Technology News for Thursday 21st October 2021

44 new stories

Oct 21st 2021

1. Server transfers are now live in New World

Domain: dotesports.com

New World fans can rejoice today thanks to the recent 1.0.3 patch and the introduction of the highly anticipated server transfer feature that was promised to fans shortly after launch. Right now, each player in New World will have received a transfer ...

2. The metaverse: What is it and how soon will it work?

Domain: bbc.co.uk | Companies: Facebook

The social media giant Facebook has announced that it's hiring 10,000 people to develop the metaverse. But what is it? It's a way of using the internet through virtual reality (VR). Instead of being ...

3. Explained: Why Facebook wants to rebrand itself for the 'Metaverse'

Domain: indianexpress.com | Companies: Facebook

Facebook has already announced plans to invest $50 million as part of its efforts to create a 'responsible' metaverse. · Facebook's attempt to rename is to align itself with the focus on building the metaverse, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg clearly sees as ...

4. Pixel 6: Everything to know about Google's newest phone

Domain: cnet.com | Companies: Google

Google launched its Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro on Tuesday. Here are all the details about its release date, price, Tensor chip, camera specs and more. ... Google's Pixel 6 phones.

5. Apple still won't mandate vaccines but will require employees to regularly take COVID-19 tests

Domain: theverge.com | Companies: Apple

Apple is tightening its COVID-19 policies, requiring that unvaccinated employees (or employees who refuse to disclose their vaccination status) get daily COVID-19 tests to enter its offices, although the company still has yet to require workers to get ...

6. Huawei's Nova 9 is its latest smartphone to launch globally sans Google

Domain: theverge.com | Companies: Google, Huawei

The company also gave an update on the global release status of the P50, the flagship phone Huawei announced for the domestic Chinese market in July. The company says the P50 will release outside of China in 2022, which will come roughly two years after ...

7. Facebook Messenger is adding new AR experiences for group video calls

Domain: techcrunch.com | Companies: Facebook

Groups effects work for everyone on the video call, as Facebook says it's aiming to make AR effects a shared experience. Users can now choose from a library of over 70 group effects, including a game where you compete to build the best burger the fastest.

8. Unity launches Unity Gaming Services to simplify development of cross-platform, multiplayer games

Domain: techcrunch.com

The updated version promises to make it easier for developers to launch cross-platform, multiplayer games — a growing segment of the market that includes hit titles like Roblox, Genshin Impact, and Fortnite, among others.

9. First Uncharted Movie Trailer Offers A Great Look At Tom Holland As Nathan Drake

Domain: kotaku.com

One day after leaked footage from the Uncharted movie made the rounds, Sony officially dropped the trailer for the film. I can't believe I'm saying this—especially given the, uh, history of films based on video games—but it actually looks pretty sick.

10. Surface Duo 2 review: Microsoft's folding phone is innovative, but impractical

Domain: cnet.com | Companies: Qualcomm

The company put a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor in the Surface Duo 2, boosted the screens' refresh rates and added previously missing tech like a triple-lens camera and 5G support.

11. Apple will require unvaccinated employees to test for COVID-19 daily

Domain: techcrunch.com | Companies: Apple

Apple has yet to issue a mandate similar to Google's that would require all employees to be vaccinated, but it's tightening its COVID-19 protocols nonetheless. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant will start requiring all unvaccinated corporate ...

12. Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review: Innovative, but impractical

Domain: cnet.com | Companies: Microsoft

Find the best phones, apps and accessories with our CNET Mobile newsletter. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays. These changes make the Surface Duo 2 much more capable as a phone than Microsoft's first ...

13. Microsoft's new $1500 folding phone is a huge improvement from last year

Domain: cnbc.com | Companies: Samsung

While the Windows Mobile operating system was popular before the iPhone launched in 2007, the company's hardware has never caught on with consumers the way iPhones or Samsung phones have. The Surface Duo 2 probably won't change that narrative, since its ...

14. Spotify begins allowing more creators to upload podcasts as it continues to embrace video

Domain: cnbc.com

Spotify is opening up its video podcasting feature to more creators, in an effort to bring more users to the platform and boost engagement. The company began testing video podcasts last summer with a handful of talent. The move shows the streamer isn't ...

15. The Enclaves met with pushback at public hearing, Northforker's picks for things to do this weekend

Domain: suffolktimes.timesreview.com | Companies: Apple

The daily update is a podcast briefing on what's happening across the North Fork. ?Get the daily update delivered straight to your inbox each weekday morning by subscribing to our newsletter. Or listen through Apple Podcasts by subscribing to Closer ...

