Thursday, December 02, 2021

Thursday Technology News and More!

Technology News and More...




Engadget / 14min
Recently, Amazon introduced a feature that allowed Alexa to hear certain types of sounds, called Custom Sound Detection. Now, it's adding two new specific Alexa sound detectors for "water running" and "appliance beeping" that can be used to set up routines or reminders. It also rolled a number of other new features for things like prescription refills, ultrasound motion detection and more. It was



If the rumors are true, the Samsung Galaxy S22 series is going to launch in February 2022, and in the meantime the leaks continue to flood in – including a new image showing off the rear camera modules for the S22, the S22 Plus, and the S22 Ultra. Published on Chinese social media platform Weibo (via SamMobile ), the snap clearly shows the three lenses that make up the rear camera on the S22 and



The social media giants removed a large number of accounts that promoted Covid-19 conspiracy theories and undermined reports of human rights abuses.



Audio-Technica has launched its latest pair of true wireless earbuds , which come with an unusual square design and a pleasingly budget-friendly price. The ATH-SQ1TW wireless earbuds come in a range of bright food-themed colors, including Blueberry, Caramel, Popsicle, Cupcake, Black, and White, each boasting square housings that look quite unlike any other true wireless earbuds we've tested. (Ima



The Bard’s Tale Alexa•
How-To Geek / 33min
To original Xbox and PS2 fans, The Bard’s Tale is a legendary title full of snarky jokes, fantastic role-play elements, and killer narration from the late Tony Jay. But like most console games, The Bard’s Tale and its sequels have been practically inaccessible to blind and visually impaired gamers. That ends this month, when The Bard’s Tale Warlocks of Largefearn arrives on Amazon Alexa. Read Thi



Mashable / 34min
TL;DR: As of Dec. 2, you can get 52% off your first box of a quarterly subscription to the Gadget Discovery Club . That's $72 for the first quarter with the code CMSAVE20 . If you don't know what to get someone, a subscription box is always a good idea. This year, you can get a subscription box for just about anything. For the techie in your life, there's finally a box that caters to their curios



PS5 Restock PlayStation 5•
If you haven't been one of the lucky ones to receive an invite from Sony, the latest PS5 restock from the PlayStation Direct store will be open to all from 10am this morning. You can get a place in the queue now by following the link below. We expect a number of Disc and Digital consoles will be available to buy from Sony's official store. Going by previous drops, you'll only have the option to p



The best Instant Pots are a great space-saving kitchen appliance as they offer a multitude of cooking methods in one gadget. However, they can be a costly purchase, so a good deal is always welcome. In the UK, Amazon has slashed 30% off the price of the Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 electric pressure cooker , reducing it to £69.99 from £99.99 . This is the lowest price we've seen for this affordabl



Two words zip through tech newsrooms every January like the electrical signals pulsing in a PC: “CES Flu,” shorthand for the cold you caught after a week spent interacting with 150,000 tech enthusiasts from around the globe at the industry's annual expo in Las Vegas. But the term took on new meaning in 2020, when the world’s biggest tech trade show was fingered as a superspreader event for Covid-



Swiggy Invest Instamart•
Swiggy, India’s top food-delivery startup, will invest $700 million in its express grocery delivery service Instamart, significantly intensifying the competition for quick commerce in the world’s second largest market. The SoftBank-backed startup, which initially launched Instamart in two Indian cities in 2020, said on Thursday that the quick grocery delivery service is now available in 18 cities



Cryptocurrencies have been on everyone’s lips and for good reason. They can generate lucrative rewards, especially when used correctly. When it comes to these crypto-assets, minimising risk and optimising results is a great way to summarise the services of Koinexpert — a company that’s mastered the system so that you don’t have to. Using the Arbitrage Principle and their innovative {automated} tr



Planned Parenthood•
Reproductive healthcare non-profit Planned Parenthood Los Angeles (PPLA) has suffered a ransomware attack that exposed the personally identifiable information of hundreds of thousands of patients. The organization recently notified its patients that a breach had occurred between October 9 and 17, during which a database with information on 400,000 users was stolen. According to the announcement,



Bounce E1 India Rs•
Bangalore-based Bounce on Thursday priced its first electric scooter at as low as 36,000 Indian rupees ($480), considerably undercutting the heavily-backed rival Ola as the mobility war intensifies in the world’s second most populous nation. The startup, backed by B Capital and Falcon Edge, launched its first electric scooter called the Bounce Infinity E1 that features a swappable battery and sev



