Uber might compensate for driver shortages by reviving an old feature. The New York Postreports Uber has lobbied the chief of New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission on the "potential" of dispatching the area's legendary yellow taxis. The details of the lobbying weren't revealed in the public disclosure, but the description suggested you would hail a taxi from the Uber app like you could in the company's earlier days.

We've asked Uber for comment, although it declined to speak to The Post. A TLC spokesperson shied away from discussing details, saying only that the Commission "meets frequently" with licensees to explore ideas and that it was focused on relief efforts for drivers struggling with taxi medallion debt.

Yellow cab hailing might seem an unusual choice for a company that has routinely clashed with the taxi industry and is frequently blamed for gutting NYC's cab demand. Uber would likely have to rethink its commissions to compensate taxi drivers who pay steep costs to operate in the city, and it could still face political opposition given its history.

Even so, it's easy to see why Uber might consider offering NYC taxis. The revival would increase the chances of passengers scoring some kind of ride through the Uber app, even if there aren't enough ridesharing drivers to go around. That could keep New Yorkers using the Uber app and increase the chances they'll use the company's more familiar options.

Don't worry if you've been tempted by the AirPods Max, but put off by that eye-watering initial price tag — they're a considerably better value right now. Amazon is running a sale for Apple's over-ear headphones that drops the price to $430, or a steep $120 lower than their official sticker. The discount applies regardless of color, too, so you can spring for blue, pink or any other shade.

While the AirPods Max are expensive, you also get a lot for your money. They deliver a balanced sound with an adaptive EQ (to optimize for your ear) and solid active noise cancellation. You can expect healthy battery life, convenient controls and tight integration with Apple devices — the usual setup and device switching headaches won't be an issue. They've become more valuable over time, too. Now that Apple Music offers spatial audio, you can immerse yourself in songs that take advantage of the all-enveloping sound stage.

Some familiar caveats still apply. You can buy competing headphones like Sony's WH-1000XM4 or Bose's 700 for less, and they may offer advantages in key areas. Their Apple-centric focus makes them less appealing if you prefer Android or Windows. And you can't listen to lossless Apple Music audio even when you're plugged in. With that said, the sale price makes the AirPods Max considerably easier to justify if you have an Apple device and enjoy the eye-catching design.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

Microsoft is trying to nudge more people toward newer Windows versions. As Thurottreports, Microsoft has warned that the OneDrive desktop app will stop syncing with personal Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 computers on March 1st, 2022. The software will no longer receive updates from January 1st onward. You can still use the web to manually transfer files, but that's clearly a hassle if you routinely access cloud files from an older PC.

Business customers won't have much of a reprieve, either. Microsoft is tying corporate OneDrive support to the Windows cycle for relevant machines. Windows 7 and 8.1 workplace users will have until January 10th, 2023 (the end of extended support for both platforms), while Windows 8 users are already out of luck.

The company wasn't shy about its reasoning. This will help "focus resources" on newer Windows platforms and technologies, according to OneDrive developers. In other words, Microsoft really wants you to upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11.

This isn't a completely unexpected move. Microsoft has long had trouble persuading some customers to upgrade to newer versions of Windows, to the point where companies and governments would rather pay for special support contracts than update. That hurts Microsoft's bottom line, of course, but it also poses security risks — WannaCry took advantage of organizations running outdated Windows versions. The new OneDrive policy may push some users to install newer Windows versions even if they're otherwise happy with an old operating system.

It's no secret that app data can reach investigators without much oversight, but you might be surprised at just who is buying that data. The Intercept and advocacy group Tech Inquiry have learned that the US Treasury Department recently bought sensitive app data from Babel Street, the same firm that handed info to the Secret Service and other agencies. The department spent over $300,000 on two contracts in the past four months to collect data for the sake of investigations.

