Technology

Ikea has quietly updated its Sonos-partnered Symfonisk bookshelf speakers with a second-generation version that’s already available in the Netherlands, via Dutch tech website Tweakers. Unlike the recently revamped Symfonisk lamp, which added a brand new design, the second-gen bookshelf speakers are a more minor update: they still feature the same basic shelf-style design and compatibility with Sonos’ speaker network and Apple’s Airplay 2. Tweakers reports that Ikea’s made some internal changes, though, adding a faster processor, more memory, and lowering power consumption when in standby mode. It’s also added a longer power cable, which should be helpful for anyone trying to mount them in awkwardly wired rooms. But the biggest change (biggest being a relative term here) is the buttons, whe...

If you ever feel like websites have turned the simple business of rejecting tracking cookies into a labyrinthine task that involves close-reading of multiple dialog boxes, then France’s data protection agency has your back. The watchdog (CNIL) has fined Google €150 million ($170 million) and Facebook €60 million ($68 million) for making it too confusing for users to reject cookies. The companies now have three months to change their ways in France. With Facebook, CNIL notes that in order to refuse cookies, French users first have to click on a button labelled “Accept cookies” (emphasis ours). Such labelling “necessarily generates confusion,” says CNIL, leading users to believe they have no choice in the matter. With Google, the problem is one of asymmetry rather than mislabeling. CNIL note...

On Tuesday, December 21st, two NFT projects fell victim to the same attack. Like many projects in the crypto world, the NFT collection Monkey Kingdom and in-game asset marketplace Fractal both engaged heavily with their communities through Discord chat servers. Both projects were about to distribute rewards to their community members: Monkey Kingdom through an NFT presale on the day of the 21st and Fractal through a token airdrop — essentially a free distribution to early supporters — a few days later. Then, disaster struck. Posts appeared in the official “announcements” channel of each project claiming that a surprise mint would reward community members with a limited edition NFT. Hundreds jumped at the chance — but for those who followed the links and connected their crypto wallets, a co...

Amazon has announced a couple of small quality of life improvements for different Alexa devices. Its Echo Show lineup of smart displays are getting more live video news content in the US and an easier way to navigate news channels. Meanwhile, mobile Alexa devices are also gaining the ability to share your ETA while you’re using their navigation features. The new live video content providers for Echo Show owners in the US are from People TV, ET Live, and Bloomberg TV Plus. Amazon says it has more on the way soon. These new channels, as well as the Echo Show’s existing library of live video and on demand audio news channels, can now be accessed via a new provider list that’ll be displayed at the bottom of the screen. Live content from People TV, ET Live, and Bloomberg TV Plus is now availabl...

Another year of the Consumer Electronics Show has wrapped up, and it was a strange one: the weeks leading up to it were filled with cancellations due to Omicron, and as a result the show floor was virtually empty. The keynote presentations lacked the usual spectacle; the pomp was overshadowed by the circumstance. Nevertheless, I found myself surprised to realize that CES 2022 was a slightly better than average year for the show. There weren’t any industry-shaking products announced and shipping — but that almost never happens at CES, and the expectation that it should was always misguided. Instead, we saw some genuinely good improvements on technology that will actually ship, which isn’t always the case at CES. Here are just a few of my favorites: Dell’s XPS 13 Plus is a bold (maybe too bo...

Amazon’s TV series based on the Fallout video games is moving into production this year. Deadline and Variety report that Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) will be showrunners on the project; the official Fallout Twitter account retweeted Deadline’s story by way of confirmation. The Prime Video show will be executive-produced by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, creators of Westworld. Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard and Bethesda Softworks’ James Altman are also on board as executive producers. Nolan will direct the first episode, according to Deadline and Variety. The show was first announced in July. “Fallout is one of the greatest game series of all time,” Joy and Nolan said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter back then. “Each chapter of this ...

Video game retailer and memestock darling GameStop is making a big bet on NFTs and cryptocurrency technology. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the company has built up an over 20-person strong team working on an online marketplace for the virtual items, which could include cosmetic skins and in-game items. The company is said to be courting game developers and publishers to list NFTs on its marketplace, and hopes to ink deals with crypto companies to develop the underlying technology and help invest in games featuring NFT and blockchain tech. In total, the WSJ reports that GameStop’s investments in crypto could stretch into the tens of millions, and involve agreements made with over a dozen other companies. A spokesperson for GameStop did not immediately respond to T...

New rumors have surfaced regarding the Apple iPhone 14 Pro, claiming that it will feature a hole-punch camera design for its front-facing camera. Last October, concept renderings of the new iPhone appeared online and showcased what the phone could look like with the notch at the top of the display of where the front camera would originally reside. The latest rumors corroborate previous information that revealed that Apple‘s iPhone 14 would feature a notch-less design. The reports also indicated that the bulk of the Face ID hardware would be placed under the display instead of as a notch on the top. Apple first made a major change to the iPhone’s Face ID notch in the 2021 iPhone 13 lineup where it featured a slightly smaller notch than previous models. It is still uncertain what the iPhone ...

Earlier this week, Reddit user OOF_V2 discovered that almost every Apple product icon, with the oldest dating back to 2000, can be found in a buried systems folder on macOS Monterey. While user wanjuggler revealed that these icons have historically been a source of unintentional product leaks, user nemothorx chimed in to elaborate that the hidden product icons ranging from iMac to iPod touches serve a purpose — they appear upon hardware determination of another apple system identified within the same network. Along with the discovery, user xxxmalik commented that the icon for Windows PCs is displayed as an outdated CRT monitor with a BSoD, otherwise knowns as the Blue Screen of Death. Check out the old Apple product icons, including various iPhones and MacBooks, along with command and dock...

GameStop has hired a team to build an NFT marketplace and establish crypto partnerships, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. People familiar with the plans told the outlet that the video game retailer has already hired more than 20 people to run the department, which is creating a digital hub for NFTs and metaverse wearables. The marketplace will launch later this year, they said. In addition, the brand will soon close deals with two crypto companies to share technologies and develop blockchain games and it plans to invest tens of millions of dollars into similar agreements with other crypto firms in the future. Shares in the company jumped by over 22% following the news, according to CNBC.  GameStop has seen a resurgence over the last year, largely thanks to Reddi...