Category: Technology

Reddit has unveiled its end-of-year Recap for 2022 and detailed some key stats on the site and communities for the year. It now has over 100,000 active communities globally, and saw some 430 million posts, up 14 percent over last year. The site also saw some 2.5+ billion comments (up 7 percent year-over-year) and 24 billion upvotes.

Among all those communities, the number one most-viewed was r/amitheasshole (aka AITA). Meanwhile, r/worldnews climbed to number three, while r/ukraine had 1.8 billion views, up 76 percent from last year. In this year’s edition of r/place (effectively the world’s largest digital quilt blanket), redditors from 236 countries contributed 160+ million tiles, including art, memes and more.

Along with stats for the year, the company also announced that its Reddit Recap is back for individual users. It lets you see localized and translated stats for your year on the platform, like your most upvoted comment. At the end of the recap, you can see how you stack up against other users with the awarding of a “Rare,” “Epic” or “Legendary” superpower status. 

Reddit’s traffic may have benefited this year from a new Google feature that made it easier to search results from Reddit and other forums. Reddit itself also finally made comments searchable, letting you see results from replies to posts and not just the original posts. For more on Reddit Recap 2022, check r/recap.

 

IKEA announced its latest Sonos collaboration today, a Symfonisk speaker that doubles as a floor lamp. The lamp/speaker combo will launch in January in IKEA stores and online.

The floor lamp’s $260 price makes it the most expensive speaker in the Symfonisk lineup. Current models range between $120 for a bookshelf speaker (with less than stellar audio) and $250 for musical wall art. And your investment in the floor lamp could creep even higher if you want something other than the included bamboo shade, as alternative lampshades run from $39 to $49.

Although Symfonisk speakers are cheaper than Sonos-branded devices, models in the IKEA collaboration don’t have a built-in AI assistant, so you’ll need a separate Alexa, Google Assistant or HomePod product to control them with your voice. But they still support other mainstay Sonos features, like a healthy list of music services, TruePlay tuning (iOS only) and speaker pairing.

Sonos and IKEA launched the Symfonisk line in 2019, merging IKEA’s distinct home style with Sonos’ audio smarts. The companies frame the combination as helping customers conserve space on tables or nightstands — or, in this case, the floor — in apartments or smaller homes.

 

In November, the San Francisco Police Department proposed approving the use of remote-controlled robots with deadly force. This was after a law came into effect requiring California officials to define the authorized use of military-grade equipment. It would have allowed police to equip robots with explosives “to contact, incapacitate or disorient violent, armed or dangerous suspects.”

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors approved this proposal, initially, despite opposition by civil rights groups. However, during the second of two required votes, the board voted to ban the use of lethal force by police robots. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, this is unusual as the board’s second votes typically echo the first results. In the initial proposal, authorities could only use the robots for lethal force after they’ve exhausted all other possibilities, and a high-ranking official would have to approve their deployment.

Dean Preston, a supervisor who opposes the use of robots as deadly force, said the policy will “place Black and brown people in disproportionate danger of harm or death.” In a subsequent statement, Preston said: “There have been more killings at the hands of police than any other year on record nationwide. We should be working on ways to decrease the use of force by local law enforcement, not giving them new tools to kill people.”

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Dyson’s Zone air-purifying headphones start at $949

Ayaneo’s Air Pro is a taste of the portable PC gaming future

Microsoft Teams takes on Facebook groups with community hubs

Atari revives unreleased arcade game too damn hard for gamers in 1982

Amazon is being sued for allegedly ‘stealing’ driver tips in DC

Blue Origin makes another bid for a NASA lunar lander contract

Amazon’s Echo Show 5 bundled with a Blink Mini is on sale for only $50

Google’s Nest Hub drops to $39 with a free smart bulb

‘Diablo IV’ preview

This feels worryingly good.

The latest Diablo game is shaping up to be another notable evolution of the series, combining some of the best parts of Diablo II and III while adding the graphics (and cosmetic microtransactions) we usually get with a big-budget online game in 2022. Expect legions of monsters to slaughter, challenging boss fights and so much loot. Engadget’s Igor Bonifacic was intrigued after a few hours of playing the preview. Diablo IV’s open beta kicks off early next year — not long until you can test it out yourself.

