The UK wants to show that it’s embracing crypto, and that includes digital tokens — whether you like them or not. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced that the Royal Mint will issue an official NFT sometime this summer. More details aren’t yet available but Economic Secretary John Glen billed the token as a symbol of the “forward-looking approach” the country was taking toward crypto technologies.
The NFT will come as part of a broader effort to support financial technology, and crypto in particular. The UK government aims to create a “dynamic regulatory landscape” that welcomes the technology, according to Glen. It now plans legislation that will welcome stablecoins into the country’s payment infrastructure, will mull the legal status of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and hopes to remove “disincentives” to investment funds that include crypto.
The Financial Conduct Authority has already been experimenting through a regulatory sandbox, and plans its first in a series of policy “crypto-sprints” this May. The government is also forming a Cryptoasset Engagement Group that includes representatives from the FCA, Bank of England and business, with as many as eight meetings per year.
Glen was aware of the concerns surrounding crypto, such as the potential for scams, bootleg activity and environmental harms. However, he cast the NFT and similar projects as an opportunity to get “in on the ground floor” and thrive should crypto take off.
The NFT won’t thrill critics who see the tokens as creating artificial scarcity, increasing emissions or otherwise wasting resources. However, it will signal the UK government’s willingness to court the crypto industry. The country is clearly early to recreate its reputation as a financial hub in the digital realm.
While Samsung announced all of its new 2022 TVs back at CES, due to the pandemic we haven’t been able to check them out in person until now. And even though Samsung didn’t bring all of its 30-plus new sets to its flagship store in New York, from what I saw there’s a lot to like about Samsung’s latest big-screen lineup.
The centerpiece of Samsung’s portfolio is, without a doubt, the new QN900B, the centerpiece of the company’s Neo QLED 8K family. For 2022, Samsung has added 14-bit HDR mapping (up from 12-bit mapping on last year’s models) to improve picture detail in both bright and dark scenes. When combined with that massive 7,680 x 4,320 resolution, the TV looks seriously sharp.
The QN900B’s higher peak brightness and 8K resolution deliver super sharp details in practically any lighting conditions.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
But the most promising upgrades might be the changes Samsung made behind the glass, including an updated Neural Quantum processor the company says can analyze the content being shown to further optimize image quality. As for audio, the QN900B also gets a new 90W 6.2.4 channel speaker setup featuring Dolby Atmos with Object Tracking Sound Pro. This allows the TV to tweak sounds and voices based on where they appear on screen, adding an extra level of immersion.
As a gamer, I really like that in addition to improved support for game streaming services like Google Stadia and NVIDIA GeForce Now built into Samsung’s Gaming Hub, the QN900B (along with the 4K QN95B and QN90B) also gets one HDMI 2.1 port that supports refresh rates of up to 144Hz (up from 120Hz). Meanwhile, all of Samsung’s new TVs from the Q80B and up will come standard with four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 120Hz inputs. That means you won’t need to constantly mess with your cables to make sure you’re getting the best possible image quality for your Xbox Series X, PS5, or any gaming PCs you might have connected to the TV. That’s a big quality of life upgrade compared to my two-year-old TV that only has a single port that supports 120Hz inputs.
I also want to mention the QN900B’s design, which features practically non-existent bezels. Particularly with its slimmer base, the TV really gives the impression that the whole thing is floating in mid-air. Samsung even tweaked the sides of the TV’s bezels with a brushed metal finish and patterned cut-outs, which looks slick but not distracting. Sadly, with the smallest 65-inch model starting at a whopping $5,000, Samsung’s latest 8K TVs aren’t cheap. Thankfully, if you don’t care about 8K (which is very understandable), Samsung’s Neo QLED 4K QN85B starts at just $1,500 for a 55-inch model.
The S95B features Quantum Dot tech and is Samsung’s first new OLED TV in almost a decade.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
However, I think the S95B (which starts at $2,200 for a 55-inch model) is Samsung’s most interesting TV for 2022. Not only is it the company’s first new OLED TV in almost a decade, it also features Quantum Dot technology and a new sub-pixel architecture that delivers some truly impressive colors. Unlike traditional OLED displays, Samsung got rid of the traditional white sub-pixel and instead uses blue sub-pixels as the main source of illumination. And when paired with the same Neural Quantum Processor used in the QN900B, the S95B delivers better brightness than traditional OLEDs without washing out colors or reducing saturation. Honestly, the richness and vibrancy of this display is jaw-dropping, and I actually stopped in my tracks the first time I walked past it.
