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In a few short hours, Nintendo will stream its latest Indie World Showcase. Announced on November 7th, the company promised approximately 25 minutes worth of information about upcoming indie games that are coming to the Nintendo Switch. You can watch the entire event unfold on the gaming giant’s website, as well as its YouTube and Twitch channels. If you miss the livestream, don’t worry: we’ll have you covered with coverage of the major announcements from the event.

What will Nintendo announce Iduring Indie World? One can always hope for a more definitive release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong. Based on Microsoft’s recent announcement that the game would be available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on its release date, some have speculated that Silksong would arrive before June 2023. That said, Nintendo is more likely to share updates about games like Oxenfree II Lost Signals and Metal Slug Tactics. The latter was delayed this past summer until 2023.   

 

NASA has once again delayed the launch of Artemis 1 in the face of a potentially dangerous weather system. The agency had penciled in the launch for the early morning of November 14th, but it’s now retargeting liftoff for November 16th. The current two-hour launch window opens at 1:04AM ET. There’s a backup launch opportunity scheduled for November 19th.

The latest delay is due to the threat posed by Tropical Storm Nicole. The new launch window is dependent on conditions being safe enough for NASA employees to return to work, as well as inspections after the weather system has passed. The agency says that pushing back the launch date “will allow the workforce to tend to the needs of their families and homes, and provide sufficient logistical time to get back into launch status following the storm.”

Teams are securing equipment, property and facilities at the space center, which is in HURCON (Hurricane Condition) III status. Some personnel in a “ride-out” team will remain in place to monitor conditions across the site, including the SLS and Orion.

The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will stay on the launch pad this time. Before Hurricane Ian bore down on the Kennedy Space Center, NASA rolled back the rocket and spacecraft to the safety of the Vehicle Assembly Building. It rolled Artemis out to the launch pad again last week. The SLS can withstand winds of up to 85MPH (74.4 knots) and Nicole isn’t expected to bring winds exceeding that speed. The rocket is also able to deal with heavy rain and NASA has secured the hatches to prevent water from getting inside.

Artemis 1 is a test mission that’s scheduled to fly around the Moon. It’s a precursor to humans returning to the lunar surface for the first time in over half a century. However, NASA’s attempts to launch the SLS and Orion over the last few months have been beset by technical issues and inclement weather.

 

For many people, the first cup of tea is often the highlight of their day. And while you don’t need much to make a great brew, there are a number of tools and gadgets that can make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable. So this holiday season, whether you’re looking for a present for you or someone you love, check out this list of our favorite gifts for tea lovers.

Hiware Borosilicate glass pitcher

After the handle on my previous pitcher developed a crack, I went on a search for a simple but durable container that could support my iced tea addiction and after a year and a half, this thing has not disappointed. Its heat-resistant borosilicate glass means you can pour boiling water directly into the pitcher without worrying about it shattering and its huge 68-ounce capacity holds enough to keep an entire family hydrated. Meanwhile, the stainless steel lid prevents leaves or stuff like fruit pulp from escaping. And at $20, this pitcher is just great value.

Buy Hiware glass pitcher at Amazon – $27

Hario Cold Brew Bottle

If you know someone who always brings their “famous” iced tea to parties or picnics check out Hario’s Cold Brew bottle. It holds up to 750ml of liquid and comes with a removable strainer to keep tea leaves from spilling out. There’s even a grippy silicone top for easy handling and a removable stopper that acts like a cork. And if you’re worried it’s a little pedestrian looking to make a lasting impact, Hario makes a champagne bottle version too.

Buy Hario Cold Brew Bottle at Amazon – $24

Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle

When it comes to boiling water in style, Fellow’s Stagg EKG Kettle can’t be beat. It’s available with a huge range of finishes and accents including walnut, cherry and maple woods. There’s an LCD panel built into the base for choosing a specific temperature (down to the degree) while the hold feature keeps water hot for up to an hour. The gooseneck spout is also great for friends or family that like making mudwater (aka coffee) with a V60 or similar brewer. And if that’s not enough, just this fall, Fellow introduced a new pro model that supports customizable brew settings, WiFi connectivity and more.

