Welcome back to The Morning After. Hope you had a great weekend and are ready for 2021 to be over and done with. (I know I am.)

Today, we’ve drawn together the latest tech news from the last few days and several end-of-year pieces on the biggest stories of the year. But first, Hyundai might be giving up on new combustion engines.

The company only just made and released its first electric car, but it's apparently ready to move fast, and leave the engines of old behind. Korea Economic Daily sources claim Hyundai shut down its research center's combustion engine design unit sometime this month. While there will still be some workers left to refine existing engines, the rest will move to EV-related work.

Electrification is "inevitable," new research chief Chung-kook Park reportedly said in an email, and the transition will help produce cars that "dominate the future market." Park is probably right. In Hyundai's native South Korea, combustion-only car sales will be banned by 2030.

-Mat Smith

'Final Fantasy XVI'delayed a half year due to COVID-19

The reveal is now scheduled for spring of 2022.

Final Fantasy fans were promised more information about the next installment of the role-playing series before the end of 2021. Sadly, that announcement and the game have been postponed. "When we last spoke, I promised I would have more information on Final Fantasy XVI sometime later in 2021," producer Naoki Yoshida wrote on Twitter. "However, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to keep that promise, as complications from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have delayed the game’s development by almost half a year."

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In 2021, Apple addressed past mistakes

Just don’t call it an apology.

The last year for the iPhone and Mac maker was marked with more than a little bit of course correction. Beyond moving forward with its M1 PC chips in more powerful setups, Apple nixed the problematic keyboards found on the last few generations of MacBooks and improved battery life across the entire range of iPhone 13 models.

The biggest change – and one we won’t quite see the significance of until next year – is product repairs. Apple will sell repair parts and instructions to customers who want to fix their iPhones themselves.

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Lego's 'Sonic the Hedgehog' set arrives in the new year

The Green Hill Zone kit is a nostalgia trip for Sega fans.

Lego

After nearly a year of work, Lego has revealed that its Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone set will be available online and in Lego stores on January 1st, 2022 for $70. The brick-based recreation of the game's first – and best-known – area includes minifigs for Sonic, Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik), two critters and the Phantom Ruby. Sonic won't dart around loops, unfortunately, but there is a Technic lever to launch him (or any other characters) along with ring add-ons, of course.

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Apple reportedly hires Meta's AR public relations lead

The move happens as Apple AR headset rumors continue to swirl.

Apple

As rumors continue to build about its augmented reality headset, Apple has reportedly hired Meta's AR public relations head Andrea Schubert, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In his weekly newsletter. "Meta, with Oculus, has been the market leader in headsets, so such a hire makes sense as Apple nears its launch," Gurman wrote.

Schubert has been Communications Director with Meta's Reality labs and comms lead for Oculus with Meta since March 2016.

Apple's potential AR headset is already the subject of all kinds of rumors. One recent one speculated that the headset might depend on another device like an iPhone or a Mac computer. Or it could be a standalone device with dual 8K displays that could cost up to $3,000. And a third rumor, this one from Gurman, indicated that it would play "high-quality VR games."

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AMD and OnePlus are the latest to cancel in-person CES 2022 plans

Add them to the list.

AMD and OnePlus have both withdrawn their physical presences at the technology event. While they didn't provide detailed explanations, the move was clearly in response to the rise of COVID-19's Omicron variant, like many other companies that have already withdrawn from CES.

AMD was already poised to launch its 2022 products through a livestream on January 4th. OnePlus said it would introduce the OnePlus 10 Pro in January and was rumored to unveil the phone at CES. For now, Samsung, Sony and LG are all still set to exhibit in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. I’m taking bets.

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'Arcane' creators explain why Jinx and Vi are the stars of the Netflix series

Basically: They're really cool.

Jinx and Vi are the sisters at the heart of Riot Games’ hit Netflix series, Arcane, and they were picked for the spotlight out of a lineup of more than 150 League of Legends champions.

For Arcane creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee, the stars really couldn’t have been anyone else from League of Legends lore. “They kind of got our special treatment already because we just really liked them,” Linke told Engadget. “And so, when we had to think about like, which characters do we want to stick with for many years to come? I think it was pretty obvious.”

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2021 showed us that trucks and SUVs don't need gas engines

America's best-selling vehicle style is just as popular when electrified.