16. AirPods 3 aren't headphones. And that's the point

Domain: wired.co.uk

As expected, there's no noise cancelling here – that's saved for the AirPods Pro. The sound experience has instead been bolstered via software, namely Adaptive EQ and spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. Interestingly, ...

17. Masahiro Sakurai Explains How Sora Came To Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Domain: kotaku.com

As announced earlier this month, Sora became Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's final DLC character. But how did Sora, Keyblade and all, end up in Smash Bros.? In his latest Weekly Famitsu column, creator Masahiro Sakurai explains just that. Advertisement.

18. Chevy Teases Corvette Z06 With Cheeky Tachometer Video

Domain: kbb.com

On Wednesday afternoon, about 8,600 minutes before the official unveiling of the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Chevy released a video. That was clever. You see, the video showed the tachometer of the upcoming high-performance model approaching its 8,600 ...

19. Surface Duo 2 review: Getting better

Domain: techcrunch.com | Companies: Microsoft

Like ZTE, Microsoft circumvented the need for a foldable display by fusing two screens together with a hinge. With nearly a decade of Surface hardware under its belt, however, the company had clearly created a far more elegant solution. But like the Axon M ...

20. Razer's futuristic Zephyr mask is available today, starting at $99.99

Domain: theverge.com

Razer's Zephyr face mask is available to the public after several months of tweaking features and beta testing with Razer super fans. You can purchase it starting tonight at 11PM ET / 8PM PT from Razer.com in two configurations. The most basic kit for ...

21. Razer launches its own PC components with liquid coolers, case fans, and power supplies

Domain: theverge.com

The Razer Hanbo is the company's all-in-one cooler with an addressable RGB pump cap. Razer has partnered with Asetek to create this AIO cooler, and it says the Hanbo is designed for maximum thermal performance and silent operation. The pump orientates 360 ...

22. Razer's new Kraken gaming headsets bring controller-like vibrations to your head

Domain: arstechnica.com

The Kraken V3 HyperSense and Kraken V3 Pro both use haptic feedback. Razer calls the feature HyperSense, and it employs haptic drivers in each earcup. The drivers take “the shape and frequencies of game audio,” as Razer puts it, processes them in under 5 ...

23. TFT Set 6 Oct. 21 PBE patch: Full notes and bug fixes

Domain: dotesports.com

Champions were the focus of the Oct. 21 Teamfight Tactics PBE update, balancing a total of 14 in addition to bug fixes and Hextech Augment adjustments. Giant PBE updates to TFT Set Six continue to roll in on a daily basis, with game design director ...

24. Galaxy Z Flip 3 vs. Z Fold 3: Which Samsung foldable is right for you?

Domain: cnn.com | Companies: Samsung

CNN Underscored is your guide to the everyday products and services that help you live a smarter, simpler and more fulfilling life. The content is created by CNN Underscored. CNN News staff is not involved. When you make a purchase, we receive revenue.

25. New Larger Xbox Storage Expansion Costs More Than An Xbox Series S

Domain: kotaku.com | Companies: Microsoft

Microsoft has just announced two new SSD storage expansion cards, made by its official storage partner, Seagate, to boost space on your Xbox Series S or X. Joining the already released 1TB card will be a 512GB card for $139.99, and a hefty 2TB for ...

26. Google lowers Play Store fees to 15% on subscription apps, as low as 10% for media apps

Domain: techcrunch.com | Companies: Google

Previously, the company had followed Apple's move by reducing commissions from 30% to 15% on the first $1 million of developer earnings. Now, it will lower the fees specifically for app makers who generate revenue through recurring subscriptions.

27. Apex Legends heads to the beach next season

Domain: pcgamesn.com

Apex Legends' Escape launch trailer starts with a slew of characters jetting across the ocean on boats as they head for some fun in the sun. Naturally, the earlier, more jovial shots of the trailer focus on Mirage as he tries to convince Bangalore that ...

28. Google will make it easier to separate your work and personal life on Android

Domain: theverge.com | Companies: Google

Google's Work Profile tool for Android, which lets you hide your work apps and data with the flip of a switch and keeps your personal phone use safe from your company, will be coming to more users next year. According to a blog post from the company, ...

29. Apple AirPods 3 Have 1 Cool Surprise Upgrade, New Report Shows

Domain: forbes.com | Companies: Apple

Alongside support for Spatial Audio, sweat- and water-resistance, a big design change, a new driver, better battery life and a MagSafe charging case, it now transpires that there's a small but highly useful upgrade.