Buy Fellow Stagg electric kettle at Amazon – $165

Breville IQ Electric Kettle

For those on your list that prefer function over form, you really ought to consider Breville’s IQ Electric Kettle. In addition to having nearly double the capacity (57 ounces vs 30 ounces) of the Stagg, it has dedicated temperature settings for a lot of major types of tea (green, white, oolong and black). It’s also a bit more powerful with an output of up to 1,500 watts, so there’s less waiting around for the water to heat up.

Buy Breville IQ electric kettle at Amazon – $80

OXO Tea Infuser Basket

One of the easiest ways to brew better tea is by moving away from single-serving bags and switching to loose-leaf teas. That’s because typically tea bags feature lower quality leaves that often sit on shelves for months (or years) with the whole process favoring convenience over flavor. On top of that, the cloth or (more often) paper used to make tea bags can also impart unwanted flavors.

If you know someone looking to get into loose-leaf teas, they’re going to need an infuser, and OXO’s is one of the best. Its stainless steel basket won’t mess with the taste and its included lid traps heat in when steeping while also doubling as a saucer to prevent dripping once the tea is ready to drink. The basket is also a perfect size so it fits in practically any mug (and even many iced tea pitchers), and at just $15, it’s cheap enough to buy two or more so there will always be a clean one ready to go.

Buy OXO tea infuser basket at Amazon – $15

Fellow Atmos Vacuum Canister

While Fellow’s Atmos Canister was originally intended to store coffee, it’s equally great at keeping tea tasting fresh and flavorful, even after long periods. That’s because simply twisting its lid removes oxygen from the canister, slowing down potential oxidation which can cause tea to taste dull and lifeless. It’s available in three sizes (0.4, 0.7 and 1.2 liters) and in a range of materials, though you’ll probably want to stay away from the glass version, as light is another source of potential oxidation. (Leave the clear one for cookies or something.) And while it’s a bit on the pricey side, in my opinion there’s no better way of keeping even the fanciest leaves tasting great over time.

Buy Fellow Atmos canister at Amazon – $35

Golde Superwhisk

For matcha lovers who don’t want to deal with the hassle of a traditional bamboo whisk or anyone seeking a way to quickly froth up some milk, Golde’s Superwhisk is a great pick. It has two different speed settings and a battery that can be recharged via USB. It even comes with an included travel case, so your giftee can take it camping or anywhere they want to enjoy some tea (or a latte).

Buy Superwhisk at Golde – $24

Pure’Tea Portable Tea Infuser

For people who want to bring their brew on the go, this charming portable tea infuser bottle looks great and makes the whole process super easy. Tea goes in the top section and water goes in the bottom. Right before drinking they flip the whole infuser upside down to brew instead of letting the leaves become oversteeped after sitting in water all day. The portable infuser also features borosilicate glass with a double-walled construction, so it can handle high temperatures without burning hands. Admittedly, there are similar bottles for less, but between its innovative design and premium materials, I can’t think of a better way to drink tea on-the-go.

Buy portable tea infuser at Perlure – $65

Breakaway Matcha Flight Kit

Getting into matcha can be intimidating for even long-time tea drinkers. Not only can matcha be expensive but, since it’s very finely ground green tea instead leaves steeped in water, it has a very different flavor profile and texture. So instead of buying someone a single type of matcha, give this matcha flight kit a try. It includes four different blends which range from bright grassy varieties to deeper savory mixes. There’s also a handcrafted bamboo scoop, a sieve, tea towel and most importantly, a motorized whisk for properly whipping up the perfect cup.

Buy Flight Kit at Breakaway Matcha – $56

Adagio Tea Samplers

For complete newbies to tea, Adagio’s loose teas sampler sets offer a huge range of types and flavors to choose from. You can select specific types like green teas from China for the Sinophile on your list, or opt for more general mixes like seasonal blends or even herbal selections. Prices also start as low as $12 a box for four different types, which makes this one of the most flexible and affordable ways of gifting a wide range of teas without doing a ton of research.

