Rivian won’t limit its longest-ranged battery pack to the R1T pickup. Founder RJ Scaringe has announced that a configuration with the Max Pack battery and dual-motor all-wheel drive will be available sometime this fall. The company projects a 390-mile range. Crucially, you won’t lose the seven-person seating in the process. You can take the whole … Read more
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has voted to advance legislation that would give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok in the US along with other apps owned by Chinese companies. The panel approved the the Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries (DATA) Act in a 24-16 vote. All Republicans on the panel were in favor … Read more
Jack Dorsey’s new Twitter alternative, Bluesky, is now available in closed beta on the App Store. The invite-only app could soon join a crowded field of budding Twitter competitors, including Mastodon. Interested users can submit their email addresses to join the waitlist. The Bluesky app reportedly borrows heavily from Twitter. However, it includes minor differences … Read more
Last week, Apple’s new M2 Mac mini saw its first discount on Amazon, but now it’s dropped even further, with a full $50 off the list price at B&H Photo. The discount applies to the the 256GB mini M2 and the 512GB mini M2, both with 8GB of RAM, bringing the tiny but mighty computers … Read more
Activision Blizzard’s return-to-office plans are prompting another labor dispute. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) union has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Activision for the allegedly illegal firings of two quality assurance testers who objected to a hybrid plan that required them to be in the … Read more
The International Olympics Committee has laid out more details for the upcoming Olympic Esports Series, which will take place in Singapore in June. The lineup features facsimiles of real-world competitive events rather than what many people may think of as traditional esports, such as real-time strategy titles, fighting games and first-person shooters. The initial batch … Read more
Airbnb is reportedly banning users who, despite having a clear background, were associated with people the company deems a safety risk. Although the short-term rental company faces an impossible balancing act of making owners feel secure without discriminating unfairly against renters, its appeals process — a critical step in catching overreaches — sounds lackluster and … Read more
Back at CES, most of the big TV makers like LG and Samsung announced their upcoming high end TVs. But one major company was missing: Sony. Now it’s finally ready to show off its latest flagship sets, and after getting a chance to see them in person, I can say it was worth the wait. … Read more
Netflix has revealed more details about a Stranger Things prequel that you’ll need to get off your couch to experience (at least for the foreseeable future). A stage play called Stranger Things: The First Shadowwill premiere at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End later this year. Netflix announced the production last year. The play takes … Read more
The ID.3 isn’t even three years old, but that isn’t stopping Volkswagen from giving its well-known EV a makeover. After months of teasers, the company has introduced a second-generation ID.3 that addresses criticisms of the first model. The new compact car offers a “sharper” design with improved aerodynamics and a higher-quality (and heavily recycled) interior. … Read more