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This smartphone has a pop-out portrait lens for ‘pure’ bokeh

A ‘world-first’ feature from a brand you’ve probably never heard of.

Many smartphones these days offer artificial bokeh in their portrait photography modes, but with the help of a retractable camera, you can achieve true optical bokeh without missing any edges. That’s what Chinese brand Tecno has achieved with the Phantom X2 Pro 5G, which packs a “world-first” pop-out portrait lens. It’s also got a gigantic camera array. Intrigued?

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Take a look at NASA’s high-resolution images of Orion’s final lunar flyby

Taken on a heavily modified GoPro Hero 4.

Orion just made its final pass around the Moon on its way to Earth, and NASA has released some of the spacecraft’s best photos so far. These were taken with a high-resolution camera (actually a GoPro Hero 4, with some major adjustments). Orion’s performance so far has been “outstanding,” according to NASA program manager Howard Hu. It launched on November 15th as part of the Artemis 1 mission atop NASA’s mighty Space Launch System. The next mission, Artemis II, is scheduled in 2024 to carry astronauts on a similar path to Artemis I, without landing on the Moon.

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Microsoft vows to bring ‘Call of Duty’ to Nintendo consoles

Phil Spencer confirmed a 10-year commitment should Microsoft’s Activision deal go through.

If Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through, the company vows to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo and to continue making it available on the latter’s consoles for at least 10 years. Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming’s CEO, has announced the company’s commitment on Twitter, adding: “Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play.” During an interview, Spencer said that the company intends to treat Call of Duty like Minecraft, making it available across platforms and that he would “love to see [the game]” on the Switch.

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As part of recent cost-cutting measures, Google is planning to merge its Waze and Maps divisions, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The move is aimed at reducing duplicated work across the products, but Google said it will still keep the Waze and Maps apps separate. 

“Google remains deeply committed to Waze’s unique brand, its beloved app and its thriving community of volunteers and users,” a spokesperson told the WSJ. Waze CEO Neha Parikh will leave her role after a transition period, but there will reportedly be no layoffs. Starting this Friday, the 500-strong Waze team will join Google’s Geo organization in charge of Maps, Earth and Street View.

Waze and Maps have been sharing features ever since Google acquired Waze for $1.1 billion back in 2013. Waze’s traffic data started appearing in Maps shortly after the acquisition, with speed limits, radar locations and other features arriving later. In return, Waze has benefited from Google’s know-how in search. The FTC launched an antitrust investigation shortly after the acquisition, and at the time, Google said it was keeping Waze as a separate unit “for now.” 

It’s been nine years since then, but according to former CEO Noam Bardin, Waze hasn’t enjoyed complete independence. “All of our growth at Waze post acquisition was from work we did, not support from the mothership. Looking back, we could have probably grown faster and much more efficiently had we stayed independent,” he said in a LinkedIn post last year. 

Waze has 151 million monthly active users, compared to one billion for Google Maps services. Still, Waze is a highly popular navigation app (particularly in Europe), thanks to its crowd-sourced nature. Individual users can easily report traffic, police, crashes, map problems, radar cameras and more with the touch of a button. Google Maps added the ability to report driving incidents back in 2019, but is less geared around crowdsourcing.

With ad revenue slowing down at Google, CEO Sundar Pichai said in September that he hoped to make the company 20 percent more efficient. Part of that, he said, could be achieved via layoffs and merging multiple products. 

 

President Joe Biden has signed H.R. 7132 or Safe Connections Act of 2022 into law, and it could help domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking survivors ultimately cut ties with abusers. Under the new law, users can ask mobile service providers to separate their line — as well as their dependents’ — from their abusers’ if they have a shared contract. That would ensure that abusers no longer have access to their phone records and can’t get their service cut. Carriers aren’t allowed to charge fees to grant these requests, which they must do so within do two days. 

In addition, Safe Connections Act of 2022 will require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create rules that would make it easier for survivors seeking separate mobile plans to enroll in its Lifeline Program for up to six months. This FCC initiative gives qualifying low-income consumers a discount on phone services, so they can remain connected to job opportunities, friends, family and emergency services while they’re working to get back on their feet. The commission also has to establish rules that would prevent calls or texts to hotlines from appearing on call logs, presumably to keep survivors safe. 