Steady advancements in power systems over the past few years — alongside skyrocketing demand for larger, electrified vehicles that cater to the US market — has led to a watershed moment in 2021: the emergence of EV pickups and SUVs. 2021 may have been the tipping point.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Riot Games settles class-action gender discrimination lawsuit for $100 million

Amazon's 'New World' is among the year's biggest moneymakers on Steam

India's version of 'PUBG Mobile' rolls out device bans for cheaters

Xiaomi's 12 Series phones are among the first with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chips

Samsung's latest C-Lab projects include a smart guitar with LED guides

Acrimoto's three-wheeled roadster EV combines weird with fun

NASA has finally launched the James Webb Space Telescope

Hitting the Books: Amiga and the birth of 256-color gaming

The best accessories for your new Xbox Series X or S

The best apps to download on your new smartphone

'Forza Horizon 5' turned me into a racing game fan

I joked about LG’s unusual TVs earlier this week, but I'll take it back. Those were fine. Sensible, even. That’s because a Meiji University professor in Japan has unveiled a prototype screen called “Taste the TV”. The prototype sends electrical signals to 10 flavor canisters that spray flavors on a film overlay for those willing to lick. Creator Homei Miyashita thinks of the device as less of a taste-at-home device, and more as a tool for food professionals, like chefs and sommeliers.

The prototype is, yes, a little icky, despite the hygienic film that can be treated between tastings. According to Reuters, Miyashita is already discussing spin-off applications for the spray tech, like applying pizza or chocolate flavors to a slice of toasted bread. Don’t tell him about Nutella.

Your daily TMA will be taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back next Wednesday. Have a great weekend!

-Mat Smith

Japan's latest life-sized Gundam statue is almost complete

The robot's head has just been attached.

Ikedaya Karuta via YouTube

Fukuoka is the latest home for a 1:1 scale Gundam robot statue, following the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam that was installed in Tokyo’s Odaiba district. This one has a new color scheme, thanks to the creator of Gundam, and stands 81.3 feet tall. It’s a twist on Amuro Ray’s Nu Gundam from the Gundam one-shot, Char’s Counterattack. Yes, it looks a little like Gundam Wing Zero, but Amuro’s mech came first.

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The first text message is now a $150,000 NFT

Vodafone will donate the proceeds to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Christian Hartmann / reuters

International phone network Vodafone has turned the first text message into a non-fungible token (NFT) and subsequently a nice sum of money. It sold at a Paris auction house this week for €132,680 ($150,000) worth of Ether. The company will donate the proceeds to the United Nations Refugee Agency to support forcibly displaced people. It’s also pretty timely: the first message was a simple line of text saying, “Merry Christmas.”

The anonymous auction winner will receive a copy of the communication protocol for the SMS, a certificate of authenticity and a digital frame that displays an animation of a phone receiving the message. Better than a Ghost Recon skin.

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More companies cancel CES 2022 attendance in person

Including Lenovo, Google and Intel.

Lenovo follows Amazon, Meta, Twitter and show sponsor T-Mobile in backing away from CES 2022. All four said they would not attend in person due to concerns related to the new COVID-19 omicron variant. And while they're all important names in tech, they're not a hardware player in the same way Lenovo is. The PC maker often launches or reveals its newest hardware at the Las Vegas show. Intel and Google have also announced they won’t have a physical presence at the event.

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Amazon warned workers that its busy season could make them feel suicidal

"They talked about how a lot of workers feel this way."

Amazon is hitting the end of its busiest season of the year. It’s also when its workers are under the greatest strain, frequently required to clock mandatory overtime hours and are often not allowed to schedule vacation days. It also coincides with the hiring of a deluge of temporary workers, with a projected 150,000 added this year.

According to an internal email viewed by Engadget, and interviews with several current or former associates, it's also a time of year when Amazon expects some number of its workforce to take out their stress on their colleagues, or on themselves. Read on for the full report.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Merck's COVID-19 antiviral pill is the second authorized by the FDA

How the pandemic supercharged the creator economy in 2021

'Star Trek: Discovery' finally embraces standalone storytelling in its fourth season

What we learned this year about how to avoid a climate catastrophe

Amazon will remind workers about their rights following an NLRB deal

Apple closes more stores due to surge in COVID-19 cases

Realme, the sister brand of Oppo and OnePlus, has revealed its new flagship GT 2 Pro, and the most notable feature may not be a tech spec, but literally how it feels. The body of the phone uses an eco-friendly bio-polymer material on its back cover. It’s made from paper pulp, and it has obtained International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (or ISCC in short) as proof of its environmental bonafides.

