Technology

Ford announced plans to introduce seven new electric vehicles in Europe as part of a $2 billion investment. The automaker aims to sell 600,000 battery-powered vehicles on the continent by 2026, building toward a goal of all EV sales and complete carbon neutrality across its production footprint by 2035. The news comes on the heels of Ford’s announcement that it would be splitting its business into two parts: one focuses on traditional gas-powered vehicles called Ford Blue and the other on EVs and software called Ford Model e. Ford expects half of its global sales to be electric vehicles by 2030, including all of its passenger vehicles in Europe. Previously, the automaker had said it would spend $1 billion to convert a plant in Cologne, Germany, into its first EV production line on the cont...

If you’ve ever owned a screen for the PSone or the GameCube, the xScreen will look instantly familiar. The xScreen is an 11.6-inch (1080p) display that attaches to the rear of an Xbox Series S, and it transforms Microsoft’s miniature console into more of an Xbox laptop for on-the-go gaming. It’s a modern take on the tiny 5-inch cramped LCD displays we’ve seen attached to consoles in the past, and it’s a great accessory if you never want to worry about attaching an Xbox to a TV when you’re traveling. Unfortunately, that portability that doesn’t cheap. The xScreen is $249, nearly the same price as an Xbox Series S, so you’re going to really want to have a portable Xbox to buy into this. I’ve been testing an xScreen over the past few weeks, and I think it’s one of the best executions of the c...

Following Apple’s Peek Performance event, more rumors surrounding the MacBook Air have circulated. Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo has provided fans with additional details on the 2022 MacBook Air, which is expected to receive a total refresh in design later this year. According to Kuo, this year’s MacBook Air will not only have a tapered design, but it will receive a thinner and lighter construction than previous models. Apple is favoring the MacBook Pro-style look and is set to offer various color options, similar to that of the 24-inch iMac. Color ranges include blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange and purple. Rumors have also noted that the laptop will feature off-white bezels and a matching off-white keyboard as opposed to black. On top of the new design, the MacBook Air will come wit...

CD sales in the US for 2021 increased for the first time in almost two decades, according to data published by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Shipments rose from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6 million in 2021, and revenue from the format rose from $483.2 million to $584.2 million. The RIAA’s numbers corroborate a similar report from MRC Data published earlier this year. Although CD sales are still far from their 2000 peak — when almost a billion CD albums were shipped in the US — Axios notes that the increase is another key element of the resurgence in physical music. Vinyl sales have been steadily increasing for over a decade-and-a-half now, and hit 39.7 million units in the US in 2021, bringing in $1 billion in revenue. The biggest source of revenue in the US in 2021...

Foxconn and other manufacturers are suspending operations in the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen after authorities announced a partial lockdown due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. Businesses providing non-essential services have been ordered to close and everyone in the city of 17 million will be tested for COVID-19 following the reporting of 60 new infections on Sunday. Foxconn is the world’s biggest contract manufacturer of electronics, and the most important supplier to companies including Apple and Samsung. Many Chinese tech giants like Huawei, Tencent, and Oppo are headquartered in Shenzhen, which is situated near the border with Hong Kong. Foxconn says it’s stopping production at its Longhua and Guanlan factories until further notice, Nikkei reports; the Shenzhen base is Foxconn’s second l...

The popular Vanced YouTube app is being discontinued, after a legal threat from Google. The creators of Vanced have revealed the project will be shut down in the coming days, with download links set to be removed. While the app will continue to work for anyone who currently has it installed on Android, without any future updates it’s likely to stop working at some point soon. The Vanced owners say they’ve had to discontinue the project “due to legal reasons.” Google sent the Vanced owners a cease and desist letter recently, which has forced the developers to stop distributing and developing the app. “We were asked to remove all references to ‘YouTube’, change the logo, and remove all links related to YouTube products,” says an admin from the Vanced team in a Discord message to The Verge. V...

Samsung has started sending out invites for its second event of the year, which is set to air online on Thursday, March 17th, 2022 at 10AM ET. It’s called the Awesome Galaxy A Event on the invite, and it’s dedicated to the phonemaker’s midrange A-series devices, in case you couldn’t tell. The Galaxy A73 and A53 may both come with 5G It’s rumored that Samsung will add two new phones to the lineup: the Galaxy A73 and A53. Last year, Samsung announced the Galaxy A72 and A52 at an Unpacked event held around the same time. Both phones are due for a refresh, and it’s likely that we just might get our first glimpse at this month’s event. Rumors and leaks indicate the Galaxy A73 and A53 may both come with 5G, which would be an upgrade for the A72, at least, since the A52 already has a 5G variation...

The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max may be the only models in the upcoming lineup to carry a new A16 chip, according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac). In a tweet, Kuo indicates that the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Max will be left with the A15 chipset that comes in all models of the iPhone 13. Only two Pro models would upgrade to the A16 processor, while the 14 & 14 Max will remain the A15. All four new models will likely come with 6GB RAM, with the difference being LPDDR 5 (14 Pro & 14 Pro Max) vs. LPDDR 4X (14 & 14 Max). https://t.co/tHcszIz6gX — 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 13, 2022 Additionally, Kuo claims every iPhone 14 model will come with 6GB of RAM, with both higher-end devices featuring the upgraded LPDDR5 memory, while the less expensive vers...

Instagram is finally letting Live creators appoint moderators during their streams. Mods will have the ability to report comments, remove viewers from the stream, as well as turn off comments for a specific viewer. Streamers + Mods = Dynamic Duo ❤️ We’re launching Live Moderator on Instagram Live, where creators can assign a mod and give them the power to: ✅ Report comments✅ Remove viewers from Live✅ Turn off comments for a viewer pic.twitter.com/S9j7s4dInB — Instagram (@instagram) March 11, 2022 Instagram notes that creators can assign a moderator by tapping the three dots in the comment bar during a Live. From there, they can choose a moderator from a list of suggested accounts, or use the search bar to search for a specific account. Live has been aroun...

I’ll never forget the first time I played Journey. Throughout the game, real-life players can join you on your quest toward a mountain on the horizon. Players can fade in and out of your adventure — maybe they want to go faster than you, maybe they just quit — but in the latter half of my game, I had found somebody who stuck with me. Journey has no voice or text chat and no names identifying other players you meet. The only way we could communicate was through our movements, sticking close together to refill each other’s energy, and singsong chirps. Despite those limitations, we built a rapport. Near the end of Journey, you have to scale the mountain, and as you approach the peak, you get caught in a storm. Much of the game is filled with sunlight, flight, and joyful music, but the mountai...