In a blog post, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) celebrated the new law but also said that it would have “preferred a bill that did not require survivors to provide paperwork to ‘prove’ their abuse.” For a request to be valid, a user must submit “appropriate documentation” to verify that the person they’re sharing a contract with “committed or allegedly committed an act of domestic violence, trafficking, or a related criminal act against the survivor.”

Having to provide paperwork may not be easy, depending on a person’s circumstances, and it could retraumatize survivors trying to break free from abusive situations. “However, this new law is a critical step in the right direction,” the EFF continued, “and it is encouraging that Congress and the President agreed.”

 

When Twitter’s Blue subscription comes back, it may cost a lot more than before if you purchase it straight from the app. According to The Information, the company informed some employees that it’s going to charge users $11 for Blue subscription if they pay through its iOS application. But if they pay through the web, it will only cost them $7 a month for the service, which includes getting the website’s blue verification badge. As the publication notes, the change in pricing likely takes Apple’s 30 percent commission for payments made through its system into account. 

In late November, Twitter owner Elon Musk spoke out against Apple’s 30 percent cut on in-app purchases. He also said that the tech giant threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store and won’t tell his company why. A few days later, though, Musk met with Apple chief Tim Cook and resolved what the former called a “misunderstanding.” Musk said the two had a “good conversation” and that Apple never truly considered dropping Twitter from the App Store.

Apple announced in late 2021 that it was going to allow developers of “reader” apps to link to external payment systems following a barrage of criticisms against its practice of taking a 30 percent commission. It’s unclear if the two executives talked about Twitter’s plan to offer Blue subscription outside of the App Store and how the social network would implement its idea.

Twitter originally launched Blue verification for iOS devices in early November for $8 a month, but the company decided to pause the service after it led to an influx of impersonators and fake accounts. When the subscription service does come back, it will come with different colored checkmarks: gold for companies, grey for government and blue for individuals, whether or not they’re a public figure. 

 

Three Democratic lawmakers in the House are demanding answers from Elon Musk about a recent “platform manipulation campaign” related to recent protests in China. In a letter to the Twitter CEO, Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, Adam Schiff and Jackie Speier write that they have “deep concern” about the recent spam campaign that drowned out tweets about the protests.

The lawmakers want Musk to answer questions about whether Twitter has any evidence the spam campaign was a state-backed effort by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). “To ensure that the United States is prepared to counter, thwart, and deter foreign influence threats online, it is critical that we understand the extent of the PRC’s potential manipulation of Twitter and identify how recent changes at Twitter are affecting the threat of CCP foreign influence operations on social media,” they write.

The lawmakers also address recent changes at Twitter under Musk’s leadership, with questions about what Twitter’s “emphasis on free speech” means for information access on the platform; as well as whether the company has the “capacity” to identify platform manipulation campaigns.

Since Musk took over Twitter, questions have swirled about how he will handle the platform’s dealings with Chinese officials, such as requests to remove “state affiliated” labels from their accounts. Tesla, the other company Musk runs, is highly dependent on China for manufacturing.

So far, Musk hasn’t publicly acknowledged the letter, which provides a December 31st deadline for a response. Twitter no longer has a communications team. However, Musk has shown little regard for other letters from lawmakers. He recently addressed a letter from Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey about Twitter’s failure to stop impersonation attempts with a dismissive tweet.

 

Twitter is effectively sunsetting Moments, the company announced on Wednesday. First launched in 2015, the feature allowed users to create curated collections of tweets in a bid to make it easier to follow current events on the platform. “Not all moments last. As of today we’re removing the option to create Moments for users as we focus on improving other experiences,” the Twitter Support account posted, adding previously made Moments would still have a home on the website.

The end of Twitter Moments is unsurprising for a few reasons. Even before Elon Musk bought the company, Twitter had begun to move away from the feature. In 2018, the company removed the ability to create Moments within its Android and iOS apps. “When features aren’t used as often, we’ll remove them, so we can focus on building other products you’ll love,” Twitter noted at the time.

