Etsy seller group plans to strike over fee increases

Etsy said it would raise transaction fees from 5 percent to 6.5 percent this April, and sellers aren’t happy. The Vergereports over 5,000 Etsy sellers are planning to go on a week-long strike starting April 11th, the day the fee increase takes effect, in protest over both the hike and previous decisions. They’re also urging customers to boycott the site during that week.

The company has drawn flak multiple times in recent years for policies that have hiked costs or put increased demands on sellers. It started automatically enrolling some sellers in an advertising service in 2020, slapping them with varying fees while denying them a chance to opt out. Etsy also launched a Star Seller program in 2021 that gives badges to sellers who can promise fast shipping, quick turnaround times and high ratings, potentially punishing shops that produce custom goods or otherwise can’t realistically meet the criteria.

The strike and boycott might face some challenges. Etsy communications head Kelly Clausen claimed the higher fees would let the company “increase our investments” in marketing, support and policy enforcement to preserve the site as a “beloved, trusted and thriving marketplace.” Previously, CEO Josh Silverman justified the fees by referencing Etsy’s success to date, including a record high for sales per seller last year.

As protest organizer Kristi Cassidy noted, though, the strike is meant as the first step in creating a broader “solidarity support movement.” In other words, this is an effort to give creators a stronger, unified voice that helps them push back against Etsy policies they see as harmful. In that regard, it’s part of a larger movement to obtain more bargaining power from tech companies that previously held all the clout.

Meta reportedly paid political consultants to smear TikTok

Meta’s long-running fight against TikTok may have gotten dirty. The Washington Post has obtained emails it says reveal that Facebook’s parent company is paying the major political consulting firm Targeted Victory to run a smear campaign against TikTok. The initiative reportedly promoted dodgy local news stories, opinion pieces and letters to the editor blaming TikTok for harmful teen behavior, whether or not it was truly responsible.

The aim was to position TikTok as the “real threat” in the public eye, prompting politicians to crack down on the social media firm while simultaneously promoting Facebook’s worth. This included speculation TikTok might share data with China. The strategy was apparently effective — Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote a letter in September 2021 asking TikTok executives to testify for a subcommittee for allegedly fostering a vandalism challenge whose rumors first circulated on Facebook.

We’ve asked Meta for comment. In a statement to The Post, company spokesperson Andy Stone justified the campaign by claiming that every platform should “face a level of scrutiny consistent with their growing success.” Targeted Victory didn’t address the anti-TikTok campaign, but said it was “proud” of serving Met for several years. TikTok, meanwhile, was “deeply concerned” about the promotion of local news reports that incorrectly blamed it for hurtful trends.

A campaign like this wouldn’t be completely surprising. Meta doggedly pursues rivals that could undermine its core businesses, to the point where it mimics key features. And TikTok is one of the biggest rivals — leaked documents from Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen showed that teens were spending up to “2-3X” more of their time on that social platform than Instagram. In theory, trashing TikTok’s reputation would not only steer some of those users toward Meta’s products, but limit its ability to compete in the first place. 

Bungie lawsuit aims to unmask YouTube copyright claim abusers

YouTube’s copyright claim system has been repeatedly abused for bogus takedown requests, and Bungie has had enough. TorrentFreakreports the game studio has sued 10 anonymous people for allegedly leveling false Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) claims against a host of Destiny 2 creators on YouTube, and even Bungie itself. The company said the culprits took advantage of a “hole” in YouTube’s DMCA security that let anyone claim to represent a rights holder, effectively letting “any person, anywhere” misuse the system to suit their own ends.

According to Bungie, the perpetrators created a Gmail account in mid-March that was intended to mimic the developer’s copyright partner CSC. They then issued DMCA takedown notices while falsely claiming to represent Bungie, and even tried to fool creators with another account that insisted the first was fraudulent. YouTube didn’t notice the fake credentials and slapped video producers with copyright strikes, even forcing users to remove videos if they wanted to avoid bans.

YouTube removed the strikes, suspended the Gmail accounts and otherwise let creators recover, but not before Bungie struggled with what it called a “circular loop” of support. The firm said it only broke the cycle by having its Global Finance Director email key Google personnel, and Google still “would not share” info to identify the fraudsters. Bungie hoped a DMCA subpoena and other measures would help identify the attackers and punish them, including damages that could reach $150,000 for each false takedown notice.

