Google is once again modifying its services in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The company has confirmed to Reuters and Vice World News that it temporarily disabled some live traffic data in Ukraine, including the general live traffic layer as well as activity info for stores and other locations. The move is meant to protect the safety of locals and follows consultation with Ukranian authorities, according to Google. The data is still available during turn-by-turn navigation sessions.

While Google didn't outline the exact reasons for deactivating the features, it follows discoveries by Middlebury Institute professor Jeffrey Lewis and others that live traffic info reflected troop movements as civilians were stuck at roadblocks. While that could help pinpoint Russian incursions, as Lewis noticed, the Russians could potentially use the traffic info to spot Ukranian military actions or a fleeing population.

The initiative comes as other tech giants have taken a series of actions in response to the Russian invasion. Meta has restricted the Facebook accounts of Russian state media in Ukraine, while Twitter has temporarily halted ads in both Russia and Ukraine to curb the spread of misinformation. Russia has retaliated in some cases, such as limiting access to Facebook. The actions show how relatively innocuous internet services can pose serious risks during a conflict, whether it's to distort reality or provide military intelligence.

Lenovo isn't just devoting its energy to high-end laptops at Mobile World Congress 2022. The company has revamped its IdeaPad Gaming lineup with systems aimed at relative newcomers to portable PC gameplay. The AMD-powered IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Intel-based IdeaPad Gaming 3i both sport 15- and 16-inch screens (including a 1600p 165Hz display option on 16-inch models) and a "cleaner" overall design with better port access and improved cooling to keep them quiet. You can also expect the latest CPU options, including Ryzen 6000 H-series chips in the Gaming 3 and up to 12th-gen Core for the Gaming 3i.

Your video choices vary depending on your processor. IdeaPad Gaming 3 buyers will have to make do with up to GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, while Gaming 3i buyers can max out their laptops with either an RTX 3060 or Intel's Arc. You do get to use speedier DDR5 memory in the AMD-based machines where you 'settle' for DDR4 in the Intel variants, however. Both PC families are otherwise very similar, with support for up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. You'll have to be content with one USB-C 3.2 port, but there are two USB-A 3.2 ports as well as HDMI 2.0 and Ethernet.

Lenovo

The 15-inch models debut first, with the IdeaPad Gaming 3i arriving in April with a $990 starting price. The similarly-sized Gaming 3 surfaces in May for $930. Wait until June and you can buy the 16-inch versions of either computer, beginning at $1,140 for the Gaming 3 and $1,490 for the Gaming 3i. Regardless of the PC you own, there's a $100 Legion M600s Qi mouse (shown at middle) due in September that promises a 19,000DPI sensor, "lossless" Bluetooth and USB connections, RGB lighting and its namesake Qi wireless charging.

And yes, there are some comparatively ordinary IdeaPads for those less interested in gaming than creativity. The IdeaPad Flex 5 and Flex 5i (below) convertible laptops respectively use AMD Ryzen 5000 U-series and Intel 12th-gen Core U-series processors while coming in 14- and 16-inch variants. They're thinner and lighter than their predecessors with weight starting at 3.3lbs. You can only splurge for an 1800p OLED screen with the 14-inch Flex 5i, but everyone has the option of upgrading to 1400p (14-inch models) or 1600p (16-inch) LCDs if the default 1200p display isn't enough.

Both updated 2-in-1 laptops are decidedly more affordable than their gaming-oriented siblings. The Flex 5i is the most affordable of the two, and will arrive in May starting at $620 for a 14-inch version and $900 for the 16-inch edition. Opt for the Flex 5 and you'll find a higher $690 starting price when it ships in May, but a low $750 entry point for its 16-inch counterpart.

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Lenovo is coming to Mobile World Congress 2022 with a small flood of IdeaPad tablets, including one of the relatively few Windows tablets on the market. The IdeaPad Duet 5i (shown above) mates a 12.3-inch Surface-style detachable tablet with Windows 11 and Intel's 12th-gen Core ultraportable chips. It won't have the 13-inch 120Hz display of the Surface Pro 8, but the size and refresh rate might be worth the tradeoff if you're more interested in CPU power or portability.

The Duet 5i supports up to a Core i7-1255U chip, 16GB of LPDDR4x memory (sorry, no DDR5 here) and 1TB of SSD storage. The two USB-C 3.2 ports, 11 hours of claimed battery life and 5MP front and rear cameras won't stand out, but you might appreciate the color-accurate 1600p screen, optional pen input and a relatively light 1.8lbs body.

The Windows tablet won't ship until July, but it will start at $750 with a keyboard cover included. Even with baseline specs (a Pentium 8505, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage), it may represent a better value than some Windows slates.

Lenovo

There are plenty of choices if you prefer Google-powered devices. Lenovo is trotting out three Chrome OS IdeaPad devices, including the 14-inch Flex 5i Chromebook (middle), 15-inch Flex 3i Chromebook and 11-inch Duet 3 Chromebook. The Flex 5i convertible is a clear step up from past models with up to 12th-gen Core processors, a 16:10 ratio full HD display, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 1080p webcam. The more modest Flex 3i peaks with a Pentium N6000 chip, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of eMMC storage and a 720p camera. And the Duet 3 detachable may be worth noting if you're looking for an upgrade from its predecessors — you'll find a Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip, up to 8GB of RAM and as much as 256GB of eMMC storage.