Shop Adagio tea samplers

Butterfly Pea Tea

The first time I had butterfly pea flower tea was on my honeymoon in Thailand and it was love at first sip. It has a sweet flora aroma with some subtle earthy notes. But its signature highlight is its color. When brewed alone, you get a deep blue hue with hints of green, but when you add acid suddenly the tea becomes bright purple or pink. And because butterfly pea flower doesn’t contain caffeine, between its color and taste, it’s a great way to introduce kids to tea. Steep it, chill it, add the juice from a couple lemons or limes and a splash of sugar (I preferred agave), and in no time you’ll have the perfect summertime iced tea.

Buy butterfly pea tea at Amazon – $22

 

You didn’t have to wait long to see Twitter’s reworked verification system in action. The social network has begun adding its subtle “official” checkmarks to major accounts, including those of celebrities, large publishers and politicians. This includes Engadget, The Verge and general publications like The New York Times. Curiously, though, new Twitter owner Elon Musk doesn’t have the mark yet — you’d think he’d adopt it quickly given the many impersonators who use his name to pitch crypto scams.

VP Esther Crawford previously stressed that the “official” badge won’t be available for purchase, unlike the blue checkmarks that will come with an $8 Twitter Blue subscription. Those that previously received blue ticks won’t necessarily get the second label, however. It’s not yet certain if those seeking the extra mark will need to go through further vetting.

The complete rollout should be relatively quick. Twitter has been testing the “official” checkmarks for a while, and previously said the deployment should wrap up in the coming days.

To some extent, this feature is fixing a problem Twitter created for itself. Musk and others have blasted the previous approach to verification as an unfair “lords and peasants” system that disenfranchised ordinary users while enshrining a selected elite. While that’s true, the old method also established authenticity — the changes to Blue effectively break verification by letting determined fraudsters pay to get a checkmark next to their name, even if that carries the risk of a permanent ban. The “official” mark brings back that trust, although it asks Twitter to once again decide who’s deserving of special recognition.

Update 11/9 11:47AM ET: Twitter appears to have removed the new checkmark from many accounts, including Engadget’s as well as other known creators and companies. It’s not clear why. We’ve asked Twitter for comment and will let you know if we hear back.

 

Don Lewis, a pioneer in the worlds of synthesizers and electronic music, died on Sunday at the age of 81. In the 1970s, Lewis created the Live Electronic Orchestra. The system enabled him to control multiple synthesizers and other instruments simultaneously using custom keyboards, around a decade before MIDI became a standard.

Lewis worked on some well-known mainstream synths as well. He collaborated with Roland founder Ikutarô Kakehashi on the company’s drum machines. Among those was the TR-808, which is perhaps the most important drum machine of all time. Lewis also designed sounds for the Yamaha DX7, along with Hammond and ARP instruments, as Pitchfork notes.

As a performer, Lewis took to the stage at venerated venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater. He collaborated with big-name artists including Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and the Beach Boys.

While Lewis may not have been a household name, his contributions to electronic music are critical and undeniable. For those keen to learn more about Lewis’ life and career, you may be interested in checking out a documentary called Don Lewis and the Live Electric Orchestra. The film will air on PBS in February.

 

Less than two months after it admitted a million vehicles had faulty window sensors, Tesla is issuing another large-scale recall. This time, the company is flagging more than 40,000 cars after a software defect cut power steering when driving over potholes. A software fix is rolling out, and Tesla said over 97 percent of affected vehicles already have the new code.

This is, however, the 17th recall Tesla has issued in 2022, with issues affecting more than 3.4 million vehicles. It adds weight to Tesla’s critics, too, who say the company’s poor build quality hurts its ability to recruit would-be EV buyers. But despite the number of post-purchase issues, the company hasn’t seen any harm to its bottom line, which saw profits double in the last year.

– Dan Cooper

The biggest stories you might have missed

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LG’s latest display can stretch by 20 percent

‘God of War: Ragnarok’ is bigger but not massively better

The best gifts for coffee lovers in 2022

Google and Renault are developing a ‘software-defined vehicle’ together

GoPro’s Hero 11 Black is now $50 off with a one-year subscription

Crypto giant Binance is buying its rival FTX following a very public dispute

FTX was once valued at $32 billion.

One of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges has been bailed out by one of its major rivals. FTX, fearing a liquidity crunch and struggling to satisfy customer withdrawals, has thrown itself upon the mercy of major rival Binance. FTX’s rapid collapse raises questions about how well these exchanges are managing clients’ money and cannot quell belief the crypto bubble is about to burst, once and for all.