We’ve asked Google for comment. The lawsuit won’t force YouTube to reform its DMCA system, but Bungie is clearly hoping this will add some pressure. As it is, the company believes the fake takedown requests did lasting damage by creating a “chilling effect” for Destiny‘s YouTube stars (who were afraid to post new videos) and damaging the community at large.

Update 3/29/22 5:40pm Eastern: “We take abuse of our copyright takedown process seriously and terminate tens of thousands of accounts every year for violating our policies, which prohibit submitting false information in a takedown request,” a YouTube spokesperson told Engadget over email. “We’ll continue our work to prevent abuse of our systems, and we’re committed to taking appropriate action against those who knowingly misuse our tools.”

Indie hit ‘Unpacking’ comes to PS4 and PS5 this spring

The peaceful, zen-like puzzle gameplay of Unpacking (the real game, that is) will soon be available to the PlayStation crowd. As Polygonsays, Witch Beam and Humble Games have announced that Unpacking will be available on PS4 and PS5 this spring. It’s launching alongside physical releases from Limited Run Games for the PS4, PS5 and Switch versions.

The game is already available in digital form on Macs, Switch, Windows PCs and Xbox consoles.

Unpacking was considered one of the stand-out games of 2021 precisely because it served as an antidote to the chaos and noise of the real world (and, we’d add, many other video games). All you do is unpack items as you settle into a new home — and, ultimately, a new life. The audio and visuals are relaxing by themselves, but the mechanics also encourage patience and curiosity. Throw in a subtle, near-wordless approach to storytelling and you might return just to give yourself a break.

Hackers swipe nearly $600 million from a ‘play to earn’ crypto game

Digital thieves just pulled off another major crypto heist. Motherboard has learned hackers stole 173,600 Ethereum (about $591.2 million) from the Ronin blockchain that powers Axie Infinity, a popular “play to earn” game where players can receive crypto in exchange for playing and paying some starting costs. The perpetrators reportedly exploited a backdoor in a Remote Procedure Call node from Axie creator Sky Mavis to get a signature, letting them “forge fake withdrawals” using compromised private keys.

Sky blamed the flaw on a holdover from the fall. The firm asked for help from the Axie DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) to handle free transactions and help cope with an “immense user load” in November. The move let Sky sign transactions on the DAO’s behalf until December, but the access wasn’t revoked after that point.

The company has responded by ‘pausing’ the Ronin bridge to close off avenues of attack, and has temporarily disabled the Katana decentralized exchange. It hoped to minimize near-term damage by increasing the threshold necessary for validation, but also said it was in the middle of a node migration that would leave the old system behind. Sky intends to track the stolen Ethereum with help from Chainalysis, and is contacting security teams at “major” crypto exchanges.

The theft compounds existing worries for Sky. Motherboard notes Axie Infinity has suffered from plummeting values for its NFTs and tokens in recent months, prompting reforms in a bid to keep the game afloat. An incident like could easily make things worse by not only starving the game of much-needed funds, but rattling the confidence of players.

Sennheiser’s headphones can now switch modes based on location

Sennheiser just delivered a pair of updates that could make its audio gear more compelling, particularly at the end of a long work day. To start, an upgrade to the Smart Control app for Android and iOS can automatically change your headphones’ EQ, noise cancellation levels and other settings based on your location. This isn’t a new feature in the audio world (Sony has offered this for years), but it’ll be appreciated if you want to hear colleagues at the office but tune out the world while at home.

The Smart Control revamp also offers a Sound Check feature to help the EQ match your tastes, and user account support helps you carry settings between device. Sennheiser also promises a more intuitive (not to mention sleeker-looking) interface.

The Ambeo soundbar, meanwhile, is becoming decidedly smarter. Sennheiser is launching an “Ambeo OS” platform that expands the TV speaker’s functionality. You’ll finally get AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect support to stream your music service of choice. And while you can steer the soundbar through Smart Control, you’ll also have a web interface if you’d rather navigate from your computer.

This last update won’t make the Ambeo’s $2,500 sticker easier to handle. It at least provides the kind of connectivity you’d expect for that money, though. And look at it this way: Ambeo OS could make Sennheiser’s more affordable soundbar that much more alluring when it arrives later this year.

