Samsung has revamped the solar-charging remote it debuted at CES 2021. Along with using light to top up the battery, Samsung says the latest Eco Remote can convert routers' radio waves into energy to stay fully charged.

Using radio waves from routers to charge the battery is a smart idea, since that energy goes to waste otherwise. Severalcompanies have tapped into radio frequency (RF) harvesting over the last several years, though the approach seems best suited to low-power devices such as TV remotes.

There's a solar panel on the rear of the remote, which has dedicated buttons for streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video. The remote is made with recycled materials, which aligns with Samsung's sustainability efforts. While last year's Solar Cell Remote Control was only available in black, in 2022, there's a white option to match the look of Samsung's lifestyle TVs.

Every car is the result of a long development process in which automakers build many pre-production vehicles that never see the light of day. Rather than scrapping one of its Ioniq 5 test vehicles entirely, Hyundai repurposed the car's parts to make an air purifier.

According to a YouTube video description, the model "went through numerous tests to ensure our safety." The video notes that, over the course of a year, the vehicle was used to test the likes of the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System, pass-by noise regulation and wind tunnel noise.

The video shows Hyundai engineers stripping the Ioniq 5 to its bones, then designing a completely different product using the components. Among other parts, they used the cooling fan, door panels, LED tail lamp, infotainment unit and, of course, the filter unit. The engineers put a 20-inch alloy wheel on the top of the case (so the purifier is probably pretty large), while the car's emblem adds some professional branding.

Although many car parts are already recyclable, including batteries, this is a neat experiment. It suggests there are other sustainable ways to repurpose a car that's otherwise outlived its usefulness. Meanwhile, Hyundai started deliveries of the Ioniq 5 in the US this month.

Starting in March, Netflix will have to stream 20 state television channels in Russia. Roskomnadzor, the country's media watchdog, registered the platform as an "audiovisual service" this week. Among the channels Netflix will have to carry are the flagship Channel One, entertainment network NTV and a Russian Orthodox Church channel called Spas (which means "Saved").

Streaming services with more than 100,000 daily users in Russia are included on the register, which was established late last year. Not only must registered platforms offer state TV channels, they need to set up a Russian company, according to The Moscow Times.

Companies on the register also have to abide by Russian laws. For one thing, Netflix will not be allowed to promote "extremism." Critics claim that provision has been wielded against those who support the Kremlin's opponents.

Other video services in the country reportedly argued that Netflix should be added to the register to level the playing field, since it meets the requirements. The Russian version of Netflix is operated by Entertainment Online Service, a subsidiary of National Media Group, which has a stake in Channel One.

Engadget has contacted Netflix for comment.

In November, it emerged Russia was investigating a complaint over LGBTQIA+ content on Netflix. The company told Engadget such content was rated appropriately. That same month, Russia ordered several tech giants (including Apple, Google, Meta, TikTok and Twitter) to set up offices within its borders by the end of this year.

When the clock strikes midnight to ring in 2022 on the east coast, NBC Sports Network will shut down. NBCUniversal will shift much of its sports coverage, including Premier League matches, over to the USA Network.

Assuming more games aren't suspended due to teams having too many COVID-19 cases, Premier League coverage will get off to a flying start on USA Network with three matches on New Year's Day. Arsenal will square off against league leaders Manchester City at 7:30AM ET before Watford host Tottenham and Crystal Palace take on West Ham. Sunday brings a match between Everton and Brighton, before Chelsea host Liverpool in a clash between title contenders.

The shift to USA Network shouldn't change much for Peacock users, though. Overflow games and streaming-only matches will remain on that platform, including three matches that are scheduled to stream on Peacock Premium on Sunday. Some of the bigger games will still air on the main NBC network, and NBCU will continue to broadcast every Premier League match across its multitude of platforms.

It's not clear as yet whether there are plans to broadcast overflow games on other NBCU networks. On the last day of the 2020-21 season, when all 10 matches kicked off at the same time, USA Network, CNBC and the Golf Channel each aired one game.

Many of us know at least one person who plays games for hours on end, perhaps tiring their hands out in the process. To help soothe their weary mitts, Japanese company Bauhutte has created a hand massager for gamers.

The MSG-01H-BK hand massager, which works on either hand, has a 15-layer airbag for each finger and a shiatsu plate for the palm. There are two main options: a Shiatsu mode for the entire hand, and one that focuses on stretching fingers.

Bauhutte

There are a few intensity settings, as well as an optional hand warmer that's said to improve circulation. You'll need to slide in your hand sideways to massage your thumb. The hand massager automatically shuts off after 10 minutes. Bauhutte suggests using the device before gaming sessions to warm up your hands, when taking breaks and afterward to cool down.

