Xbox controllers can now switch TV input back to your console

You won’t have to reach for a remote the next time you’re ready to return to your Xbox after a TV session. Microsoft is rolling out an update that lets you press the Xbox button on your controller to switch the input to your Series X or Series S. You can flip to cable TV during a download knowing that you just have to grab your controller when you’re ready to play.

The feature depends on the newer Xbox consoles’ support for HDMI-CEC. You can enable it through the “Sleep mode & startup” settings section through the “TV & A/V power options” selection.

The concept isn’t completely new, whether in consoles or for HDMI-CEC devices in general Even so, it’s difficult to complain when this could save you time wading through TV menus just to get back to Halo Infinite.

Xbox Series X/S users can now pin games to resume quickly

The March Xbox update is rolling out, and it brings a few useful features to Microsoft’s consoles. Xbox Series X/S players can now pin two games to the Quick Resume group.

That could be useful if you’re the type of person who, say, likes to play a quick round of Halo Infinite multiplayer or enjoy a Forza Horizon 5 race if you need a break from an Elden Ring boss. Pin a couple games to Quick Resume (by pressing the menu button when you highlight a game tile) and it should be easier to hop between them.

Games you pin to the group will stay there unless you remove them manually or they have a required update. If you already have two pinned and want to add another, the console will ask which one you want to replace.

The Xbox dashboard, showing the Groups section. The Quick Resume group includes two tiles with a pin icon.
Xbox

If you don’t tend to use the Share button often, you might get more out of it if you change its function. You can reassign a different action to the button, such as muting the volume, opening your friends list or achievements or bringing up the search menu. Microsoft says there are more actions available for Elite Series 2 Controllers, Xbox Adaptive Controllers and other devices too via the Xbox Accessories app. There’s also a Xbox controller firmware update, which should improve performance on Xbox One controllers with Bluetooth support, among other things.

Elsewhere, there’s a new audio setup wizard for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. You’ll find it under the “volume and audio output” area of the general settings. It should help you find the optimal settings for your speaker setup.

Amazon is offering Whole Foods jobs to grocery delivery contractors

Amazon is known for its heavy use of gig workers, but it’s reversing that calculus a bit of late, according to a letter to contractors seen by CNBC. The company has offered Whole Foods jobs to a number of its grocery “shoppers,” who pick products from shelves to help fulfill delivery orders. 

“To help continue to offer the best experience for our team and customers, we are transitioning online grocery-fulfillment operations currently operated by Amazon to Whole Foods Market by the end of the year,” the letter reads. “This transition will happen slowly for the majority of stores.” A spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that shoppers would become Whole Foods employees by the end of 2022.

The jobs don’t offer the benefits seen by Amazon’s warehouse employees or full-time Whole Foods employees, like medical benefits and 401K contributions. In fact, workers would appear to get longer shifts, less flexibility, and keep their existing status levels and pay rates — but there would be some opportunities for promotion, according to a job listing. 

Amazon said that it’s aiming to “create a more unified team culture,” with the changes. It is promising flexibility, but schedules would be made up to three weeks in advance and cover two-week periods. By contrast, gig shoppers can currently work “as little as four hours per week” and have “shift flexibility,” according to a recent job posting.

Amazon recently announced that it was closing all of its bookstores, pop-up shops and 4-star stores in a shift in its retail strategy. It’s not clear why it’s shifting shopper contractors to Whole Foods employment, but not all workers are happy. “This is supposed to be a side gig for a lot of people,” a gig worker told CNBC in an email. “If there are changes in terms of shift scheduling/length, I can easily see a lot of people leaving.”