Amazon to experiment with a 30-hour workweek Select Amazon employees will participate in a pilot program that puts them in the office just 30 hours per week.

Amazon plans to test out a 30-hour workweek, starting with a few dozen employees.

The program will allow participants to work from Monday through Thursday from roughly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., reported The Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. The team members will be salaried, but will bring home just 75 percent of what full-time employees earn. They will, however, have the option to scale up to 40 hours a week.

A The New York Times article published last year portrayed Amazon as a competitive and overwhelming workplace with testimony from over 100 current and former Amazon employees. Amazon senior vice president Jay Carney denied the allegations.

Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for a comment.

Expected iPhone 7 unveiling is just days away

Design
In recent years, Apple has alternated annually between major design changes and minor upgrades. That's expected to change in 2016. The overall consensus among analysts and rumor-mongers, supported by many unofficial photos and videos leaked during the past few months, is that for the second year in a row we're likely to see mostly modest, superficial changes -- call it the "iPhone 6SS," if you will.

Perhaps the most dramatic change still in play would be the addition of a rumored third "Pro" model. According to multiple sources, Apple's portfolio, which was already extended to include the new SE model in March 2016, may soon include an iPhone 7, an iPhone 7 Plus -- and an iPhone 7 Pro. Leaked photos that first surfaced in July 2016 on Nowhereelse.fr appear to show three such different models. But recent rumors have suggested that Apple will probably stick with only two models.

The other biggie involves the 3.5mm headphone jack -- which has been MIA in many recently leaked photos. The thought is that Apple, always pushing the envelope on killing off legacy ports and media, is removing the one that even predates the 1979 Sony Walkman.

If true -- and we're betting it is -- it leaves a few options on the table. Apple could bundle new Lightning-tipped EarPod headphones (or sell them separately). Or it could throw in a Lightning-to-minijack adapter, as Motorola is doing with its Moto Z (which has only a USB-C port). And, of course, since Apple owns Beats, you can expect some fancy new wireless PowerBeats to arrive alongside iPhone 7, too. (Like most other phones, you could use the iPhone 7 with any existing Bluetooth headphones or speakers, too.)




Ditching the headphone jack would also leave room for a second speaker grille, which has appeared on other leaked photos. That would allow the iPhone 7 to be the first model with true stereo sound.

A redesigned home button was one of the most active topics in the early iPhone 7 prediction conversation. As late as June, analysts at Cowen and Company were predicting that the iPhone 7 would have a "Force Touch" home button. According to Business Insider's coverage of the report, "Instead of a physical mechanism, Apple will use its 'Force Touch' technology and a motor inside the iPhone to provide the sensation that the button is being physically depressed." And writing for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman reports that Apple has replaced the iPhone's traditional home button with "a pressure-sensitive" variant that features "haptic feedback," similar to the "Force Click" touch pad included on the latest model MacBooks.


Martin Hajek
Otherwise, the exterior changes are expected to be rather minimal -- similar to identical screen sizes and bezels, though it's rumored that it will come in the same Space Black color available on the Apple Watch. Even if Apple expands the line as shown in the photo above, they all look pretty much like clones of the iPhone 6/6S and 6 Plus/6S Plus.

Camera
Many sources are expecting a significant step up in quality with the iPhone 7's camera. In mid-March 2016, Taiwanese site Apple.club.tw posted what it says are images of a dual-camera module that it says will be included on the iPhone 7 Plus. New evidence appears to suggest that both new iPhone 7 models will have optical image stabilization capabilities. But a steady stream of sources have reported that the dual camera would likely be included on the 5.5-inch-screen iPhone 7 Plus and/or Pro and probably not the standard 4.7-inch-screen iPhone 7.



Battery
Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks) of Nowhereelse.fr, who has a good track record of leaking things that turn out to be true, tweeted that a reliable source revealed that the iPhone 7 will receive a healthy battery upgrade.

He reports that Apple will upgrade the iPhone 7 battery to 1,960mAh (from the iPhone 6S's would go from 1,715mAh), which translates into a 14 percent bump in capacity. It's unclear how much of a battery life bump that will ultimately give you, but that translates to 90 minutes more video playback time -- 12.5 hours versus 11 hours -- if you do the math using Apple's iPhone 6S stats.

Everything else
Another possible advantage of the new iPhone may be full waterproofing. (That may be a side benefit of losing the headphone jack and getting a flush home button.) While many Samsung Galaxy phones have been dunk-proof for years, it would certainly be a welcome feature on the iPhone.