Continue Reading. 

Netflix’s Triviaverse will test your knowledge with rapid-fire questions

It’s like being in your very own game show.

Netflix’s Triviaverse is the streaming giant’s latest foray into the interactive gaming space, and it’s pretty good. It’s a rapid-fire trivia quiz, throwing increasingly difficult questions at you while the clock runs down, adding an extra frisson of tension. There’s a two-player mode, too, and it’s the sort of title you could imagine throwing on when the energy in a party sags. It made me wonder how much fun we’d all have if Netflix bought a company like Jackbox, offering those titles through its platform.

Continue Reading. 

European Union opens ‘in-depth’ investigation into Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard

Yet more regulators want to scrutinize the deal.

The European Union has followed the UK’s lead to open its own investigation into Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The bloc is concerned the Xbox owner’s control of such a major games publisher poses a risk to competition the world over. It now has 90 days to complete a thorough investigation of the deal, postponing any completion to mid-March next year.

Continue Reading.

Garmin’s Instinct Crossover is a rugged hybrid smartwatch with a useful display

This is for serious outdoorsy types.

Nice as the Apple Watch Ultra is, Garmin thinks its new Instinct Crossover can do a better job while standing on its metaphorical head. The new watch is a hybrid with a digital display embedded in the whole face and is sturdy enough to cope with the big outdoors. As for battery life, the standard edition will last a month on a single charge, and 110 hours with GPS activated. Opt for the Solar Edition, with PV panels around the bezel, and it’ll run for up to 70 days if there’s enough light.

Continue Reading.

 

LumaFusion, a well-regarded video editing app for iPhones, iPads and Macs, is finally making its way to Android and Chrome OS devices. Shortly after it won best iPad app of the year in 2021, thanks to its ability to make complex video editing easy to do using just one’s fingers, LumaFusion made its Android debut on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 devices. According to Android Police, its developer, LumaTouch, promised to put it up for download on the Galaxy Store back then while also working on a release for the Chrome OS. It took some time to make that happen, but now LumaTouch is rolling out an early access version of the app to the Google Play Store and the Samsung Galaxy Store.

The features iOS users enjoy are expected to be on the Android and Chrome OS releases, as well. LumaFusion lets users lay down up to 12 tracks, six of which can be videos, which they can link and unlink. They can use preset transitions or create their own, import media from various sources or edit directly from USB drives, as well as pick from a library of royalty-free music, sound effects, videos and backgrounds. AP says LumaTouch formed a team of Chrome OS developers to make this release happen, so the app has likely been optimized for the platform instead of being a subpar iOS port. 

LumaFusion typically costs $30, but users will be able to purchase it from the Galaxy Store and Play Store for $20 within its early access period. The listing for either platform isn’t up yet, from what we can see, but it’ll most likely pop up soon enough. 

 

Meta is reducing the size of its workforce by about 13 percent and letting more than 11,000 of its employees go in the first mass layoffs in the company’s history. Mark Zuckerberg has announced the mass layoffs in a message to employees, which Meta shared on its Newsroom. In addition to considerably reducing the size of its team, the company is also cutting discretionary spending and extending its hiring freeze through the first quarter of 2023.

Zuckerberg says he wants to take accountability for how Meta found itself in this position. Apparently, he made the decision to significantly increase Meta’s investments following an exceptionally large revenue growth in the height of the pandemic, as people spent more on e-commerce. “Many people predicted this would be a permanent acceleration that would continue even after the pandemic ended,” he explained. His gamble did not pay off, however, and the return of e-commerce to pre-pandemic trends, as well as the economic downturn, had led to revenue lower than expected. As such, Meta has chosen to focus on its priority growth areas, including its ads and business platforms and, of course, its long-term vision for the metaverse. 

The CEO says employees will soon get an email about the layoffs. In the US, Meta will give affected staff members a severance pay worth 16 weeks of their base plus two additional weeks for every year of service, with no cap. It will also cover the cost of healthcare for the affected employees and their families for six months. The company also promises to help them find new jobs by using an external vendor that will give them access to unpublished job listings, as well as to support employees on visa with a dedicated team of immigration specialists. Support will be similar for those in other countries, with differences that take local employment laws into account. 