Tesla Cyberquad CfK•
100+Mashable / 2h
Remember when Elon Musk promised a Tesla ATV called Cyberquad ? Well, the actual Cyberquad isn't quite here, but Tesla quietly launched something similar: the Cyberquad for Kids (yes, that's the official name). The small, four-wheel ATV has a lithium-ion battery that gives it 15 miles of range and a top speed of 10 mph. It has a full steel frame, cushioned seat, adjustable suspension, rear disc b



Vivaldi has brought a new stack of features to its eponymous challenger browser, Vivaldi browser. The fifth iteration of the browser brings theme sharing to the fore as well as Vivaldi Translate, one that doesn’t use Microsoft or Google technologies and will live in a dedicated Translate panel on the desktop browser. Vivaldi on Android will get two-level tab stacks for extreme browser users, whil



Apple 2021 the Year•
Last year, Apple focused on quarantine life for its App Store Awards. For 2021, it's continuing that concept with a focus on "connection" as its trend of the year — basically, things that brought us together even though we're still dealing with a global pandemic. That trend award was bestowed upon five apps, including familiar names like Bumble and Among Us !. But the niche winners are even more



Apple 2021 the Year•
Apple today released its anticipated annual list of the best apps and games of the year across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch. This year, children’s app maker Toca Boca won iPhone App of the Year for “Toca Life World,” and Riot Games’ “League of Legends: Wild Rift” was the iPhone Game of the Year. Other winners included the iPad App of the Year “LumaFusion” from LumaTouch; iPad Game



African Super App Gozem•
20TechCrunch / 3h
Gozem , a super app that provides a host of services — including transport, e-commerce and financial services in Francophone Africa — has raised $5 million in Series A financing, the company confirmed to TechCrunch . The Togo- and Singapore-based company received investment from AAIC, Thunes (TransferTo), Momentum Ventures (SMRT), Innoport Ventures (Schulte Group), CMC Ventures (National Express)



Apple iPhone 13 Demand•
Apple may be struggling with both demand and supply when it comes to the iPhone 13 lineup. According to Bloomberg , the tech giant has told its component suppliers that demand for its biggest moneymaker has weakened just before the holiday season. Back in October, the organization reported that Apple lowered the lineup's production goal to 80 million units — 10 million less than its original targ



32Mashable / 4h
I hesitate to classify Adrienne as true crime, though that’s objectively what it is. The catch-all genre term carries a stigma of exploitation with it that doesn’t adequately describe the moving tribute done here. Still, Adrienne is inarguably a true crime film — anchored by an act of violence and containing a reflection on justice clearly fitting of the label, however problematic. It's important




LinkedIn Hindi India•
Less than 20% of India’s 1.3 billion people speak English. But LinkedIn, the largest professional social network globally, has so far catered only to this sliver of the population in the world’s second largest internet market. On Thursday, the Microsoft-owned service said it’s beginning to change that. LinkedIn has started to roll out support for Hindi on its social network, it said on Thursday.



Cast your mind back to 2008 – the year that saw Apple's groundbreaking iPhone 3G launch alongside its industry-changing App Store. Suddenly, users were able to access a storefront filled with thousands of games that could be instantly downloaded to their handset, essentially granting them a portable phone/gaming device that could be carried with them at all times (and not in a lame Nokia N-Gage w



It deleted 500 accounts which amplified claims that the US was meddling in the Covid origins search.



SAVE 82%: PureVPN is a verified no-log VPN provider, meaning all of your data is safeguarded. A two-year subscription to PureVPN is on sale for £1.44 per month, saving you 82% on list price. We would all love more content options, but nobody wants to shell out for every streaming service. You could risk the health of your laptop or tablet by tying to find dodgy streams from around the world, or y



TL;DR: The 2022 Ultimate Learn Unreal Game Development Bundle is on sale for £26.22 as of Dec. 2, saving you 96% on list price. If your passion for gaming has taken over and made you curious about how things work on the back end of your favourite levels and challenges, it may be time to consider a gaming career. It may sound like a dream job, but it's not impossible to achieve. In fact, it's easi



Facebook Rittenhouse•
Kyle Rittenhouse fatally shot two men and injured a third on Aug. 25, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Now, Meta has decided it will no longer remove comments on Facebook and Instagram that praise him. Days after Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, Facebook's Brian Fishman tweeted that the company was implementing its then week-old policy for dealing with such incidents. "Y



TL;DR: The 2022 Premium Computer Science Career Path Certification Bundle is on sale for £29.97 as of Dec. 2, saving you 97% on list price. Whether you're already in the field or are looking to make a total career change, this learning bundle will help you accomplish your goals when it comes to computer science. And you can snag it for just under £30. The 2022 Premium Computer Science Career Path



Zoom is rolling out a number of new updates for its video conferencing software and one of them might finally encourage users to ensure they're on time for their next big meeting. According to a new blog post from the company, Attendance Status makes it easier for organizations to streamline the start of their Zoom Meetings by allowing meeting hosts and co-hosts using its Google Calendar or Outlo



SAVE £100: Facebook Portal devices help you to stay connected with friends and family. For a limited time, you can buy two Portal devices and save £100 (including the new Portal+ and Portal Go). Christmas can be tough if you're not able to meet up with your loved ones. Nothing can compare to the feeling of celebrating together, but Facebook's range of Portal video calling devices can make it feel



SAVE 86%: CyberGhost VPN is a beginner-friendly service that can unlock top streaming sites like Netflix. A two-year subscription to CyberGhost VPN is on sale for £1.57 per month, and includes an extra three months for free. What do you want from a VPN? You almost definitely want improved protection for your personal information and data, and the ability to unlock top streaming sites would be a p



SAVE 68%: NordVPN keeps things simple with powerful levels of encryption and a slick interface. A two-year subscription to NordVPN is on sale for £2.74 per month, saving you 68% on list price. Cyber Monday might be over, but you can still save 68% on one of the best VPNs for security and streaming. A two-year subscription to NordVPN is on sale for £2.74 per month, saving you 68% on list price. If



Kakao Mobility , the South Korea-based mobility as a service (MaaS) startup behind Kakao T, a ride-hailing app, said it has raised an additional $55 million (65 billion won) from strategic investor GS Retail . This brings its total raised to about $941.4 million (1.11 trillion won) and values it at more than $4.2 billion, a spokesperson at Kakao Mobility confirmed. On Monday, South Korea’s GS Ret



Every year, Spotify presents its hundreds of millions of users with a cute little gift: their own listening data, neatly packaged up with bright graphics and increasingly cringe all-purpose text pretending to be personalised. It’s wildly shareable, inevitably memed, and usually a reliable mix of accurate and hilariously off-base. (Petition to have all playlists just named “Sleep” excluded from 20



We know this is the week of Money Heist (Season 5 Volume 2). But we are not talking about it in our weekly list . Nor are we going into the other popular web series in these parts that is getting into Season 3. We are referring to Inside Edge here. Instead we choose to focus on five different films, and when we say different we indeed mean it. What we have is two intriguing Hindi films Bob Biswas



Gizmodo / 8h
Without electricity, life can come to a screeching halt. This Black Friday, stock up on EcoFlow products meant to help power your world, whether you’re spending time in the great outdoors or vacationing off-grid. From November 15, you can save up to $650 during EcoFlow’s Blackout Free Friday Sale on some of the… Read more...



Google New Features•
Google To help you get more out of the upcoming holidays, Google is rolling out a few features that, while not entirely new, are making their first appearances on Android. The features cover a variety of categories, including new widgets to make an Android smartphone’s home screen more useful, simplified reminders for the entire family, and even the ability to lock … Continue reading



Gizmodo / 8h
As a whole, the Android operating system is a more open platform than its iOS rival. But that doesn’t mean third-party app stores on Google devices always play nice. Read more...



200+Gizmodo / 9h
Making a follow-up to one of the biggest fantasy shows ever has been a journey worthy of Westeros’ mightiest heroes. When Game of Thrones ended back in 2019 , HBO already knew it wanted the world to continue. Several ideas were batted around with one eventually rising to the top . A script was written, the show was… Read more...



