Technology News for Thursday 18th November 2021

1. Grammarly raises $200M at a $13B valuation to make you an even better writer using AI

Grammarly, the popular auto-editing tool for writing, has raised $200 million in funding at a $13 billion valuation from new investors including Baillie Gifford and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, among others. The company plans to use the ...

2. Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs Update: Part II will release Nov. 30

With its first part dropping on Nov. 8, Caves & Cliffs Update: Part II has been highly anticipated by players as it will bring updates to terrain and a few new features to the game.

3. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is free to keep for a limited time

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was a satisfying tactical stealth game when it released in 2005, and it's arguably the reason so many want the series to make a comeback. Ubisoft seems reluctant to confirm or deny another Splinter Cell game—even while it ...

4. Streamlabs changes its name after backlash from Twitch stars and open source software maker

One of the most popular streaming software makers is in hot water after being called out by top Twitch personalities and the open source project that served as a backbone for the company's success. Streamlabs, formerly Streamlabs OBS, changed its name ...

5. With iOS 15.2 Public Beta 3 You Have More Control Over Macro Photos

There's now a Legacy Contacts setting in Password & Security. · An App Privacy Report is now available in settings, under Privacy. · The Music app may cause higher CPU usage, resulting in faster battery drain.

6. Spotify launches lyrics feature globally for free and paying users

and will be accessible on basically every platform where Spotify has an app. This includes iOS, Android, desktop computers, gaming consoles, and smart TVs. The feature is available to both free and premium listeners.

7. Google clarifies Pixel 6 series charging, confirms 23W speeds

too much annoyances for this c.r.a.p. phone: * excessive thermal throttling * unwanted calls * greent tint/cracks & double screen hole * battery drains fast * no face recognition * confirmed by Google only charges at 22-23W max

8. Spotify finally rolls out real-time lyrics to global users

After years of ignoring consumer demand for in-app lyrics, particularly in the U.S., Spotify announced today it will make a new Lyrics feature available to all global users, both Free and Premium, across platforms. The feature is powered by lyrics ...

9. Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro default settings you won't regret changing

You can make your app icons match your wallpaper, optimize storage space and more. All you need to do is tweak these settings. Lisa Eadicicco headshot.

10. Microsoft is celebrating 20 years of Xbox in secret style

Microsoft has been having a hell of a time celebrating 20 years of Xbox this week, adding 76 new games to the Xbox backward compatibility library, launching a Halo-themed Xbox Series X, and a 20th anniversary translucent controller.

11. Motorola unveils Moto G200 with SD 888 , along with four other G-series models

Anonymous, 1 hour agoMotorola isn't messing around anymore. All of them are fantastic, especially the G200. T... moreMotorola software is much better than Miui. There's no need for them to give more than 1 os update. Rating0 |; Reply; Report. 1385782.

12. Scump reaches $1m CoD earnings with record-breaking World Series of Warzone win

While HusKerrs and Newbz won the duo side of things, Scump defied all odds to take down some of Warzone's greatest names in an incredible regain and become the $100k Solo Warzone champion. Now, he's ...

13. Capcom Delays Cool-Looking Sci-Fi Game Pragmata To 2023

One of the most interesting-looking games announced in 2021 was Pragmata. The debut trailer was so baffling that some mistook it for a Hideo Kojima production. That is not a bad thing! Pragmata was supposed to be out in 2022, but today, ...

14. Samsung's Galaxy S22 could be coming soon, and I want these upgrades

Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra came out in January, and the S22 lineup is expected to follow suit. Andrew Hoyle/CNET. Samsung's Galaxy S21 impressed us with its pro-standard camera, vibrant screen and fast processor. But what about its successor?

15. Warner Bros. is teasing new game project that could be rumored crossover fighter MULTIVERSUS

Things have been relatively quiet regarding the rumored Warner Bros. crossover fighting game since images and reports began circulating in October. But some new teases from various Warner properties could point out to an announcement being inbound.

16. New Starbucks Pickup store in NYC uses Amazon Go cashierless technology

Starbucks has opened a new “pickup cafe” in New York City that uses Amazon Go's “just walk out” cashierless tech, the companies said Thursday. The store in midtown Manhattan is designed for customers who want to buy coffee or a snack quickly and can't ...

17. Genshin Impact's long-lost KFC glider is coming to the West but now costs $10 in Twitch subs

Back in March, Chinese Genshin Impact players were able to unlock the red-and-white glider, then named the Wings of Feasting, by purchasing a specific combo meal from their local KFC and redeeming the included code.

18. Arya Stark stabs Bugs Bunny in Warner Bros' take on Smash Bros.

Revealed with a fairly in-depth trailer earlier today, Multiversus is developer Player First Games' attempt to create a cross-platform Smash Bros. with the media giant's somewhat eclectic cast of characters. Warner Bros ...

19. The new Moto G Power offers a 50-megapixel camera and three days of battery life for $199

Motorola has also slotted in a new processor, switching away from the Snapdragon 662 processor in last year's model to a MediaTek Helio G37, which should provide better performance and power efficiency. The star of the spec ...

20. Creative Assembly lifts the veil on Nurgle and Slaanesh for Total War: Warhammer 3

Today's announcement focuses on Nurgle, the Plague Lord, and his champion Ku'gath Plaguefather, who will be the faction's launch Legendary Lord. Nurgle factions in general thrive on spreading disease and debuffing their foes, while also giving their own ...

21. Halo Infinite is getting better Battle Pass progression later this week

If you're still stuck on level 1 of the Halo Infinite Battle Pass, fear not, as 343 Industries is making some much-needed changes to progression later this week. “To address the feedback on Battle Pass progression we will be making targeted tunings to ...

22. Best Black Friday 2021 tech deals: Early offers on headphones, speakers and more

With the latest Apple Airpods you're automatically on, and automatically connected. As you may know, these wireless headphones sit comfortably in your ear and give you quick and easy control of both audio and Siri. Thanks to its compact charging case, you ...

23. All the Decent Early Black Friday Deals You Can Get Now

We've scoured the virtual aisles to find the top deals in gadgetry and electricals to save you a few pennies ahead of the late November madness. Some of the best current deals range from discounts on TVs, smartwatches, tablets, wireless earbuds, a gaming ...

24. Windows 11 SE: Microsoft's answer to the remote learning problem

The Surface Laptop SE is a Windows 11 SE-enabled device meant for K-8 classrooms. Microsoft. Microsoft introduced Windows 11 SE, its new student-focused operating system, on Nov. 9 following the rollout of Windows 11 in October. Windows 11 SE was built ...

25. iPhone storage running low? Use these tips to free up space

We store just about everything on our iPhones: family photos, movies, music libraries, you name it. That's why it's important to make sure you don't run out of space. Apple made that a bit easier in 2021 by boosting the iPhone 13's default storage ...

26. What The PS5 Has (And Hasn't) Added Over The Past Year

One year ago, two notable events happened in the world of video games. First, on November 12, Sony released the PlayStation 5 in certain markets—its first totally new gaming console in seven years. Then, a few days later, Kotaku assessed the new ...

27. Minecraft's new update is coming soon, along with a new season for Dungeons

It's a big time for Minecraft fans, as big updates are coming to both the Bedrock Edition of the voxel builder game and the spinoff dungeon crawler Minecraft Dungeons. The first update is Minecraft's Cliffs & Caves: Part 2, which is also known as Patch ...

28. Belkin's new $150 3-in-1 charger is the first to get Apple Watch Series 7 fast charging

Belkin has a pair of new wireless Apple Watch chargers it's announcing today, which are notably the first third-party chargers to support the newly added fast charging on the Apple Watch Series 7. The larger of the two is the $149.95 BoostCharge Pro ...

29. Apple AirPods Max headphones drop to $440, near low price on Amazon

Approaching Black Friday, you can pick up Apple's high-end noise-canceling headphones near their lowest price to date in space gray or blue. ... The silver AirPods Max are shown here. David ...

30. Everything you need know about WB's Smash Bros. clone: Multiversus

A new challenger is approaching! As Nintendo ends support for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl takes the fighting game community by surprise, Warner Bros. announced its plans to step into the fray. WB owns many popular ...

31. Black Friday 2021: How to score a PS5, Xbox Series X at Walmart next week

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It's been over a year since the release of PS5 and Xbox Series X, but many gamers across the country are still struggling to get their hands on the next-generation consoles. Luckily, with Black Friday rapidly approaching, ...

32. Every TV deal worth getting this Black Friday: offers on Sony, LG and more

There's now only one week until the official Black Friday weekend, but it's already a fantastic time to pick up a bargain on a new TV, with a variety of retailers launching sales that include high-resolution 4K and OLED models.

33. PS5 Restock Tracker: PS Direct Might Have Consoles In Stock Today

We see at least a couple of PS5 restocks each week at major retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, and GameStop. Sony also has fairly regular restocks at PS Direct. But you always have to be fast (and lucky) to purchase one before stock runs out.

34. Amazon officially launches its more natural 'Conversation Mode' option on Echo Show 10

This mode is enabled and disabled by the user via voice commands, so it can be something you only turn on as needed. The company introduced Alexa Conversations alongside other AI developments at its hardware event last ...

35. 11 Black Friday deals $25 and under to help with your holiday shopping

Save money on your tech purchases and gifts with the hottest deals in our newsletter. Delivered on weekdays. Yes, I also want ...

36. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy now offers ray tracing on PS5 and Xbox Series X

Eidos Montreal cautions that although this allows the Guardians' adventure to run between 30 and 60FPS, you'll likely see less stable frame rate in certain areas, unless you're using a monitor or TV with a dedicated variable refresh rate mode.

37. Battlefield 2042 gets much-needed performance patch ahead of full release

The update targets server stability improvements and reduces instances of rubber-banding. The team has also managed to “significantly” reduce instances of stuttering on the Breakaway map – so the server's performance should no longer dip if the silo is ...

38. Halo Infinite Improves Grindy Battle Pass, Gives Out Bonus Gift [Update]

Microsoft has announced updates to Halo Infinite's battle pass ahead of schedule, following widespread backlash at how it awards XP. While it won't address all of the underlying criticisms, these new tweaks will definitely make the grind a little more ...

39. Trek launches all-new Speed Concept triathlon bike

In addition to those claimed improvements in speed, the American brand appears to be marketing its new bike on four key pillars. Aside from speed, Trek is keen to shout about the Speed Concept's ability as a 'complete triathlon solution', its improvement ...

40. New World's first major update adds new weapons, enemies, PvP options, and a novel's worth of minor tweaks

Varangian Knights. (Image credit: Amazon Game Studios). Amazon Games is about to release a bumper update for New World, introducing a new ...

41. Battlefield 2042's Hovercrafts Are So Busted They're Climbing Walls, Killing Helicopters

Early access Battlefield 2042 players are seemingly having an amazing time with the game ahead of its official launch on November 19, though not always in ways the developers may have intended. One source of tremendous absurdity and enjoyment is the ...

42. Bungie details ability changes for Destiny 2's 'biggest balance patch ever'

The biggest change here is to ability cooldowns, as it'll affect every class and every ability in the game. Instead of having universal cooldowns for all Supers, grenades, and melee abilities, Bungie will now tune them individually. This means that Bungie ...

43. Google will finally let you preorder the new 23W Pixel Stand for $79

Meet the second-gen Pixel Stand from Google. It's a superfast wireless charger with up to 23W of power. It works with compatible Pixel phones, Pixel Buds, and Qi-certified mobile devices ...

44. Pokemon Go December 2021 Community Day: Pokemon, bonuses and more

Pokemon Go's November Community Day takes place this Sunday, but December's Community Day has already been announced. Like previous years, the event will span two days, Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, and will give players another chance to catch all of the featured ...

45. Every Halo Game Ranked Worst To Best

Want to feel old? It has been 20 years since the original Xbox launched with "Halo: Combat Evolved", a game that forever changed console gaming and launched one of the medium's biggest franchises. With "Halo: Infinite" on the Horizon, ...

46. Sonic the Hedgehog smells of citrus fruit and leather, apparently

It's good to take a break from all the world's miseries and ask oneself the big questions, such as: what would Sonic the Hedgehog smell like? As a large spiny mammal that spends most of his life running at full-pelt and eating chilli dogs I am going to ...

47. Spotify's latest purchase is about becoming the place you listen to everything

Last week, Spotify announced plans to spend an undisclosed amount of money to acquire Findaway, an audiobook creation and distribution company that plays a major role in the industry. The announcement likely made sense to anyone who's been paying ...

48. Microsoft Edge is getting price tracking and leaked passwords features

Microsoft is planning to add a new price tracker to its Edge browser, as well as a new feature that will let people easily change their passwords if they've been leaked online. The price tracking feature will be available soon and is designed to track ...

49. Instagram rolls out new 'Rage Shake' feature and the option to delete posts from a carousel

Instagram has introduced a new “Rage Shake” feature that lets users shake their phones to report a problem with the app. Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the launch of the new feature in a video on Twitter and explained how it works.

50. This iPhone camera trick will transform your selfies

A selfie in default mode (left) versus a selfie with Mirror Front Camera turned on (right). Alison DeNisco Rayome/CNET. Apple's latest iPhone operating system, iOS 15.1, is now available to download (and iOS 15.2 is just around the corner).