Tesla is having a particularly lousy week. The Wall Street Journalreports the EV manufacturer has recalled a total of 80,561 cars in China over software and seat belt problems. Battery management glitches affecting 67,698 Model S and Model X vehicles could lead to unexpected stops, according to the country's State Administration for Market Regulation, while 12,863 Model 3 sedans have seat belt issues.

As with some recalls, Tesla is fixing the battery software with over-the-air updates. It's not known if the flaws have resulted in any collisions or injuries, or are directly related to past faults. In February, Tesla recalled 817,143 cars across its lineup over buggy seat belt chimes.

This is the third recall in one week for Elon Musk's outfit. Tesla recalled nearly 30,000 Model X SUVs over troublesome airbag behavior, and 321,000 Model 3 and Model Y EVs due to software-related rear light anomalies. This comes alongside numerous recalls throughout the rest of 2022, including over 1 million vehicles with pinching windows and a Full Self Driving beta oversight that let cars roll through stop signs. While Tesla has quickly released patches for software-linked bugs, the sheer number of recalls has clearly been a hassle for owners.

Recalls like these may be hurting Tesla's reputation. Consumer Reports recently placed Tesla near the bottom of its annual reliability survey. Although that's a slight improvement and reflective of teething troubles for EVs as a whole, it doesn't help Tesla's attempts to court newcomers used to a certain level of quality from conventional cars.

Amazon's latest entry-level Kindle has received its first discount in time for Black Friday. The company is selling the 2022 ad-supported Kindle for $85, or $15 below the official price. That makes it tempting if you're planning a gift for the bookworm in your life, or have just been waiting for a deal to treat yourself to Amazon's most affordable e-reader.

The refreshed starter Kindle is a major upgrade. The centerpiece is a 6-inch 300 pixels-per-inch display that's much sharper than the 167PPI screen of its predecessor, making text that much easier on the eyes. A longer six-week battery life, USB-C charging and doubled storage (16GB) also make it decidedly more practical than the previous model. You might not need more than this to have your dream e-reader, although you may want to pay extra to avoid lockscreen ads.

If you do need more, though, Amazon's ongoing Black Friday sale gives you options. Most notably, the Kindle Paperwhite is still available for $95. You won't have as much storage for that money (you'll need to spend $100), but you will get a larger 6.8-inch display, bath-friendly water resistance and an adjustable warm light. If you don't need those perks or just want the smallest reader in the lineup, though, the base Kindle is still easy to justify.

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Tesla isn't the only car brand asking you to pay extra to unlock your car's existing capabilities. As The Vergeobserves, Mercedes has introduced a $1,200 per year "Acceleration Increase" subscription that improves the performance of the EQE and EQS in their standard sedan and SUV variants. Pay the annual fee and your 0-60MPH time will improve by 0.8 to 1 seconds thanks to a higher peak motor output and increased torque.

Mercedes is quick to explain that this is strictly a software change. In other words, you're paying to get performance your car could already handle. While you're still getting more value than BMW's $18 per month heated seats, it's an odd move when these cars are already expensive and have speedier models that only require a one-time outlay. Why buy an EQS 450 with the acceleration add-on when an EQS 580 will be faster and include more creature comforts in the bargain?

The German automaker isn't the first to charge extra for added performance. Tesla has long asked customers to shell out for its most advanced driver assists. For a while, it also charged entry Model S buyers a premium to unlock battery capacity. And if you're more inclined toward motorcycles, Zero asks nearly $1,800 to maximize the power of the 2022 SR. The difference, of course, is that those are still one-off purchases where Mercedes wants you to keep paying for the life of the car.

The business strategy is clear. As with the tech world's general shift toward subscription services, Mercedes is hoping for a steady stream of revenue from customers who might otherwise spend little beyond the initial purchase. Acceleration Increase is decidedly more lucrative than periodic navigation updates and maintenance. Unlike those, though, there's no recurring costs to help justify the power boost's existence.

