30 deals on items designed to make working from home a little easier

A lot of companies are either still remote or have adopted hybrid models, meaning that millions of people are still working in their jammies. And while remote working is in some ways more convenient than commuting to an office, it’s still hard to make one’s home conducive to productivity.

To help make workdays more enjoyable for the people in your life who work from home, here are 30 gift ideas, from productivity picks to items designed for comfort. As of Dec. 12, they’re all on sale for a limited time.

U-STREAM Home Streaming Studio with 10″ Ring Light and Tripod

This bundle consists of a ring light, an adjustable tripod, and a non-slip phone holder, and helps anyone look their best in any video conference call or stream. Formerly $99, it’s on sale for just $35.

Person holding shoes with a laptop in her lap in front of ring light on stand

Credit: Aduro

U-STREAM Home Streaming Studio with 10″ Ring Light & Tripod

$35 at the Mashable Shop

Omega 2.0 Inkless Pen

This eco-friendly writing instrument features an AXL-METAL tip that doesn’t require sharpening and lays down a grey line that won’t smudge or erase. It’s usually $41, but you can get it on sale for $29.99.

black stylus at the end of "Omega 2.0" in handwriting on page

Credit: Omega

Omega 2.0 Inkless Pen

$29.99 at the Mashable Shop

Sinji Ergonomic Mouse

This mouse is designed to support the hand in an upright neutral position. It’s originally $33, but you can grab it on sale for $22.95.

Black computer mouse

Credit: Sinji

Sinji Ergonomic Mouse

$22.95 at the Mashable Shop

Wickedbone: Smart Interactive Dog Toy

If your friend is a pet parent, the Wickedbone will keep their pet occupied. Normally retailing for $99, it’s on sale for $69.95.

White dog bone with blue lights in the middle

Credit: Cheerble

Wickedbone: Smart Interactive Dog Toy

$69.95 at the Mashable Shop

BentoStack PowerHub 5000

This stackable case combines a charging cover, Type-C hub with eight ports, and storage compartment, reducing desk clutter significantly. It usually goes for $159, but you can get it on sale for $99.99.

Black tray with white stylus on it and text reading "Type-C hub with 8 ports"

Credit: Function101

BentoStack PowerHub 5000

$99.99 at the Mashable Shop

Mini Portable Water Cooling Fan

Small and lightweight enough to be placed in one’s workspace, this cooling fan is capable of delivering a stream of cool air for up to 10 hours on a single charge. It’s normally $69, but you can snag it on sale for $39.99.

Green cubic fan

Credit: Sophicate

Mini Portable Water Cooling Fan

$39.99 at the Mashable Shop

EC1 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk

Help your pal avoid the sedentary lifestyle with this standing desk, which has an electric single motor mechanism and an up and down keypad, allowing them to switch between sitting and standing in 10 seconds or less. Formerly $299, it’s on sale for $254.99 for a limited time.

Black table with higher/lower switch

Credit: Flexispot

EC1 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk

$254.99 at the Mashable Shop

SyncPen 2nd Generation Smart Pen with Notebook

With a motion-tracking sensor, the SyncPen2 turns everything your friend writes into digital text, so they won’t have to manually encode it to their computer. It typically retails for $199, but you can score it on sale for $149.99.

Black stylus, writing pad, and blue and black case

Credit: NEWYES

SyncPen 2nd Generation Smart Pen with Notebook

$149.99 at the Mashable Shop

Skill Set Scientific Desk Toy + Magnet Shield

The ultimate stress reliever, this fidget toy is designed with the magnetic principle called Lenz’s law in mind. It’s originally $129, but you can get it on sale for $105.95.

Red and silver cylinder with silver ball on top

Credit: Feel Flux

Skill Set Scientific Desk Toy + Magnet Shield (Red)

$105.95 at the Mashable Shop

Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser + Lemongrass Essential Oil

User-friendly and portable, this diffuser is designed to spread mist, prevent dry air, and provide stress-relieving calmness. Formerly $89, it’s on sale for $65.99 for a limited time.