Following Musk’s takeover, it’s likely Moments was identified as a feature that didn’t mesh with his vision for the platform. The billionaire has repeatedly said he aims to simplify Twitter while simultaneously transforming it into a “super app.” The website’s “tweeted from” labels were an early victim of the former inclination. The fact Twitter lost most of its moderation team during its recent layoffs probably made it even easier for the company to decide to stop supporting Moments.

 

When Dyson announced its Zone noise-canceling and air-purifying headphones earlier this year, the company kept some details close to its chest. Specifically, Dyson didn’t announce pricing or availability, nor did it say much about battery life. On Wednesday, it shared that information. Let’s begin with the detail everyone wants to know. When the wearable arrives in the US next March, it will start at an eye-watering $949, making it almost twice as expensive as the AirPods Max.

At first, Dyson will begin accepting preorders by appointment only before the headphones become available through its website and Demo stores across the country. In the US, the company will offer the wearable in two colorways: Ultra Blue/Prussian Blue and Prussian Blue/Bright Copper. The latter will only be available directly from the company, but it comes with a few extras, including a second electrostatic carbon filter, a soft pouch and an inflight adaptor kit.

Both the standard and Dyson Direct models come with the Zone’s signature vizor, as well as a dedicated sleeve and cleaning brush. According to Dyson, the electrostatic filters are rated to provide up to 12 months of use before they should be replaced. The filters feature a dual-layer design that incorporates potassium-enriched carbon to capture acidic gasses like nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone. All told, the company claims the filters will block 99 percent of particles, including ones that are as small as 0.1 microns.

On the audio front, the Zone headphones are capable of up to 38 decibels of noise cancellation and feature 40-millimeter neodymium drivers. You can use the MyDyson companion app to choose between three audio equalization modes dubbed Dyson EQ, Bass Boost and Neutral. At launch, the headphones will support SBC, AAC and LHDC audio codecs, as well as Bluetooth 5.0.

Battery life will depend on how extensively you use the Zone’s air filtration feature. If it’s not powering the Visor, the Zone’s 2,600mAh battery can provide up to 50 hours of listening time on a single charge. Using the visor at its slowest setting reduces battery life to a modest four hours. Increasing purification speed to the “Mid” and “High” flow settings further reduces battery life to two-and-a-half hours and one-and-a-half hours, respectively. Using USB-C charging, Dyson says it will take about three hours to take the battery from dead to 100 percent. All of that means you will need to be selective about when you decide to use the visor.

 

TikTok is now facing its first state lawsuit over data security. Indiana’s Attorney General has sued TikTok for allegedly misleading users about China’s data access and violating child safety. The social media service supposedly broke state consumer law by failing to warn that the Chinese government could theoretically obtain sensitive data. The ByteDance-owned firm also supposedly tricked customers by giving its app a “12+” age rating on the App Store and Google Play, even though kids could readily find drug- and sex-related content.

Indiana wants fines of up to $5,000 for every violation. It’s also asking a state Superior Court to order an end to the purportedly deceptive claims about data handling, and to stop marketing the app toward young teens.

We’ve asked TikTok for comment. The social network has repeatedly denied sharing US user data with the Chinese government and has taken steps to reassure politicians and critics, such as storing American account data stateside by default. It also says there are “robust” approval processes and controls for ByteDance workers who might access data outside the US. TikTok has also limited teens’ access to more mature content, including age gates for some videos.

The lawsuit compounds problems that have emerged for TikTok in recent weeks. Maryland’s governor banned use of the app on state government devices over security concerns, echoing a similar move by South Dakota in late November. The Wall Street Journalsources also claim a potential national security deal with the Biden administration has stalled yet again. While TikTok had a tentative agreement this summer, some officials are concerned the deal didn’t go far enough to limit China’s access.

The lawsuit’s chances are uncertain. Potential access to data doesn’t mean TikTok is being lax, and it’s notable that apps like Facebook and Instagram are also rated 12+ despite the potential to see more adult-oriented material (Twitter is rated 17+). However, the Indiana case puts further pressure on TikTok to explain and potentially modify its practices.