CD Projekt Red has finally shared a gameplay trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's imminent "next-gen" update, and it's largely what you'd hope for. The overhauled action role-playing game looks better thanks to more detailed character models (with 4K textures), ray-traced lighting effects and other cosmetic upgrades. Geralt looks more grizzled than ever, while even the water reflections are prettier. It's not surprising that the refreshed game would look at least somewhat better than the 2015 original, and it's not necessarily a night-and-day difference. Still, the changes are welcome if you thought the title was showing its age.

The update also brings gameplay tweaks, cloud saves and new content inspired by Netflix's The Witcher series. You can play at 60 frames per second, and a photo mode will help you take snapshots of the game's bleak-yet-beautiful landscapes.

The next-gen (really, current-gen) update will be available December 14th on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It's not a full-fledged sequel or even a remake, but it could be worth a go if you're either new to The Witcher games or just haven't touched The Witcher 3 in years. Think of it as the start to CDPR's revival of the franchise.

Cryptocurrency mining companies hoping to set up shop in New York State may bump into some limits. Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation restricting crypto mining in the country, making it the first state to clamp down on the practice. The environment-focused law establishes a two-year freeze on new and renewed air permits for fossil fuel power plants used for mining that uses demanding "proof-of-work" authentication. The Department of Environmental Conservation will also have to study if and how crypto mining hurts the government's climate change mitigation efforts.

The bill passed the state legislature in June, but didn't reach Hochul's desk until this Tuesday. It wasn't guaranteed to become law. The Hillnotes that the governor didn't commit to signing the measure during an October election debate. Her main opponent, Lee Zeldin, said he wouldn't sign the bill if he were in a position to do so.

Politicians and environmental groups have worried that crypto mining, particularly that involving proof-of-work, consumes too much energy. The computationally intensive process adds to the load on the electrical grid, and has even prompted some mining outfits in New York to build natural gas-based power plants to sustain their operations. The cryptocurrency world has sometimes tried to minimize the impact. Ethereum, for instance, recently completed a merge to a less energy-hungry "proof-of-stake" system that revolves around validation from certain users.

It's not certain if other states will follow suit. Democratic Senators have pressured Texas to take action on crypto mining energy demands, but that state's government hasn't budged so far. Not surprisingly, crypto proponents have also balked at laws limiting their activity. The Chamber of Digital Commerce claimed New York's law sets a "dangerous precedent," and that proof-of-work mining played a role in economic growth. There's also the question of effectiveness — New York's law might drive some miners to states with looser policies.

Moog's holiday promos this year include a particularly nice perk: a freebie. The synthesizer pioneer has released a free new MF-109S Saturator add-on (shown above) for all Moogerfooger Effects Plugins users. As the name implies, the plugin gives you more control over the input drive circuit to produce anything from analog saturation through to smooth compression. It also replicates the noise generator circuit of the Minimoog Model D, with control through a switchable filter type.

You'll need to own Moogerfooger Effects Plugins to get the MF-109S, but the pack is on sale for $149 (normally $249) as of this writing. It works with common plugin formats like AudioUnits, ProTools AAX and VST3 on Macs and Windows PCs.

And don't worry if you'd rather buy full-fledged creative software — Moog has deals there, too. The company is once again offering 50 percent off its iOS and Mac software, including the Animoog Z wavetable synthesis app ($15 to unlock), Minimoog Model D ($15) and Model 15 (also $15). This isn't the first time Moog has run a sale on its apps this year, but you might not mind if you're hoping to add classic synth sounds to your musical repertoire.

It may be worth investing in the Moogerfooger effects set even if the bonus isn't a draw. We were impressed with the plugins when we tried them in October. You can produce subtle results if you want, but they're at their best when you venture to the stranger side — even a basic track can stand out with the right tweaks. They're treats for musicians who revere analog synthesis but don't have thousands of dollars to spend on vintage hardware.

Netflix's new in-house game teams may be particularly ambitious. The company has posted a job listing for a director in Los Angeles who would lead work on a "brand-new AAA PC game" — this is not just another mobile title. While many details remain unknown, the new hire will ideally have experience with first- and third-person shooters, constantly evolving "live service" games (think Destiny 2) and quickly prototyping in Unreal Engine. The perfect candidate would also be comfortable with both cooperative and competitive multiplayer, and create a game world "worthy" of a Netflix show.