On the component front, an analyst firm has predicted that the iPhone 7 will support a whopping 256GB of storage space, matching the iPad Pro and offering lots more room for apps and videos. The firm, Trendforce, also predicts that the phone will get a memory boost to 3GB in the 5.5-inch model.

In June, BGR reported that Chinese shopping site Weibo had posted prices for three iPhone 7 models, with storage tiers starting at 32GB; the current entry-level iPhone models start at a paltry 16GB. That rumor was effectively confirmed by The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern on July 5.

iOS 10
Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June left behind a decent trail of clues, with plenty of new features coming down the pike. Siri, photos, maps, and especially the Messages app have all been upgraded. iOS 10 is available only to developers at the moment; the official release is expected to come this fall, likely coinciding with the release of the forthcoming iPhone 7. (Click here for the complete scoop on iOS 10.)

Now that Sony is bringing its PlayStation games to Windows, should you even bother getting a dedicated game machine?

Now that the PlayStation Now streaming service is coming to Windows, could consoles end up losing out to the cloud?

Can streaming services like PlayStation Now end the console war? Or will the battle between Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation consoles continue forevermore?

This isn't some hack. It's not a magic trick.

Sony is actually, really, truly bringing PlayStation 3 games to your Windows PC, console wars be damned.

This fall, you'll be able to play previously exclusive games like Uncharted 3 and Shadow of the Colossus on a Windows laptop. I know, because I did.

The catch: you'll be playing those games over the internet with Sony's streaming game service, PlayStation Now. Think Netflix.

PlayStation Now has already been around for a couple of years on the PS4, PS3, PS Vita handheld, plus a handful of Blu-ray players and smart TVs. For $20 a month or $45 for three (£13 monthly in the UK, but alas, not available in Australia), the service gives players unlimited access to a long list of over 400 PlayStation 3 games. (The service is available only in those countries as well as in Canada and Japan, with Belgium and the Netherlands currently in beta.)



Like Netflix or any other streaming service, the quality can vary wildly depending on your internet connection -- Sony requires a solid 5Mbps connection at all times, and that doesn't change today.


The $24.99 PlayStation USB Wireless Adapter will let you connect a controller wirelessly.
Sean Hollister/CNET
What changes is the size of Sony's audience. With a Windows laptop or tablet, you aren't tethered to a big-screen TV. You could theoretically take these PlayStation games anywhere -- and wherever you go, your saved games stream with you. (Sony says that PS3 players can transfer their saves to PlayStation Now via PS+ Cloud Storage. You can access it by pressing the PS Button and going into the PS Now XMB.)

There are some caveats, though. In addition to the pricey monthly subscription and the stable internet connection, Sony recommends your Windows device have a 3.5GHz (or faster!) processor for best results.

(That's strange, because streaming game services usually don't need a lot of local processing power -- years ago, I streamed Mass Effect 2 to an old netbook with no real trouble -- but Sony offers a seven-day free trial so you can test it out.)

And you'll need a DualShock 4 controller to play on Windows, instead of the older DualShock 3 that worked just fine with PlayStation Now on other platforms.

Still, the newer controller comes with perks: you'll be able to plug it in with any standard Micro-USB phone charger cable, or a new $25 wireless USB dongle that Sony will ship this September. That dongle will work with PS4 Remote Play (the software that lets you stream your own PS4 games to PC) as well.

Eric Lempel, head of Sony's PlayStation Network, wouldn't talk about future plans for PlayStation Now in an interview. He couldn't say whether the service might come to smartphones, for instance, or whether Sony might stream newer PS4 titles or older PS2 titles later down the road.


It's not hard to see a future where you might not need a physical PlayStation at all -- much like how you may not need an Xbox -- but Lempel didn't talk about that.

Today, it's just about bringing this small chunk of PlayStation to a new audience. "The PlayStation launched so many great franchises, and this brings new life to them," said Lempel.

According to Sony, PlayStation Now is coming to Windows PCs in the UK "soon," and will expand to the US and Canada shortly after. No availability was discussed for Australia or other parts of the world.

Robo-baby contraception attempt leads to increase in teen pregnancy rates

The use of infant simulators to educate teens about contraception is having the opposite effect, with pregnancy rates up among girls who attend the programs.




Around the world, technology is being deployed as a tool to try to teach girls to use contraception. More specifically, a program using an "infant simulator" (or robotic baby) is used to teach teen girls about the harsh realities of motherhood. Over the last decade, the use of this program has exploded -- it's now in 89 countries. But a new study published today in The Lancet reveals that the robo-babies aren't working as hoped.

