Slack rolled out a new feature for paid users Wednesday, in an effort to virtually re-create the office dynamic of casually dropping by someone’s desk. Huddles lets you easily start a real-time audio conversation with people in Slack, the company said. You can start a Huddle in any channel or through direct messaging, and anyone …

Sony has acquired Housemarque, the Finnish developer behind PlayStation 5 exclusive Returnal, it said post Tuesday. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Prior to Returnal’s release in April, Housemarque was known for PlayStation exclusives like Super Stardust HD, Dead Nation, Resogun and Alienation. “After more than 15 years of successfully collaborating, we’re excited to amplify our potential even further and …

Google faced more antitrust concerns on Tuesday as the European Union’s competition authority opened an investigation into whether the search giant favors its own digital advertising business over that of its competitors. Investigators will also look at whether Google restricts its rivals’ access to user data. The company made $147 billion from online ads last year, according to Reuters — …

If you were fortunate enough to get your hands on a PlayStation 5, you can potentially get a peek at upcoming features by signing up for the first-ever PS5 system software beta program. You’ll be able to try out the new features and offer your feedback ahead of their official launch later in 2022, Sony said in a Thursday blog …

Sony is aiming to release its PlayStation 5 VR headset for the 2022 holiday-shopping season, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The price remains unclear. In March, the Japanese company gave us the first look at the next-gen VR controller, which resembles a DualSense split in two. The PS4 VR headset came out in 2016 and cost $399 at launch. PlayStation didn’t immediately respond to …

Airbnb is banning landlords from listing any property where a tenant was evicted for failing to pay rent, the short-term-rental company said Tuesday. The policy is designed to stop landlords from profiting off its services as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s moratorium on evictions expires this month, and will stay in effect until at least the end of …

Amazon Prime Day will bring plenty of opportunities for deals June 21 and 22 but will also give Prime members a chance to try out game streaming service Luna. During Prime Day, members will be able to sign up for a seven-day free trial and dive into the Luna game catalog, the company said Monday. The e-commerce giant’s cloud gaming …

Global law enforcement agencies revealed Tuesday that they arrested more than 800 alleged criminals after convincing them to use an encrypted messaging app covertly run by the FBI. The bureau worked with Australian and European police to set up app company AN0M, got suspected criminals to use it and monitored their conversations. The operation was known as Trojan Shield in …

Samsung’s wide selection of phones worked in its favor in the first quarter of the year, a report from analyst Gartner revealed Monday. The Korean company held more than 20% of the smartphone market, with more than 76.5 million phones sold. The figure matches the one reported by research firm Canalys in April. Gartner credited Samsung’s cheaper phones and its …

The OnePlus Nord N200 5G will include a 6.49-inch, 1080p LCD display and cost less than $250, PCMag reported Monday. The Chinese phone maker hinted at the “accessible” 5G device in a blog post last week. This would be a step up from the Nord N100, which has 4G connectivity and a 720p screen. The upcoming phone’s display matches that found on …