Realme

Apparently, this adds a satisfying paper feel to the GT 2 Pro, which Realme is calling "Paper Tech Master Design,” tapping Muji and Infobar series designer Naoto Fukasawa for his input. For now, the phone launches in China on January 4th, 2022, with the device eventually going overseas later next year.

-Mat Smith

A ‘robot lawyer’ could help you get unbanned from social media

The service is meant to help people who were wrongly suspended from their accounts.

When users are wrongfully suspended from their social media accounts, it’s difficult to figure out how to regain access. Now, the “robot lawyer” company DoNotPay, which offers automated legal services, has a new feature: getting social media accounts unbanned.

It’s an alternative to emailing companies’ help center bots or appeals that may never get answered. Instead, DoNotPay asks users for information about what happened to them, and sends a letter to the relevant company’s legal department on their behalf.

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LG Display’s concept bike makes your Peloton look like a toy

It’s got several OLED concepts ready for CES 2022.

LG Display

This is the “Virtual Ride” stationary bike. It features three vertical 55-inch OLED displays that form one continuous screen in front and above the rider. The topmost panel has a 500R curvature radius. According to LG Display, that’s the most extreme curve in a large screen to date. No word on whether it has a pause button.

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FDA authorizes Pfizer's Covid antiviral pill for people 12 and older

The Paxlovid treatment could be available within a few days.

The FDA has issued emergency authorization for Pfizer's antiviral pill Paxlovid, making it the first oral method for treating mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. The treatment is meant for high-risk people 12 and older who could progress to a more serious COVID infection. Paxlovid will be available by prescription only, and is meant to be taken within five days of first noticing COVID symptoms.

According to Pfizer's tests, it can reduce hospitalization or death by 88 percent in high-risk patients. The treatment, which can be prescribed to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, consists of 30 pills taken over five days. So far, the US has ordered enough pills to treat 10 million people.

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Square Enix sharpens up Final Fantasy 14's blocky grapes

The low-poly fruit became a meme.

Square Enix

Square Enix has rolled out the first Final Fantasy XIV patch after the ultra-popular Endwalker expansion arrived in November. Along with adding more quests, items and a raid dungeon, the update addressed various issues. One of those was a so-called bug fix that targeted some delightfully janky-looking grapes. Just don’t expect them to suddenly look photo-realistic.

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The OnePlus 10 Pro will be revealed in January

Rumors suggest the device will be the only model in the 10-series lineup.

OnePlus is gearing up to show off its next smartphone, and it seems we won't have to wait long to get our eyes on it. It will reveal the OnePlus 10 Pro next month, according to co-founder and CEO Pete Lau, who wrote “OnePlus 10 Pro, see you in January," on Weibo. Rumors suggest OnePlus will only reveal a single phone this time around, instead of the usual approach of having a base model and a pro device. Leakers have already offered a peek at what the phone may look like, with several unofficial renders. It seems OnePlus will again use Hasselblad cameras, while the OnePlus 10 Pro screen is slated to be a 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

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Tesla under investigation for 'Passenger Play' gaming feature

The NHTSA is looking into how games being played while the car's moving may distract drivers.

Tesla came under fire earlier this month following reports that certain games are playable on dashboard infotainment systems while an EV is in motion. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now investigating Tesla over the so-called "Passenger Play" function. While the feature prompts players to acknowledge they're a passenger before they start a game, the NHTSA said Passenger Play "may distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash." Before the summer, Passenger Play was only available when the EV was in park.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Steam's Winter Sale offers discounts on 'Horizon Zero Dawn,' 'Deathloop' and more

Democrats push Mark Zuckerberg on Meta's actions prior to January 6th Capitol attack

In 2021, Tesla's phenomenal profits were offset by constant crisis

NASA delays James Webb telescope launch due to poor weather

What to watch over the 2021 holidays

It’s nice when there’s balance in the blockchain force. Following the recent boom in NFT success stories (and millions being made), we have the other side of the coin. Ubisoft’s attempts to sell NFTs tied to its Ghost Recon gaming series haven’t gone well. The games company launched its own Quartz NFT platform to monetize game properties.

Alas, it seems Quartz has sold just 15 NFTs of a Ghost Recon Breakpoint gun skin as of yesterday, according to Eurogamer. As of yesterday, it appears to have sold two more M4A1 tactical weapons and one Wolf Enhance Pants #76 for a total of 18. According to their prices, that works out to about $1,755.30 in revenue. But Ubisoft appears to have minted about somewhere north of 3,000 NFTs, total. As many have noted, Breakpoint doesn't have the most alluring visual aesthetic — nor is it the biggest Ubisoft property — making it an odd choice to kick off Ubisoft’s NFT attempts.

