Technology News for Wednesday 12th January 2022

1. Tumblr for iOS updated with 'sensitive content' toggle to comply with App Store guidelines

As noted by TechCrunch, searches for sensitive terms like “marijuana” didn't return any results in Tumblr's iOS app. However, the latest version of the app now shows a popup asking users if they want to disable the sensitive content filter when searching ...

2. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile say they're not blocking Apple's iCloud Private Relay

AT&T and Verizon straight-up say they're not blocking the feature from functioning. Verizon spokesperson George L. Koroneos confirms that Private Relay works on both cellular and Fios internet connections, and AT&T spokesperson Seth Bloom says the ...

3. Here's every generation of the Mercedes SL

Here's every generation of the Mercedes SL · Mercedes-Benz SL Pagoda · Mercedes 300 SL - 1952 · Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing (W198) - 1954 · Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W121) - 1954 · Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W198 II) - 1957 · Mercedes-Benz SL (W113) - 1963.

4. WhatsApp will now allow you to listen voice messages in the background

The Meta-owned instant messaging company is testing it for the Android devices but it is already rolling out to selected iOS beta users. Presently, the voice note automatically stops playing if you leave that specific chat tab but with this planned feature ...

5. Thieves are using AirTags to steal luxury cars, report says

Thieves use tools like screwdrivers to enter the vehicles through the driver or passenger door, while ensuring not to set off alarms. Once inside, they connect an electronic device to the onboard diagnostics port below the ...

6. PUBG: New State announces January patch, Battlegrounds now free on PC and consoles

Krafton has announced a major January patch for PUBG: New State. The update is set to roll out next week and brings a new 64-player mode, new firearms, and overall improvements to the game. Also, PUBG: Battlegrounds, the original PC and console game is ...

7. Logitech Litra Glow Review

The Logitech Litra Glow is a flexible, easy-to-use fill light with a helpful monitor clip to get the best lighting for video calls and webcam recordings. MSRP $59.99. PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate ...

8. Call of Duty partners with Attack on Titan for new event

The new update brings 10 new thematic items, allowing players to don the Survey Corps' uniform and wield the iconic Titan killing blades. Advertisement.

9. WhatsApp voice notes will soon keep playing in the background

WhatsApp is slowly growing to be more feature-rich than it ever was, and over the years, voice notes is one of the most-handy additions to the popular messaging service. However, the voice notes sent to you on WhatsApp can only be played while the chat ...

10. Wordle is being punished by app stores for choosing the open web

Fascinated by how code and design is shaping the world, Owen is a technology columnist that previously wrote for OneZero, The Next Web and works as a UX Manager by day. If you ...

11. Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection is coming to Nintendo Switch

In addition to gameplay, you get two animated short films that offer an in-depth look into the assassin, Ezio's past. They are titled 'Assassin's Creed Lineage' and 'Assassin's Creed Embers' respectively.

12. Logitech's new stream light is an affordable, convenient alternative to Elgato

Logitech's Litra Glow is a small LED light that's designed to illuminate you while you're sitting at your desk. It's designed primarily with content creators like Twitch streamers or YouTubers in mind, but should work just as well for smartening you up ...

13. OnePlus 10 Pro vs Xiaomi 12 Pro vs Realme GT 2 Pro vs iQOO 9 Pro: Full specifications compared

The OnePlus 10 Pro was recently unveiled in China, debuting as an early adopter of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. However, OnePlus isn't the only brand to adopt the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, and other popular brands to use the new chip on their ...

14. People devote third of waking time to mobile apps

People are spending an average of 4.8 hours a day on their mobile phones, according to app monitoring firm App Annie. In 2020, UK regulator Ofcom found similar amounts of time spent, although its research included watching TV.

15. The three new features expected to be introduced to improve WhatsApp

WhatsApp users may soon find it easier to sort through messages as three new features are expected to be introduced to the app soon. For users of WhatsApp business accounts, the Meta-owned platform is anticipated to release some improvements to the ...

16. Kirby's new Switch game arrives in March

Venerable pink puffball protagonist Kirby will return to Nintendo Switch on March 25 with Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a new 3D, vaguely post-apocalyptic adventure. Nintendo announced the new Kirby Switch game's release date on Wednesday alongside a ...