A study that followed 2,834 girls from 57 randomly selected schools in the state of Western Australia found that girls who participated in this program had significantly higher rates of pregnancy.

"Our study shows that the pregnancy prevention programme delivered in Western Australia, which involves an infant simulator, does not reduce the risk of pregnancy in teenage girls. In fact, the risk of pregnancy is actually increased compared to girls who didn't take part in the intervention," said lead author Sally Brinkman of the University of Western Australia Telethon Kids Institute in a statement.

The girls were divided into two groups. The first group of 1,267 of girls aged 13-15 participated in the program. The second group of 1,567 girls acted as a control. All girls gave permission to be followed up via their medical records to the age of 20.


The girls participating in the program were each given a RealityWorks infant simulator to take home and care for from Friday afternoon to Monday, when they would return the baby. It was programmed to act like a real six week-old infant, requiring feeding and changing, and crying when these needs weren't met.


The results of the study revealed that 168 (11 percent) of the girls in the control group got pregnant in their teen years, compared to 210 (17 percent) of the girls who attended the program. The control group saw 101 terminations and 67 births; the study group saw 113 terminations and 97 births. Overall, the study group was more likely to get pregnant and then carry that pregnancy to term than the control group of girls.

The reasons for this are not yet clear. Possible factors include positive attention the girls received while looking after the robo-babies. Often the families of the girls would turn looking after the simulator into a family project, and some girls became quite attached to the simulators, to the point where, Brinkman said, the program managers considered bringing in counsellor to help separate the girl from the robot.

"The cure for teenage pregnancy is more difficult than a magic doll," wrote Julie A Quinlivan of the University of Notre Dame's Institute of Health Research in a comment for The Lancet. "We have to address both mothers and fathers. Programmes need to start in infancy. Investment in vulnerable children is needed to entice these adolescents from the path of premature parenthood into brighter futures. We cannot afford the quick fix, especially when it doesn't work."

WATCH Aziz Ansari Explains Why the Khan Family Is Drake to Donald Trump's Meek Mill

Aziz Ansari compares the feud between Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and a Gold Star military family to the beef between rappers Meek Mill and Drake.

Snapchat CEO Files Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against Instagram for Stealing App Idea

“ZUCKERBERG IS A REAL F*CK BOY FOR STEALING MY WHOLE SET UP, HE’S PISSED BECAUSE I WOULDN’T SELL, BUT I GOT NEWS FOR HIM I’M SUING B*TCH”

Said Evan Spiegel founder of snapchat on why he is suing Mark Zuckerberg for $10 Billion.

“I BET EVAN WISHES HE PLAYED BALL INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE A BADASS AND SOLD IT TO ME WHEN I MADE THE OFFER BUT NOW HE’S MY B*TCH, BUT HEY IT’S ONLY BUSINESS” — ZUCKERBERG

Instagram launched “Stories,” a Snapchatty feature for imperfect sharing that is almost identical to snapchat says Spiegel.People only post the highlights of their life on Instagram, so today the app adds its own version of “Stories” to poach goofy, off-the-cuff, everyday content from Snapchat. It works exactly like Snapchat Stories, allowing you to post 24-hour ephemeral photo and video slideshows that disappear. But because Instagram Stories appear at the top of the old feed, your followers will inevitably see them without you needing to build a new audience in a different app.

“WELL IT’S TIME TO DELETE MY SNAPCHAT AND MAKE SPACE ON MY PHONE, SINCE INSTAGRAM IS BASICALLY THE SAME THING NOW” — FORMER SNAPCHAT USER

“HE’S TRYING TO STOP ME FROM GOING PUBLIC BUT IT WON’T WORK AND I’M GONNA OWN HIS ASS IF HE THINKS HE CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS OUT RIGHT STEALING MY SH*T HE’S IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING — SNAPCHAT CEO

Lil Wayne’s Baby Momma , Toya Wright’s Two Brothers Both Murdered in New Orleans

Tragedy has struck two-fold for Toya Wright, the mother of Lil Wayne’s oldest daughter, as her two brothers Rudy and Josh were fatally shot while sitting in a car in the 7th Ward section of New Orleans, early Sunday morning (July 31).

News broke of the shooting on New Orleans Police Department’s Twitter page where they reported the shooting of two males at the intersection of Pauge and North Miro. A short time later they reported both victims had succumbed to their injuries.

#STOPTHEVIOLENCE #STAYWOKE