In other news, CES is facing the Omicron threat, and many companies are withdrawing from exhibiting early January. Amazon, Meta and several other big tech players will no longer have a presence at the show, citing the spread of the latest COVID-19 variant. The Engadget team will also no longer be attending the show in person, but our remote coverage will still ensure you hear about everything notable from the Las Vegas tech show.

— Mat Smith

Gaze in confusion at LG's DualUp Monitor

Barely vertical, somehow desirable?

LG

I think the pandemic has really helped LG’s creative juices flow. Alongside its unusual new TVs, the company has revealed a new monitor that has "Square Double QHD", two screens stacked atop each other.

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Billionaire Twitter founder Jack Dorsey rants about Web3 on Twitter

Those darn VCs.

CEO Jack Dorsey took to Twitter to warn blockchain enthusiasts how Web3 has already been co-opted by investors. “You don’t own ‘web3,’” he said, “The VCs and their LPs do. It will never escape their incentives. It’s ultimately a centralized entity with a different label. Know what you’re getting into…” Now no longer the CEO of Twitter, Dorsey still runs a company heavily involved in blockchain technologies.

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‘The Matrix Resurrections’ is brilliant, but not for everyone

Another divisive Matrix sequel?

Warner Bros.

There are minor spoilers within, so I haven’t read Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar’s thoughts on The Matrix Resurrections. I’m sure, however, that many of you are intrigued by how the movie turned out. US readers subscribed to HBO Max: You’ll be able to watch it indoors without having to venture to a movie theater.

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Researcher hacked an at-home COVID-19 test to give bogus results

The flaw has been fixed, but it still shows the potential for fraud.

F-Secure researcher Ken Gannon discovered a security flaw in Ellume's Bluetooth-connected nasal swab test that let him change the reported results. The vulnerability was elaborate, but still disconcerting. It has now been patched.

Gannon used a rooted Android device to inspect the Bluetooth traffic Ellume's lateral flow tester was sending to the company's mobile app. The researcher pinpointed the traffic used to indicate test results and wrote scripts to change the outcome. F-Secure Marketing Manager Alexandra Rinehimer even managed to fool Azova, a company issuing certificates for US entry tests.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Tascam is making brand new cassettes for its ancient four-track recorders

2021 was the year that streaming pushed our cultural buttons

Three and EE will offer 4G and 5G access across London Underground

Nikola will pay $125 million to settle SEC fraud charges

Arturia is giving away a free lo-fi tape plug-in for the holidays

Our end-of-year coverage kicks off this week, covering the major tech stories of the year (hi, billionaires in space) and, closer to Earth, the gear that the Engadget team spent their money on in the last eleven-and-a-half months. It runs the gamut from Apple Watches to smart bike trainers and, er, socks.

Engadget

I discuss my love for the OLED Switch, which I upgraded to from my launch edition of Nintendo’s hybrid console. The screen is gorgeous, as are the white Joy-Cons, but the biggest boon coming from the first Switch iteration is the substantial battery boost. It also seems like Nintendo’s stock of the new Switch is a little more stable, so chances of getting one this holiday season seem better than earlier this year. Oh and Metroid Dread runs like a dream on it.

— Mat Smith

Ford’s Extended Range F-150 Lightning has a massive 131 kWh battery pack

The Standard Range models will carry a 'mere' 98 kWh battery.

Ford quietly revealed the battery capacities available on its Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup, Auto Evolution reported. To start with, the Standard Range model, with a projected 230 miles of range, will come with a 98 kWh battery pack. Meanwhile, the optional Extended Range version (300 miles targeted) will have a massive 131 kWh battery.

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LG's first gaming laptop comes with an NVIDIA RTX 3080 GPU and 11th-gen Intel CPU

Other specs include a 300Hz 1080p display and 93Wh battery.

LG

LG is best known for its lightweight Gram 17 laptop, but now it wants some of that gaming PC pie. It’s revealed what it calls its "first gaming laptop" with some high-end specs. The 17-inch UltraGear 17G90Q model packs an 11th-generation Intel Tiger Lake H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q graphics, up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. A 300Hz 1080p IPS display should keep the battery life suitably lengthy, while the design aesthetic seems heavily inspired by Razer’s laptop series and other existing gaming PCs. There’s no pricing yet, but LG will reveal more details at CES 2022 on January 4th.

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In 2021, billionaires headed to the stars

Unfortunately, they all came back 30 minutes later.

