Renault unveiled the Megane E-Tech Electric at the IAA Munich Motor Show on Monday. While the specs seem decent enough, it's the safety functions that are the most eye-catching aspect of this electric vehicle.

The Fireman Access feature stems from a partnership between Renault Group and French firefighters that stretches back for over a decade. The EV includes special access to the battery for rescue teams. Renault claims this can allow first responders to put out a battery fire in five minutes, compared with between one and three hours for most EV battery blazes. There's also a switch under the rear bench that lets rescue teams disconnect the battery.

In addition, Renault put a QR code on the windscreen. The idea is that rescue teams can scan the code to see details about the car's structure. They can find out the locations of the battery and airbags, as well as information about where it's safe to cut into the vehicle. Renault says this information can help first responders save up to 15 minutes when attempting to free a crash victim, which could help save lives.

No two EVs are built the same, and first responders won't necessarily know the intricacies of each vehicle. So, providing information about the Megane E-Tech Electric's structure using a QR code is a smart move that it'd be nice to see more automakers adopt. The same goes for easy access to the battery to help put out fires faster.

The latest iteration of the Megane line is built on Renault's CMF-EV platform. For the body, designers took inspiration from the Morphoz concept the company showed off last year. There are two powertrain options, as CNET's Roadshow notes: a base model with 130 horsepower and a more advanced alternative with 215 hp and 221 pound-feet of torque.

You can choose between two battery packs as well. The 40 kWh option has a range of 186 miles (300 km), and the 60 kWh pack should get you up to 292 miles (470 km) of driving on a single charge, according to Renault. The company based the estimates on the European WLTP testing procedure. Plug the Megane E-Tech Electric into a 130 wW fast charging station, and you can add up to 186 miles of driving range in 30 minutes of charging time.

Elsewhere, the OpenR infotainment system is based on Android Automotive OS, so you'll have access to Google apps and Google Assistant. While you're on a longer trip, the system can help you locate charging stations that minimize your journey time, Renault says. The Megane E-Tech Electric orders open in February 2022, and sales start the following March.

Amazon is offering discounts on a swathe of Kindles and Fire tablets for Labor Day. While the price cuts might not be quite as hefty as those you'd find on Prime Day, they're still solid, and you'll save around a third on most of the devices. Each version of the Fire 7 tablet, which Amazon says is the best-selling model in the lineup, is $10 off. It currently costs $40 for the ad-supported variant with 16GB of storage and $60 for 32GB (remember that there's a microSD port). Opting for an ad-free model will run you an extra $15 on both storage options.

Fire HD 8, meanwhile is $30 off — $60 for the 32GB of storage and $90 for 64GB. As for Fire HD 10, Amazon has dropped the price by $50 during the sale. It costs $100 for the 32GB option and $140 for 64GB. Again, tack on another $15 to any of these if you'd prefer to have no ads on the lock screen.

The kids' versions of the tablets are also on sale. Fire 7 Kids Pro is $60, down from $100. Fire HD 8 Kids Pro has been slashed by $50 to $90, while Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is down from $200 to $140.

As for Kindles, they're discounted too at the minute. The standard Kindle, which comes with 8GB of storage and a front light, typically costs $90. During the sale, you can save $30 and pick it up for $60. The version without lock screen ads costs $80.

Last but not least, Amazon has also temporarily dropped the price of the waterproof Kindle Paperwhite. The 8GB model is down $45 to $85 and the 32GB model is $50 off at $110. Again, the ad-free versions cost an extra $20.

Though the Overwatch League's post-season gets underway this weekend, league officials are already making plans for next year. OWL vice-president Jon Spector wrote on Twitter that the current plan is to kick off the 2022 season in April, but there's an interesting wrinkle, as Dot Esports first reported. As things stand, the next season will start on an early version of Overwatch 2, the long-awaited sequel to the current game.

"The plan right now is for the Overwatch League’s 2022 season to begin on an early build of Overwatch 2," an Overwatch League spokesperson told Engadget. "We’ll have more details to share about our 2022 season as we get closer to the planned start date in April of next year."

Recent reports suggested the next OWL season might not start until fall 2022, amid Overwatch 2 release date uncertainty. However, Dexerto reported this week that Blizzard is targeting a Q2 release window — in other words, around the time the next OWL season starts, or soon after. In February, Activision Blizzard said it was unlikely to releaseOverwatch 2 or Diablo 4 this year.