While some might scoff at a hand massager for gamers, it's not too ridiculous of an idea. Many esports competitors use hand warmers between rounds to absorb moisture, keep their fingers toasty and improve circulation. Some esports organizations employ a masseuse to keep players in top condition.

Other companies have made hand massagers, though it makes sense that Bauhutte is marketing its version to gamers. It caught attention last year for its gaming bed, and the company sells a wide range of furniture and accessories with gamers in mind, such as a portable foot massager.

Bauhutte's hand massager is only available in Japan for now and it costs around $150. As Kotaku notes, the company has an English-language site, so it might offer the device elsewhere too.

Telegram is squeezing in one last major update before 2021 wraps up. Among the new features is hidden text to mask spoilers. So, if you can't wait to blab about what happens in Spider-Man: No Way Home before everyone in the chat has seen it, you can select any section of your text and use the Spoiler formatting. This will hide the text in the chat, notifications and chat list. When your friends are ready to read what you think about [redacted] showing up, they can tap the spoiler text to read it.

Also new are iMessage-style reactions. You can double tap any message to send a thumbs-up reaction. Tapping once (or tapping and holding on iOS) will let you select other emoji, such as a grin, fire, a shocked face or a thumbs down. You can change the default double-tap emoji in the Chat Settings on Android, and under the Stickers and Emoji section in iOS settings.

In private chats, reactions are always enabled. Channel and group admins can decide whether to switch them on and what reactions the other members can choose from.

Elsewhere, Telegram now has a useful translation option. Through the Language section in Settings, you can enable translation, which adds a Translate button to the context menu. You can nix languages you're able to understand and the Translate button won't be available on messages you receive in those languages. Translation is available on all Android devices, but iPhone and iPad users will need to be running iOS 15 or later. The number of languages Telegram supports depends on your operating system.

In addition, users can generate QR codes for anyone with a public username, as well as bots, groups and channels. You can tap the QR code icon next to their username and select the colors and pattern before sharing it elsewhere. You can find your own QR code in Settings.

The Telegram team redesigned the context menus on macOS with new shortcut hints and animated icons. The app will display a full-screen effect in one-on-one chats when you send certain emoji too.

Earlier this year, Telegram added group video calls and other features, including a way to block others in group chats from taking screenshots and saving shared media, as well as live streams with unlimited viewers. There's been some blowback against Telegram this year, however, with reports suggesting there has been a significant uptick in the level of cybercriminal activity taking place on the encrypted messaging app.

It wouldn’t be CES season without at least a couple of offbeat robots showing up. Yukai Engineering, the maker of the Qoobo robotic cat tail pillow, has revealed a soft robot that nibbles on a user’s fingertip. The company hopes the "somewhat pleasing sensation" will brighten up your day.

Amagami Ham Ham has an algorithm called a “Hamgorithm” that selects one of two dozen nibbling patterns, so you’ll never be sure exactly what you’ll feel when you shove your digit into the robot’s maw. Yukai designed the patterns — which include Tasting Ham, Massaging Ham and Suction Ham — to replicate the feeling of a baby or pet nibbling on one’s finger.

Yukai Corporation

“Amagami” means “soft biting” and “ham” means “bite” in Japanese. Yukai based the look of the robot on a character from Liv Heart Corporation’s Nemu Nemu stuffed animal series. There’ll be a couple of finger-munching models to choose from: Yuzu (Calico Cat) and Kotaro (Shiba Inu).

“Most people like the nibbling sensation but know they need to teach their children or pets to stop it, because kids and animals will otherwise bite them with full force eventually," said Yukai Engineering CMO Tsubasa Tominaga, who invented the robot at a hackathon earlier this year. "Amagami Ham Ham is a robot that frees humankind from the conundrum of whether ‘to pursue or not to pursue’ the forbidden pleasure.”

Pricing hasn't been determined, but Yukai and Liv Heart plan to run a crowdfunding campaign in the spring. In the meantime, those braving CES can check out Amagami Ham Ham at the show, and perhaps leave Yukai's booth with a slightly more tender finger.

Among the other devices Yukai will show off at CES is Bocco Emo. The company has updated the original Bocco robot to act as a smart medical device. Yukai says hospitals in Japan are using it to monitor patients' vitals (via connected sensors like pulse oximeters and thermometers) and notify nurses about a patient's condition.

During a pilot period, Bocco Emo was used to inform patients' families about how they're doing. It can also communicate with patients using sound effects, facial expressions and gestures while they wait for a nurse to arrive.