Now, it’s important to remember that the S95B still isn’t as bright as one of Samsung’s QLED sets, so for people watching TV in a room with lots of windows or tons of ambient light, something like the 4K QN90B would probably be a better option. And while the S95B (which starts at $2,199.99 for a 55-inch model) does get four HDMI ports that support 120Hz inputs, sizes top out at just 65 inches compared to 85 inches for most of Samsung’s QLED sets.
The 2022 Frame’s new matte coating also makes the TV’s art mode look much more lifelike.
Sam Rutherford/Eng
Finally, when it comes to Samsung’s Frame TVs (which starts at $1,000 for a 43-inch model), the big change for 2022 is a new matte finish that reduces reflections and helps the set do an even better job of disguising itself as art when you’re not watching it. To me, the matte finish gave things like brush strokes in paintings an extra level of texture, resulting in a more lifelike appearance. That said, there is a downside because the anti-reflective coating slightly reduces how much light gets through the TV’s front glass. Thankfully, Samsung easily remedied that by increasing the 2022 Frame’s overall brightness, both in art mode and when showing content.
Here’s a comparison showing the effect the 2022 Frame’s (left) anti-reflective coating has when light is shined on it versus last year’s model (right). Note how the glare is much less harsh on the new Frame.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
But perhaps my big takeaway after seeing Samsung’s new TV lineup is that it feels like there’s more choice than ever before when it comes to picking your perfect set. If you want a super high-res TV with excellent brightness that will look great even in bright rooms with lots of windows, there’s the QN900B. Alternatively, if you want brilliant colors and deep inky blacks, the S95B represents a welcome return for Samsung to the OLED TV space, which is a market its cross-country rival LG has dominated in recent years. And if you prefer a TV with a more subdued design that might blend in better with your decor, there’s the Frame and its updated matte finish.
All of Samsung’s new 2022 TVs are available for pre-order today, with devices expected to begin shipping out sometime later this month.
Epic Games and Microsoft have wrapped up their campaign to support Ukraine relief efforts through Fortniteafter raising an impressive $144 million. Both companies donated their proceeds from the game for the last two weeks to humanitarian causes supporting people affected by the war. The funds will go to Direct Relief, UNICEF, UN World Food Program, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and World Central Kitchen.
Our deepest thanks to everyone who joined us in supporting humanitarian relief efforts for people affected by the war in Ukraine.
The campaign aligned with the start of Fortnite‘s latest season, meaning that many players were buying V-Bucks to unlock the latest Battle Pass and scoop up new in-game items. Epic and Xbox donated their cuts of gifted Battle Passes, Fortnite Crew subscriptions and gift cards redeemed during that time to relief efforts as well.
Now is a good moment to buy the Beats Fit Pro if you’re a habitual Amazon shopper. Amazon is offering a free $25 gift card when you buy the true wireless earbuds for $200. While that doesn’t represent a discount for the buds themselves, as we’ve seen in the past, it’s still a significant bargain if you’re likely to shop on Amazon again.
In some ways, the Beats Fit Pro represent a better value than much of Apple’s earbud lineup, including the third-gen AirPods and even the AirPods Pro. They’re comfortable, sweat-resistant and should stay put during many workouts, but they offer punchier bass than the regular AirPods and last a healthy six hours with active noise cancellation compared to just 4.5 for the AirPods Pro. They’re also considerably more discreet than the Powerbeats Pro, and certainly more colorful than Apple-branded earbuds.
There are some catches, such as the lack of wireless charging, the risk of accidental button presses and a few (thankfully minor) iOS-only features. The biggest obstacle might simply be sales on other Apple and Beats models. The AirPods Pro and Powerbeats Pro are frequently on sale, and sometimes cost less than the Beats Fit Pro — you may want to do some comparisons if you’re mainly interested in the lowest possible price. Even so, the Beats Fit Pro remain good value for money.
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Upgrading to an OLED TV will make a big difference in your living room setup, but the best displays out there don’t come cheap. However, Amazon has slashes the prices of LG’s 2021 C1 OLED lineup, bringing most of them down to new record lows. The cheapest of the bunch, the 48-inch model, is down to $997, which is about $50 cheaper than its previous record-low price. But you’ll get the best deal on the 65-inch TV, which is 32 percent off and down to $1,697. And if you go for that model, you can also save $150 on LG’s SP9YA soundbar if you’re looking to upgrade your sound system along with your TV.
