Technology

Encrypted messaging app Signal says it’s seeing a swell of new users signing up for the platform, so much so that the company is seeing delays in phone number verifications of new accounts across multiple cell providers. As for what or who is responsible for so many new users interested in trying the platform, which is operated by the nonprofit Signal Foundation, there are two likely culprits: Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Signal competitor WhatsApp. Verification codes are currently delayed across several providers because so many new people are trying to join Signal right now (we can barely register our excitement). We are working with carriers to resolve this as quickly as possible. Hang in there. — Signal (@signalapp) January 7, 2021 Musk, who is now the world’s richest person after surpassin...

Twitch has disabled President Donald Trump’s account indefinitely following his encouragement of a pro-Trump mob’s attack of the US Capitol on Wednesday. “In light of yesterday’s shocking attack on the Capitol, we have disabled President Trump’s Twitch channel,” a Twitch spokesperson said in a statement. “Given the current extraordinary circumstances and the President’s incendiary rhetoric, we believe this is a necessary step to protect our community and prevent Twitch from being used to incite further violence.” The company says it will reassess Trump’s account after he leaves office. Trump’s account remains live, so archived videos and his profile are still available. But while the account is disabled, he won’t be able to stream. In June, Twitch temporarily banned Trump’s account for “ha...

The fate of cardboard boxes in the US rests in the hands of consumers more than it ever has been before. In the past, brick-and-mortar retailers handled much of the leftover packaging from shipments. Malls and grocery stores usually send big bales of used but relatively clean cardboard to recycling programs so that they can be made into new boxes. Now, the rise of e-commerce, which started before the pandemic, has shifted more responsibility onto shoppers to properly dispose of boxes so that they can be recycled. Boxes are piling up on residential curbsides instead of at retail stores. The pandemic has only accelerated this shift The pandemic has only accelerated this shift, which experts expect to continue even after COVID-19 is under control. One of the largest waste collection companies...

Every year at CES, we see devices meant to bridge the worlds of handheld and PC gaming. This year, it’s Lenovo and NEC that are still chasing that dream with the LaVie Mini. The device is a concept laptop-portable gaming console hybrid, and it includes a touchscreen, controller, and dock accessories. For those unfamiliar with the name, LaVie is a joint venture between Lenovo and NEC, and although most of its products don’t make it to the US, it’s had some hits at CES in the past focused on ultra-light laptops. By itself, the LaVie Mini seems to be a reasonably powerful and compact computer. The device, if it were real, would have an 8-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and an 11th Gen Intel Processor with Xe graphics. Of course, there’s not really space for a trackpad, but t...

The JBL SA750 is a new stereo amplifier pairing modern streaming technologies like Airplay 2 and Google Chromecast with a design that wouldn’t look out of place in a hi-fi rack from the ‘60s or ‘70s. It’s got a set of reassuringly chunky-looking dials and switches as physical controls, an understated display, and its sides are covered with wood veneers. The amplifier, whose release coincides with JBL’s 75th anniversary, will cost $3,000 when it goes on sale beginning this May. Alongside its wireless connectivity, which includes support for UPnP alongside Apple and Google’s protocols, the JBL SA750 has all the wired inputs you’d expect. There are six pairs of analog RCA inputs, a 3.5mm aux in, and two optical and two coaxial digital inputs alongside USB and Ethernet. The JBL L100 Classic 75...

JBL’s Bar 5.0 Multibeam is a new soundbar which is its first to offer Virtual Dolby Atmos thanks to its Multibeam technology. It will be available for $399.95 (£349.99) starting later this spring. The announcement of the JBL Bar 5.0 comes a year after the company announced its first Dolby Atmos soundbar, the JBL Bar 9.1. The previous Atmos soundbar used upward-firing drivers to bounce sound off the ceiling to give the impression of it coming from above. In contrast, the new JBL Bar 5.0, which costs less than half the price of its predecessor, uses virtualization to achieve what JBL claims is a similar effect. It’s unlikely to sound as convincing, but the result is a much more affordable soundbar. The soundbar packs in five drivers and four passive radiators.Image: JBL The JBL Bar 5.0 uses ...

Elon Musk has become the wealthiest person on the planet, surpassing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, thanks to the continued rise in Tesla’s stock price. Musk is now worth around $188 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. “How strange,” Musk tweeted Thursday. “Well, back to work …” Musk eclipsing Bezos’ own extravagant personal wealth of around $187 billion marks the latest development in a years-long rivalry between the two tech magnates — one that often centers on the accomplishments of their respective businesses. Bezos was reportedly so envious of Musk’s success in securing a $1.3 billion incentive package for Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada that it served as the genesis for Amazon’s beauty pageant-style search for its second headquarters. Bezos has a spaceflight company in ...

In a blog post Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would ban President Donald Trump from its platforms “indefinitely” following a pro-Trump attack on the US Capitol this week. The ban will not be lifted before Inauguration Day, according to Zuckerberg. “The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden,” said Zuckerberg. “We are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.” We believe the risks of allowing President Trump to continue to use our service during thi...

February 12th marks the first day of Lunar New Year, with 2021 ushering in the Year of the Ox and saying farewell to the Year of the Rat. To celebrate, Apple is releasing limited edition AirPods Pro in certain Asian countries, with a case branded with a new version of the cow emoji. Apple has also given an ox-themed makeover to its logo on some regional versions of its website: The special edition AirPods Pro sell for the same price as the regular AirPods Pro, which is just as well considering you can order those with any text or emoji you want engraved on the case for free. They’re 1,999 yuan ($310) in mainland China, for example, and they’re also for sale in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Apple is limiting orders to two per customer, and the AirPods Pro will only be availabl...

A recent beta update for Steam has added new features for gamers using Xbox controllers. One of the more interesting additions is for Xbox Elite controller users, who can now use Valve’s software to bind the accessory’s rear paddles in controller configurations. The feature gives players more flexibility with how to use the extra inputs on the premium controller. Other updates for Xbox controllers include the ability to bind the Series X gamepad’s share button in controller configurations, and the ability to use more than four Xbox controllers with Steam at a time. Support for trigger rumble has also been added for games using the Windows.Gaming.Input API. There are also new features in store for PS5 controller users The Steam beta client also includes a new drop down menu for PS5 controll...

TikTok has released its first augmented reality filter that can utilize the iPhone 12 Pro’s LIDAR sensor for an enhanced confetti effect that realistically settles on people or objects in your room. The effect itself is just a somewhat belated 2021 ball drop (which feels like it would have been a lot more useful a few days ago.) But the ball drop filter is just the start, with TikTok promising to “develop more innovative effects in 2021.” And the fact that one of the most popular video platforms in the world is jumping onboard with support for one of the marquee features on Apple’s more pricey and premium smartphones is certainly notable. To ring in 2021 we released our first AR effect on the new iPhone 12 Pro, using LiDAR technology which allows us to create effects that interact with you...

Twitter is locking President Donald Trump’s account for 12 hours after removing three tweets that contained “repeated and severe violations” of its civic integrity policy. It says the account will be permanently suspended if violations continue, and it will not be unlocked unless Trump entirely deletes the three offending tweets. The decision comes after Trump tweeted a video that Twitter said posed a “risk of violence.” “As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, DC, we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy,” the Twitter Safety account tweeted. “This means that the account of @realDonaldTrump will be locked for 12 hours following the remov...