30. Apex Legends' next map embarks on an unseasonable summer holiday

Domain: pcgamer.com

Surf's up, sun's out, and Fuse's shirt is firmly off, though we all know the good times won't last. What follows is a whirlwind tour of the next season's new map, a lush tropical island full of bugs, beasties and baddies, led by our brand new murderbot.

31. Battlefield 2042 launches with a ton of features that were missing from the beta

Domain: pcgamesn.com

The devs have also shared some information on launch features that were either missing from the beta outright, or will be improved for launch. However, a few features, like in-game voice chat, won't make it until after release day.

32. New trailer reveals how Tiny Tina's Wonderlands embraces table-top RPG weirdness

Domain: cnet.com

Stepping away from the franchise's post-apocalyptic and science-fiction aesthetic, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands leans more into the tone of swords and sorcery epic, but with mountains of guns to collect and the series' popular character Tiny Tina serving as the ...

33. Microsoft fixes Windows 11 AMD CPU performance issues with new update

Domain: theverge.com | Companies: Microsoft

This new Windows 11 update also includes a large amount of fixes, including one to solve an issue that prevents the Start menu from opening after your OS upgrade, and fixes to input delays for certain Bluetooth mice and keyboards. You can find the full ...

34. Dallas Fuel signs DPS Edison

Domain: dotesports.com

No team has been quicker than the Dallas Fuel to fill the gaps left in its roster during the Overwatch League offseason, forming a full team in record time. Dallas announced today that it's signed Kim “Edison” Tae-hoon, a hitscan DPS who previously ...

35. New World server transfers paused after some players encounter 'invalid' character state

Domain: dotesports.com

Server transfers went live in New World yesterday after players waited eagerly for weeks for the option to roll out so they could move to their desired server. But the service has been placed on a temporary hold after issues preventing players from ...

36. Among Us Is Finally Coming To PlayStation And Game Pass

Domain: kotaku.com

Better late than never, right? A year after Among Us blew up during the pandemic, and three years after it first released on Steam, Innersloth's murder spree sim is finally coming to PlayStation and Xbox consoles on December 14. Advertisement.

37. "Metroid Dread" developer's complaint highlights problems with video game credits

Domain: axios.com

Video game developer Roberto Mejías created some of the visuals that players see in Nintendo's new hit Switch game “Metroid Dread,” but, to his frustration, his name does not appear in its credits. Why it matters: Video game credits are inconsistent ...

38. Overwatch's latest Experimental patch tests Junkrat, Torbjörn buffs

Domain: dotesports.com

The Oct. 21 Experimental patch tests buffs for heroes that aren't often a part of the top-tier competitive meta, like Torbjörn, who lost some time off his cooldowns. McCree also got to test one of the more popular buffs to his kit: an aerial Combat Roll ...

39. Android 12 data and privacy features you probably didn't know about until now

Domain: cnet.com | Companies: Google

Use Android 12's new privacy dashboard and settings to control what information your apps can access. Google. Android 12 is now available on select devices. The update was announced at the October Pixel event and comes with a few popular features, ...

40. Here's how hard it was to bring Sora to Smash Bros., according to Sakurai

Domain: polygon.com | Companies: Twitter

Masahiro Sakurai, the game director for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, wrote a column for Famitsu, the Japanese magazine, about the difficulty of including Sora in Smash. PushDustln and Kody NOKOLO on Twitter joined up to translate the article for English- ...

41. Razer Enki X Review

Domain: pcmag.com

Similar Products · Secretlab Titan EVO (2022 Series) · Respawn Specter Gaming Chair · GTRacing Ace Series M1 · AndaSeat T-Pro 2 Series Gaming Chair · Mavix M5 Gaming Chair · Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair · Playseat Puma Active Gaming Seat.

42. Razer's Kraken V3 headsets offer a redesigned look with refined sound

Domain: theverge.com

At the top of the offering is Razer's wireless Kraken V3 Pro, which costs $199.99 and has built-in haptics. If wireless isn't important to you, the Kraken V3 HyperSense for $129.99 has the same haptics feature, but with a few other tweaks.

43. Google shares its commitment to Matter, promises future interoperability between smart home platforms

Domain: theverge.com | Companies: Apple, Google

This means that, yes — one day, very soon — the (new) Nest Thermostat could work in the Apple Home app without the need for Home Assistant or other workarounds. And if those two can work together, well, anyone can.

44. Google launches a bug bounty program for Android Enterprise

Domain: techcrunch.com | Companies: Google

But Goole is also working with its wider partner ecosystem to expand its support for the Zero Trust security model on Android. This means, for example, working with partners like Okta, Ping and ForgeRock to move their authentication workflows from WebView ...