Category: feature

It’s time for this week’s tech news. Stay connected with the world of tech as we break down the week’s leading headlines. From TikTok Kitchens to Zoom on Amazon Fire TV and more, we have the tech news you need to know!

Tesla to Reward Timely Holiday Travel with Free Charging

If you happen to be road-tripping for the holidays AND driving a Tesla, you’re in luck. The EV company has announced a predawn holiday gift for commuters in need of a charge. From December 23 through December 26, drivers will be able to charge at certain Supercharger locations before 10AM or after 7PM for free. The deal will be available at 75 charging stations out of the 1400 available Tesla stations in the U.S. Most of the charging stations are located in California, making this an excellent gift for local Tesla drivers. 

World’s Longest Lithium-Ion Flexible Fiber Battery Produced by MIT Engineers

Engineers at MIT have created the world’s longest lithium-ion flexible fiber battery ever produced. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery was developed in the form of an ultra-long fiber. As a result, the lithium-ion battery can be woven into fabrics and could potentially provide power for fiber-based electronic devices and sensors. In addition, the engineers believe that the battery could be used in a variety of wearable electronic devices. The researchers involved in the project envision new possibilities for self-powered communications, sensing, and computational devices. 

Amazon TV’s can Now Take Zoom Calls

If you are looking for an expanded view for your next Zoom meeting, Amazon has a new solution. With the launch of Amazon’s Fire TV last month, the company will finally be adding the promised Zoom video calling app. The app became available on the Fire TV device this week, just in time for the holidays and as such virtual holiday gatherings. Zoom users seeking to use their TV to connect will need a USB webcam for video capability. Likewise, users will not need to locate the app in the app store and can find it by simply saying, “Alexa, find Zoom”.

New Study Finds electric vehicles provide lower carbon emissions through additional channels 

In a recent study conducted by Yale School of the Environment published in Nature Communications, researchers found that electric vehicles provide lower carbon emissions. The study showed that with regard to emissions, EV’s have a clear advantage over conventional vehicles. Likewise, the research gave a better understanding of how comprehensive carbon pricing can shift consumers toward electric vehicles. In addition, the study gave consideration to future technological change, such as decarbonization of the electricity supply.

TikTok Kitchens to Bring Viral Culinary Creations Straight to You

Foodies of TikTok rejoice because your favorite viral culinary creations may be coming via delivery to you soon. This week TikTok announced they will be partnering with Virtual Dining Concepts to launch TikTok Kitchens. The delivered-only service features the trendiest and tastiest recipes on the app. According to Bloomberg, TikTok and VDC plan to open around 300 locations across the US with plans to expand to 1,000 by the end of 2022. Likewise, the menu for TikTok kitchens will rotate quarterly to keep things fresh and exciting.

Stay connected to the world of technology with this week’s tech news. We’re sharing our snippets of the leading headlines happening in tech from Adidas NFTs to Snap Story Studio and more!

Snap Launches New Standalone Video Editing App Story Studio

A new video editing app will be coming to your app store by way of Snap. The company announced the launch of Story Studio this past week, their standalone video editing app. The app was launched in an effort to give creators more editing controls over vertical videos with additional elements available. An early version of the app can be accessed by iOS users in the US, UK, and Canada. Snap stated that the development of the app is being “built alongside creators” and will specifically help those using Spotlight. Spotlight launched last November as a way to compete with fellow video apps like TikTok and IG Reels.

IBM and Samsung Announce New Chip Design that Could Give One Week Battery Life to Phones 

If short battery life on your phone has been an issue, IBM and Samsung may soon have s solution. The companies recently announced their latest advancement in semiconductor design. 

Both companies believe that the chip redesign could provide “two times improvement in performance or an 85 percent reduction in energy use”. The design allows the companies to pack more transistors into a chip. This in turn allows for current to flow up and down the stack of transistors instead of its current side-to-side horizontal design. IBM and Samsung’s new Vertical Transport Field Effect Transistors (VTFET) design would succeed the current FinFET technology if successful. Other companies like Intel have announced similar ambitious efforts in recent months.