The Flex 3i and Duet 3 Chromebook models will arrive in May, both of which start at $400. Wait until June and you can buy the Flex 5i Chromebook starting at $500.

There is one Android model in the mix. The third-generation Tab M10 Plus you see below is a solid budget Android 12 tablet with either a Snapdragon 680 (with 4GB or 6GB of RAM) or MediaTek G80 (3GB or 4GB of RAM), a 10.6-inch 2,000 x 1,200 pen-optional display and up to 128GB of expandable storage. You'll also find 8MP front and rear cameras and a lone USB-C 2.0 port. It doesn't ship until June, but the $190 entry price could make it a relatively easy choice.

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Discord hasn't been as active in fighting pandemic misinformation as social networks, but it appears ready to change its tune. According to Protocol, Discord is updating its community policies to ban any misinformation that poses a "significant risk" of physical or social harm, including claims that threaten "public health." A chat server could face action if it spreads falsehoods about COVID-19 vaccines, to put it another way.

The community rules also bar spam, manipulative bots, fake accounts, bad-faith account reporting and "malicious" impersonation of others. The guidelines also forbid hate linked to age, caste, gender identity and serious illnesses. Discord will also consider "off-platform" activity when making decisions on bans and other policy decisions. Someone who belongs to a hate group or commits real-world crimes could face repercussions online.

These updates come alongside clearer privacy policies and terms of service. All of the changes take effect March 28th.

The changes might be necessary. Wirednotes the Institute for Strategic Dialogue spotted a significant number of far-right groups chatting about "egregious" content and plotting raids on sites like Twitch. Combine those with frequently harmful anti-vaccine and anti-mandate protests and Discord risked becoming more of a hub for this toxic activity, however involuntarily.

Meta might be rethinking plans to build a new operating system for its AR and VR devices. The Informationunderstands Meta recently disbanded a team of 300-plus people working on its long-in-the-making XROS. The team will reportedly share its experience with other parts of Meta. Some will move to the Project Aria AR glasses unit, while others will work on future Quest headsets and the "XR Tech" team responsible for eye tracking, hand tracking and other machine perception features.

Rumors surfaced in January that Meta had halted most or all work on XROS in favor of refining the Android-based VROS platform used in the Quest 2 headset. Meta appeared to deny the move in a statement to Engadget at the time, claiming that it was "not halting or scaling back" its reality OS development.

We've asked Meta for comment on this latest report. In a statement to The Information, spokesperson Sheeva Slovan didn't confirm or deny the state of XROS but did reference the disbanding. Meta could "speed up" work on technology for each product line by placing OS engineers "directly" into its AR and VR teams, she said, adding that the company was still devoted to making "highly specialized systems."

A decision like this might produce mixed results. While it could help Meta launch new AR and VR products that much faster, it would also keep the company tied to Android despite attempts to drop Google's software. If those are true, you might see more frequent but iterative headset releases than if Meta continued work on XROS.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is now affecting technology trade shows. TechCrunch and Reuters report the GSMA will ban some Russian companies from exhibiting at Mobile World Congress 2022 when it starts February 28th. While the wireless industry association didn't say which companies were barred from attending, it said there would be no Russian Pavilion to showcase that country's mobile products.

There are no plans to cancel or delay MWC 2022 itself, GSMA chief John Hoffman told Reuters. However, the organization said on its website that it would honor all "sanctions and policies" targeting Russia. Some companies are on the sanctions list, Hoffmann added. The measures allow mobile devices, but only as long as they aren't sent to Russian government workers or affiliates.

Like with some trade shows, Russian companies like the carrier VimpelCom can buy dedicated show floor space that could give them a presence. The main ban will primarily affect those companies that were leaning on the Russian Pavilion for a presence.

The bans arrive as tech increasingly serves as a battleground for Russia and its Western opponents. Meta's Facebook and Twitter have respectively taken steps to protect Ukranians and those tracking Russian military movements. Russia, in turn, has limited access to Facebook in retaliation for actions restricting four Russian media outlets. Whether it wants to or not, the GSMA is embroiling itself in politics that could affect the mobile world at large.

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Lenovo is no stranger to gaming phones, and it appears determined to survive the all-out specs war that defines the category. Engadget Chinese reports Lenovo has shared early details of the Legion Phone Y90, its third-generation gaming handset, and storage appears to be the company's advantage. While 'base' models come with 256GB of ordinary UFS 3.1 flash storage (paired to 12GB or 16GB of RAM), the highest-end 18GB RAM model comes with a RAID 0 storage stripe that combines a 128GB SSD with 512GB of flash, much like Xiaomi's Black Shark 4 phones. You won't have to wait long for your games to load.

