Technologies
Nintendo Is Taking on Scalpers With a Genius Switch 2 Purchase Rule
Want to be the first in line to grab a Nintendo Switch 2? I found all of the rules you need to follow.
Scalpers who buy up multiples of a popular product only to sell them for a higher price exist just about everywhere, but over the last couple of years, gamers have had it especially rough. With Nintendo’s new Switch 2 console becoming available for preorder as early as April 9, a new set of rules have been put in place to determine who gets to click the buy button first and who will have to wait until consoles arrive on store shelves. It’s great news for Nintendo Switch fans who are eager to upgrade to this new console and terrible news for those looking to make a quick buck from the excitement.
If you’re a fan, you’ll be able to request an invitation to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 soon, and it will run you either $449 for just the console or $499 for a bundle with Mario Kart World included. According to Nintendo, this invitation system is the best way to ensure you’re one of the first to buy. The first wave of invitations to buy will be sent on a first-come, first-served basis and is expected to arrive on May 8. Once that invitation is sent, you will have 72 hours to complete the purchase, and the console will be shipped directly to you.
It’s a relatively straightforward system, not terribly different from invitation systems we’ve seen from Sony and Amazon for the PlayStation 5 during its supply shortage. Nintendo is limiting purchases to one console per Nintendo Switch Online account, and while accessories will be available to buy at that same time, another one-per-account limit will apply. What makes this different is a note in the FAQ section of Nintendo’s website, which identifies what you need to do in order to be considered for an invitation. There are three qualifiers:
- You must have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, which must be in your name.
- You must have had any version of the Nintendo Switch Online membership for at least 12 months.
- You must have opted in to share your gameplay data with Nintendo and have at least 50 combined hours of Nintendo Switch gameplay as of Wednesday, April 2.
By implementing these rules, Nintendo is ensuring the first wave of Switch 2 consoles are exclusively for the fans. There will be plenty of other places you will be able to preorder a Switch 2, but the company is making it clear that scalpers are not welcome. Invitations to purchase will be nontransferrable, and you will need to be able to log in to the My Nintendo Account that received the invitation in order to complete a purchase. It seems like a lot of hoops to jump through, but if it means you can actually make a purchase and the number of $1,000 consoles on eBay is decreased, it’ll be well worth it to those who get an invitation.
Technologies
Google’s New AI Features Are Trying to Make Data Entry a Thing of the Past
More Gemini AI features will come to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
The latest batch of Google updates to its workspace tools highlights AI’s promise to automate mundanity in the workplace. Google Docs, Slides, Sheets and Drive all have new AI-powered features, the company announced Tuesday. The one thing all these updates have in common? Gemini is using your files, emails and chats to give you relevant information, not random answers gleaned from the web.
These updates come as AI is playing a bigger role in our work lives, for better or worse. Agentic tools like Claude Cowork and coding assistants like Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex are more capable than chatbots and able to handle tasks announced independently. AI tools are also becoming more customized, with Google’s personalized intelligence rolling out across its platforms to help refine AI outputs to things that are relevant and useful for you. Google continues that trend with this new batch of Workspace updates.
New Gemini AI features in Google Workspace apps will cite their sources after each query. For example, if you ask Gemini in Google Docs to fill out an itinerary template, it will pull the information from your email, chats and files. The «sources» tab in the Gemini side panel will show you where it found the information it used, like your flight confirmation email and chats discussing dinner plans. Seeing where Gemini pulled its answers from is also how you’ll double-check Gemini’s work.
The most impressive new features are in Sheets, where AI can fill in the holes in your spreadsheets. You can describe what you want the AI to do with a simple prompt and avoid writing an exact formula. You can click on an empty cell, select the pop-up that says «Drag to fill with Gemini,» then highlight the cells you want Gemini to fill in. That deploys an AI agent to search the web to fill each cell with the necessary information.
For example, if you have a spreadsheet of the contact info for local companies, you can have Gemini search the web to fill in a the location, CEO and other publicly available information of each company. The tool aims to dramatically reduce the time needed for manual data entry. Gemini can also summarize, categorize and create charts with prompts alone.
You can also chat with Gemini in Sheets and have it scour your raw data to make custom reports and charts. No need for pivot tables if they confound you as much as they baffle me. One of the biggest uses of AI at work is helping create presentations.
In Google Slides, you can now tell Gemini in natural language what you want to appear on a slide, and it will create it, matching the style of your existing slides. You can also ask Gemini to edit your slides if you don’t want to waste time painstakingly moving design elements around the slide. The AI should fill the slides with relevant information based on your instructions and the work files it has access to, so you shouldn’t need to replace a bunch of filler text.
If you use Docs, Sheets and Slides through the Workspace account of your company, then you won’t be able to turn off AI features individually. The managing company is in control of AI access for users. Personal users can tweak their settings to limit Gemini. The new features are rolling out in beta now, in English only, to Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers in the US, as well as some Google Workspace customers who are part of the Gemini Alpha testing program.
For more, check out the new cowork feature in Copilot and how to use Perplexity AI for deep research.
Tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump were struck down by the Supreme Court last month. Companies that were subjected to those fees, such as FedEx and Dollar General, have since sued the federal government, and Nintendo wants a piece of the action.
Nintendo filed a lawsuit against the federal government in the US Court of International Trade on Friday, as first spotted by Aftermath. The complaint seeks refunds of tariffs Nintendo paid, plus interest, and asks the court to declare the tariffs unlawful and stop the government from collecting them going forward.
«Since February 1, 2025, President Trump has executed the unlawful Executive Orders, imposing tariffs on imports from a vast swath of countries,» Nintendo said in the complaint.
When reached for comment, Nintendo of America confirmed the lawsuit.
«We can confirm that we filed a request. We have nothing else to share on this topic,» Nintendo of America said in an emailed statement on Friday, March 6.
It’s unclear how much Nintendo paid in tariffs, and it did not state an amount in the lawsuit. While the Switch 2 was priced at $450 when it launched last year, and has stayed at that amount, Nintendo did increase the price of the original Switch and accessories for both consoles. Microsoft and Sony also increased the prices of their hardware and accessories last year due to tariffs.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Feb. 20, the Supreme Court ruled by a vote of 6 to 3 that the sweeping tariffs Trump instituted last year exceeded his executive powers. Following the ruling, on the same day, Trump announced a new set of tariffs of 10% on imported goods that would last for 150 days, starting Feb. 24.
The decision on what to do with the collected tariffs — a reported $166 billion — has been left to the US Court of International Trade. Judge Richard Eaton told the US Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday, March 4, to refund the importers that were forced to pay tariffs, which is more than 330,000. On Friday, the CBP said it couldn’t easily issue tariff refunds because its system requires duties to be recalculated and refunds processed entry by entry. This process would involve tens of millions of transactions. The agency said it’s updating its systems and could start providing refunds by late April.
Technologies
Sony WF-1000XM6 vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro Earbuds: A Photo Finish
-
Technologies3 года agoTech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies3 года agoBest Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies3 года agoTighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года agoBlack Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies5 лет agoGoogle to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies5 лет agoVerum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года agoOlivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года agoiPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow
