Technology News for Monday 18th October 2021

1. Facebook to hire 10000 in EU to work on metaverse

A metaverse is an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the ...

2. The Pixel 6 might start at a relatively affordable $599

The Pixel 6's price could start at $599 with 128GB of storage, while the 128GB Pixel 6 Pro could start at $898, according to early US pricing at Target stores spotted by M. Brandon Lee and Evan Lei. Lei posted a photo of pricing already displayed on ...

3. Apple Supplier Stocks See Headwinds On iPhone 13 Supply News

Our theme on Apple Component Supplier Stocks – which includes a diverse set of companies that supply components for iPhones and other iDevices - has declined a bit since our last update in late September. The theme remains up by just about 5% ...

4. The M1 chip saved the MacBook — but now Apple has to win back the Pros

That may be about to change with the presumed announcement of new, high-end MacBook Pro models, computers that are rumored to be Apple's biggest laptop update in years. And new MacBook Pros are an opportunity ...

5. 8 default Windows 10 settings you need to disable right now

A feature Windows 10 added is an optimized update delivery system, which lets you download updates from other Windows 10 computers over the Internet (not just from Microsoft's servers). The catch, of course, is that your computer is also used as an update- ...

6. Lawmakers accuse Amazon executives of misleading or lying to Congress about its business practices

The letter, addressed to Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, says the committee is considering whether it would be appropriate to refer the Department of Justice to launch a criminal investigation into the subject. “ ...

7. Apex Legends leak reveals all Tropics map POIs, vehicle spawns & more

A supposed first look at the new Apex Legends map as a whole, Tropic, has surfaced online showing the different POIs, vehicle spawns, and everything else you'd find on the game's minimap. When Apex Legends first launched, Kings Canyon was the only map ...

8. Apple expected to unveil new Macs with more powerful chips

The company has already placed a first generation in-house-designed M1 chip into some MacBooks as well as its Mac Mini and iMac desktop machines, but the new larger MacBook Pro models are expected to feature a second, more powerful generation of the ...

9. Pixel 6: All the reasons I can't wait to get my hands on Google's new phone

It wasn't a detailed launch, and we still have plenty to learn about the Pixel 6, but Google promises exciting features stemming from a brand-new camera system and its own in-house developed Tensor system-on-a-chip. I, for one, am already excited about ...

10. LIVE: Sky Glass launches in the UK today - here's everything you need to know

Sky Glass is a brand new TV that doesn't require a satellite dish or a box, relying only via broadband. The media company revealed their new product to the public at a launch event in ...

11. Storyboard | Instagram launches an ad blitz. Here's why

But now, the Facebook-owned social media platform wants to “show several million other Indians that they need not be apostles of perfection to be on this platform,” says Pallavi Chakravarti, creative head - DDB Mudra West, about Instagram's new ad campaign ...

12. Namco pixel artist Hiroshi Ono dies at 64

Ono joined Namco in 1979 as a graphic designer, contributing his work towards some of the company's most iconic arcade games. Along with providing cabinet artwork for Pac-Man, he is perhaps best known for his sprite work on the excellent Galaga and Dig Dug ...

13. New York man sues Canon for $5M, claims printers don't scan when ink is low

NEW YORK - A Queens, New York man has filed a $5 million class-action lawsuit against Canon U.S.A. Inc., claiming the company's all-in-one printers are unable to scan documents if the ink cartridges are low. David Leacraft filed the lawsuit Oct. 12 in ...

14. Amazon may have lied to Congress, bipartisan group of lawmakers say

New York (CNN Business) A bipartisan group of lawmakers warned Amazon on Monday they are concerned top executives including former CEO Jeff Bezos may have misled or even lied to Congress about the company's business practices. The lawmakers, members of ...

15. The PS5 is the first console to outsell the Nintendo Switch in nearly three years

“PlayStation 5 is the best-selling hardware platform of 2021 year-to-date in dollars, while Nintendo Switch leads in units.” The NPD Group only tracks sales in the US, so it leaves out big markets like Europe and Asia.

16. Lawmakers question whether top Amazon executives lied to Congress

Five lawmakers wrote a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Sunday questioning whether the company's top executives, including then-CEO Jeff Bezos, misled Congress during testimony in 2019 and 2020. The lawmakers said “recent, credible reporting” ...

17. Guardians of the Galaxy requires 150GB of disk space on PC

That's far behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare at 231GB, but exceeds the likes of Hitman 2 (149GB) and Microsoft Flight Simulator (127GB).

18. Get old WhatsApp chats on new Android phone without Google Drive backup this way

Many must be buying new phones as festive sales continue in full swing across different channels. Transferring WhatsApp chats from old devices to new Android smartphones can be done easily by accessing the backup on Google Drive.

19. Apple updates 16-inch MacBook Pro for 2021 with M1 Pro, M1 Max chips

Key among the new additions to the company's bigger laptop are updated versions of Apple's homegrown M1 processor. We've already seen Apple's silicon added to smaller MacBooks and iPads, but the 16-inch MacBook is ...

20. Apple to release macOS Monterey on October 25

Apple has unveiled some new MacBook Pro models at a virtual conference today. And the company is timing the release of the next major release of macOS with the new laptop. Mac users will be able to update to macOS Monterey on Monday, October 25.

21. Apple's HomePod Mini gets three new color options

Apple is catching up with the competition here. Google's Nest Mini smart speakers have blue and orange options, and there's also a blue Amazon's Echo Dot, plus some fun animal-themed colors offered on the Echo Dot Kids edition.

22. Halloween Festival event coming to Pokémon UNITE on Oct. 20

The ever-growing game that is Pokémon UNITE revealed new event the Halloween Festival, starting on Oct. 20. This event features new skins, a map redesign and more to come. This is the first holiday-themed event for the game. Attention, Trainers!

