Rumors of a Google-branded smartwatch have persisted for years, but they might be close to coming true. Insidersources claim Google is planning to release its first self-developed smartwatch, codenamed "Rohan," in 2022. The Wear OS device would be an eye-catching device with a round display, but no physical bezel — the Galaxy Watch 4 might seem antiquated by comparison.

Rohan would be a relatively typical smartwatch on the inside with a heart rate sensor and a battery that would still require daily charging. It would use proprietary watch bands, so you'd have to forget about using conventional straps. A tipster talking to The Verge claimed the watch would "cost more than a Fitbit" and serve as an Apple Watch competitor.

The software may be the most important feature. Like Pixel phones, Rohan would serve as a "showcase" for Google's platform — in this case, Wear OS 3. The smartwatch (not necessarily called "Pixel Watch," despite the name floating around) would theoretically show customers what Wear OS can do, and give hardware partners a reference point to work from. It might also include a Fitbit tie-in, nicknamed "Nightlight."

Google has already declined to comment, citing a policy of not commenting on rumors or speculation. However, the concept might not be new. Google supposedly axed its first attempt at an official watch in 2016 and instead has put its trust in third-party offerings from Fossil, LG and others. It's moving forward now that it has not only finished acquiring Fitbit, but has reportedly merged its wearable team with Fitbit's and otherwise tried to replicate Apple's focus on health.

A first-party watch might be necessary. Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch market despite a flurry of low-cost hardware and competition from major brands like Samsung and Garmin. Some of this has been blamed on lackluster Wear OS hardware, not to mention a lack of significant OS updates. An official Google watch won't necessarily up-end the marketplace, but it could spur other watchmakers to try harder and add some (arguably needed) excitement.

Polestar just offered a teaser of what might be its most important EV to date. The badge has provided its first good look (the last one was draped in a curtain) of the 3, its first SUV and its first US-made vehicle. The "premium" vehicle may be lightly disguised with QR code-like camouflage, but it looks like what you'd expect — it's a taller, roomier sibling to the 2 sedan. That's not necessarily a problem, though, and Polestar is betting on a few factors that could make the machine successful.

The company isn't shy about the target audience: this will be an EV built "in America for Americans," who keep buying upscale SUVs in large numbers. The category is likely to be one of the first to fully embrace EVs, Polestar said. The 3 should also be one of the "most climate-responsible" cars to date, and will eventually include hands-free highway driving through a combination of LiDAR and NVIDIA computing hardware.

The 3 arrives in 2022 and will join a growing EV lineup that includes the long Polestar 5 sedan. How well it fares will depend on factors like pricing and competition from its sibling brand Volvo, but it's clear Polestar is ready to be known as more than a niche brand — even if its sales goals (290,000 per year by 2025) are still modest.

Nike isn't the only sportswear brand dabbling in metaverses. Adidas has teased a metaverse where people in "overlooked locations with updated values" can share their "most original ideas" and otherwise let their individualism shine. The company is cryptic about what this will involve, but NFTs might play a prominent role.

Adidas has joined the Bored Ape Yacht Club, a collection of Bored Ape NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain, with its own entry, the "rebellious optimist" ape Indigo Herz (shown above). This is a "sign of what's to come," the brand said, noting that NFTs would give metaverse users a chance to own a slice of what they made. The company is encouraging users to grab its Confirmed app to "discover more," and is taking email signups as well.

A move like this isn't surprising. It gives Adidas a chance to seize on two tech trends at once and ride the ensuing publicity, of course. However, it could also help the label expand its fashion and art ambitions to the digital realm. You might see other brands follow suit, at least if the metaverses from Adidas and Nike prove relatively successful.

Microsoft just gave its productivity tools an important makeover. The company has released a promised visual update for Office's Windows apps in either Microsoft 365 or perpetual licenses, giving you simpler and sleeker-looking interfaces across all apps. It's meant to complement Windows 11's style, as you might imagine, but it also promises some functional improvements regardless of the Windows version you use.

The interface should provide a more "natural and consistent" experience regardless of apps. The Quick Access Toolbar is now hidden by default (you can still bring it back). Office also matches your Windows theme by default, so launching Word or Excel at night shouldn't sear your eyes. You can still specific a different theme if you prefer.

The update is guaranteed if you're using Windows 11. If you're using Windows 10, you'll know that it's available when you see a megaphone icon in the top-right corner of a given app. While this won't fundamentally change your experience, it may be appreciated if Office has felt stale or out of place.

Rocket Lab is finally shedding more light on its next-gen Neutron vehicle. The company has provided multiple details making clear the rocket is built for reusability from the ground up. It'll center on Archimedes, a 1-meganewton liquid oxygen/methane engine built to be used many times over. And with a lighter carbon composite body, the companydoesn't need many — seven Archimedes engines power the first stage, while the second stage just needs one.

Neutron could also put an end to tossing away (or trying to recover) the fairings that protect the payload. The rocket will have a "Hungry Hippo" fairing that's part of the first stage design — they simply open when releasing the second stage, and close again when it's time to land. That should save money, as you might guess, but it also promises faster turnaround times and lighter second stages.

The tapered shape of the rocket itself is built for reusability with a wider, more stable base. Neutron won't need a launch tower or girder to take off, Rocket Lab said. The company previously said the machine could carry up to eight metric tons to low Earth orbit versus the Electron's modest 0.3 tons (660lbs).

Any practical uses are still distant. Rocket Lab said it was still in the midst of a "competitive process" to pick a production facility, launch site and engine test facility on the US East coast. The firm previously said it hoped for a first flight in 2024. Even so, the new details are important — they hint at a future where Rocket Lab carries more (and more varied) payloads at lower costs, making space that much more accessible.