The mid-tier C1 sets have been quite popular since they give you all of the features you expect in an OLED set along with extra gaming perks, all at a decent price point. As with any OLED TV, you’re getting deep blacks and more accurate colors than standard sets, and the C1 models support 120Hz refresh rates and run on LG’s a9 Gen4 AI Processor 4K. LG’s smart TV interface gives you access to all of the top streaming platforms, including Netflix and Apple TV+, and it supports voice commands from both Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant.
Along with the high refresh rate, the C1 sets have HDMI 2.1, support for G-Sync and FreeSync and are capable of a 1ms response time. Those features make these TVs excel when it comes to console gaming, and LG lets you control all of those relevant settings in its Game Optimizer menu.
It’s worth mentioning that LG’s 2022 OLED sets are available now, too, including the updated C2 lineup. The company made a few changes in this year’s sets, upgrading the processor to its a9 Gen5 chip, adding new features to Game Optimizer and reducing response times even further. However, the C2 TVs start at nearly $1,500, so if you’re willing to skip out on the latest improvements, you can get last year’s models at much better prices. Same goes for LG’s G1 “Gallery” series right now — while the 2022 G2 family is available starting at a whopping $3,200, most 2021 models have been discounted and the 65-inch G1 is down to a new all-time low of $1,997.
Hertz isn’t just leaning on Tesla to electrify its fleet. The rental car agency has struck a deal that will see it buy “up to” 65,000 Polestar EVs over the next five years. The initial mix will focus on the Polestar 2 sedan, but should expand to other models over time. Vehicles will be available to rent in Europe starting this spring, and should reach both North America and Australia late this year.
The team-up is a continuation of Hertz’s plan to offer the biggest selection of EV rentals in North America, and “one of the largest” worldwide. The strategy includes offering EVs to rideshare drivers working for companies like Uber.
The purchase is a gradual one, and Hertz has clearly given itself wiggle room in case it wants fewer models. This is still a large order, though, and could significantly increase the chances that your next rental might be an EV. It’s also a bigger deal for Polestar than it was for Tesla. Polestar sold just 29,000 cars in 2021, and ‘only’ expects to more than double that number in 2022 — Hertz could play a large role in the manufacturer’s near-term success.
Alphabet’s Wing division has announced that it’s launching a drone delivery service in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex on April 7th. “With this service, the DFW area will be the largest metro in the world, and the first in the United States, with access to on-demand drone delivery,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Wing’s primary launch customer is Walgreens, which will deliver health and wellness products directly to customer’s homes. For that, it will use a new operational model where drones are staged at one of its own store parking lots, rather than a Wing facility. It will also be delivering ice cream from Blue Bell Creameries, Easyvet prescription pet medications (yep) and first aid kits from Texas Health.
“This will be America’s most scalable drone delivery operation to date, as Walgreens team members will process their own orders and load packages onto drones themselves – while Wing oversees the delivery from a remote location,” the company said.
In a press release and video (above) from last year, Wing explained exactly how that would work. “The aircraft will arrive in small containers that serve as tiny hangars, allowing each store to quickly and easily deploy a small, dedicated fleet from its parking lot, on its roof, or in small spaces adjacent to the building.”
Wing uses a hybrid multi-rotor/fixed-wing drone of its own design. It can carry packages no heavier than 1.5kg (3.3 pounds) on round trips up to around 10km (6 miles) away. The drones are autonomous, but are monitored by pilots who can take control if something goes awry. There are redundant motors, batteries and navigation systems to help prevent accidents.
Wing has been doing drone deliveries in Australia (its launch market) since early 2019, and started making drones deliveries in the US later that year. The company noted that it has made 200,000 real deliveries to date, but those were largely done in smaller communities — so the city launch is a big deal. “This is an important milestone for Wing and drone delivery in the US,” the company said in a press release.
Deliveries will start on April 7th for “tens of thousands” of homes in Frisco and Little Elm, both north of Dallas. “I do want to set clear expectations: not everyone who lives within range of our drones will be able to order on Day 1. We’re going to invite customers in groups to make sure everyone has a good first experience with drone delivery,” said Wing CTO Adam Woodworth.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk now owns 9.2 percent of Twitter after purchasing $2.89 billion in stock, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing spotted by CNBC. The purchase follows recent criticism by Musk over the social media site’s free speech policies. “Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy,” he tweeted last week.
Musk is a prolific Twitter user and has over 80 million followers, but the platform has also brought him trouble. Most famously, in 2018 he tweeted that he had “funding secured” to take Tesla private at $420 a share, setting off an SEC lawsuit that cost him $20 million and his spot as chairman of the board. Musk recently challenged the settlement, saying that the SEC overstepped its authority. He’s asking a federal judge to terminate his agreement requiring some tweets to be vetted by a lawyer.