Reddit Files to Go Public 

If you happen to be a Reddit user or not, now may be the time to get invested. In Reddit stock that is to say. The company announced this week they are in the process of taking the company public, with the number of shares and price per share not yet disclosed. Reddit filed a confidential S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission but no further details are available at this time. Rumors have been swirling that the company was considering an IPO with a valuation of $10 billion after an August funding round. In the same month, Reddit also announced they had made around $100 million in ad revenue with a 200 percent increase from the previous year. For a company that has helped produce some stock market highs and lows, we can only expect this news to trend upward.

Adidas to Launch NFTs Collection with Exclusive Access to New Merch

The apparel company, Adidas is joining the NFTs world. Adidas announced a line of NFTs this week called Into the Metaverse. The NFTs will give buyers access to an exclusive fan club with the ability to purchase special merch drops. In addition, Adidas stated that members will be able to play a part in shaping the types of products and experiences the company provides to its NFT-owning community. “Adidas is in the metaverse,” Tareq Nazlawy, Adidas’ senior director of digital growth, said in a statement. “We want to figure out what would be the dopest thing to do in that space and start involving the communities we’re activating through this [NFT] in how we should manifest in the virtual world.”

Twitch May Have a New Competitor with TikTok Testing a PC Game Streaming App

The popular social media platform is testing a new desktop streaming software called TikTok Live Studio. The software allows users to broadcast live footage from games and other desktop applications per a recent report by TechCrunch. TikTok has been testing the software with a small number of users across parts of the Western markets. This latest news by the company puts TikTok into a new and wider arena of possible users. If successful, the platform would allow the company to compete with other streaming platforms like YouTube Gaming, Twitch, and Facebook Gaming. 

Ford to Launch New EV Charging Project in Effort to Assist Commercial Customers to go Electric

More EV charging stations may be coming to electric commercial vehicles users around the U.S. by way of Ford. The motor vehicle company recently announced the launch of a new project to help its commercial customers switch to electric vehicles. Ford hopes to accomplish this goal by selling commercial vehicle owners EV charging installation equipment and software management tools. Ford expects to sell over 300,000 electric vehicles to businesses and government agencies throughout the next decade. In addition, the company will offer Ford Pro Charging. The planned project would provide the software and hardware needed to charge their electric vehicles. 

Stay connected with the world of tech with our weekly blog on the world’s leading headlines. Read on for the top stories take the technology world by storm and stay in the know!

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo to launch First foldable phone

More foldable phones are coming into the market. Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has announced via press release they will launch their first flagship foldable phone. Titled Find N, the phone launches next week. The company CEO said the launch comes after years of “intense” research and development. While not many specifics of the device have been released yet, a new teaser video gives some insight on Find N. Likewise, this new tech is sure to inspire other foldable phones to follow suit.

WhatsApp Begins Piloting Crypto Payments in the U.S.

The use of crypto continues to creep into more and more everyday use. This week WhatsApp announced that it has begun piloting crypto payments on its app through a small pilot program. Access to the new feature can be found in the app through the digital wallet Novi. The digital wallet, Novi, which is a project of Meta, happens to also be the recently rebranded parent company of Whatsapp. The pilot will allow users to make payments with the crypto pax dollar. The outgoing head of Novi, David Marcus, said in a tweet that the WhatsApp pilot is “another small step in the right direction,” adding that it’s “the best farewell gift.”

YouTube announces Escape2021, new year-end live event

If you are looking for a fun way to recap the year online, Youtube has you covered! The company announced that it will be hosting a 24-hour interactive live event called Escape2021. The online event will kick off on December 16 and feature musicians and creators to look back on the platform’s biggest trends and videos of the year. This new event will replace YouTube Rewind and seems to be the companies way of offering a more immersive online experience. In addition, the company announced that the event will also include trivia questions, challenges, and “real-time live experiences”.