Virgin Galactic

Instead of the two most powerful empires on the planet vying to be first to the moon, we now have corporations — Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic — boasting a future filled with exo-planetary tourism. In 2021, the heads of these private companies finally made good on their myriad promises, successfully launching civilians, astronauts and, in two cases, themselves into the uppermost reaches of Earth’s atmosphere. Andrew Tarantola plots the launches, delays and drama of the civilian space race.

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Meta is trying to find the people who created more than 39,000 phishing sites

The company filed a lawsuit in California to uncover the identities of those behind the attacks.

Meta has filed a federal lawsuit to “uncover the identities” of a group of people that created more than 39,000 websites designed to trick users into coughing up their login credentials for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

People were redirected to bogus websites in a way that allowed the hackers to hide their actions. “This enabled them to conceal the true location of the phishing websites, and the identities of their online hosting providers and the defendants,” Meta said.

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EPA announces strictest fuel efficiency standards ever

It’s reversing the Trump-era rollback.

By 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency will require that automaker fleets travel an average of about 55 miles per gallon, up from the 37 miles per gallon standard they’re held to as of this year.

The agency estimates the policy will save American drivers between $210 billion and $420 billion through 2050 on fuel costs. Over the life of a model year 2026 vehicle, that should translate to about $1,080 in individual consumer savings. It marks President Biden’s most significant climate action to date. As of 2019, the transportation sector remains the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Democrats press Amazon for details on tornado warehouse deaths

T-Mobile says it blocked 21 billion scam calls in 2021

The PS Plus version of 'FF7 Remake' can be upgraded to 'Intergrade' after all

Beats Studio Buds are down to $100 at Adorama

If you’ve started to generally understand the ebbs and flows of cryptocurrencies, the volatility of Bitcoin and the rest, and started to comprehend why blockchain tech has a big future beyond Dogecoin, well, it probably means you’re late to the NFT party. Non-fungible tokens are, well, unique. (That’s what non-fungible means.) They’re sort of like a digital trading card in a lot of ways.

These digital goods are shaking up the art world, sports collectibles and many other fields. And you’re late to the party because, well, Adidas is making bank, and Nike is chasing the NFT bucks as well. (We have a deeper dive on NFTs right here.)

Over the weekend, Adidas' first NFT effort made over $23 million in Ethereum, from a $15.5 million Early Access phase and $7.5 million in general sales. It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing — Adidas had to halt early transactions due to a technical hitch. It did, however, prove there’s an audience for NFT collaborations, starting with this partnership with Bored Ape Yacht Club (an existing collection of Bored Ape NFTs).

https://www.engadget.com/adidas-nft-drop-earnings-165112219.html

— Mat Smith

Due to shortages, Microsoft used Xbox dev kits to run a 'Halo Infinite' tournament

Supply chain constraints.

Microsoft

A Kotaku report over the weekend explains how Microsoft had to use Xbox Series X dev kits to run the first major Halo Infinite tournament, the Halo Championship Series' Raleigh Major, this weekend. Sadly, the company couldn't find enough retail consoles to use — the "global supply chain shortage is real," 343 Industries' eSports lead Tahir Hasandjekic said.

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New Toyota cars don't include remote starting on key fobs

You'll have to use the mobile app, but it should be free.

Current Toyota drivers might not be thrilled about having to subscribe just to remotely start from their key fobs, but what about new buyers? There's mixed news. The automaker told Roadshow in a statement that remote starting won't be available on key fobs for new vehicles. Drivers will have to use the brand's mobile app, in other words. With that said, they may not ever have to pay for the feature. Some 2020-model year and newer vehicles include a 10-year trial, instead of the much shorter three-year trial offered before these models.

For older Toyota owners, however, it won’t really assuage their frustrations.

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GM’s first Hummer EV is here

The 'supertruck' kicks off GM's next EV wave.

GM has started deliveries of the Hummer EV as promised, with its first "supertruck" (an Edition 1) rolling off the line at Factory Zero in Hamtramck, Michigan. The automaker didn't name the initial customer, who definitely paid for bragging rights given the Edition 1's $110,295 sticker. Maybe GM should get into NFTs?

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Amazon scraps new ban on phones in warehouses 'until further notice'

Deadly tornadoes may have led Amazon to reconsider its plans.

Amazon has confirmed it’ll back off its efforts to ban personal phones in its warehouses. Staff were told on December 17th they could keep their phones at hand "until further notice."