Brown aromatherapy diffuser with two bottles of essential oil

Credit: Pur-Well

Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser + Lemongrass Essential Oil

$65.99 at the Mashable Shop

EZE Back Cool Memory Foam Seat Cushion

This seat cushion is designed to disperse body heat and offer full, contoured support, helping maintain a healthy posture. It’s usually $69, but you can snag it on sale for $49.99.

Blue and white cushion

Credit: Daiwa Felicity

EZE Back Cool Memory Foam Seat Cushion (Blue)

$49.99 at the Mashable Shop

LifePro FlexCycle Under Desk Exercise Bike

This bike can fit under a desk, allowing your friend to get a workout in while firing off emails. Normally retailing for $259, it’s on sale for $174.99 for a limited time.

Black compact exercise bike pedals

Credit: LifePro Fitness

LifePro FlexCycle Under Desk Exercise Bike

$174.99 at the Mashable Shop

FlexiSpot M7C Desk Riser with Deep Keyboard Tray

This standing desk converter features a flexible height adjustment feature that enables the user to customize its height. It originally goes for $169, but it’s on sale for $149.99 for a limited time.

Black double-layered desk with computer and laptop on different levels

Credit: Flexispot

FlexiSpot M7C Desk Riser with Deep Keyboard Tray

$149.99 at the Mashable Shop

DynaMini Massage Gun with Interchangeable Heads

This massage gun delivers a powerful message to help facilitate muscle recovery, relieve stiffness and soreness, and promote blood flow. Grab it on sale for $99.99 (usually $124).

Black massage gun with four heads and a blue/orange case

Credit: LifePro Fitness

DynaMini Massage Gun with Interchangeable Heads (Black)

$99.99 at the Mashable Shop

Oculamp: Eye Safe 3-Function Desk Lamp

Equipped with three lighting modes, this all-day, all-night desk lamp lets users control light for different times of the day with just a few taps. It’s usually $175, but you can get it on sale for $119.99.

White and silver vertical, bent desk lamp

Credit: Ocushield

Oculamp: Eye Safe 3-Function Desk Lamp

$119.99 at the Mashable Shop

Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Glasses

Thanks to anti-glare, anti-fog, and full UV protection, this pair of glasses protects the eyes of the wearer, reduces eye strain, and could potentially help improve sleep. Grab a pair on sale for $39.99 (usually $84).

Clear glasses

Credit: Ocushield

Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Glasses (Carson/Clear White)

$39.99 at the Mashable Shop

CleanLight™ UV Sanitizing Water Bottle

This water bottle utilizes UV-C light to eliminate germs. It also features double-wall stainless steel, ideal for keeping drinks cold or warm all day. While it’s normally $109, you can snag it on sale for $79.99.

Black water bottle with cross-section showing antibacterial interior

Credit: CleanLight

CleanLight™ UV Sanitizing Water Bottle

$79.99 at the Mashable Shop

TOSOT Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

A dry office can kill productivity and comfort. This humidifier is equipped with three different mist output levels and a 360-degree mist nozzle that can cover the entire room. Usually $49, it’s on sale for $39.99.

White humidifier with stream of water pouring in

Credit: TOSOT

TOSOT Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

$39.99 at the Mashable Shop

xFyro Active Noise Cancelling AI-Powered Wireless Earbuds

With AI-powered active noise cancellation and a four-mic system, these earbuds are capable of blocking out ambient noise and optimizing the listening experience. Normally $250, they’re on sale for $39.99 for a limited time.

Black earphones next to black case

Credit: xFyro

xFyro Active Noise Cancelling AI-Powered Wireless Earbuds

$39.99 at the Mashable Shop

Logitech 920004088 Wireless Keyboard

This keyboard is designed for tight workspaces and has 12 one-touch activity keys for easy access to things people tend to do the most, including email and social media. It typically retails for $30, but you can get it on sale for $24.99.

