![LG G series phone line ended, what’s next? [UPDATE: LG statement]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/oldtaewg-1280x720.jpg)
Notes from LG this week suggested they're switching gears when it comes to smartphones in 2020 and beyond. Where they've been pushing a headline "G" brand series for the past 8 years, they'll fold two lines into one. Instead of releasing a "G" and a "V" each year, they'll just release a "V"... but they'll also have a new phone. So will anything really change?
Last week we reported on a strike being organized by the Gig Workers Collective with Instacart Shoppers. Over the weekend, Instacart indicated they'd be updating health and safety measures. Instacart did not reply directly to the strike announcement, but the timing of their announcement would seem to be done in order to avoid the strike - at least in part. Unfortunate for the Instacart business, their response was not enough to quell the demands of the Gig Workers Collective and/or Instacart Shoppers, and the strike is still on.
OpenTable generally works with restaurants to allow reservations for tables. Now, with the latest update to OpenTable, users will be able to reserve times to shop at their favorite retail or grocery store. Not all supermarkets or other stores are onboard right out the gate, but a few certainly seem to be ready to take up with the collaboration. This update to OpenTable will be available soon - if not immediately.
Grocery delivery via gig worker group Instacart might be in trouble. A release today detailed communications between Instacart Shoppers and Gig Workers Collective in which the two groups have planned an Emergency Walk Off. The way they put it, Instacart, the brand, has not been very kind to its workers in this time of significantly increased potential danger.
Global smartphone market shipment data showed a slowing in sales by 14% in the month of February. Information from Counterpoint Research suggested that this trend isn't about to end. Counterpoint senior analyst Jean Park went so far as to say "the worst is yet to come." This has a bit to do with the prediction that this pandemic will be similar to previous world pandemic events - with a double peak, one in Q4 2020, and another in the first quarter of 2021.
CBS just made all episodes of Picard (the Star Trek series) free for the viewing for a month. They've done this for at least two reasons. One, basically everyone in the world is under some form of quarantine due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Two, the best way to get people to join your subscription payment service is to get them to sign up with a "free" offer that keeps them signed up once it's expired.
An announcement from the EPA* effectively suspended environmental rules for organizations in the USA for an indefinite amount of time. The EPA's document claims that because the COVID-19 pandemic is constraining the abilities of groups normally regulated by the EPA, that those groups will not be subject to the same rules as normal. This "temporary policy" is in effect until the EPA says it's done.
![Outlook, Office 365 won’t connect to internet [UPDATE: Bug affects Internet Explorer, Edge]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/explagwe-1280x720.jpg)
A Windows 10 connectivity bug seems to be affecting workers using VPN connections as Microsoft moves to release fix in early April. This situation is of particular importance at this moment in history due to the abnormal amount of workers working from home. Workers are currently dependent on productivity and connectivity apps Outlook for email, Office 365 (online collaborative tools), and Microsoft Teams while quarantined to avoid the spread of COVID-19 / novel coronavirus worldwide.
The game Monument Valley 2 usually costs around $5 USD, and it's been selling for that price since launch several years ago. Given its massive success as one of the most popular aesthetically pleasing games of all time, Monument Valley 2 needn't cost any less than it did at launch. But here, nearly 3 years after launch, this still-fantastic game has gone temporarily free for most users.
A report from Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institute on Drug Abuse warned that those with substance abuse disorders have a higher potential for harm when it comes to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). Dr. Volkow warned those with substance use disorders (SUDs) and those with opioid use disorder (OUD) and methamphetamine use disorder may be hit harder than the general population. "Because it attacks the lungs, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could be an especially serious threat to those who smoke tobacco or marijuana or who vape."
Manufacturers in the UK expect the government to give them the green light to move their facilities from normal operations to making medical supplies. Dyson is in one group, another group is led by Airbus. Both groups have announced that they have only to be given the go-ahead by the UK government by next week. In separate news, the UK's ALSO joined the EU effort to ramp up ventilator production worldwide.
This week a pair of original Apple sneakers sold for just under 10-THOUSAND dollars. Given the relative rarity of these shoes, their notable history, and the fact that they've only come up for sale a few times in the last decade, the price isn't too far off what was expected. Compare this price to what's fetched for a pair of Back to the Future Nike Air MAG shoes, and you might be surprised how affordable these Apple sneakers ended up being.