Technology News for Friday 14th January 2022

1. Jan. 6 committee says tech firms are not cooperating, issues subpoenas

Congressional investigators on Thursday issued subpoenas to Twitter, Reddit and the parent companies of Facebook and YouTube and accused them of failing to provide complete information on how their platforms spread falsehoods that fomented the Jan.

2. January 6 panel targets social media companies with subpoenas after 'inadequate responses' to voluntary request

(CNN) The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 riot has issued four subpoenas to giant social media conglomerates after the panel said the companies provided "inadequate responses" to its initial request for documents and information over ...

3. Microsoft Touts Teams, Viva and Endpoint Manager Tool Updates for Frontline Workers

Some coming MEM enhancements will help with frontline worker scenarios, including expanded Shared Device Mode support for apps and audio alerts for lost Android Enterprise devices. Microsoft is adding support in Microsoft Intune (a management capability ...

4. Google expands London property empire with $1 billion office purchase

The internet giant announced Friday that it has acquired all of the Central St. Giles building, where it already occupies a number of floors. “Our investment in this striking Renzo Piano-designed development represents our continued confidence in the ...

5. Massive cyberattack hits Ukrainian government websites as West warns on Russia conflict

The cyberattack, which hit the foreign ministry, the cabinet of ministers and the security and defence council among others, comes as Kyiv and its allies have sounded the alarm about a possible new Russian military offensive against Ukraine.

6. Google Bets on Hybrid Work With $1 Billion London Office Deal

Alphabet Inc.'s Google said it would spend $1 billion to buy up its own London offices, keeping a major presence in the U.K. capital at a time when firms wrestle with how to manage employee work habits. The purchase and renovation of the Central Saint ...

7. OnePlus 9RT India Launch: Where to watch livestream and what to expect

OnePlus is set to launch two new products today as part of the OnePlus Launch Event Winter Edition. These include the OnePlus 9RT smartphone as well as the OnePlus Buds Z2. While the OnePlus 9RT is set to succeed the OnePlus 9R and provide a ...

8. Hackers Bring Down Government Sites in Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine — Hackers brought down several Ukrainian government websites on Friday, posting a message on the site of the Foreign Ministry saying, “Be afraid and expect the worst.” It was the latest in a long line of cyberattacks targeting the country ...

9. OnePlus 9RT Review in Five Minutes

The OnePlus 9RT's price in India is set at Rs 42,999 for the base model and Rs 46,999 for the top-end model. The handset brings a ton of improvements over last year's OnePlus 9R, while not going overboard on the price. On the specs sheet, the OnePlus 9RT ...

10. Meta sued for £2.3bn over claim Facebook users in UK were exploited

The case argues that Meta has broken the 1998 Competition Act by setting an “unfair price” for Facebook's UK users when they are given access to the service. The lawsuit brought by the legal expert Dr Liza ...

11. Sundar Pichai Hints At Bringing Back Google Employees Into London Office

Sundar Pichai has hinted that Google is committed to bringing back a part of its employees to offices in a “more flexible future workplace”. Though he did not say when it will be done, Mr Pichai shared images of the company's latest infrastructure ...

12. Cyberattack Hits Ukraine Official Sites Amid Russia Tensions

“Some government websites, including the Foreign Ministry and Education Ministry, came under hacker attack overnight,” the State Security Service said Friday. “The websites' content wasn't changed and there was no leak of personal information according to ...

13. Recapping Rumors About Under-Screen Face ID and Touch ID on Future iPhones

"We predict that the new 2H23 iPhone will support under-display fingerprint," said Kuo. Touch ID in Power Button. The latest iPad Air and iPad mini models feature Touch ID integrated ...

14. House January 6 panel subpoenas social media companies after "inadequate responses"

The committee sent subpoenas to Twitter, Reddit, Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube, and Meta, formerly known as Facebook, to immediately produce documents related to their investigation after "inadequate responses" to prior requests.

15. PUBG's developer is suing Apple, Google, and the developer of lucrative PUBG lookalike Free Fire

Krafton even accuses Google of hosting YouTube videos with gameplay of the two games in question, as well as “numerous posts containing a feature-length Chinese film that is nothing more than a blatantly infringing live-action dramatization of ...

16. UK class action lodged against Meta seeks $3.1B for breach of competition law

A competition legal expert, backed by a powerful litigation fund, is set to mount a multibillion-dollar class action suit against Facebook/Meta for breach of competition law on the basis that it abused its dominance of social networking in the U.K. for ...

17. Hackers Behind MacBook Pro Schematics Leak Arrested in Russia

According to the FSB, after the latest arrests, REvil now ceases to exist and its information infrastructure has been neutralized. REvil's funds have been seized from 25 addresses in Russia, constituting over $5.5 million worth of cryptocurrency, cash, ...

18. Analyst: All iPhone 14 Models to Feature 120Hz Displays, 6GB of RAM, and More

Apple is rumored to announce four new iPhone 14 models in September, and ahead of time, analyst Jeff Pu has outlined his expectations for the devices. iPhone 14 Mock pill and hole 16x9 120hz. In a research note with Haitong International Securities, ...

19. Final Fantasy XIV sales to resume January 25th

Your case of Final Fantasy XIV FOMO is nearing its end. Last night, game director Naoki Yoshida wrote on the Final Fantasy XIV website that Square Enix will resume digital sales of the popular MMO on January 25th. Final Fantasy XIV grew so popular with ...