The company banned phones in warehouses for years but eased its approach as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The ban was poised to resume in January 2022. While Amazon didn't explain the U-turn, it comes just after a tornado struck a warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, killing six people.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Malaysia's updated copyright law imprisons streaming pirates for up to 20 years

Tesla provides free off-peak Supercharger use during the holidays

Analogue Pocket review: The best retro handheld in town

'Hades' is the first video game to win a Hugo Award

Netflix drops a surprise teaser for its 'Witcher' prequel

ICYMI: We listen to Yamaha's latest headphones with 3D sound

Square Enix is suspending the sales and delivery of Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition and Complete Edition because it's doing too well and the company's servers can't keep up. The decision applies to both physical and digital versions of the game and will happen in the coming weeks. FFXIV players have been struggling with lengthy queues ever since the Endwalker expansion came out in late November. They still have to wait hours to get into a server and be able to play the game.

It’s a little inside-baseball, but I’m planning a story on the record-breaking online RPG — but can’t access the game while this suspension continues. I guess I’ll have to find something else to write about over the holiday season. At least I have Deathloop and Metroid Dread to keep me busy.

— Mat Smith

What happened to the 'Meta' Instagram handle?

A motorcycle magazine controlled it for years — until Facebook changed its name.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

When Facebook decided to change its name, changing its websites, business documents and more, the company didn’t control the @Meta handle on Instagram. It belonged to a small Denver-based magazine called META. The day of the announcement, the magazine posted a photo of assorted print issues with the caption “Since 2014.” But by the next day, the account had mysteriously vanished. @Meta now hosts all the content from the @Facebook Instagram page, while posts from META, the magazine, now appear under the @readmeta handle. What happened? And doesn’t this break Meta’s own rules about Instagram handles?

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Uber will test 'autonomous' food delivery sometime next year

Expect meal kits, not fast-food. For now.

Uber and autonomous vehicle company Motional announced a partnership for "autonomous deliveries" through Uber Eats. The pilot will launch at some point in "early 2022,” but it won’t offer the full range of Uber Eats options. Instead customers will be able to pick from "a curated set of meal kits from select restaurants." The joint venture isn’t entirely driverless, either. A Motional spokesperson told Engadget: "We will be launching the service with safety operators present in the vehicle." Meal kit deliveries will be in Santa Monica, California, to start, where a large portion of Motional's team works.

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Researchers call new zero-click iPhone exploit 'incredible and terrifying'

Apple has sued the NSO group over the 'nation state' level iMessage attack.

Google researchers have described NSO Group's zero-click exploit used to hack Apple devices as "incredible and terrifying,” calling it "one of the most technically sophisticated exploits we've ever seen," on par with attacks from elite nation-state spies.

The Project Zero team said it obtained one of NSO's Pegasus exploits from Citizen Lab, which managed to capture it via a targeted Saudi activist. NSO's original exploit required the user to click on a link, but the latest, most sophisticated exploits require no click at all. Called ForcedEntry, it takes advantage of the way iMessage interprets files like GIFs to open a malicious PDF file with no action required from the victim. Last month, the US Department of Commerce added NSO Group to its "entity list," essentially banning it for use in the US.

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Arrival offers an early look at its first electric car

Made for rideshare drivers, but not a taxi?

Arrival

Arrival is a UK–US startup that wants to revolutionize the design and manufacture of electric vehicles. Its first sales pitch is the Arrival Car, designed, first and foremost, for rideshare drivers during their working day. We’ve got an exclusive first look, but is it just me or does it remind you of the Johnny Cab from Total Recall?

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Google makes it easier to spot price drops in Chrome | Engadget

Apple releases Swift Playgrounds 4, letting budding iOS developers create on iPad

Meta says 50,000 people were targeted by 'surveillance for hire' companies

The Mac Mini M1 with 16GB of RAM is $100 off right now

TikTok is testing a desktop livestreaming app

Still not sold on foldable smartphones? I get it. But companies continue their efforts to make them happen, with Oppo the latest to reveal its first take on a foldable flagship. Somehow, for a fold-up widescreen phone, it’s kind of cute. 

Engadget Chinese

It has a different screen ratio to devices from Samsung and the rest, resulting in a more horizontal (possibly more useful) touchscreen. Unfortunately, it’s still pricey (although it’s cheaper than the Galaxy Fold) and, adding another barrier to entry, it’s only launching in China.

Engadget Chinese Editor-in-Chief Richard Lai is testing one out — expect to hear our full verdict soon.

— Mat Smith

US adds drone maker DJI to investment blocklist

US citizens will be barred from making any investments in the companies.

