PS5 at some point this year. Perhaps we’ll get a release date during the showcase. Sony is also publishing Rise of the Ronin, an action RPG from Nioh developer Team Ninja that’s coming to PS5 on March 22. (Sidenote: it sure seems like time for Ghost of Tsushima to make the leap to PC.)

Beyond that, there have been all kinds of rumors about what the State of Play will include. Along with chatter about Death Stranding 2, there have been murmurings that a remake of Until Dawn is coming to PS5 and PC (perhaps ahead of the planned movie adaptation). Given that it’s only a month away, it’s a safe bet that we’ll get another peek at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. We could also get more details on the long-awaited Silent Hill 2 remake, which is a PS5 console exclusive. In any case, we’ll find out new information about a bunch of games that are coming to PS5 and PS VR2 this year and further down the line.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-sonys-latest-state-of-play-here-at-5pm-et-183713629.html?src=rss 

Super Bowl LVIII is right around the corner, which means it’s a solid time to go TV shopping. To help those looking for a new set, we’ve rounded up the best Super Bowl 2024 TV deals we could find from Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers. Most of the discounts stem from the natural pricing cycle of the TV market more than Super Bowl-specific sales, as most sets are released in the spring and gradually drop in price until they’re discontinued the following year. That’s happening again now, and after several TV makers unveiled their 2024 lineups during CES last month, last year’s TVs are likely to fall even further as the year rolls along.

Still, if you want a new living room centerpiece in time to watch the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs, a number of well-regarded TVs have returned to the all-time lows we saw during the holiday shopping season, including 55-, 65- and 77-inch sets from Samsung, TCL and Hisense. While we don’t typically review TVs at Engadget, we’ve scoured reviews from other professionals we trust and double-checked price histories to ensure you get a good deal.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-super-bowl-2024-tv-deals-we-could-find-164515222.html?src=rss 

There are a few go-to names when it comes to robot vacuums and Shark is right up there. The company makes some of the best robot vacuums on the market, and several models are currently on sale. The Shark AI robot vacuum with a self-emptying base is currently available for $350. That’s $300 off the regular price, albeit $50 more than the record low. That said, it was only available for $300 for a short time during the holiday season. You’d be hard pressed to find a better deal on the device at the minute.

This model will run for up to 120 minutes before it needs to recharge, and it will return to its dock to top up the battery when need be. It uses LiDAR to map your home and a matrix grid approach to cleaning the floors, making multiple passes over dirt. The vacuum has a HEPA filtration system to help it capture pet hair, dust and allergens. You can set a cleaning schedule or ask the vacuum to spot clean using your voice thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant support. Best of all, the self-emptying base holds up to 60 days of debris and dirt, so you won’t have to pay too much attention to the machine.

Elsewhere, you can score a notable discount on Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop. That device has dropped to $430, which is $130 off the regular price, but $70 more than the record low we saw during the holiday shopping period. AS the name suggests, this adds a mop on top of vacuum functions. The mopping function can tackle stubborn stains by scrubbing hard floors 100 times per minute. A Matrix Mop feature can improve stain cleaning in targeted zones by 50 percent, Shark claims.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/shark-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-46-percent-off-right-now-170020151.html?src=rss 

The CEOs of Meta, Snap, Discord, X and TikTok testified at a high-stakes Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on child exploitation online. During the hearing, Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron, Linda Yaccarino and Shou Chew spent hours being grilled by lawmakers about their records on child safety. 

The hearing was the first time Spiegel, Citron and Yaccarino testified to Congress. Notably, all three were subpoenaed by the committee after refusing to appear voluntarily, according to lawmakers. Judiciary Committee Chair Senator Dick Durbin noted that Citron “only accepted services of his subpoena after US Marshals were sent to Discord’s headquarters at taxpayers’ expense.”

The hearing room was filled with parents of children who had been victims of online exploitation on social media. Many members of the audience silently held up photos of their children as the CEOs entered the room, and Durbin kicked off the hearing with a somber video featuring victims of child exploitation and their parents.

“Discord has been used to groom, abduct and abuse children,” Durbin said. “Meta’s Instagram helped connect and promote a network of pedophiles. Snapchat’s disappearing messages have been co-opted by criminals who financially extort young victims. TikTok has become a quote platform of choice for predators to access, engage and groom children for abuse. And the prevalence of CSAM on X has grown as the company has gutted its trust and safety workforce.”

During the hearing, many of the senators shared personal stories of parents whose children had died by suicide after being exploited online. “Mr. Zuckerberg, you and the companies before us — I know you don’t mean it to be so — but you have blood on your hands,” Senator Lindsey Graham said in his opening remarks. The audience applauded. 

While years of similar hearings have so far failed to produce any new laws, there is growing bipartisan support in Congress for new safety regulations. As Tech Policy Press points out, there are currently more than half a dozen bills dealing with children’s online safety that have been proposed by senators. These include the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would require platforms to create more parental control and safety features and submit to independent audits, and COPPA 2.0, a revised version of the 1998 Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, which would bar companies from collecting or monetizing children’s data without consent.

Senators have also proposed a number of bills to address child exploitation, including the EARN IT Act, currently in its third iteration since 2020, and the STOP CSAM Act. None of these have advanced to the Senate floor for a vote. Many of these bills have faced intense lobbying from the tech industry, though some companies in attendance said they are open to some aspects of the legislation.

Zuckerberg suggest a different approach, saying he supported age verification and parental control requirements at the app store level, which would effectively shift the burden to Apple and Google. Meta has come under particular pressure in recent months following a lawsuit from 41 states for harming teens’ mental health. Court documents from the suit allege that Meta turned a blind eye to children under 13 using its service, did little to stop adults from sexually harassing teens on Facebook and that Zuckerberg personally intervened to stop an effort to ban plastic surgery filters on Instagram.

Developing…

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 or you can simply dial 988. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK). Wikipedia maintains a list of crisis lines for people outside of those countries.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senate-tells-social-media-ceos-they-have-blood-on-their-hands-for-failing-to-protect-children-170411884.html?src=rss