Meta is backing away from its longstanding (if not absolute) ban on cryptocurrency ads. As CNBCreports, Meta has ended its ban by expanding the number of regulatory licenses it accepts from three to 27. The crypto landscape has "matured and stabilized" enough to justify the change of heart, the company said, including an increased amount of government regulation that sets "clearer responsibilities and expectations."

Advertisers still need written permission to run ads for cryptocurrency exchanges, lending and borrowing, crypto mining tools and wallets that let you buy, sell, stake or swap tokens. This does, however, open the door to cryptocurrency businesses that previously couldn't run any ads, not to mention would-be investors who might not be familiar with the market.

It's not clear if any additional factors played a role in the reversal, but the timing is notable. The reversal comes just a day after Meta's crypto overseer, David Marcus, said he was leaving the company. He spent roughly two years trying to launch Meta's cryptowallet Novi, so far succeeding only with a small test run. The company's in-house cryptocurrency, Diem, has had an even rougher time —it has yet to launch following regulatory objections and scaled-back ambitions.

Meta isn't necessarily conceding defeat on Diem. That project is independently run, after all. This may simply reflect changing times. While cryptocurrency may still be full of volatility and regulatory uncertainty, the risks are now low enough that Meta isn't worried about problematic sales pitches.

Barnes & Noble hasn't done as much lately to push e-readers forward as some of its rivals, but it's starting to catch up. TechCrunchnotes the bookseller has launched the Nook GlowLight 4, its first entry in the mid-tier e-reader line since 2017's GlowLight 3. A lot has changed in four years, if not as much as you might think — this is as much about dragging the device into the modern era as anything.

The Nook GlowLight 4 is billed as "sleeker" than the GlowLight 3, with a smaller overall profile, better page-turning buttons and a more comfortable hand feel. It's the first Nook e-reader with USB-C, and storage has quadrupled to 32GB. However, you'll still see a 6-inch, 300DPI e-paper display and a claimed one-month battery life. This is more for Nook newcomers, or those upgrading from particularly old devices.

The GlowLight 4 ships December 8th for $150. That could make it a tough sell against the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite, the water-friendly Kobo Libra 2 and other mid-tier e-readers. It's a viable alternative if you don't want to attach yourself to the Amazon or Kobo ecosystems, though. Also, this is as much a declaration of intent as a new product. Barnes & Noble chief James Daunt said the company planned to "reinvigorate" the Nook line in the months and years ahead — this may just be one of the opening salvos.

Tinder's founders just won a partial victory in their lawsuit against Match Group over alleged financial trickery. Match has agreed to settle the case by paying $441 million from its cash reserves. In return, the Tinder co-creators will dismiss the claims from both the lawsuit and linked arbitration.

The court battle began in 2018, when the plaintiffs accused Tinder's parent organizations Match and IAC of manipulating financial data (including a secret merger with Match) to artificially lower Tinder's valuation and illegally deny stock options to workers. The plaintiffs also alleged that interim Tinder chief Greg Blatt sexually harassed marketing VP and co-founder Rosette Pambakian in 2016. Tinder fired the employees in response to their lawsuit, and Pambakian separately sued Tinder over the assault claims. 

We've asked Match for comment. Tinder said it couldn't comment beyond a joint statement in an SEC filing where both companies said they were "pleased" to have settled the case.

This isn't quite the decisive blow Tinder wanted. The company originally demanded "billions of dollars" in damages (around $2 billion, to be more exact) for the claimed Match and IAC manipulation — it's getting a fraction of that payout after three years. While Match is still on the hook, it's not taking long-lasting damage as a result.

Verizon (Engadget's former parent company) isn't just relying on no-frills media players to push its Stream TV platform. The carrier has unveiled the Stream TV Soundbar (shown below) and Stream TV Soundbar Pro (at top), both of which mate Android TV with Bang & Olufsen's audio know-how and some high-end features to match. All of them include Dolby Atmos surround sound and content-sensitive sound field selection — it's just a question of how much B&O influence you want.

The base Stream TV Soundbar costs $400 with five speakers "tuned" by B&O as well as two HDMI ports. Step up to the $1,000 Soundbar Pro and you'll get nine B&O speakers, a third HDMI port and a B&O-designed profile. Both run the same Stream TV interface with similar software features (including Chromecast streaming and the Google Play Store), so it really comes down to your budget and desire for Danish audio.

Both soundbars are available solely through Verizon as of today (December 1st). They face stiff competition. On top of direct rivals like JBL's Link Bar, you can find plenty of not-quite-so-connected soundbars like the Sonos Arc and Beam or Sony's HT-A5000. Verizon's bars make the most sense if you're already shopping the company's store, unimpressed with your immediately available alternatives or just want a (relatively) inexpensive way to get B&O sound into your living room.

Epic has made acquisitions and otherwise signalled plans for a Fortnitemetaverse, but its latest move is one of the most obvious yet. The developer has introducedFortnite Party Worlds, or maps that are solely intended as social spaces to meet friends and play mini games. Unlike Hubs, these environments don't link to other islands — think of them as final destinations.

The company has collaborated with creators fivewalnut and TreyJTH to offer a pair of example Party Worlds (a theme park and a lounge). However, the company is encouraging anyone to create and submit their own so long as they focus on the same goal of peaceful socialization.

This doesn't strictly represent a metaverse when Party Worlds live in isolation. At the same time, this shows how far Fortnite has shifted away from its original focuses on battle royale and co-op gaming — there are now islands devoted solely to making friends, not to mention other non-combat experiences like virtual museums and trial courses. We wouldn't expect brawls to disappear any time soon, but they're quickly becoming just one part of a much larger experience.