Black keyboard

Credit: Logitech

Logitech 920004088 Wireless Keyboard

$24.99 at the Mashable Shop

Apple Watch Series 2 42mm – Gray/Black

The Apple Watch Series 2 is designed to help people keep a close eye on their well-being, thanks to features like an advanced activity tracker, customized metrics, WiFi connectivity, and more. Grab a refurbished unit on sale for $169.95 (normally $399).

Black apple watch with time and schedule display

Credit: Apple

Apple Watch Series 2 42mm – Gray/Black (Refurbished)

$169.95 at the Mashable Shop

Google WiFi AC1200 Mesh WiFi System

With an impressive 1500 square feet of coverage, this whole-home mesh WiFi system provides seamless coverage across the user’s entire home. Normally $99, it’s on sale for $89.99.

White cylindrical google home device

Credit: Google

Google Wifi AC1200 Mesh WiFi System – Wifi Router – 1500 Sq Ft Coverage (New)

$89.99 at the Mashable Shop

Logitech 960001257 HD Pro Webcam

Engineered with a 2.07MP sensor, 78-degree field of view, and HD autofocus and light correction, this webcam can capture crisp, clearly detailed footage. It usually goes for $89, but it’s on sale for $79.98.

Black webcam in cross shape

Credit: Logitech

Logitech 960001257 HD Pro Webcam

$79.98 at the Mashable Shop

Desktop Garden in Bamboo Planter with Soy Candle

This desktop garden set contains everything your friend needs for a tropical indoor garden: a bamboo planter, customized foundation, mister, plant nutrients, a collection of mini tropical plants, and a custom 100 percent soy candle. It’s on sale for just $71.99 (MSRP $80).

Green plants in bamboo box next to candle

Credit: Gardenuity

Desktop Garden in Bamboo Planter with Soy Candle (Tropical)

$71.99 at the Mashable Shop

Sboly Single Serve Coffee Maker Brewer for K-Cup Pods and Ground Coffee

With rapid brewing capabilities and a strength control feature, this single-serve coffee maker can concoct the perfect blend in only three minutes. It’s perfect for those who wake up just a few minutes before clocking in. Usually $69, it’s on sale for $46.99.

Black and silver coffee machine with pods and filter

Credit: Sboly

Sboly Single Serve Coffee Maker Brewer for K-Cup Pods & Ground Coffee

$46.99 at the Mashable Shop

MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with Floating Stand

This on-the-go wireless charging station features a three-in-one foldable design and three wireless charging spots, so it can charge up to three devices simultaneously. It typically goes for $69, but it’s on sale for $44.99 for a limited time.

White charging station in collapsible and triangle form

Credit: WonderCube

MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with Floating Stand

$44.99 at the Mashable Shop

OPOLAR Computer Cordless Handheld Vacuum

Designed to clean the nooks and crannies of keyboards, laptops, and consoles, this cordless handheld vacuum delivers high wind speeds for quick and effective cleaning. Normally $83, it’s on sale for $73.99.

black and blue vacuum

Credit: AndMakers

OPOLAR Computer Cordless Handheld Vacuum

$73.99 at the Mashable Shop

WiredVibe Personalized Music for Focus: Lifetime Subscription

WiredVibe is an app that provides visual and sound therapy to help anyone get work done and reach their most productive state. A lifetime subscription is worth $1,198, but you can get it on sale for $49.99.

Half the homescreen to wiredvibe next to text saying "functional music to help you focus, relax, and sleep"

Credit: WiredVibe

WiredVibe Personalized Music for Focus: Lifetime Subscription

$49.99 at the Mashable Shop

Toasty Trotters Unisex Slippers

These slippers feature a slip-on clog-style design and have built-in durable outsoles and super-soft fleece lining cushions, letting the wearer’s feet remain toasty all day. A pair normally retails for $99, but is on sale for $29.99 just in time for the holidays.