23. Apple Music adds cheaper $5 'Voice' plan accessed solely with Siri verbal commands

Apple Music is the company's subscription streaming music service, a rival to Spotify. Angela Lang/CNET. Apple Music will introduce a cheaper, $5-a-month version of its subscription streaming music service in the fall, Apple said Monday: a tier called ...

24. PlayStation 5 Ends Switch's Three-Year Run As Best-Selling Console

After almost three years as the top-selling console in the U.S., the Nintendo Switch has been ousted by Sony's PlayStation 5. According to Mat Piscatella, an NPD analyst, the PS5 was the best-selling gaming hardware platform in both units sold and ...

25. Namco pixel artist Hiroshi Ono has passed away

In a 2011 interview celebrating the 30th anniversary of Galaga, series creator Shigeru Yokoyama credited Ono with the pixel designs, calling him "an authority on pixel design, but these characters were the first he made".

26. Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro event live blog

Will they be called M1X, M2, or something else? What will the GPU performance be like? Will battery life match the excellent quality of the original generation of M1 Macs? All open questions we hope to see answered today.

27. The next Apex Legends character is Ash, from Titanfall 2

The new Apex Legends season will introduce Titanfall 2's Ash as the game's next legend, alongside a weapon straight out of the old series. Apex Legends: Escape will see the debut of Ash, who first ...

28. Gryphon AX Mesh System (2-Pack) Review

The Gryphon AX is a two-piece tri-band mesh system that is easy to install and offers strong Wi-Fi 6 coverage with robust parental controls. MSRP $479.00. PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, ...

29. Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 makes public debut at Goodwood

Gordon Murray Automotive's £2.36 million T.50 supercar has made its first public outing at the 78th Goodwood Members' Meeting, where the new 650bhp supercar coined as Murray's McLaren F1 successor lapped the Goodwood circuit.

30. Elden Ring Delayed, But It Also Keeps Leaking

February 2022 was already packed full of big game releases. Now FromSoftware has added another to the list, delaying Elden Ring a month from its original January 21, 2022 release date. In the meantime, the game will get a player demo next month as ...

31. Pokémon UNITE Halloween Festival begins Oct. 20, Greedent revealed as next playable Pokémon

Pokémon UNITE's first seasonal event, Halloween Festival, is set to begin in just a couple of days on Oct. 20. The Halloween-themed event will bring seasonal decorations to the game's battlegrounds like pumpkins and decorations, along with costumes for ...

32. Legendary Namco Graphic Designer Hiroshi Ono Dies At 64

Hiroshi Ono, better known as “Mr. Dotman,” passed away on October 16. The news was announced by his official Twitter account. According to Automaton, Ono had been hospitalized for autoimmune hepatitis. He was 64 years old. Advertisement.

33. A $6000 MacBook Pro is a real thing you can buy now

We want the more powerful M1 Max model, which offers a 10-core CPU, a 32-core GPU, 32GB of unified memory, and a 1TB SSD. That upgrade alone brings the cost up by $1,000, to a base price of $3,499.

34. Final Fantasy 14 Xbox version heading in positive direction

Final Fantasy 14 director and producer Naoki Yoshida gave an update on the possibility of Final Fantasy 14 coming to Xbox in an interview with Easy Allies, saying that talks with the company are “going in a positive tone.” For fans of Xbox consoles, ...

35. Is there a Pokémon Unite Halloween Festival trailer?

Spooky season is in full swing. Pokemon Unite's Halloween event transforms the free-to-play battle arena game with an eerie new atmosphere that includes festive costumes and themed attacks. Tencent and The Pokémon ...

36. 11 Things You Might Have Missed From The Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Direct

Last week's Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Nintendo Direct was an avalanche of info about new items, gameplay, and characters coming to the game in both its free update and paid Happy Home Paradise DLC on November 5. Read on for some neat little ...

37. Valve to verify which games will work on Steam Deck

Steam Deck Verified makes it easy to tell what games play best on the Steam Deck. Valve. The Steam Deck, Valve's upcoming Nintendo Switch-like handheld gaming PC, would appear to have all of the tens of thousands of games in the Steam catalog ...

38. Apple Removes References to Original HomePod From Website, Months After Discontinuation

Additionally, ?Siri?, which powers the ?HomePod? experience, continues to grapple with catching up to the capabilities of Google's smart assistant and Amazon's Alexa. Apple followed up the full-sized ?HomePod? with the ?HomePod mini? ...

39. MacOS Monterey: How to download Apple's new software upgrade next week

The Monterey OS comes alongside upgrades to Apple's MacBook line, including multiple new M1 chips, and a new generation of AirPods. Monterey adds several of the new features found in iOS 15, like spatial audio in FaceTime and Apple's Focus feature.

40. Apple notched the new MacBook Pro

Close-up of the notch on a MacBook Pro's screen. Image Credits: Apple. Apple has backpedaled on years of questionable design choices with its MacBook Pros, unceremoniously ...

41. All of the game modes in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's 'The Haunting' event

Ghostface and Frank the bunny are invading Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War as part of The Haunting seasonal event—and they're bringing some limited-time modes with them to multiplayer, too. Verdansk isn't the only setting getting the spooky treatment.

42. Review: Apple Watch Series 7 is all about the bigger screen

In summary, here are the pros and cons. -- Pros: bigger display, faster charging, tougher glass. — Cons: no new sensors, same modest battery life. Before I get ...

43. When is the Apex Legends Season 11 start date and time?

As indicated by the in-game Battle Pass timer, Season 11 is expected to start November 2. It's possible this release date may change slightly based on the needs of development inside Respawn, but that's the latest estimate we have today.