17. Microsoft Teams' Walkie Talkie feature now available to everyone

The software maker is even teaming up with Zebra Technologies to add a dedicated push-to-talk button on a range of Zebra mobile devices. These devices are used widely by frontline workers, the employees that have helped steer the world through the ongoing ...

18. Logitech Litra Glow review: This excellent light will make you look better on camera

Whether you spend a lot of time on video calls or are serious about your Twitch or YouTube channel, you're going to need good lighting. Sure, a ring light might be enough, but those can be unwieldy. And if you want something more premium and ...

19. Explore a mysterious world with Kirby and the Forgotten Land on March 25

In the Kirby and the Forgotten Land game, join the powerful and cute hero, Kirby, as he gains new abilities in a 3D platforming adventure for the Nintendo Switch system that's filled with wonder, wilderness and Waddle Dees. If that sounds intriguing, ...

20. New BMW M5 spotted with hybrid power ahead of 2024 on sale date

The new M5 could receive the same hybrid powertrain as the upcoming XM flagship, which is set for release this year. The SUV will probably utilise the 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 from the current most powerful BMW - the M5 CS - combined with a hybrid ...

21. App Annie: Global app stores' consumer spend up 19% to $170B in 2021, downloads grew 5% to 230B

Growth in app downloads, however, dipped a bit more. Though today's consumers are installing more apps than ever — 230 billion were downloaded in 2021, setting another record — the growth rate itself is slowing.

22. Apple Clarifies iCloud Private Relay Wording in iOS 15.3 to Prevent Confusion Over Carrier Support

The new message says that Private Relay is turned off, but it explains that either a cellular plan does not support it or that it has been deactivated in Cellular Settings. In iOS 15.2 and prior iOS ...

23. iOS 15.2.1 and iPadOS 15.2.1 Address HomeKit Vulnerability

Resetting the device results in a loss of data unless there is an available backup, and signing back into an affected iCloud account linked to the broken ?HomeKit? device name can re-trigger the bug. Apple ...

24. Windows 11 is finally getting a new volume indicator

Originally introduced in Windows 8 in 2012, the black bar that pops up when you adjust the system volume using a keyboard or other device is finally going away. Microsoft is replacing it with a volume indicator that matches the overall Windows 11 design.

25. What is Wordle? How to play the hit online word-guessing game, Wordle rules - and why is it so popular?

Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle released Wordle for free on his website in October last year, but it has now spread far and wide, with grids of green, yellow and grey tiles littering social media timelines.

26. How to Listen to Apple Music on a Google Home Mini or Nest Audio Speaker

When Apple Music first launched in 2015, playing it on anything other than an Apple device was impossible. Thankfully though, over the years Apple has made its streaming service available to access through third-party devices and speakers, ...

27. Sony says it's still making new PS4s, but most stores aren't selling them

Sony confirmed that PS4 production is still ongoing, providing a quote to Bloomberg saying the system “is one of the best-selling consoles ever, and there is always crossover between generations.” That fits, ...

28. The 2022 Mercedes-Benz SL Is Nothing Like Its Predecessors

The Mercedes SL deserves a spot next to the Porsche 911, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Corvette as one of the most recognizable, longest-running, and now thoroughly modernized cars ever. You want something that puts a smile on your face? This one will.

29. iPhone 14 Pro Now Rumored to Feature Both Pill-Shaped and Circular Cutouts

Now, display industry consultant Ross Young has claimed that iPhone 14 Pro models will feature both hole-punch and pill-shaped cutouts near the top of the display. Young said the hole is believed to be ...

30. Canon printers think its ink cartridges are fake, but company has workarounds

Canon and other printer makers use chips to verify ink cartridges. PhotoPlus Magazine/Getty Images. Canon is feeling the impact of the global chip shortage that has led some Canon printer models to misread Canon's own toner cartridges as counterfeit or ...

31. iOS 15 settings you'll want to change on your iPhone today

Starting with iOS 14, however, Apple changed the incoming call prompt to look more like a typical alert. That is, a small notification that shows up near the top of the screen when you're using your phone.