Salesforce Taylor Benioff•
20TechCrunch / 9h
For even a casual observer of the tech industry, it’s been a good week for Bret Taylor: He was named board chair at Twitter on Monday, and yesterday, he became the co-CEO and co-chair at a SaaS company called Salesforce . From outward appearances, Taylor seemed extraordinarily well positioned to influence what goes on at Twitter while simultaneously finding himself on an equal footing with Salesf



55TechCrunch / 9h
Gideon Kimbrell Contributor Gideon Kimbrell is the co-founder and CEO of InList . More posts by this contributor 3 gadgets not quite ready for prime time Elon Musk’s recent announcement of an upcoming Tesla Bot — complete with a human form, “human-level hands” and a characteristically optimistic delivery date — has garnered a healthy serving of criticism for good reason. Among other capabilities,




Facebook Haugen Congress•
Mashable / 10h
Republicans want to punish Big Tech companies for removing content. Democrats would like to penalize Big Tech companies for not removing enough content. It may seem like Congress is unified in their dislike for platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Both Republicans and Democrats voice their displeasure for these companies, right to its executives' faces in hearing after hearin



Washington is joining other governments in scrutinising the rapidly expanding sector more closely.



22Engadget / 10h
After months of teasing , the legendary Rhodes piano is back, with Rhodes Music Group opening pre-orders for the new MK8 model on Wednesday. It costs an eye-watering $9,450. And that's only the price of the base model. Want the rad transparent hood? That's an extra $575. How about a walnut bottom shell? Add another $1,095. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rhodes® (@rhodes.piano) With



Hyatt’s footprint in Los Angeles is growing very nicely, and that’s much needed. The Thompson Hollywood opened in August, and Hotel Figueroa in DTLA joined The Unbound Collection from Hyatt in June. There’s another Hyatt in Los Angeles that has opened its doors as of today, and it has a connection to Thompson… sort of. The basics of Tommie Hollywood Tommie Hollywood is a new Hyatt property that h



SlashGear / 10h
Bukhta Yurii/Shutterstock If you’ve made the switch from tater tots to the arguably healthier broccoli tots alternative (they’re basically tater tots, but made from, you know, broccoli), pay attention to a new recall notice published on the FDA’s website. According to the advisory, some frozen broccoli tots products have been recalled because they may contain small pieces of metal or rocks. The …



Amazon 2021 Marketplace•
A new study claims that Amazon makes far more from fees on its Marketplace platform than even the cash cow known as AWS. The report says that Amazon’s fees for participating effectively on its store have grown to the point where sellers now give the company about 34% of their earnings — and this has lately become Amazon’s primary revenue stream. The company disputes the report’s findings. The rep



Monox DeFi Polygon•
51Ars Technica / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images ) Blockchain startup MonoX Finance said on Wednesday that a hacker stole $31 million by exploiting a bug in software the service uses to draft smart contracts. The company uses a decentralized finance protocol known as MonoX that lets users trade digital currency tokens without some of the requirements of traditional exchanges. “Project owners can list their tokens w



Jack Dorsey Square Block•
Mashable / 10h
Say hello to Block. The company formerly known as Square Inc., which includes a host of businesses like Cash App , Tidal , and Square , announced a new blockchain-associated name Wednesday. In a press release explaining the change, what is now Block made clear that yes, its new name is — at least in part — an intentional nod to the technology behind Bitcoin. "The name has many associated meanings



Gizmodo / 11h
Not like it’s that big of a secret, but Maria Hill is coming to Disney+. Cobie Smulders will reprise her role as the former SHIELD operative and Nick Fury’s right hand woman on the upcoming Disney+ Marvel show Secret Invasion. Read more...



Link: Apply now for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (this is the best publicly available offer for the card, and we appreciate your support if you use our link) Capital One’s mileage currency is becoming increasingly useful, between mileage transfer ratios being improved , and the introduction of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , which is Capital One’s incredible new p



Qualcomm Snapdragon•
Gizmodo / 11h
Over the past few years, Qualcomm has been expanding its chip development to cover laptops and PCs. But today at its annual Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm announced another new venture, this time in gaming: the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 platform. Read more...