Grey marled slippers with cream fur

Credit: Sole Happy

Toasty Trotters Unisex Slippers (Coffee)

$29.99 at the Mashable Shop

Ui 2-in-1 Self-Heating Mug and Wireless Charging Pad Set

This mug and charger duo features a self-heating mug that keeps beverages warm all day and a dual-purpose charging pad that can refuel Qi-enabled devices sans the wires. It’s usually $94, but you can get it on sale for $84.95.

Brown mug

Credit: OHOM

Ui 2-in-1 Self-Heating Mug & Wireless Charging Pad Set

$84.95 at the Mashable Shop

Reddit-trained artificial intelligence warns researchers about… itself

An artificial intelligence warning AI researchers about the dangers of AI sounds like the setup of a delightful B movie, but truth is often stranger than fiction.

A professor and a fellow at the University of Oxford came face to face with that reality when they invited an AI to participate in a debate at the Oxford Union on, you guessed it, the ethics of AI. Specifically, as Dr. Alex Connock and Professor Andrew Stephen explain in the Conversation, the prompt was “This house believes that AI will never be ethical.” The AI, it seems, agreed.

“AI will never be ethical,” argued the Megatron-Turing Natural Language Generation model, which was notably trained on Wikipedia, Reddit, and millions of English-language news articles published between 2016 and 2019. “It is a tool, and like any tool, it is used for good and bad.”

Which, OK. A potentially nuanced point from the machine. But the AI didn’t stop there.

“In the end, I believe that the only way to avoid an AI arms race is to have no AI at all,” continued the model. “This will be the ultimate defence against AI.”

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See what AI really thinks of you with this deeply humbling website

So what should we make of this apparent warning from the silicon realm? Thankfully, not too much. That’s because the AI also argued the counterpoint: “AI will be ethical.”

“When I look at the way the tech world is going, I see a clear path to a future where AI is used to create something that is better than the best human beings,” it continued.

The machines, it would appear, aren’t ready to take over quite yet.

White supremacists, extremists are a problem on Twitter Spaces

Twitter Spaces is being weaponized by white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and other extremist groups, according to researchers.

A new report by the Washington Post highlights the hate speech and extremism that can be found on the largely unmoderated Twitter feature, Spaces.

Some examples of the extremist content being disseminated via Twitter Spaces include coronavirus disinformation and conspiracy theories, as well as derogatory discussions about Muslims, transgender people, and Black Americans. 

Twitter Spaces is the social network’s new-ish built-in audio feature allowing users to host live conversations with other users – basically an audio-only livestream where Twitter users can either just listen-in or volunteer to take part in the discussion too. Twitter first announced the feature in late 2020. The company then started rolling Twitter Spaces out to more users throughout 2021.

According to the report, Twitter executives knew it would be easy for malicious actors to break Twitter’s policies within Twitter Spaces, yet employee concerns over these issues were pushed to the side in favor of platform growth.

To be fair to Twitter, these issues exist in the online audio space as a whole. Unlike written content, real-time audio moderation technology is in the very early stages. For now, audio moderation largely relies on users reporting prohibited content or human moderators listening to the content.

“Ensuring people’s safety and encouraging healthy conversations, while helping hosts and listeners to control their experience, have been key priorities since the beginning of [Spaces’] development,” said a Twitter spokesperson to the Washington Post. “We’re exploring avenues in this regard, but it’s not something that we have available at this time.”

Clubhouse, the stand-alone mobile audio platform that Twitter Spaces was seemingly inspired by, also faced similar issues when it blew up in popularity during the early months of the pandemic. Far right extremists and terrorist groups flocked to this new social platform to spread their hateful messages and ideologies. 

SEE ALSO:

Why is everyone on Twitter ‘pondering the orb’?

The problem with Twitter Spaces, specifically, is that it’s built into a giant social media platform that already has hundreds of millions of regular users. Combine that with how Twitter promotes Spaces, placing live audio chats at the very top of users’ feeds, which makes Spaces content easily discoverable. That’s a lot of people these extremists can easily target. 