The US government is adding eight Chinese companies, including drone manufacturer DJI, to an investment blocklist for alleged involvement in the surveillance of Uyghur Muslims. The companies will be put on the treasury department's "Chinese military-industrial complex companies" list next week, meaning US citizens will be barred from making any investments.

The government said it was among companies that "enabled wide-scale human rights abuses within China through abusive genetic collection and analysis or high-technology surveillance." However, unlike products from Huawei and others, DJI drones have not been banned for sale in the US.

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NASA's James Webb telescope launch delayed again until December 24th

The team is fixing a communication issue between the telescope and its launch vehicle.

NASA

NASA was hoping to send the James Webb telescope to space by December 22nd, but its launch has been delayed yet again. Yes, again. In an announcement posted on the project's official page, NASA said the James Webb team is working on a communication issue between the telescope and its Ariane 5 launch vehicle.

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Disney+ adds SharePlay group viewing for the iPhone and iPad

Watch 'Boba Fett' or 'Encanto' with 31 of your friends.

The latest Disney+ app update adds SharePlay group viewing to its iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, letting up to 32 people watch and chat together. To ensure it works, everyone in the call needs Disney+ to stream, and you need to ensure the title is available to everyone in your virtual gathering. You might also find that some titles don’t work across different regions and countries.

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Homeland Security offers bug bounties as part of new 'Hack DHS' program

Researchers could receive up to $5,000.

The US Department of Homeland Security is offering up to $5,000 in bug bounties under a new program called Hack DHS. Vetted security researchers invited by the agency will get access to select external DHS systems to identify vulnerabilities bad actors could exploit. Payments will vary between $500 and $5,000, depending on the severity of the bug. The DHS said attacks against it were up fourfold in 2021.

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Huawei documents reportedly show involvement in China's surveillance efforts

'The Washington Post' said it found PowerPoint slides that detail its surveillance technologies.

Huawei has long denied working with the Chinese government to spy on other countries and China's own citizens. But The Washington Post has reviewed 100 PowerPoint presentations from the company that, Post reporters say, can show Huawei’s links to China's surveillance projects. While many of the slides were marked confidential, they were reportedly posted on a public-facing Huawei website until they were removed in 2020. Many of them were created back in 2014 and edited as recently as last year.

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A 'Splinter Cell' remake is underway

Ubisoft wants to meld classic stealth gameplay with modern tech.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft is finally ready to make a new Splinter Cell game — in a manner of speaking. The game developer has revealed plans for a Splinter Cell remake that aims to recreate the stealth action of the early games while embracing modern technology.

The project will use the Snowdrop engine present in newer games like The Division 2 and the upcoming Avatar game, but you'll play in small linear environments, unlike most of Ubisoft’s AAA titles. Check out the announcement video at the link.

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Polk Audio reveals its first Dolby Atmos soundbar

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Google employees who don't comply with COVID-19 vaccine rules will reportedly be fired

NASA spacecraft enters the Sun's corona for the first time

The entry-level 2022 Polestar 2 will have an EPA-estimated range of 270 miles

Apple removes mentions of controversial child abuse scanning from its site

The Google Glass vision isn’t dead. Or at least, it’s been resurrected by Oppo. Following last year's AR Glass concept, the new Oppo Air Glass will be available in Q1 2022 for a yet-to-be-announced price. It'll come in two parts: a detachable monocle (in black or white) and a separate frame. And no, you won't be able to attach the 30-gram device to your own glasses.

The focus here is on simple information, shown on a 640 x 480 image on a waveguide display. My favorite part might be the software Oppo is pitching, including a teleprompter display that you can set the scroll speed for. (Although, yes, you’d have to wear the thing in front of your audience…)

Oppo

For now, Oppo says the smartwear is China-only, so it might be an even rarer spot than Google’s original Glass.

— Mat Smith

LG’s StanbyME is a wireless TV on wheels

It has a battery that lasts three hours.

LG

LG is teasing two new TVs with unusual designs at CES 2022, one of which is the recently announced premium OLED Evo TV with a motorized cover. The other is, literally, a wireless TV on wheels. The StanbyME has a built-in battery, and you can roll it in and out of any room in your home. The 27-inch display is on a moveable stand with concealed wheels, and you can adjust its height to customize its position.

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Nintendo's year in review recounts your most-played Switch games of 2021

You can also see how your stats this year compare to those in 2020.

Nintendo is getting into the end-of-year review mood, emailing many of its users about how they spent time with their Switch throughout the last 12 months.

