staffing
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Uber is testing an on-demand staffing service
Uber is seemingly on a quest to become the Amazon of services, having expanded beyond ride-hailing to freight hauling, food delivery and electric scooters. Now, it is testing an on-demand staffing service. Uber Works will let companies recruit short-term workers such as security guards and waiters for events, the Financial Times reports.
Valiance Online is coming soon to Steam early access
Great news for Valiance Online, as the fledgling superhero title announced recently that it has been voted onto the Steam Greenlight program by the community. This means that Valiance Online will "soon" be available to play through the digital platform via early access. The team said that it still discussing its release and pricing plan, although fans can currently access it in the open pre-alpha test going on right now. Valiance Online is making good progress as a City of Heroes spiritual successor and even picked up a former artist from the sunsetted superhero game in December.
Valiance Online moves to Greenlight and picks up a City of Heroes artist
So you want to back Valiance Online as a longtime fan of City of Heroes, but your Kickstarter budget right now is at a solid $0. Good news, then; you can support the game just by voting for it on Steam Greenlight. It's still early in the testing cycling, but the game has added a rather significant feather to its cap with the addition of its newest staff member, former City of Heroes animator Ron Friedman. Friedman's stated duties will be training the team on animation methods for the superheroic game, reviewing and modifying existing animations, and creating new animations as necessary. It's a good sign that the game will inherit a fair chunk of City of Heroes visually, so if you've been on the fence, now might be the time to consider voting for the game after all.
Jonathan Sharp bids farewell to Guild Wars 2
Jonathan Sharp has been involved with Guild Wars 2 for eight years as an important part of the public-facing development team. But all good things must come to an end, and Sharp's time with ArenaNet has done just that. Associate Game Director John Corpening announced on the forums last night that Sharp is moving on to pursue an undisclosed opportunity elsewhere. Sharp included a personal farewell: Hey all. I'm sad to say that I'll be leaving ArenaNet after 8 years with the company, and it's been an amazing ride! I've chatted with many of you on vent, we've debated on State of the game, we've tossed ideas back and forth on the forums, and I've met many of you in person at various cons! It has been my privilege, pleasure and honor to work with such a passionate and intelligent group of fans. You guys have always kept me honest, you've pushed me to better myself, and your ideas have helped to create GW2's success – we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for your love, passion and communication. I will always look back on my time here with love and gratitude, and much of that is owed to you, our wonderful fans. -Chap Sharp's role on the GW2 PvP team will be filled by PvP designer Hugh Norfolk, already well known to players who follow the game's developer activity with zeal. [Thanks to Dystopiq for the tip!]
Foxconn admits child labor laws breached by use of underage interns
Foxconn has admitted that it employed underage interns in breach of China's child labor laws. An internal investigation at its Yantai factory found some of the young trainees were aged 14- and 15-years old (16 being the legal minimum). In a statement received by CNET, the company advised that "this is not only a violation of China's labor law, it is also a violation of Foxconn policy and immediate steps have been taken to return the interns in question to their educational institutions." This comes as a further blow to the firm's employment record, after recent riots breaking out and strikes over iPhone 5 quality standards. These interns were sent to the facility from schools, with Foxconn carrying out full investigations with the relevant educational bodies to try to work out how this was allowed to happen. The tech manufacturer has been keen to accept responsibility for its part in the situation, advising strong action will be taken against any full-time members of staff found to have played a part in the breach.
Faxion Online studio hit with layoffs
If you're a fan of Faxion Online, the last thing you want to hear about is members of the game's development team getting the axe. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened today -- UTV Ignition has reportedly cut staff from the division responsible for much of the game's programming and maintenance. Exact lists have varied, with Don Choi (vice-president of UTV's online division) claiming that only a small fraction of employees were let go while employees affected have claimed that the majority of the studio has now been cut. The affected team members have claimed that the game's customer service and support are also being cut and outsourced, while Choi maintains that the game will still be running and receive updates and improvements. Which version of events is the honest one is a bit unclear at the moment, but we offer our condolences to Faxion Online development members affected by these layoffs.
We're feeling the love: Blogger application deadline is tonight
We asked, and you answered. Over 150 of you have already sent in your applications to join the TUAW team, and we're happily plowing through the entries now. It's been a real delight to see the enthusiasm and geek cred of everyone who has turned in sample posts... while a few of you might have benefited from additional proofreading of your submissions before hitting 'send' (ahem), the overall level of quality and insight is quite amazing. Amazing, and also very daunting -- since we can't take all of you, the process of winnowing this bushelful of excellence down to a few candidates is going to involve a lot of hard choices, grim faces and possibly some yelling. We're heading into our undisclosed location this weekend equipped with all the latest decision support technologies and we hope to have answers for all of you soon. The deadline for applications is midnight ET tonight, Friday 11/7. See the original recruitment post for details. We do have far, far more qualified applicants than we have slots for contributors, so please don't be discouraged if we can't tap you on the shoulder this round.