Along with the comment, Musk launched a Twitter poll last week with the question “Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this [freedom of speech] principle?” He also mused about the idea of starting his own social media platform, saying he was giving it “serious thought.”
In a follow-up tweet, Musk said that “the consequences of this poll will be important,” and that prediction has now apparently come true. His stake in Twitter is still a passive one, but he could up the stakes somewhat. “This eventually could lead to a buyout,” analyst Dan Ives told CNBC. Musk is now the platform’s largest shareholder, and Twitter shares have reportedly surged more than 25 percent in premarket trading, according to CNBC.
Update 4/4/2022 11:52 AM: The post has been updated with information that Musk is now Twitter’s biggest shareholder.
“The days of Usenet, IRC, the web… even email (with PGP)… were amazing,” Jack Dorsey said in a tweet over the weekend. “Centralizing discovery and identity into corporations really damaged the internet. I realize I’m partially to blame, and regret it.”
Dorsey’s tweet is a notable admission by a tech executive who has made billions creating a platform that centralized the way we consume news — and is still involved in other core facets of the digital economy. The Twitter founder isn’t afraid of being outspoken. In December 2021, he ranted about how Web3 had already been co-opted by investors. “You don’t own ‘Web3,’” he said at the time. “The VCs and their LPs do. It will never escape their incentives.” He also said world peace could be achieved with bitcoin.
This, above, is what the JackRabbit looks like. As a pedal-free e-bike, it’s for those who want a scooter rather than an electrified road bike. But, unlike a scooter, the JackRabbit can handle more than just a paved sidewalk while remaining about as portable. James Trew tests out this unusual ride.
Streams could be promoted to the homepage through buying subscriptions and other items.
A number of Twitch users noticed streams of porn videos were on the homepage, all captioned “Promoted by the streamer’s community.” It appeared a number of unidentified users were taking advantage of the platform’s Boost Train program, which promotes streamers if enough fans create a “hype train” by purchasing subscriptions and bits.
Since Twitch only rolled out the Boost Train feature to partners and affiliates, only a limited number of streamers have it enabled. It’s still unclear how the bad actors were able to access enabled accounts. In an email to Engadget, a Twitch spokesperson said Boost Train was paused “due to safety reasons.”
The company added a series titled “Get back to fitness after having a baby.”
Apple is adding seven 10-minute workout and cooldown videos aimed at new parents. The activities are a mix of core, strength and Apple’s Mindful Cooldown workouts and have modification guidance if you want a greater challenge or prefer to take it slower. The mindful cooldowns offer stretches that target common post-pregnancy tight spots, while the core sessions include pelvic floor exercises. There are next to no equipment requirements, but you need an Apple Watch and a Fitness+ subscription.
Strange New Worlds looks like a return to the relentless optimism and romanticism put forward by creator Gene Roddenberry. “I love this job,” Pike whispers to Rebecca Romijn’s Number One, followed by a brief montage of some of the adventures ahead for the crew of the Enterprise in season one of the series. Set about a decade before The Original Series, Strange New Worlds features a handful of future Star Trek greats before their career-defining stint on the Enterprise, with Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn and Ethan Peck reprising their respective roles as Pike, Spock and Number One from Star Trek: Discovery season two.
If you’ve been eyeing the latest Apple Watch Series 7 but are waiting for a deal, it may be time to act. No less than four models, including the 41mm and 45mm models with and without cellular, are on sale at Amazon at all-time low prices. Each model (in multiple color choices) is discounted by $69, letting you grab one for as little as $330 for today only.
The Apple Watch 7 is a moderate evolution over the Series 6, but the larger screen makes it easier to see the time and other info at a quick glance during workouts or if you’re on a bad date. It also has faster charging, making it more convenient if you like to use your Watch continuously, even while you sleep. It’s also the first Apple Watch to be certified as IP6X for dust resistance, making it more useful for mountain runs, for example. You also great a rich app ecosystem and tight integration with Apple apps like Fitness+, Music and so on.
It does have a few drawbacks, including lackluster sleep tracking, and might not be the best choice for dedicated athletes. It’s also designed specifically for iPhones, so Android users need not apply. Finally, battery life is good for a day at best, and not weeks like rival models from Withings and others. That said, the Apple Watch is far and away the best-selling smartwatch for a good reason, because it does everything well and looks great doing it. It’s best to act fast, however, as Amazon’s deal is available for today only.
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