News of the impending layoffs was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which also reported that Meta’s recruiting and business teams would be hit especially hard.

Mark Zuckerberg has been hinting at cuts for some time. During the company’s most recent earnings call, the CEO said Meta could become “a slightly smaller organization” by the end of 2023.He also has reportedly instructed managers to identify people for layoffs, and has told employees that “realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here.” The company has already halted new hiring and cut some projects within Reality Labs.

Meta has been losing billions of dollars on its investments in the metaverse, with Reality Labs losing more than $10 billion in 2021. The company has said it expects to lose “significantly” more in 2023. Facebook’s ad revenue has also taken a significant hit due to Apple’s changes to apps’ ad tracking abilities.

Though Meta is cutting a significant number of jobs, it’s not the only major tech company to lay off workers in recent months. Snap laid off about 20 percent of its workforce over the summer, and Twitter recently cut about half of its staff following Elon Musk’s takeover.

Developing…

 

In 2020, France was the only EU nation not to meet its obligations for the development of renewable energy, as it still relies primarily on nuclear power. Now, the French Senate has approved a bill that should increase that markedly, requiring parking lots with a minimum of 80 spaces to be covered by solar panels, according to Public Senat. 

Parking lots with between 80-400 spaces will have five years starting in July 2023 to be in compliance. Any larger lots will have less time, only three years from the same date. In all cases, at least half the area of the parking lot must be covered with solar panels. The government says the plan, aimed primarily at parking lots off freeways and major routes, could generate up to 11 gigawatts — the equivalent of 10 nuclear reactors.

There are some notable exceptions. When outdoor parking lots have”technical, safety, architectural, heritage and environmental constraints,” they may be exempt. Lots shaded by trees over at least half their area may also escape the requirement, as will parking lots for trucks. Finally, when the installation of panels “cannot be met under economically acceptable conditions” (something that could cover a wide range of scenarios), they can also be excluded.

On top of the solar parking lots, the government is looking at building large solar farms on vacant land next to highways, railroad tracks and agricultural areas. National railway operator SNCF also plans to install over a million square meters of solar panels by 2030, in an effort to reduce energy purchases by a quarter.

It’s not clear how parking lot operators will pay for these installations, or how much financial aid the government will provide. Still, it looks like a good use of parking lots, as it will provide shade for cars and change what is usually an eyesore into a… more environmentally friendly eyesore.

Parking lots covered with solar panels are not yet that common, with one of the largest examples being the Belgium Zoo parking lot pictured above. Its 7,000 parking spaces are 70 percent covered by 62,000 overhead solar panels that generate 20 megawatts of peak power — much more than is required for the zoo. 

Early this year, President Emmanuel Macron set an objective to increase of solar energy production tenfold to over 100GW and builds 50 offshore wind farms to add a further 40GW. France currently generates 25 percent of its electricity with renewables, less than its European neighbors. It has also seen delays on repairs to nuclear power plants, causing state electricity company EDF to reduce predicted output — exacerbating energy supply issues caused by the war in Ukraine. 

 

After finally allowing posting last year, Instagram continues to make changes to its desktop web app. The latest update introduces a refresh user interface that takes better advantage of large screens rather than looking like a larger version of the mobile app, TechCrunch has reported. 

Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri announced the update along with the new in-app scheduler revealed yesterday. “We know a lot of people use the web to multitask and we wanted to make sure Instagram was an as great experience as possible online,” he said in a video. “So it is cleaner, faster and easier to use and it’s designed now to take advantage of large-screen monitors.”

As shown above, the home, search, explore, messages and notification menus were moved to a new side rail that collapses to icons depending on screen size. Stories are shown at the top, while your profile, suggestions and more are off to the right. When selecting any menu option, the left menu bar remains, making navigation quicker and easier. 

The new interface makes Instagram easier to use on web, but there’s still no sign of a dedicated iPad app, as 9to5Mac notes. Earlier this year, Mosseri said that iPad was “not big enough” to make a dedicated Instagram app a priority. Now, at least, you could use the web version instead to get a better experience.