The arrival of Overwatch 2, which Blizzard announced at BlizzCon 2019, will spell huge changes for the esport, and the Overwatch scene as a whole. All of the player vs. player updates will be reflected in the current game (OW2 will have a big focus on co-op story missions too). 

The sequel will herald new modes and maps, a fresh game engine, more characters, an overhaul of existing heroes and, most significantly, a shift from teams of six to squads of five, with each side fielding one tank instead of the current two. That'll likely have an impact on Overwatch League rosters for next season and beyond, with fewer spots available for tank players.

Moving OWL to Overwatch 2 in this fashion has its pros and cons, especially given that it'll be an early build. If the latest release timeline reports are accurate, though, the game will be almost ready for public consumption by that point, so there hopefully won't be many bugs. What's more, OWL players will want to practice on public servers as much as possible, so there might be an Overwatch 2 beta, at the very least, by April.

Plans could change and OWL might stick with the current version of Overwatch if there are any significant development hurdles. However, if Blizzard can get the early build ready in time, the next Overwatch League season could give the publisher a great opportunity to show off Overwatch 2 to fans before the game eventually arrives.

Segway is moving into the robot mower market with the Navimow. What sets this model apart from many others is that you don't need to install a boundary wire. Instead, Navimow uses GPS and other sensors to stay within the perimeter of your lawn.

A so-called Exact Fusion Locating System can maintain Navimow's position accurate to within two centimeters, according to Segway. If the GPS signal ever dips, the company says the device's array of sensors and data ensure it will still work. You can tell Navimow where to mow, define the boundaries and instruct it to avoid certain parts of your garden via an app. Segway claims Navimow uses an algorithm to figure out a mowing path so it doesn't have to criss-cross.

Segway says Navimow operates relatively quietly at 54 dB. There are offset blades to trim edges and corners, while the mower gradually cuts grass from above to reach the height you want (between three and six centimeters). The mower can handle 45-degree inclines and it has an IPX6 water resistance rating, according to Segway.

There are safety features too. Segway says Navimow can detect and bypass obstacles, and its blades will stop spinning if pets or kids get too close. If the device detects rain, it'll return to the charging station, but you can turn off the rain sensor and put Navimow to work even when it's wet outside. When the battery gets too low, Navimow will continue cutting from where it left off after it recharges.

Segway

Installing a perimeter wire can take some time and as SlashGear notes, it can damage a garden, since it's usually buried under grass. So Navimow might be a healthier solution for your lawn than other robot mowers. iRobot planned to make a mower with wireless boundary beacons, but it put the device on hold last year amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Segway is releasing four versions of its mower. The Navimow H500E is for lawns with an area of up to 5,400 square feet. It costs €1,199 (around $1,425). The other three models have larger batteries to support bigger lawns, along with 4G support and a GPS anti-theft system. The prices top out at €2,499 (around $2,970). However, Segway hasn't announced US launch details yet.

The current Fortnite season will wrap up in a little over a week, and once again, Epic Games plans to go out with a bang. Chapter 2 Season 7 is centered around an alien invasion of the island, and it seems you'll have the chance to help send the infiltrating forces packing.

In the Operation: Sky Fire event, which takes place on September 12th at 4PM ET, you'll be able to team up with 15 of your friends and undertake a secret mission. You and your squad will “join a strike team and sneak aboard the Mothership to deliver IO’s final message to the invading aliens.”

As with other Fortnite seasonblowouts, you'll only have one chance to experience this for yourself. You can queue up and reserve your spot 30 minutes before it all goes down.

With the season ending soon, it's worth taking care of some other Fortnite business. You should definitely spend all your bars before the stash resets. Helpfully, residents and vending machines on the island are offering major discounts during Bargain Bin Wild Week, which starts on September 9th. Any battle stars or alien artifacts you don't exchange by the end of the season "will be automatically redeemed for rewards and styles starting with the earliest available unlocks," Epic said.

Until Operation: Sky Fire begins, you can still unlock characters and cosmetics through the current battle pass. Superman's Quests will also no longer be available when the event starts, but you still have some time to unlock the Superman glider, pickaxe and shadow style. Other quests that aren't part of the battle pass, such as the LeBron James and Vox Hunter ones, will still be available in the next season, which should start soon after Operation: Sky Fire.

Apple says it's delaying the rollout of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) detection tools "to make improvements," following pushback from critics. The features include one that analyzes iCloud Photos for known CSAM, which has caused concern among privacy advocates.