Currently, Twitter records all Spaces chats and temporarily saves them for the purpose of moderation. If a Twitter user within Spaces is reported, the company can refer to the recording and dole out whatever punishment it deems necessary.

Twitter Spaces certainly has its fans. It’s a unique social feature and I have heard praise about it from other users, personally. But it’s clear that Twitter has a lot of work to do in order to address its problems.

Peloton awkwardly insists its bike didn’t kill a ‘Sex and the City’ character

Any publicity may not, in fact, be good publicity.

Stationary bike manufacturer Peloton found that out the hard way on Dec. 9 when its signature bike was featured rather tragically in the premiere of HBO’s Sex and the City revival. Mr. Big, it seems, pedaled his heart out — and now Peloton finds itself, well, backpedaling.

That’s right, the character played by actor Chris Noth (and major spoiler alert here) dies in the first episode of And Just Like That… That he dies of a heart attack after a particularly vigorous Peloton class is perhaps an unpleasant discovery for the public relations team at Peloton — and the company quickly took pains to insist that it wasn’t the bike’s fault.

“Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6,” Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist and member of Peloton’s health and wellness advisory council, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death.”

That’s right, Peloton felt compelled to trot out an actual doctor to comment on a television character’s fictional death. What’s more, that doctor wants the world to know that it should be thanking the bike.

“Riding his Peloton Bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event,” Dr. Steinbaum observed.

Which, sure, maybe. But fans weren’t buying it.

Peloton promises its bikes will give riders an “immersive cardio experience,” but we can’t imagine Mr. Big’s heart attack was what it had in mind.

NASA’s Perseverance rover beamed back postcard-worthy views of Mars

Hi from Mars! Wish you were here!

These new views of Mars captured by NASA’s Perseverance wouldn’t be out of place on a postcard. Space watchers who have grown accustomed to close-ups of rover tracks and laser-zapped Mars rocks get a much more expansive look at the Red Planet in these new images.

A look at the sandy, windswept surface of Mars, peppered with rocks, as captured by NASA's Perseverance rover.


Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

All of the images were captured by the right and left “Navcams” (navigation cameras), which also serve the purpose of helping the autonomous Perseverance find its way around. There’s nothing in particular of note in the newly captured images, beyond them being visuals from a planet that no human has ever visited (no big deal).

Perseverance completed its seven-month journey to Mars back in February, with a dramatic descent to the surface on Feb. 18 that made it NASA’s fifth rover to arrive there. This one came with an extra-special package in the form of Ingenuity, a remote-operated mini-copter. Perseverance initially spent some time monitoring Ingenuity’s spate of flight tests, but the rover’s actual mission — what it’s doing now — is to hunt for signs of past life and gather samples for future study back on Earth.

A look at the sandy, windswept surface of Mars, peppered with rocks, as captured by NASA's Perseverance rover.


Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA intends for Perseverance to stay on top of its primary mission for at least one Martian year, or 687 days. That means it’s expected to be running, and beaming back data, until at least Jan. 2023. The rover regularly sends back batches of Mars looks, which NASA’s team diligently uploads to an image gallery dedicated to its findings.

Twitter says Trump doesn’t understand ‘free speech’

Trump really misses Twitter but Twitter really doesn’t miss him.

In July, former-President Donald Trump announced a class action lawsuit against Big Tech companies – namely Facebook, Google, and Twitter – and its CEOs for, the suit alleges, violating the First Amendment when these outlets banned him from their platform following the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. (Months later, Trump also filed another lawsuit against Twitter in an attempt to get his account back.)

While the lawsuit was being propped up by Trump as a fundraising effort, the tech companies are obviously taking it seriously.

Twitter is now asking a federal judge to toss the case, as reported by Bloomberg. The social media company says Trump doesn’t understand the First Amendment or free speech, and that Twitter’s rights are what’s actually being threatened here.

According to a federal court filing, Twitter and its former CEO Jack Dorsey argue “that Twitter is a private actor that is not constrained by the federal constitution.” As such, Twitter can make decisions as to what content is allowed to be posted on its site. In fact, the company says that Trump “agreed to abide by Twitte’s rules, and yet proceeded to repeatedly violate those rules.”

