Category: feature

From Patagonia Donating All Profits to Ethereum Going Green and more, connect with the latest happening in the world of tech. Read on for our weekly round-up of the world’s biggest headlines in bite-size form.

TikTok Unveils New BeReal Style Feature

As the latest app to hop on the BeReal trend, TikTok has launched a new feature similar to the competitor app. The company announced the feature in a blog post published this week.  With a dual camera feature called Now, users will be able to post in-the-moment content when notified. “We’re expanding our suite of creation tools as we continue to foster authentic and spontaneous connections on TikTok,” the company says in the post. In addition to images, users will also be able to post 10-second videos. While the feature is only being tested at this time, only time will tell if it can truly compete with BeReal’s surging popularity.

Patagonia Announces Plan to Donate All Company Profits Toward Climate Change 

Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia founder, his spouse, and two adult children have announced they are giving away ownership of the company to fight climate change. Worth $3 billion, the company will donate all profits to projects and organizations that protect wild land and biodiversity. Published on the Patagonia website on Wednesday, Chouinard said the following: “While we’re doing our best to address the environmental crisis, it’s not enough. We needed to find a way to put more money into fighting the crisis while keeping the company’s values intact…So, we created our own.”

Snapchat for Web is Now Available for All Browsers

Announced in June, Snapchat has finally debuted its web-supported version to all subscribers. This will be the first time that the popular app is available beyond mobile. In addition to the desktop offering, there are also a number of new features being announced for the app. Regarding Snapchat for the web, users can chat and video call with friends, with conversations syncing between devices. The web version will give users more surface space to chat and video call friends. Currently, one hundred million users currently use the app calling feature every month. This move to a desktop version will, of course, allow the company to expand to more users around the world!

Ethereum, the World’s Second Largest Crypto, Goes Green

Considered the second most valuable cryptocurrency in the world, Ethereum has officially gone green. It’s long-awaited revamp, “The Merge,” completed a massive software upgrade this week which will slash its carbon footprint. The upgrade will reduce Ethereum’s energy consumption by nearly 99.95%, according to the Ethereum Foundation. The Merge refers to the original Ethereum Mainnet merging with a separate … blockchain called the Beacon Chain,” it added. The merger moves Ethereum to a mechanism called “proof-of-stake,” which is much more energy efficient. 

Uber Brings Upscale Electric Car Service to More Cities

This past May, Uber launched its Comfort Electric service in a small portion of cities. The launch brought premium EVs like Tesla, Polestar, and Ford Mustang Mach-E to users in eligible areas. With the success of the launch, the company has announced it will widen its expansion to include 14 additional cities in North America. The Comfort Electric option will now be available in the following cities: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore-Maryland, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Connecticut, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey, NYC Suburbs, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St Louis, Vancouver (Canada), Washington, DC. Likewise, this recent change coincides with the company’s mission to become a zero-emissions company by 2030.

Even as a local, it’s easy to forget that LA has a bounty of things to do to spend the day around town. With so many local gems, we thought to share the sites you may not often see. Read on and take a stroll around town with this week’s out-and-about recommendations!

See Los Angeles from 6,000 feet above at Mount Wilson Observatory

Located in the San Gabriel Mountains, the Mount Wilson Observatory has amazing views of the city. Admission to the area is free, and guided tours are available. For parking, you’ll just need to buy a Forest Service Adventure Pass.

Hike the Silver Lake Stairs

If you are looking for a workout, these WPA-era staircases are ideal for fitness enthusiasts. Open for public use, you can spend the day, morning or afternoon, taking on this hidden Silver Lake gem. For an exhaustive list of the stairs, check out author Charles Fleming’s Secret Stairs.

Catch a Family-Friendly Flick at Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens

This famed botanical garden/wonderland is famed for its scenic setting. With the soon-to-be arrival of fall, it’s also where you can catch a family-friendly flick. Spend the day at Huntington and stay for a feature film in Pasadena’s most beloved nature destination.

Bike Your Way Down the Strand

Take in the coastline with a bike ride down the Strand. This bike-friendly path kicks off at Will Rogers State Beach before ending in Torrance County Beach. The Strand bike trail is a great way to spend the day and a good workout too!

Take Your Furry Friend to the only off-leash beach

Contrary to popular belief, there is only one off-leash beach in L.A. County. For the best waterfront spot to take your furry friend, make your way to Rosie’s Dog Beach. The four-acre area is perfect for the pup in your life and a lovely way to spend the day!

Get Your Foodie on at Smorgasburg LA

An incubator for L.A.’s next big food spot, everyone in LA should experience Smorgasburg LA at least once…a month. With more than 80 food and retail stalls at ROW DTLA, there is something for every appetite. Spend the day the food lover way at this downtown staple.

Enjoy Nature at Malibu State Creek Park

There is more to Malibu than the beach. Malibu State Creek Park is a nature lover’s paradise. Spend the Day in this state treasure for dramatic gorges, open pastures, lush forests, and more! With just one visit, it’s easy to see why Malibu Creek is considered one of Southern California’s most stunning spots. 

