Amazon Unveils ‘Astro,' A Privacy Nightmare Robot That Follows You Around

Plus, is going back to the office a broken way of working?

The Futurist uncovers unique and inspiring topics that feed your curiosity. Curated articles on technology, science, and culture delivered to your inbox. Not for you? Unsubscribe anytime below. /story IS GOING TO THE OFFICE A BROKEN WAY OF WORKING? It's these two features of remote-first work — its decreased overhead and increased access to talent — that lead to the most striking element of the "Office Death" theory. This style of work is not simply an interesting, if slightly esoteric, alternative for those looking to try something different from the office-as-factory model; it's inevitably going to replace the office model completely — a transformative process that is, in fact, already under way. The New Yorker /gear THIS IS THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE OF CHARGING CABLES From Rolling Square — the same company behind the TAU power bank and Hyphen earbuds — the InCharge Charging Cable is like the Swiss Army knife of charging solutions. Whether you have an iPhone, Android tablet, MacBook, or anything in between, it's got you covered with multiple charging options in one compact cable. It has USB and USB-C ports for input and Lightning, USB-C, and MicroUSB for output, which equates to six different charging combinations. You can easily mix and match based on your charging and connection needs. Mashable /explore COULD THE MOON ACTUALLY CRASH TOWARD EARTH? There's a trailer out for a new science-fiction film called Moonfall, to be released in early 2022, in which the moon is about to crash into Earth. It features several shots of a reddish moon hovering extremely close to the planet, crumbling apart while sucking the oceans toward it, the debris flying into spacecraft and mountains. It doesn't actually show a collision — you know, it's just a trailer and they don't want to spoil everything. This isn't the first movie to stretch the bounds of believable physics. (Remember Sharknado?) But just because it's science-fiction doesn't mean it's totally wrong. Wired /tech GET TOP QUALITY MOBILE SERVICE FOR A FRACTION OF THE PRICE Overpaying for cell phone service? Break out of your contract woes and go where you're appreciated: Ting Mobile. This mobile virtual network operator actually uses the same exact networks that major providers use, so customers get access to excellent coverage for even better prices. Not only do their plans start at $10 a month, but you can also count on a customer support team that is up front about what you really need. Free to join without any contract requirements, save money without sacrificing your service with Ting Mobile. Sign up today to receive a $60 credit: $5 off your bill for 12 months. [Partner] /interior @dabito /ai AMAZON UNVEILS 'ASTRO,' A PRIVACY NIGHTMARE ROBOT THAT FOLLOWS YOU AROUND On Tuesday, Amazon unveiled a host of new products including Astro, a mobile Alexa robot that can capture every detail of your home's layout, follow you around on video calls, and apparently even recognize people's faces. Given that Amazon is mostly known these days for leveraging various forms of surveillance to make money (when it's not running its workforce ragged), it's pretty safe to say that nobody asked for this. Vice /lifehack NOMAD'S NEW iPHONE 13 CASES COME WITH A DIGITAL BUSINESS CARD Whether you're at a trade show or a company networking event, carrying a business card in your wallet is easy to forget. But what if you could store the same information on your phone and pass it along seamlessly to your colleagues without wasting the paper on traditional business cards? Elegant tech accessory maker Nomad has teamed up with Popl — a leader in digital business card technology — to accomplish just that in its latest batch of iPhone 13 cases. Simply tap your phones together and start sharing. Nomad Goods /science HUBBLE CAPTURES A CLUSTER IN THE HEART OF THE MILKY WAY This sparkling starfield, captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, contains the globular cluster ESO 520-21 (also known as Palomar 6). A densely packed, roughly spherical collection of stars, it lies close to the center of the Milky Way, where interstellar gas and dust absorb starlight and make observations more challenging. NASA /posted @thehikingbeard /bites As fun as it is to explore the vast wilderness, it can also be dangerous. The Axis Blades Hunter OTF Knife ensures you are well equipped for hazardous conditions Forget trackers. The Apollo Neuro wearable actually helps you stress less and sleep more with novel touch therapy. Save 10% today Paying for cable or live TV subscriptions every month adds up quickly, but this SelectTV + KeepSolid VPN bundle gives you the channels you want, forever, for a one-time fee THE FUTURIST Advertise |  Talk to Us  |  Shop |  Unsubscribe |  Our Friends @ The Fanny Pack Powered by StackCommerce 21 Market Street | Venice, CA 90291