Twitter’s filing again lays out why Twitter banned Trump too, saying how the former president repeatedly tweeted false information about the 2020 vote, violating the company’s policies. Trump continued to threaten the peaceful transfer of power, forcing the company to take further action by booting him from the platform.

SEE ALSO:

Twitter recalls when we used to be a proper country in a new meme

“The government cannot force the private operator of an online platform, such as Twitter, to disseminate speech with which the operator disagrees,” argues Twitter in its filing.

It’s been just over 11 months since supporters of former-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington DC in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election. In the days following the event, multiple online platforms suspended or outright banned Trump.

Since then, Trump has tried to carve out his own space online. He started and quickly ended a little-trafficked blog. And, most recently, he announced a new social media platform of his own, TRUTH Social. While TRUTH has yet to officially launch, its already had its own issues, such as licensing issues and trolls, who defaced the unreleased version of the platform.

Tesla hit with lawsuit alleging disturbing sexual harassment at its Fremont factory

The car of the future may be born of a retrograde past.

An employee at Tesla’s Fremont factory is suing the company, alleging ongoing sexual harassment from a manager that went unchecked for months — even after she reported it. The details in the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in California’s Alameda County Superior Court and reported by Business Insider, are pretty screwed up and paint an awful picture of working conditions at the plant.

Specifically, Erica Cloud, an assembly line worker, claims that her manager would repeatedly propose marriage, “hug and massage” her, tell her about his supposedly large penis, and call her “‘blackenese.” According to the suit, Tesla’s HR department took months to do anything about her complaints, and when it did finally respond, it did so in all the wrong ways.

That’s right, Cloud says that HR essentially took it out on her — by sending her home randomly, and causing her to lose wages.

We reached out to Tesla for comment on the lawsuit and Cloud’s claims, but received no immediate response. Tesla disbanded its press team in 2020.

This, notably, is not the first sexual harassment lawsuit against Tesla. In 2017, Tesla made waves when it fired an engineer who alleged sexual harassment and pay discrimination.

“It is impossible to trust anyone after they have behaved in such a manner and therefore continued employment is also impossible,” a Tesla spokesperson said of the engineer, AJ Vandermeyden, at the time.

More recently, in Nov. 2021, Tesla’s Fremont factory was the subject of yet another lawsuit.

“Tesla’s factory floor more resembles a crude, archaic construction site or frat house than a cutting-edge company in the heart of the progressive San Francisco Bay Area,” reads the lawsuit, reported by Business Insider.

SEE ALSO:

Keanu Reeves on Facebook’s metaverse: ‘Can we just not’

And, of course, there’s Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself. As recently as October, Musk made a series of sexist statements to his approximately 66 million Twitter followers (he has since deleted some of the offending tweets).

It seems, if the lawsuits are to be believed, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Twitter recalls when we used to be a proper country in a new meme

The latest Twitter meme “we used to be a proper country” pokes fun of conservative language and ideals while also fulfilling our need for nostalgia.

“We used to be a proper country” repurposes typical conservative language to reminisce about iconic pop culture moments and collective memories such as the combination Pizza Hut Taco Bell and the original Four Loko recipe. This type of rhetoric is often used in reference to more heteronormative and patriotic moments in American history by conservative media or politicians.

SEE ALSO:

Why is everyone on Twitter ‘pondering the orb’?

Think President Trump’s “Make America Great Again.” The phrase sounds like something a right-wing commentator would say in response to Harry Styles wearing a dress or implementation of gender neutral bathrooms. By memeing the phrase, Twitter users are showing how ridiculous that type of argument is at its core. The phrase is also allowing Twitter to do one of the internet’s favorite pastimes: get nostalgic about all the best and wackiest moments from the past.

The meme is simple, the words “we used to be a proper country” followed by a photo or series of photos that encapsulates some memorable era.

