If you thought the PC market's pandemic-era renaissance would continue throughout 2021... you guessed correctly. Canalys estimates PC shipments jumped 15 percent year-over-year to 341 million despite supply shortages. Simply put, many of the customers in 2021 were adding new PCs rather than replacing existing ones. Remote students and seniors were purchasing first computers, for example, while multiple systems were "more common" in some areas.

Canalys

Some PC brands had a better time than others, though. Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple and Acer held on to their respective top-five positions in shipments, but Apple and Acer were the shining stars after growing deliveries over 20 percent compared to 2020. Frontrunners Lenovo and HP had the slowest growth of the leaders in 2021, and saw their shipments fall in the very last quarter where other rivals grew. Their size didn't help them capitalize on expanded demand for computers, to put it another way.

It also seems likely that 2022 will be similarly bright. Principal Analyst Rushabh Doshi predicted the new year would be one of "digital acceleration" as people shift toward high-end PCs and accessories that help with remote work. It's too soon to say how accurate that prediction might be, but it coincides with a PC revival we saw at CES — competition appears to be as fierce as ever.

Printer makers have long used chips to thwart third-party ink cartridge sales and drive you toward their own products, but they're now feeling the sting of those restrictions. The Register and USA Today note Canon has had to ship toner cartridges without copy protection chips due to ongoing shortages. That, in turn, has led to some ImageRunner multifunction printers incorrectly flagging official cartridges as knockoffs — Canon has even told printer owners how to bypass the warnings and deal with broken toner level detection.

We've asked Canon for comment. Some users said they've encountered similar issues with HP printers, but that company wouldn't directly confirm or deny the problems in a statement to The Register. Instead, HP said it was using a "globally diverse" supply network to stay "agile and adaptable" in the midst of chip shortages.

The printer trouble illustrates one of the common complaints about digital rights management (DRM) and other copy protection systems: they create trouble the moment their designers can't offer full support. Just ask people who bought music tied to Microsoft's PlaysForSure, for example. It's doubtful Canon, HP or others will drop their DRM chips any time soon, but this incident won't exactly help their case.

Lawsuits are weighing heavily on the Bitcoin ecosystem, and former Twitter chief Jack Dorsey thinks he can help fend them off. Coindeskreports Dorsey, Chaincode's Alex Morcos and academic Martin White have proposed a nonprofit legal defense fund for Bitcoin developers to protect them against lawsuits and similar "legal pressure." The fund's board (currently Dorsey, Morcos and White) would choose cases to support, with part-time and volunteer lawyers providing the initial defense counsel for free.

The fund will initially take over coordination for the defense against the Tulip Trading lawsuit targeting developers over alleged breaches of fiduciary duty relating to the long-dead Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange. Dorsey didn't say how much money the fund had to start, but noted it wasn't looking for additional money "at this time."

Dorsey has direct incentives to establish a legal defense fund, of course. His company Block is heavily involved in Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies and the blockchain, and the flurry of lawsuits could tarnish his business as much as anyone else's. However, Dorsey noted that many Bitcoin developers are independents that have little choice but to give up when facing lawsuits they don't have the resources to fight. The nonprofit might prove vital if it strengthens the Bitcoin community as a whole, whether or not Dorsey directly benefits from its actions.

Nuro already has a third driverless delivery vehicle on the way, and this model is focused as much on protecting others as it is hauling goods. The newly introduced version, simply called Nuro, includes a host of 360-degree sensors including cameras, LiDAR, radar and thermals, but also includes a giant external airbag to protect pedestrians. We still wouldn't risk stepping in front of this machine (you'll still hit the ground, after all), but this should reduce the chances of a serious injury.

The new vehicle also carries twice the cargo, and offers both temperature-controlled compartments and modular inserts to help shuttle a wider variety of goods. Nuro didn't say when this latest self-driving vehicle would be ready, but the North American branch of China's BYD will help produce units at a Nuro factory due to go online later in 2022. Kroger (an investor in Nuro) has already committed to using this latest hardware.

Nuro

The upgrade might be necessary. Nuro already has deals and tests with major brands like 7-Eleven, CVS, FedEx and Kroger, but it's facing stiffer competition from Walmart, Uber and automakers like Ford. The firm risks losing business if would-be customers either need larger payloads or are worried about liability in the event of a collision.

Humble Bundle hasn't exactly won fans with donation caps and potentially confusing subscription tiers, but it's hoping to make some amends. As of February 1st, the company's monthly Humble Choice service is consolidating around a single $12 monthly plan that gives you permanent copies of every game offered in a given month. Humble noted the number of games might vary, but you can still skip a month if you don't like the selection and want to remain a member.

You'll also have access to more games so long as you're subscribed. A new Humble Games Collection gives you access to a curated, expanding catalog of titles you can access only as a Choice member. The initial mix is limited to just five games (including the relatively well-known Void Bastards) available through the Humble app, but the company clearly hopes the promise of a PlayStation Plus- or Xbox Game Pass-style library will keep you paying even when the monthly Choice selections aren't to your liking.

Choice has other modified perks. You'll receive as much as a 20 percent discount on eligible games you buy in the Humble Store, but you'll have to stay subscribed for at least a year. You'll get that discount immediately if you're subscribed by February. Five percent of your membership fee will be donated to charities.