“Last month we announced plans for features intended to help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them, and limit the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material," Apple told 9to5Mac in a statement. "Based on feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers and others, we have decided to take additional time over the coming months to collect input and make improvements before releasing these critically important child safety features.”

Developing...

Ever see a real good tweet that makes you stop and think "that amused or informed me to the extent I want to give that person a monetary tip"? Twitter's Tip Jar has let users do just that for the last few months. Until now, Twitter users have only been able to send regular money to each other through the feature, but it seems they'll soon be able to tip others with bitcoin.

Researcher and app developer Alessandro Paluzzi shared a screenshot that suggested Twitter is working on such an option, as noted by 9to5Mac. According to the image, Twitter is planning to use Strike to generate bitcoin Lightning invoices. It'll harness the Lightning Network with the aim of enabling faster payments with lower fees than the primary bitcoin network.

Twitter product lead Kayvon Beykpour quote tweeted Paluzzi's screenshot and added two emoji: a lightning symbol and another reading "soon." That's a pretty clear indicator bitcoin tipping is in the works. Beykpour also noted that Twitter is working to bring Tip Jar to more countries.

It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that Twitter's planning to let folks tip each other with cryptocurrency. CEO Jack Dorsey is a major proponent of bitcoin. He expressed hope in July that the digital currency could bring about world peace, while his other company, Square, may be working on a bitcoin hardware wallet.

There's another gaming-focused event to look forward to this month. A week after Sony's PlayStation showcase, THQ Nordic is running a 10th anniversary celebration with a look at what's ahead for the publisher.

THQ Nordic is promising six new game announcements for its first digital showcase. Among those are revivals of some "legendary franchises," including some that have been dormant for decades. Hmm... The publisher's also planning to show off sequels to "beloved games" — perhaps there'll be a peek at the next Darksiders title.

Two games that will definitely be part of the showcase are RPGs ELEX II and Expeditions: Rome. If you join the stream before the event officially starts, you'll catch an update from HandyGames during the pre-show.

There will be a familiar face handling hosting duties: Geoff Keighley of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest and Gamescom's Opening Night Live. The event starts at 3PM ET on September 17th. You can watch it on YouTube, Twitch and Steam.

Facebook Gaming is letting more creators play licensed music in the background while streaming gameplay. Streamers who have partner status have been able to spin tracks from a broad range of publishers and labels since last September, and now Level Up creators can do so too.

Level Up is a step below partner status. Creators in the former group can monetize their streams with Facebook's Stars currency, ads and paid subscriptions. They also get access to tools to build their audience and features like being able to stream in 1080p at 60 frames per second. Partners get extra perks, such as a partner badge, early access to new products and more personalized support from Facebook.

Streamers in both categories can play songs from hundreds of music labels, publishers and societies, including big hitters like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. As well as live broadcasts, the deals cover archived streams and clips viewers make from streams.

Creators aren't limited to predetermined playlists, so they can play almost any song they like. Facebook notes that streamers don't have the right to use certain songs, though, and it'll flag those to creators with a notification. The streamer can remove that restricted song from their playlist to avoid running into trouble.

Elsewhere, Facebook says its systems are better at detecting the difference between having music in the background while you're playing games and having music as the focus of the stream, like hosting a radio show, which isn't allowed.

To mark the expansion, Facebook is hosting several streams in which celebrity DJs will select the background tracks while creators play games. DJ Khaled and Diplo are among those taking part in the special streams, which take place throughout this month.

Local TV streaming service Locast has closed up shop, at least for the time being. It suspended operations following a ruling on Tuesday that it couldn't use its non-profit status as a legal shield. Networks have claimed that Locast violated their copyright.

"We are suspending operations, effective immediately," Locast wrote in an email to users. "As a non-profit, Locast was designed from the very beginning to operate in accordance with the strict letter of the law, but in response to the court’s recent rulings, with which we respectfully disagree, we are hereby suspending operations, effective immediately."

Locast argued that it was acting as a booster for local signals, which third parties are allowed to do under US copyright law, to help people who can't pick up a signal with an antenna to watch local TV. However, CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox (which were reportedly backed by AT&T and Dish Network) felt that Locast was dodging carriage fees.

The court also took issue with the $5/month payments Locast took from users to ostensibly cover running costs. A judge said Locast was using those funds to expand into more markets and that it was bringing in “far more money from user charges than was necessary.”