The streaming service emphasizes that the game director won't be held back by the "design constraints" of monetization. As with Netflix's existing games, in-app purchases, ads and other rude surprises shouldn't exist in this project. A listing for a lead engineer also alludes to a "3rd person action RPG."

Expectations are already high. Netflix games VP Mike Verdu revealed last month that former Overwatch director Chacko Sonny is leading the LA studio after leaving Blizzard in 2021, and the new director may be similarly notable when they're expected to have "at least" 10 years of design experience. Netflix has also set up shop in Helsinki and has bought multiple developers, including Oxenfree creator Night School Studio.

There's a strong incentive to foster game development at Netflix. Less than one percent of the firm's subscribers are taking advantage of the mobile games that come with membership. Blockbuster games for other platforms could not only reach new audiences, but help Netflix build its reputation in the industry.

You know that lofi beats have taken over when companies are designing entire instruments around them. Sonicware has introduced the Liven Lofi-12, a groovebox devoted to producing subdued tracks. The machine centers around a 16-bit, 12/24kHz sampling engine with a 12-bit sampler mode that gives any sound that "genuine" lofi vibe. You can't just recreate the effect with a bit crusher or similar tools, the company claims.

You'll also find a "laid-back" knob to introduce a delay, as well as 11 track and eight master effects that can introduce cassette or vinyl simulations as well as common modifications like distortion, high/low pass filters and reverb. Pattern presets help you get started, too. A four-track sequencer includes options to lock parameters and sound changes. You'll find MIDI and 3.5mm ports for both input and output. You can use the groovebox with either an AC charger (not included) or AA batteries.

The Liven Lofi-12 is available now for $239. You may want to spring for Sonicware's SmplTrek if you're more interested in a general-purpose beatmaker than devoting your energy to a specific sound. This is more feature-laden than rivals like the Korg Volca Sample 2, mind you, and may be just what you're looking for if you're hoping to create tunes for one of the trendiest genres on YouTube.

Mozilla's privacy services might be more compelling if you were previously on the fence. The company now offers its virtual private network (VPN) and Firefox Relay Premium together in a $7 per month bundle when you pay for an annual subscription. Given that the VPN normally costs $5 per month (on a similar yearly basis) by itself, this may be a solid choice if you want more than the fundamentals.

The VPN secures traffic for up to five devices, with servers in over 30 countries, no logging and perks like "multi-hop" access that uses more than one server to further protect your connection. However, Firefox Relay may be more intriguing. You get both email aliases to hide your real accounts as well as phone number masking to prevent your digits reaching spammers and hackers. You might not worry so much that signing up for a service will eventually lead to a privacy breach.

Firefox Relay isn't necessarily for everyone. Email sizes are still capped at 10MB, and you'll want a Chrome extension if you aren't using the Firefox browser. We'd add that some privacy services may represent better values depending on what you're looking for. Apple offers email aliases and connection relays if you're part of its ecosystem, while Google bundles its VPN with cloud storage and other perks. At this price, though, Mozilla's services may well be viable if you're looking to remain more platform-independent.

The Federal Communications Commission didn't take long to start isolating voice providers that don't do enough to block robocalls. The regulator has cut off provider Global UC from other networks after allegedly failed to meet requirements for protecting against scam robocalls. Now that the company is no longer in the Robocall Mitigation Database, other carriers (including intermediaries) will have to stop accepting its traffic.

The FCC said in October that it planned to cut off Global UC and six other firms that didn't share their anti-robocall strategies despite warnings. The Commission required that all US-based carriers with IP-based networks use STIR/SHAKEN anti-spoofing measures by the end of June 2021, and told providers to start blocking companies outside of the Robocall Mitigation Database after September 28th of that year.

It's not certain when other offenders might face punishment. However, the FCC said it was still reviewing responses from firms that had been asked to show their strategies for limiting robocalls. Those that can provide concrete plans should avoid cutoffs.

The crackdown isn't guaranteed to reduce the volume of robocalls, particularly those originating outside the US. Even so, the FCC clearly hopes Global UC's fate will send a message to American companies hoping to skirt the rules. If they don't take action, they risk losing business as customers are forced to head elsewhere.