This won't thrill everyone. Classic subscribers who switch will lose their 20 percent discount the moment they skip a month, for instance. This could still be less confusing, though, and might be alluring if you want access to a host of indie games regardless of what the monthly catalog has to offer.

The Attack on Titan anime series is winding down, and Activision is determined to capitalize on the renewed interest. A bundle launching January 20th will bring 10 Attack on Titan items to Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone Pacific. The highlight is a Survey Corps outfit inspired by Survey Corps Captain Levi Ackerman, but you'll also have access to three weapon blueprints (including the Titan Piercer blade) as well as a charm, sticker, emblem, finishing move and highlight material.

Other yet-to-come season updates include a new character (Isabella Rosario Dulnuan Reyes), her preferred submachine gun, and expansions to both gameplay and items in Vanguard's Zombies mode. The relevant patches for Attack on Titan content will appear roughly a week ahead of time at midnight Eastern time on January 12th for Vanguard and January 13th for Warzone.

The addition is an odd one, particularly if you're used to the anime — this is a far more realistic style. You also won't have any giant, naked Titans to fight. Even so, you might not mind if you'd like a video game memento beyond the (now old) Koei Tecmo release.

It's now clear when Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama will vote in a mandatory second union election. As Motherboard's Lauren Kaori Gurley notes, the National Labor Relations Board has sent notice that employees at the BHM1 fulfillment center can start voting with secret mail ballots on February 4th, with the vote count beginning on March 28th. Anyone employed at the company from the first week of January 2022 onward is eligible to consider joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

The NLRB ordered the new vote after determining that Amazon interfered with the first union election in early 2021. The RWDSU filed 23 objections after the 1,798 to 738 "no" vote, accusing Amazon of installing an unapproved mailbox to intimidate staff as well as handing out anti-union material like badges and signs. After an investigation, the NLRB found that Amazon had a "flagrant disregard" for the mail voting process that made a fair election "impossible."

The RWDSU wasn't completely satisfied with the notice. In a statement, the organization claimed the NLRB's decision "fails to adequately prevent" Amazon from skewing the vote. Amazon, meanwhile, repeated its comment from November in response to Engadget's inquiries. It maintained that warehouse workers "overwhelmingly" voted against joining the union, and found it "disappointing" that the NLRB rejected the election.

As before, the stakes are high. A pro-union vote would give warehouse workers collective bargaining rights they could use to improve pay and working conditions — both frequent points of contention. Whatever the outcome, it's safe to presume the election will draw renewed scrutiny from politicians and stars who see it as a turning point for labor at the internet shopping giant.

The early Pokémon Go frenzy apparently led to poor choices from two police officers. As Axios' Stephen Totilo and BBC News report, the LAPD is now known to have fired officers Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell for ignoring a robbery on April 15th, 2017 to play Niantic's augmented reality blockbuster. Rather than respond to a radio call demanding backup for a theft at Macy's in the Crenshaw Mall, the policemen reportedly spent the next 20 minutes driving around to catch a Snorlax (an uncommon find in the game) and a Togetic.

Lozano and Mitchell denied playing Pokémon Go and insisted they were only "having a conversation" about the game, but the in-car camera revealed they discussed the robbery call and chose to ignore it. Another officer also witnessed the cruiser leave the area after the call. The details came to light when the ex-cops lost an appeal that would have tossed out the damning footage over alleged rights violations.

The incident came months after Niantic started discouraging drivers from playing, and it's safe to say moments like this are less likely when Pokémon Go demand has cooled down. Still, this highlights the dangers of both AR metaverses and addictive gameplay — it can be all too tempting to shirk real-life duties when the virtual world beckons.

Your Instagram profile's grid might soon be more than just a snapshot of your most recent posts. Leaker Alessandro Paluzzi has discovered that Instagram has been developing an "edit grid" feature that would let you reorder the posts in your profile. This could help musicians or stores using multi-post collages to plug their latest work, but it might also be helpful if you want to highlight an important post or prioritize your favorites.

We've asked Instagram for comment. It's not clear if the social network plans to test or widely distribute the feature.

It wouldn't be surprising if the customizable profile grid became a mainstay, though. Instagram has spent more and more of its time courting businesses and shops, and the option to rearrange the grid might attract companies wanting to fine-tune their public image. This might also help if you're an artist or photo enthusiast hoping to showcase your best shots regardless of how old they might be.

Adjustable dumbbells can be incredibly useful in a home gym, but the need to manually tweak weight can be a pain when you're trying to keep your heart rate up mid-workout. iFit's NordicTrack badge might have a solution: have Alexa do the work. The brand has introduced iSelect Adjustable Dumbbells that can use an Alexa-capable third-party device to quickly adjust the weight from 5lbs to 50lbs (in 5lb increments) using a motorized selector. You can set exact weights, tweak weight by relative amounts or call up presets for typical exercises like bicep curls and deadlifts.

 The dumbbells are unsurprisingly meant to play nicely with iFit's $39 per month fitness subscription, but you don't need the membership. There's even a tablet holder on the weight tray to let you use your own screen and service. This might make sense if space is at a premium, or if you'd rather not hog the TV.

The NordicTrack dumbbells are available now through Amazon for $429. That's expensive compared to many conventional adjustable sets, but you might not mind if the speed of adjustments is more important than price. We'd add that some adjustable sets don't offer this level of flexibility — the 5lb changes could help you ease into heavier weights over time.