Qualcomm Snapdragon•
Your next laptop could be powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 that has just been revealed, and we’re expecting to see it in a variety of laptops in 2022 and beyond. Revealed at Tech Summit 2021 alongside the new mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, this is Qualcomm’s flagship computing platform that means to compete with the best from AMD, Intel and even Apple’s M1 processor. Qual



Qualcomm Snapdragon•
In the years since the Nintendo Switch reawakened the desire for a mobile gaming console, other devices have emerged to meet the demand of consumers. But the next one to come out – a joint project between Qualcomm and Razer – won’t even be sold to consumers. Instead, the Snapdragon G3x Handheld Developer Kit, as it's called, is a working console meant for developers to experiment with making mobi



To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PST, subscribe here . Hello and welcome to Daily Crunch for December 1, 2021! Yes, we’ve made it to the final inning of the year, which means that the news cycle will slow and we all get some time off? Right? Probably not, but in alternative good news, Brian Heater’s robotics newsletter



When I was growing up in California, everyone knew that downtown Los Angeles wasn’t a great place to spend time. That’s why a recent stay at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown was such a revelation. I had a great stay at the supertall hotel, and the whole area has sure changed since I was a kid. For more TPG news and deals delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newslet



Qualcomm Snapdragon•
50SlashGear / 11h
Since Nintendo put games in consumers pockets with the Game & Watch, gamers have been seeking the ideal mobile gaming machine. From the Nintendo Game Boy to the Sega Game Gear on forward to the NVIDIA SHIELD and the Nintendo Switch, we’ve been seeing the same basic idea played over and over again. The next entry in this device category … Continue reading



Jack Dorsey Square Block•
Mr. Dorsey has in recent years grown more fascinated by cryptocurrencies and the promise of technological decentralization that blockchain technology could allow for.



Qualcomm Snapdragon•
Gizmodo / 11h
Qualcomm has lofty dreams of making PC chips that will rival Apple’s M-series processors by 2023, but in the meantime, the company is introducing its latest ARM-based laptop chips: the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon 7c+. Read more...



Gizmodo / 11h
Apple reportedly wants to replace the iPhone with augmented reality glasses in 10 years, a transition that would fundamentally change the way we interact with the digital world. Before you get excited about becoming Tony Stark, we should caution that these ambitions border on fanciful. Read more...



Qualcomm Snapdragon•
72Engadget / 11h
Qualcomm is expanding its lineup of ARM-based chips for Windows and Chromebook with Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and 7c+ Gen 3 platforms. In addition, the company aims to power handheld gaming devices using Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 chipsets. Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, which builds on last year's Gen 2 , is the first 5nm PC platform, according to Qualcomm, which designed it with ultra-slim and fanless laptops in m




Nvidia RTX 2060 12•
Nvidia confirmed this week that its RTX 2060 Super 12GB is on the way, though the chip maker was pretty low key about it. On page four of the release notes for its Windows driver version 497.09 that Nvidia just posted, listed under the "New Features and Other Changes" subhead says the update "added support for the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB". What the new release notes doesn't do is say anything else



Qualcomm Snapdragon•
Snapdragon’s G3x is Qualcomm’s fantastically exciting bid to embrace the gaming market — a brand new reach for the manufacturer, which introduces powerful GPUs, 5G-enabled connectivity, the ability to power external screens, immersive audio capabilities, haptic feedback and a slew of other features that handheld gaming manufacturers have had to cobble together from other sources. Uniting all of t



Jack Dorsey Square Block•
100+Engadget / 11h
Payments firm Square plans to change its name to Block as cryptocurrencies and other blockchain technologies become a bigger part of its business. On Wednesday, the company announced it will move forward with the rebranding on December 10th. “The name has many associated meanings for the company — building blocks, neighborhood blocks and their local businesses, communities coming together at bloc



Finland Flubot Malware•
Authorities in Finland are warning that the FluBot Android malware is once again being distributed by SMS to users in the country. Finland's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC-FI) recently put out an alert that scam messages are being sent out with the hope that unsuspecting users will click on a link contained within them. Clicking on this link takes them to a website that requests permission



Twitch Tool SUD Ban•
Enlarge (credit: Twitch ) Twitch, the livestreaming service that largely caters to gamers, has exploded in popularity since being acquired by Amazon in 2014—but toxicity on the platform has also increased. This week, Twitch took an important step toward getting a handle on its applause-like "chat" feature, and it goes beyond the usual dictionary-based approach of flagging inappropriate or abusive



100+The Points Guy / 12h
With overseas travel still a bit chaotic with ever-adjusting protocols, and the new omicron variant of the coronavirus potentially adding to the turmoil, choosing a destination that has minimal entry requirements for tourists could be high on your personal travel priority list. The U.S. Virgin Islands certainly fits the bill for American travelers. The chain of islands offer the tranquility and r