20. OnePlus 9RT braves the burden of time, but strong performance gives it hope

Cameras should be filed away as a big upgrade in the OnePlus 9RT, over the 9R. The main camera is now 50-megapixels instead of 48-megapixels, and larger pixels to go with that.

21. The spaceships and vehicles of Avatar

James Cameron's space adventure Avatar was largely about hyper-realistic aliens, but the spaceships and vehicles used by the human invaders were very impressive too. Pandora Orbit_Avatar (2009)_Twentieth Century Fox_The spaceships and vehicles of ...

22. Dogecoin jumps 9% after Elon Musk says it can be used to buy Tesla merchandise

The price of dogecoin jumped more than 15% on Friday before paring gains after Tesla began accepting the cryptocurrency as payment for merchandise. Only a small number of items, including a belt buckle and a whistle, were buyable with the ...

23. 'Be Afraid': Ukraine Hit by Cyberattack, Russia Moves More Troops

Ukraine was hit by a massive cyberattack warning its citizens to "be afraid and expect the worst", and Russia, which has massed more than 100,000 troops on its neighbor's frontier, released TV pictures on Friday of more forces deploying in a drill.

24. Next iPad Pro Might Feature Large Glass Apple Logo to Allow Wireless Charging

One of the prototypes is said to feature MagSafe with stronger magnets than on the iPhone to prevent accidental damage, and it is also said to support faster wireless charging speeds compared to MagSafe on the iPhone.

25. OnePlus 9RT 5G with 50MP triple-camera, Buds Z2 with ANC launched in India

Other features include 50-megapixel primary camera sensor (Sony IMX766), Warp Charger 65T, 4,500mAh battery, and Android 11-based OxygenOS. The OnePlus Buds Z2 boasts active noise cancellation, Dolby Atmos, IPX4 protection rating, flash charging support, ...

26. Apple AR/VR Headset Potentially Delayed Until 2023 Amid Development Problems

Citing people familiar with Apple's plans, the report claims that Apple originally planned to launch the headset in 2021 and ship it this year. The company then set its sights on WWDC in June 2022 to launch the product, but this is reportedly now unlikely ...

27. Apple may delay its virtual reality headset until next year, report says

Apple is reportedly weighing whether to push back the debut of its anticipated virtual reality headset until late 2022 later. Although Apple has never publicly confirmed work on a headset, investors and analysts increasingly believe that a headset ...

28. The top Galaxy S21 FE accessories for keeping your phone safe and charged

This affordable pick is a clear case that will show off your new smartphone while helping to prevent damage from accidents and mishaps. It offers up to 6-foot drop protection with cushioned corners for shock absorption.

29. Southwest Florida chef Brian Roland continues to recover, heading to rehabilitation center

Roland, the owner of Crave Culinaire, was injured by a freight elevator at a car dealership in Naples. He was found by first responders trapped underneath the elevator during a party at Ferrari Naples on Dec ...

30. Netflix raises prices on all plans in US

The price hikes go into effect immediately for new subscribers. For existing subscribers, the changes will be rolled out “gradually,” with Netflix promising to email members 30 days before the price hike goes into effect.

31. 'The Matrix' Co-Producer Village Roadshow Considering Strategic Options - WSJ

Village Roadshow's controlling shareholder, Vine Alternative Investments, has tapped PJT Partners Inc and held talks with potential buyers, the report said, adding that the process may not result in a deal.

32. Google's Sonos lawsuit dodge might let other phone makers do what Pixel cannot

You might think a Google phone would be the best choice to control your Google-branded speakers, but that's not necessarily true: Google's actions have potentially opened the door for other manufacturers to do what the Pixel legally cannot, ...

33. Apple mixed-reality headset's launch could get pushed to 2023, report says

Apple was planning to unveil the headset at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June and then put it on sale later in the year, Bloomberg reported, citing people it said were familiar with the situation. But ...

34. The Last of Us voice actor wants to sell 'voice NFTs,' drawing ire

Troy Baker, the voice behind characters like Joel from The Last of Us, Jonesy in Fortnite, and both Batman and The Joker in multiple Batman video games, has a new role: a spokesperson for a new type of non-fungible token (aka NFT) built around voices ...

35. Best deals on Beats headphones for 2022

However, these headphones don't have the dynamic head-tracking required for Apple's spatial audio feature while watching TV and movies -- only the AirPods Pro, third-gen AirPods, AirPods Max and new Beats Fit Pro have head-tracking.

36. Video Shows Sunrise Police Sergeant Putting Hand on Fellow Officer's Throat

Sgt. Christopher Pullease has been relieved of supervisory responsibilities and is the subject of an internal affairs investigation following the Nov. 19 incident, Sunrise Police Chief Anthony Rosa said in a statement Friday. Download ...

37. Apple Booted the Wordle Copycat Apps, but More Will Come

But this likely doesn't mean the end of Wordle clones. Those quick removals paper over the complicated legal and social landscape surrounding copycat apps and the protections developers can claim on their game ideas. Who ...

38. Wordle fans are downloading like crazy another app by the same name

As Wordle, the five-letter online word game continues to be a global rage, a US-based marketing coordinator noticed that a mobile app he had created when he was a teenager saw a massive surge in downloads. Steven Cravotta had created an app called ...