YouTube TV is testing 5.1-channel audio on Android TV and Roku

YouTube TV should soon add immersive sound to more platforms. The service is now testing 5.1-channel audio on Android TV (including Google TV) and Roku devices, and expects to make surround sound available on that hardware if all goes “smoothly.” The company is still working on support for Apple TV, Fire TV and game consoles, so don’t despair if your preferred platform is stuck with stereo.

At present, 5.1 audio requires either a “traditional” Chromecast (before Google TV) or a TV set from LG, Samsung or Vizio with a version of the YouTube TV app that runs at least Cobalt 20. The shows themselves need to offer surround sound, of course, but the enhancement should automatically kick in whenever it’s available.

The addition is relatively late when Hulu, Sling TV and other cord cutter services have offered some form of 5.1-channel output for a while. This might give you a reason to try YouTube TV if the audio wasn’t to your liking, though, and it’ll help make the most of your home theater setup.

Kia’s EV9 SUV will move from concept to reality in 2023

If you thought it wouldn’t be long before Kia turned the Concept EV9 into a production model, you guessed correctly. The automaker has revealed that a road-ready version of the electric SUV will be available in Europe in 2023. There was no mention of launches in North America or other regions, but it’s an SUV — it may just be a matter of time before you see the EV9 cruising American and Canadian streets.

Kia didn’t say what would change in the transition from concept to production. However, we’d expect the badge to cut many of the more exotic features, including the yoke, giant wheels, retractable roof rails and lounge-like seating modes. We wouldn’t be surprised if Kia kept the 27-inch display and even the hood-mounted solar panel, though.

The production EV9 might also preserve the claimed specs. The concept promised up to 300 miles of range and 350kW fast charging that could take it from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in 30 minutes. Kia also recently detailed autonomous “Automode” technology for the EV9 that can take over from the driver on the highway.

There are still important unknowns like pricing. Even so, the EV9 could be one of Kia’s most important all-electric vehicles to date, at least in some areas. While the EV6 has been well-received so far, some markets (particularly North America) skew heavily toward crossovers and SUVs. The EV9 could help Kia take on competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4, not to mention reel in buyers who haven’t been thrilled by the Niro EV.

Fortnite’s zero-building mode is here to stay

Epic isn’t wasting time in elevating Fortnite‘s no-build mode. The developer has launched a “Zero Build” format in the Discover page that, as the name implies, takes the game’s signature construction out of the usual last-one-standing gameplay. You’ll have to rely on ‘just’ your weapon and tactical positioning skills to survive. If that sounds like other battle royale games, you’re not wrong — Epic has even tweaked the game to add familiar elements.

You now have a recharging shield to protect yourself instead of having to consume pickups. There are also some decidedly Apex Legends-like “Ascender” ziplines to help you reach blimp-based deployment points, and you can mantle over obstacles. Sprints are available if you need a brief burst of speed to avoid gunfire.

Zero Build is available to play in solo, duo, trio and squad playlists. The addition isn’t a shock, at least. This not only adds some variety to Fortnite, but might keep you from switching to rivals if you’re either frustrated with building or just want the occasional break.

NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is now available for a staggering $1,999

NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is finally here, and it’s clear the no-compromise design comes with the steep price tag to match. The new flagship GPU is now available at an official price of $1,999. That’s $500 more than the ‘base’ RTX 3090, and closer to the price of line-blurring GPUs like the old $2,499 Titan RTX. And don’t be surprised if you pay more thanks to ongoing shortages — we’re already seeing more expensive cards at retailers.

There’s some justification for the steep price, at least. The RTX 3090 Ti effectively fulfills Ampere’s potential with a full 84 Streaming Multiprocessors enabled instead of 82, higher clock speeds (1.67GHz base and 1.86GHz boost) and 24GB of second-generation, higher-clocked GDDR6X memory with a wider 21Gbps of bandwidth. This consumes a massive 450W of thermal design power (the regular 3090 ‘only’ uses 350W), but you’ll know that your game or editing app will run as smoothly as possible with today’s technology.

The issue, as you might guess, is the word “today’s.” You’re spending two grand on what’s very clearly the swan song for NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series graphics chips. The company already confirmed at GTC 2021 that its upcoming Ampere Next architecture (likely the basis for the RTX 40 series) is due later in 2022. You’re spending a lot of money on a GPU that could feel outdated in a matter of months. The RTX 3090 Ti is for well-heeled gamers and creators who can’t (or don’t want to) wait to upgrade.