We're somehow just about to roll into 2022, which means Sony will soon refresh the lineup of games PlayStation Plus members can claim at no extra cost. Starting on January 4th, you'll be able to snag Persona 5 Strikers, Dirt 5 and Deep Rock Galactic.

Persona 5 Strikers follows the events of Persona 5 (which PS5 owners can snag through the PS Plus Collection). The action RPG, which was released in the West earlier this year, pulls in elements from the Dynasty Warriors series too. It's the only one of January's PS Plus games that doesn't have a native PS5 version.

Dirt 5 is the latest game in the long-running Dirt series. The off-road racing title, which emerged in November 2020, includes features like four-player splitscreen and the Playground creative mode. You can race across more than 70 routes in 10 global locations.

Deep Rock Galactic, meanwhile, is debuting on PlayStation as a PS Plus game. The co-op first-person shooter arrived on PC and Xbox in May 2020. You'll play as a space dwarf and there are four classes you can choose from: engineer, gunner, driller and scout. Players explore procedurally-generated destructible cave systems and take on waves of aliens as they search for resources.

PS Plus subscribers will until February 1st to claim those titles. Meanwhile, you have until January 3rd to snag the six games in the current lineup. You can snag Godfall: Challenger Edition, Lego DC Super Villains and Mortal Shell, as well as PS VR titles The Persistence (which you can also play without a headset), The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and Until You Fall.

In a brief year-end video message, Instagram head Adam Mosseri offered some insight into what's ahead for the platform. "We're going to have to rethink what Instagram is because the world is changing quickly and we're going to have to change with it," he said. Mosseri laid out Instagram's priorities for 2022, which include doubling down on video.

Mosseri said Instagram will "consolidate all of our video products around Reels and continue to grow that product." Instagram has been making some changes to how it handles videos in recent months. In October, it killed off the IGTV brand to bring longer-form videos into the main feed. However, users need to tap through to Reels to watch the full video.

As for creators, Mosseri said Instagram will introduce more monetization tools to help them make a living. In addition, Mosseri said Instagram will focus on messaging (since it's perhaps the main way people communicate online) and transparency in 2022.

He noted the platform will double down on its work on controls as well — earlier this month, Instagram announced it will add parental controls in March. A version of the chronological feed will return next year too.

Mosseri touched on some updates that Instagram made this year centered around giving users more control over their experience. He highlighted features like sensitive content controls, the ability to hide like counts and Hidden Words in direct messages.

It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Instagram in 2021 though. For one thing, work on the Instagram Kids app was put on hold amid safety concerns.

Reports based on documents shared by whistleblower Frances Haugen showed that Meta/Facebook was aware of how Instagram can impact teens' mental health. Mosseri testified to the Senate earlier this month that Instagram will offer "meaningful access to data so that third party researchers can design their own studies and make their own conclusions about the effects of well being on young people” — which aligns with his commitment to greater transparency.

Remedy Entertainment has added yet another project to its busy dance card. The studio is working with Tencent on a free-to-play co-op shooter codenamed Vanguard (no relation to the latest Call of Duty game).

The player vs. environment (PVE) title will bring "Remedy’s narrative expertise and action gameplay into an immersive multiplayer experience," the developer said. It's making the game for PC and consoles, but it'll probably be some time before Remedy offers a look at Vanguard, since it's still in the proof-of-concept stage.

Remedy will publish the game in most countries, though Tencent will localize and publish it in some Asian markets. The companies are co-financing Vanguard, which will be a live service game that's frequently updated. Remedy and Tencent will each pay their own publishing and operation costs, and they'll give each other a slice of revenue after they earn back what they shelled out on development.

In addition, Tencent will make and release a mobile version of Vanguard, which is Remedy’s original intellectual property. The Chinese conglomerate will cover the development and publishing costs, and it will share revenue with Remedy.

“Vanguard marks Remedy’s first entry into Games-as-a-Service business model, executed by our top tier team of free-to-play experts. We are building something new and exciting for co-operative multiplayer space, on top of Remedy’s strengths," Remedy CEO Tero Virtala said in a statement. "Vanguard is a global opportunity, and Tencent can support Remedy internationally, and lead the operations in Asia and the mobile markets."

Remedy has several other games on its slate. Back in June, it announced a co-op PVE game based on the terrific Control, as well as what sounds like a bigger-budget sequel. Earlier this month, the studio confirmed it's making Alan Wake 2, a sequel to the 2010 cult classic that Remedy re-released this year. The developer is also working on the single-player component of first-person shooter CrossfireX.

As for Tencent, the long-term partnership builds on a lengthy string of gaming deals the company has made in 2021. It has bought or taken a stake in more than 100 gaming-related businesses this year. Most recently, Tencent acquired Back 4 Blood maker Turtle Rock Studios.