As expected, cybersecurity researchers have reported a massive increase in malware attacks over the Black Friday weekend, with the number of websites attacked 50 times a day registering a jump of over 300%. Crunching the numbers collected by Capture Labs , analysts at VPN provider Surfshark noticed that the attacks on websites grew from 15 million at the start of November to 60 million on Black F



Trump Meadows COVID Biden•
300+Futurism / 12h
A new book penned by one of former President Donald Trump’s high ranking staffers claims that the commander-in-chief tested positive for COVID-19 before interacting, mostly maskless, with countless hundreds of people in the fall of 2020. As The Guardian reported , the forthcoming book from former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows describes a tense scene aboard Air Force One when it emerged



Reddit Real Time Features•
Enlarge / The Reddit logo on a mobile device. (credit: Getty Images | stockcam ) Reddit is yet again making some changes and adding features to make it more modern and competitive with other social websites and apps. For ages, comment and vote counts on Reddit posts would only update when you refreshed the page or you were the person upvoting or downvoting something. Now, a small animation will p



Enlarge / Some copies of The Legend of Zelda might be worth less if they were made of real gold... (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images ) This summer, when a copy of Super Mario 64 sold for over $1.5 million , no one could say for sure just how rare it was to find a copy in such pristine, unopened condition. That's because Wata Games—the company that's come to dominate the market for professiona



Respawn Titanfall Today•
SlashGear / 12h
Respawn/Electronic Arts Respawn Entertainment today announced that it has delisted Titanfall, effectively removing it from sale. Titanfall was the first game Respawn Entertainment made as a new studio back in 2014, and now it seems the title is being retired. It isn’t all bad news, though, as those who own the game will still be able to play it even after it … Continue reading



US Biden Space Russia•
Gizmodo / 12h
About two weeks ago, Russian authorities conducted a massive missile test that blew up one of its own orbiting satellites, sending at least 1,500 pieces of dangerous debris showering across space and forcing both astronauts and nearby spacecraft to careen out of their path. Now, the Biden Administration is calling for… Read more...



Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 1•
Less than 24 hours after the reveal of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 we've already had five confirmed manufacturers that will be including the new chipset in flagship phones over the next few months. The latest name to join that list is OnePlus, and it's set to feature in a handset that we expect to be called the OnePlus 10 . OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed on Weibo , a Chinese social networking site, th



The most common complaints on airline twitter seem to be about delays - flight delays, long lines, long hold times to get through especially when there's a flight change or cancellation. The most common things we see photos of are damaged bags, dirty planes, and other passengers not wearing masks. Positives on twitter are fewer and farther between but usually focused on the trip itself, the happy



Gizmodo / 12h
The world’s excitement for the 2003 release of The Matrix Reloaded was quantifiable. When the original Matrix opened in 1999, it grossed a respectable $28 million on its opening weekend. Four years later, Reloaded grossed almost three times that to the tune of about $92 million, one of the biggest opening weekends… Read more...



Although we cover loyalty programs in-depth on TPG every day, sometimes you just want a snippet of useful information that you can put into action on the fly. That’s why we recently launched the series Quick Points . Every week, we’ll highlight a new or easily forgotten tip that can help you travel more for less. Often these are bits of information or advice that you can find elsewhere on the sit



Jack Dorsey Square Block•
100TechCrunch / 12h
The fintech giant , effective December 10. The name change, which has been in the works for over a year , is intended to house the company’s various products — including music streaming service Tidal, Cash App, TBD, and of course, Square — under one brand. This announcement comes just days after Square founder and CEO Jack Dorsey stepped down from his CEO role at Twitter, which he also co-founde



If you’re just starting to build out a smart home, look no further than Zack Whittaker’s excellent starter kit guide , which should lay the groundwork for a connected home experience. But if you’ve already taken the plunge and find yourself with the key ingredients in place for a smart home, let’s look at some options that can take it to the next level for a truly divine digital domicile. For the



Audio Aura Spotify•
25Mashable / 12h
Spotify Wrapped is here, and one of its new 2021 features is " Your Audio Aura ," a reading of your two most prominent moods as dictated by your top songs and artists of the year. Spotify collaborated with Megan Michaela Firester , a celebrity psychic medium and aura


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