The 6.9-inch 1080p AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate will be familiar to second-gen Legion owners (albeit with a high 1,300-nit brightness), and the presence of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip won't surprise anyone. Lenovo has ditched the 44MP pop-up selfie camera in favor of an above-screen 16MP unit, though. You'll still find dual fans and vapor chamber cooling, and charging won't be an issue between the 5,600mAh two-battery power pack, two USB-C ports and an included 68W GaN fast charger.

There's no mention of a release date or pricing, although those might come at Lenovo's Mobile World Congress press event on February 28th. The Legion Phone Y90 initially appears destined for mainland China, but it won't be surprising if the device reaches other markets (possibly with a different name). Just don't expect it in the US — Lenovo hasn't officially released its gaming phones in the country, and there's no evidence to suggest the company will break with tradition this time around.

HTC's VR strategy will extend well beyond using car rides as theme parks. The company has outlined Viverse, its vision for a metaverse, and it's promising to protect children from virtual dangers in the process. Viverse itself isn't so much a holistic space so much as an "open ecosystem" joining multiple platforms together. You could socialize in VRChat, hold business meetings in Engage, collaborate in Vive Sync and unwind with "holographic" concerts in Beatday.

HTC's day-in-the-life conceptual video suggests Viverse would also be full of plenty of metaverse buzzwords. You would exercise with AR fitness data, buy wine at a virtual tasting with cryptocurrency and browse NFT art (including the "Meowna Lisa," naturally). As UploadVRexplains, though, HTC's teaser is an unusual mix of real products with purely imagined scenarios, and no practical way to link them all besides what looks like a gateway app. The company is also optimistic about the adoption of this technology — there's no NFT backlash or cryptocurrency legal headaches in this virtual world.

The parental controls might be of more value. HTC is introducing a Vive Guardian app to protect the privacy and safety of kids (and concerned adults) in VR spaces. A "Free Mode" lets you grant access to specific apps and content that children can explore on their own terms. Choose "Broadcast," however, and you can limit young ones to specific experiences (such as apps and TV shows) beamed from the companion app on your Android phone or tablet. You can see what your children are using, and they'll need permission to download content or make purchases.

Vive Guardian will be available on Google Play and Viveport, although it wasn't listed as of this writing. It will support Vive Focus, Vive Focus Plus and Vive Flow headsets.

The existence of safeguards isn't surprising when other metaverse operators have had to restrict content. Meta introduced personal boundaries in Horizon Worlds and Venues to discourage harassment, while Microsoft shut down AltspaceVR's social hub following problems with harassers. It's just a question of whether or not HTC's efforts are enough to protect users — it's not clear that you can fence off every potential threat in a given VR environment.

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Elon Musk isn't about to catch a hoped-for break from the SEC any time soon. Sources for The Wall Street Journalclaim the SEC is investigating whether Musk and his brother Kimbal violated insider trading regulations with recent share sales. Officials are concerned Elon might have told Kimbal he planned to ask Twitter followers about selling Tesla stock, leading the brother to sell 88,500 shares just a day before the November 6th tweet. If so, the company chief might have broken rules barring employees from trading on undisclosed information.

Kimbal Musk has frequently traded Tesla stock at regular intervals under a plan. He didn't on November 5th, according to an SEC filing.

We've asked the SEC for comment. Tesla isn't available for comment as it disbanded its communications team sometime in 2020. Musk clearly isn't on friendly terms with the Commission, however, as he said a day earlier that he "will finish" a fight he believed the SEC started.

If the report is accurate, the investigation will add more tension to a years-long feud. It began in 2018, when the SEC took action against Musk over tweets about taking the company private. While Musk agreed to a settlement that included approval requirements for any financially relevant social media posts, that wasn't the end of the fight between the two. The SEC has been looking into Musk's tweets over the past few years over concerns production-related tweets weren't approved, and just days ago subpoenaed Tesla for information on the EV maker's processes for honoring the 2018 settlement.

Musk has publicly sparred with the SEC at the same time. This year, he accused the regulator of conducting a "harassment campaign" that unfairly singled him out and excluded the court from monitoring. The SEC denied the accusations. Whatever the truth behind those claims, it's safe to presume Musk won't welcome any new investigation with open arms.

Tumblr may have introduced ads to user blogs several years ago, but it's now happy to take them away for a price. The social media site has launched an ad-free option that removes the marketing from microblogs for $5 per month, or $40 per year. You'll have to set up the feature on your computer through your account settings, but the zero-ad experience will be available on mobile devices as well.

The offering comes less than a year after Tumblr gave bloggers the option to charge for access at prices ranging from $4 to $10 per month. At the time, Tumblr saw the addition as modernizing the site for a younger audience, particularly creators eager to get paid.

It's too soon to say how successful this will be. Tumblr is effectively asking customers to pay to remove ads that weren't necessarily there before. Tumblr's 2018 adult content ban didn't exactly help the site's popularity, either. However, this might be appealing if you're a fan of Twitter Blue and other subscriptions that let you remove at least some ads — you don't have to put up with a cluttered experience if you don't want to.