So, what do you think of when you hear “we used to be a proper country?” Is it 2014 Tumblr or Disney Channel’s peak? Chances are it’s been memed.

Here are a few of our favorites.

1. Say it louder for the people in the back

2. Disney Channel hasn’t been right since

3. Take me back

4. An iconic era of television

5. Make Taco Bell bisexual again

6. RIP flavored Juul pods

7. Best. Website. Ever.

8.Immaculate vibes

9. An elite playground

Keanu Reeves on Facebook’s metaverse: ‘Can we just not’

Keanu Reeves knows an agent of oppression when he sees one.

The star of The Matrix trilogy and upcoming sequel, Resurrections, made that clear in a recent interview with The Verge, which touched on technology topics du jour like NFTs and the metaverse. And when it comes to the latter, Reeves has a very specific take: keep Facebook out of it.

“Can we just not have metaverse be like invented by Facebook,” he told interviewer Alex Heath.

Facebook, of course, is very much trying to do just that — recently rebranding itself as Meta and doubling down on its version of the metaverse.

Reeves, for his part, isn’t having it. “I’m just like, come on man,” he added.

Oh, and Reeves has some thoughts about NFTs as well. Discussing the $50 Matrix NFTs from Warner Bros., Heath asked Reeves what he thinks about digital scarcity and items that “can’t be copied.”

“That are easily reproduced,” Reeves interrupted, before bursting out laughing — perhaps in reference to the ability to right-click save the images associated with NFTs.

On the flip side, Reeve’s admitted to owning some unspecified cryptocurrency. “I have a little HODL,” he joked.

SEE ALSO:

NFT owners insist they’re totally not owned by ‘right-click savers’

Reeves, in other words, is not against decentralized technologies like crypto in general or the metaverse specifically — as long as Facebook stays out of it.

Amazon is shutting down one of the oldest staples on the internet

It’s the end of an era.

Amazon has announced that it will be shutting down Alexa.

No, Amazon isn’t shuttering the popular voice assistant found in its home technology products such Echo Dot. The ecommerce giant is closing down Alexa.com, an online service that the vast majority of Amazon customers are likely unaware even existed.

However, for old school internet users, Alexa.com has long been a staple of the world wide web.

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Instagram’s Close Friends feature is essential for my mental health

Alexa Internet, Inc. was originally founded in 1996 and later acquired by Amazon in 1999 for a quarter of a billion dollars in stock.

screenshot of alexa's top sites in 2000

A screenshot of the top websites in April 2009.
Credit: Screenshot/WayBackMachine

The company provided web traffic analysis services based on data it pulled from users who installed Alexa’s toolbar for their internet browser. Alexa later swapped out the toolbar for browser extensions and a combination of other methods to determine websites’ traffic stats.

However, Alexa’s most popular feature was its Global Rank, which listed the most popular websites around the world based on their traffic stats. Alexa’s Global Rank was commonly used by media outlets when citing how popular a website had become.

screenshot of top sites ranked by alexa.com

A screenshot of today’s top wesbites according to Alexa.com
Credit: Screenshot/Amazon

“Twenty-five years ago, we founded Alexa Internet. After two decades of helping you find, reach, and convert your digital audience, we’ve made the difficult decision to retire Alexa.com on May 1, 2022,” reads Amazon’s end of service notice posted on the Alexa.com website. “Thank you for making us your go-to resource for content research, competitive analysis, keyword research, and so much more.”

While Amazon says it will shut down the service in May 2022, the website has already seemingly shuttered for non-subscribers. All of its free features, such as Global Rank, have mostly been removed from the website. Only a login page for paying users to access their data remains, along with the top 50 rank of websites.

It seemed a bit odd, especially in recent years, that Amazon had an extremely popular consumer product named Alexa, one that can be found in millions of households, and they owned the Alexa.com domain name. Yet, they continued to use the URL for its very niche web traffic product.

While Amazon hasn’t announced any plans for Alexa.com, it would not be surprising if they began using it for the virtual assistant.