New X-ray mission launched by NASA to study black holes and exploding stars

This past week, NASA successfully launched their Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) into space on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The device’s two-year mission will study the origins of X-ray light and build on the work done by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. NASA’s IXPE will provide more insight into some of the astrophysical phenomena studied by Chandra in the past. In additionIXPE will study 40 celestial objects with detailed follow-up observations done during its second year. NASA has stated that the device will begin operations this January.

Meta begins allowing access to Horizon Worlds, its VR social platform

With the company’s recent rebrand, Meta will finally be opening up Horizon World’s to US and Canada users without an invite. The company’s VR social platform is accessible for free through the Quest App and by all users 18 and up. This marks Meta’s first attempt at releasing something similar to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for the metaverse. To use the platform users must have a Facebook account. Users will also be able to hang out with up to 20 users at a time in a virtual space. 

Get your weekly dose of tech news from this week’s blog. We are breaking down all of the major headlines regarding everything tech from the past week. From New Reddit Features to Square’s Name Change and more, read on for our tech news round-up of the week. 

TikTok Launches Creator Next for Expanded Money Making Options for Creators

This week TikTok announced the launch of Creator Next, their new hub for all of the platform’s monetization tools. The company announced the change via their newsroom, explaining that along with Creator Next, a new tipping feature will also be added. TikTok’s shift to incentivizing creators is a push to retain their biggest stars who may otherwise move to more profitable platforms. The company had recently begun testing a tipping feature in October, with the tool now being available to all creators who are eligible. Requirements for earning tips on TikTok include being in good standing, over 18, and having 100,000 followers or more.

CA Gets First Autonomous Delivery Service Courtesy of Nuro and 7-Eleven

You may have already begun to see a new kid on the block of autonomous vehicles. This past week Nurp kicked off a new service in California in partnership with 7-Eleven. Nuro, a leader in autonomous delivery vehicles will be delivering convenience store goods to consumers. Currently, driverless vehicles have been limited to one store in Mountain View. Likewise, in an effort to expand, some vehicles have also begun road tests around L.A. The L.A. vehicles are currently only surveying routes and are not available for delivery. There is no word yet on when Nuro’s service will expand to all of SoCal.

Square to be Rebranded as Block in New Name Change

In the era of name changes and Founder departures, Twitter-owned Square is getting a new look. The company announced this week they will be rebranding as Block. The news follows the announcement that Twitter Founder and CEO Jack Dorsey would be stepping down from the company. While Dorsey will remain CEO of Block (for now), the tech founder stated “the change makes it clear the company is more than a payment processing service.” The company hopes that the change will aid them in helping to increase access to the platform for all.

Reddit Adds New Real-Time Features to Platform

This past week Reddit launched new real-time features for the platform. The update will now allow upvotes, downvotes, and comments to increase or decrease as they occur. The company hopes that the change will provide more accuracy for users on the platform. In addition, Reddit will also show the number of people reading a post when five or more people are viewing it at the same time. Likewise, the feature will also show users a typing indicator when two or more users are typing a comment. The features have already begun rolling out and will be available on the newer Reddit design. 

US Manufacturing Boosted by Global Chip Shortage

While the recent chip shortage as a result of the pandemic has limited product availability, it is now working to help boost US manufacturing. The ongoing shortage has led to a new spotlight being shined on what products are manufactured in the U.S. Additionally, the shortage has bolstered the U.S. Governments push to decrease reliance on foreign entities for consumer products. U.S.-based companies like Intel are now hoping to not only increase production but also government funding in order to address the shortfall. The company joins a growing list of other U.S. manufacturers who are stepping to the plate to accelerate the production of necessary products like chipmakers. Whether or not the US manufacturing boost will aid the chip shortage overall is yet to be determined.

Bang and Olufson Team with Verizon to Create smart Android TV Soundbars

If you happen to be a fan of Bang and Olufson AND Android devices, you are in luck. This week Verizon announced they will be partnering with Bang & Olufsen to create a customized version of Android TV called “Stream TV.” Along with supporting Dolby Atmos, the Streambar will also include built-in streaming. The features will be similar to that of Roku Streambar and include the capability to play video content in 4K and HDR. In addition, the soundbar will also support Chromecast for wireless streaming from any phone, tablet, or computer.