32. Windows 11 Tablet Users: Get Ready to Relearn Everything

The image above shows the difference. It's subtle but helpful. Note that the Notification icons remain small. By contrast, in Windows 10's Tablet mode, taskbar icons disappear, since apps run full-screen; in that OS you have to use the Start menu or Task ...

33. God of War looks great on PC, but don't play it with a keyboard and mouse

That's not because I've played the game before on consoles (I've made that jump before and with fewer problems with other games), but it's because God of War is still a game that was designed with console in mind first. It doesn't feel like a game made for ...

34. Tech Matters: An introduction to the metaverse

Headlines from last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas focused on BMW's color-changing concept car, foldable laptops and gear designed to support the emerging metaverse, which brings us to the question, “What is the metaverse?”.

35. Nuro's newest autonomous delivery bot is designed for the masses

The startup, which has raised more than $2.13 billion since former Google engineers Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu founded the company in June 2016, unveiled a third-generation electric autonomous delivery vehicle designed for commercial operations and ...

36. 20 restaurants opening in Austin and Central Texas in 2022

Scratch Restaurants chef-owners Phillip Frankland Lee, Margarita Kallas-Lee and their partners intended to open Sushi|Bar, an extension of their Los Angeles-based brand, as a brief pop-up in East Austin a year ago.

37. 11 Apple AirPods accessories that you never knew you needed

1. Apple AirTag Holder · 2. Magnetic Anti-Lost Straps for AirPods · 3. Mobosi Vanguard Armor Series AirPods Case Cover · 4. Silicone AirPods Case Cover · 5. Proof Labs AirPods Pro Ear Hooks · 6. AirSquares Earbud Cleaning Putty · 7. Wireless AirPods Charger · 8.

38. Apple Releases Minor iOS 15.2.1 and iPadOS 15.2.1 Updates

According to Apple's release notes for the update, it addresses an issue causing Messages sent through an iCloud Link not to load and it fixes bug with third-party CarPlay apps not responding to input. Related ...

39. What in the Wordle? Five-letter puzzle craze goes global

WASHINGTON: Five letters, six attempts, and just one puzzle to solve per day: the "Wordle" formula couldn't be simpler, but in a matter of weeks the online brain teaser has got millions guessing around the world. "It just grabs you," daily player Susan ...

40. Microsoft Hires Former Apple Chip Architect

Microsoft has hired Mike Filippo, a semiconductor designer who formerly worked at Apple as a chip architect, reports Bloomberg. Microsoft is aiming to further expand on chip designs for the servers that power its cloud computing services, ...

41. Ubisoft lets players turn their best game snaps into apparel

Ubisoft announced a new partnership with Zakeke, a customizer software company that lets users personalize apparel and accessories with their own photos. Players will be able to edit photographs from Assassin's Creed Valhalla and other games with the ...

42. America's Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of 2022

From major cities—D.C. chef Nicholas Stefanelli will open his long-awaited ode to Greek cuisine, Philotimo—to buzzy destinations like Savannah, Georgia and Napa Valley, creative culinary minds are debuting new concepts and reimagining the old.

43. Apple patches HomeKit denial-of-service bug with new iOS update

The 15.2.1 patch addresses a vulnerability triggered through HomeKit, the software API for connecting smart home devices to iOS applications. If the vulnerability was exploited, HomeKit devices labeled with a very long name would cause iPhones and iPads to ...

44. At 233 patients, COVID-19 hospitalizations continue record-breaking climb in Lancaster County

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Lancaster County reached 233 Wednesday, marking the sixth time the local pandemic hospitalization record has been broken just this month, according to data from the state Department of Health.

45. Sony To Produce More PS4s In Response To PS5 Shortage

It's been slightly over a year since the PlayStation 5 launched, and it's still incredibly difficult for anyone to get their hands on Sony's flagship console. The company's solution to this shortage? Sony is planning to produce more PlayStation 4 ...

46. CES 2022: The 32 Best Things We Saw at the Consumer Electronics Show

The ACRO CA1000 is half-digital desktop audio player and half-HiFi headphone amp, with four built-in DACs: a balanced 2.5mm and 4.4mm, and unbalanced 3.5mm and 6.35mm output. If you're someone who won't compromise on HiFi sound, the amp also supports ...