With the recent West Coast heat waves, conserving energy has taken center stage. While it may be harder to turn down the AC during hotter months, there are a number of ways to conserve. Get ahead of the next flex alert and do your part to conserve energy at home with the helpful tips listed below.

Replace your light bulbs

It may seem minimal, but the types of lightbulbs you use can go a long way in energy conservation. Traditional incandescent light bulbs consume mass amounts of electricity and must be replaced often. Energy-efficient alternatives, like halogen incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), and light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs), use less energy and last 3 to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs.

Use energy-efficient appliances

Did you know that appliances are responsible for roughly 13% of total household energy use? When it comes to the appliances in your home, there are two things to keep in mind. Before your next buy, consider the initial purchase price and the annual operating cost. While energy-efficient appliances have higher upfront purchase prices, the operating costs are often 9-25% lower than conventional models.

Replace your air filters

The filters in your home should be replaced regularly. Replacing your air filters helps you avoid repairs and helps to save money. In fact, The Department of Energy released a report saying that replacing dirty filters regularly can reduce household energy consumption by up to 15%. 

Upgrade your HVAC system

If you are in an older home, chances are your HVAC system is in need of TLC. An HVAC system is composed of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. Heating alone is responsible for more than 40% of home energy use. Air conditioning also plays a factor in energy use, with over 6% of the average, typical total energy consumption. You can reduce your energy consumption with proper insulation and maintenance of your ventilation system.

Let In Natural Light

Replacing your lightbulbs is not the only way to conserve energy. By letting natural light into your home and flipping the switch off, sunlight can save tons. For instance, having north and south-facing windows instead of east and west can help. Creating energy from the sun and conserving energy with natural light can significantly reduce your household consumption and cost.

It’s time for the latest round-up of tech news from across the web. From Uber Eats Robot Delivery to Apple iOS 16 and more, read on for the latest news!

Mercedes-Benz partners with Rivian for electric vans

Mercedes-Benz is embarking on a new venture. The automobile company has announced a partnership with Rivian for “bespoke large” commercial electric vans. The company announced the news of the strategic partnership this week. Likewise, Mercedes plans to use its existing Mercedes-Benz site in Central or Eastern Europe to make the vehicles. This marks Rivian’s first foothold in the continent; the automaker only has one manufacturing facility in the US. The company will release to van models that will be built on Mercedes’ Vans Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) platform. The other vehicle model will be built on Rivian’s second-generation electric van platform, called Rivian Light Van (RLV). “We want to retain our position as the only van manufacturer producing large vans in Germany — despite the increasing costs associated with the e-mobility transformation,” said Mercedes-Benz head of vans Mathais Geisen.

Uber Eats Signs 10-Year Deal with Nuro for Robot Food Delivery

Robot food delivery will soon be making its way to California and Texas. Uber Eats has announced that it will partner with Nuro in a 10-yeat deal for autonomous delivery vehicles. The two companies have been in negotiations on a deal for the last four years. Beginning in the fall, Uber Eats and Nuro will deploy a fleet of self-driving delivery vehicles. The deliveries will launch in Mountain View, California, and Houston, Texas. Uber Eats and Nuro have not yet disclosed the number of customers the vehicles will reach. However, they did disclose that they hope to, at some point, expand to the greater Bay Area if testing goes well. 

Apple to Release iOS 16 in the Coming Week to iPhones

After this week’s Apple event, news of new products and updates are here. Likewise, the company has announced its latest software update, iOS 16, which will be released to iPhones on September 12. The software update will bring a variety of improvements to the iPhone, which may have already been seen on iPadOS 16 users who received their update last June. Some of the expected updates include improvements to the lock screen and the ability to edit and recall sent messages. In addition, the update will also roll out the new iCloud Shared Photo Library to share photos with your family and use the Live Text feature to pull text from videos as well as photos, with new abilities added.

Meta to Reveal High-End VR Set this October

For fans of Meta’s VR set, you won’t have to wait much longer for details on its high-end VR set. The social media giant has announced it will release a look at the latest Oculus VR set on October 11. In addition to giving consumers a first-hand look at the product, the company will also offer “a look at what’s to come in the near and far future.” In a blog post to Meta’s site, the company stated that we’ll see information on the Horizon Worlds virtual reality app and hinted that the high-end “Project Cambria” headset will show up as well. According to Zuckerberg, the headset will include eye and facial tracking and color passthrough as just some of the expected features. 

Mullen Automotive acquires EV startup Bollinger, for $148.2 million

Bollinger Motors, an EV startup, has been acquired by Muller Automotive for a grand total of $148.2 million. The controlling stake provides Mullen Automotive with a 60 percent share of the company. Mullen Automotive will add the Bollinger-designed medium-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles to its current inventory. As such, the deal “positions Bollinger to capture the electric sport utility and commercial vehicle markets,” the company added. Those outside Southern California may be unfamiliar with the electric vehicle manufacturer, whose goal is to build “the next-generation of premium electric vehicles that are affordable and built entirely in the United States.”