The 2021 iteration isn’t widely different from last year’s iteration. You’ll once again see the total number of hours you put in through the year and a count of all the games you played. There’s also a breakdown of how many hours you played each month, in addition to a look back at your most active day. You’ll see how much time you spent between handheld and docked modes, as well.

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Dell's latest laptop concept muses on easier-to-repair devices

And easier to recycle.

Dell

Dell might not be the most-loved PC company in terms of customer service, but it frequently tops corporate charts for environmentally friendly initiatives. Working with Intel, the company has created a new laptop called Concept Luna, with the aim of making future PCs easier to repair, reuse and recycle.

Dell said if it incorporated all the design ideas, it could reduce a computer's carbon footprint by up to 50 percent compared to current laptop models. Redesigned components make better use of space and improve passive cooling, while also reducing power demands. This, in turn, allows for a smaller battery with deep-cycle cells with a "long charge that can be maintained across many years of use, increasing refurbishment and reuse beyond the first product life it services," Dell said.

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Toyota's remote start key fob feature requires an $8 monthly subscription

It applies to models 2018 and later, with a free trial from 3 to 10 years.

To the consternation of some owners, Toyota's remote start key fob functionality requires a paid $8 per month subscription service. This applies to 2018 and later models, but recently came to light as the free trials of Toyota's Remote Connect subscription started to expire.

Toyota lets owners start vehicles like the RAV 4 PHEV remotely in two ways. One is over WiFi/LTE using its Remote Connect apps — these are what cost $8 per month or $80 per year. The other is by using the key fob. Unless they read the fine print, however, owners may not have known the key fob method was also part of the Remote Connect subscription. Toyota confirmed to The Drive that they need a paid subscription on every 2018 and newer Toyota model to use the function.

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After teasing, delaying and just generally riling up retro gamers, Analogue’s Pocket is almost here. Engadget’s James Trew — one of those aforementioned riled-up types — is currently testing one out. So while he racks up enough hours of play for a full review, we get a few first impressions. Tetris, the Game Boy OG, is pretty much exactly how you remember it, with the original pixel grid, motion blur and even the sound. There’s even a link port for some very old-school multiplayer. 

Analogue has announced that orders for the Pocket open again today. If you want this surprisingly authentic taste of handheld gaming’s past, it’ll set you back $220. 

— Mat Smith

Apple’s Tracker Detect app will help protect Android users from AirTag stalkers

No Apple account needed.

Apple has released Tracker Detect, an Android app to help you if you don’t have an iOS device to find out if someone is using an AirTag or other Find My-compatible device to snoop on your location. When the app finds a nearby AirTag, it flags it as an Unknown AirTag. If it follows you for 10 minutes, you can use the app to tell the tracker to play a sound, making it easier to find. You can tap the device with your NFC-compatible phone for instructions on how to disable it.

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Dremel announces its first smart tool

Naturally, it has Bluetooth.

Dremel

Dremel is the standard when it comes to rotary tools and the new 8260 features firsts for the company. Not only does it feature a Bluetooth connection, it’s got a more powerful brushless motor. The former means it can connect to Dremel's mobile app, which has an interactive guide that tells you what accessory and RPM you need to use to cut through specific materials.

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Universal Music is bringing Rihanna and Migos into the metaverse

Oh and there are NFTs.

Universal Music Group is working with avatar company Genies to create digital versions of its artists, as well as non-fungible token (NFT) outfits and accessories, for use in virtual worlds. In the coming months, through an NFT marketplace run by Genies, fans will be able to buy and sell virtual merchandise. Universal Music is fascinated by NFTs. Last month, it announced a virtual band comprising four characters from the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection.

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Square Enix’s ‘Forspoken’ mixes magical parkour with an unforgiving world

And magical nail art upgrades.

Square Enix

Judging by all the teaser videos released so far, Forspoken is promising a swathe of visually stunning elemental spells and a hero that can dash, glide and traverse a fantasy world quicker than any Assassin’s Creed protagonist. It’s from an entirely new game studio — under Square Enix’s wing — running on a proprietary games engine. While we didn’t get to play it, we do have a better idea of exactly how Forspoken will play.

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Sony will begin selling official $55 PlayStation 5 covers next month

Matching DualSense wireless controllers are coming, too.

Sony

After shutting down third-party PS5 console covers with legal threats, Sony has launched its own official $55 PlayStation five colors. And they’re pretty bright! And 55 bucks!

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MGM lets potential employees try out jobs in VR

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Nike acquires virtual sneakers and crypto-collectibles startup RTFKT

Apple delays macOS Universal Control until spring 2022