One contract, made official in July 2021, gave Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) investigators access to mobile app location data from Babel Street's Locate X tool. The info will help OFAC target people and enforce international sanctions, according to the contract. As you might expect, there's a concern the office is effectively circumventing Fourth Amendment search restrictions. The data is technically anonymous, but it's relatively easy for an investigator to link data to individuals.

The other contract, from September 2021, gives the Internal Revenue Service a tool that scrapes information from "public digital media records." The software will theoretically help the IRS catch tax evaders through online activity like social media posts and forum conversations. While it's legal to view that content, the Treasury wants Babel Street to provide "available bio-metric [sic] data" like addresses and marital status that may create a detailed profile.

The concern isn't just that the Treasury might be circumventing the Fourth Amendment by obtaining some data (particularly locations) without a warrant. This also represents an expansion of "invasive surveillance," Tech Inquiry founder Jack Poulson told The Intercept. Rather than scaling back its efforts, the US government is stepping things up.

We've asked the Treasury for comment. There's no guarantee it will back off. With that said, Senator Ron Wyden and others are pushing legislation that would require a court order for these data purchases. If bills like The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act ever become law, the government would at least need to pass a basic legal test to buy this sensitive material — even if officials wouldn't require your knowledge.

Did you buy a Google Pixel 6 hoping that (optional) 30W charger would top up your phone in a hurry? You might need to temper your expectations. Android Authoritytests suggest the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro doesn't come close to hitting that 30W ceiling. In practice, the charger topped out at 22W — not much better than the 18W charger from the Pixel 5.

The phones appear to meet Google's claims of reaching a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. Charging tapers off very quickly after that, though, and the phone drops from the newer USB Power Delivery PPS charging standard to the old PD 2.0 specification once the battery reaches 75 percent. You don't save much time with the 30W brick, with the largest savings at the 50 percent mark (31 minutes versus 40).

Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra pulls more overall power through the same charger, tapers off less aggressively and keeps using the newer charging standard the entire time, according to the test results. While the S21 Ultra's battery does get hotter, it's still relatively cool.

We've asked Google for comment. AA believed the issue might be software-related, as the charging algorithm appeared to be "virtually identical" to that of the Pixel 5. It's also important to stress that Google's marketers don't promise 30W charging, just the half-hour quick charge. That's not what a 30W charger implies, however, and the familiar charging profile hints the Pixel 6 might need a software update to reach its full potential.

Samsung might just revive the S-Pen with the Galaxy S22 Ultra after all. Front Page Tech has obtained photos of what it claims are the first live photos of the (apparently finished) S22 Ultra, and it's effectively the new Galaxy Note. There's an S-Pen, a slot to hold the stylus and even a less-rounded design reminiscent of Notes past.

Unlike previous 3D renders, however, there's no P-shaped camera hump. Samsung reportedly needed a thicker design to accommodate the S-Pen, allowing lenses that are far more flush with the body. You might have to forego significant camera upgrades, though. The S22 Ultra will supposedly still revolve around a 108MP main sensor joined by a 12MP ultra-wide shooter, a 10MP 3X telephoto cam and a 10MP 10X telephoto.

Front Page Tech

Separately, FPT's Jon Prosser claimed Samsung would take pre-orders for the Galaxy S22 family on February 8th ahead of a February 18th release. We'd treat those dates as tentative no matter how reliable they are (the timing could easily change at this stage), but they hint the S21's January debut was more of a one-off than the start of a trend.

If the leak is accurate, it helps explain Samsung's decision to skip a Galaxy Note update in 2021. The company wasn't so much 'killing' the Note as moving it into the Galaxy S line. The company may reserve its summer phone launches for foldables like the Z Fold 3. While that may be a hassle if you've been patiently waiting for a new Note, it beats having to either give up built-in S-Pen functionality or settling for a "good enough" optional equipment.

Netflix is finally dribbling out more tangible details of Stranger Things season 4's plot. The streaming service has released a new teaser showing what life is like for Eleven and Will now that they've relocated from Indiana to California. As you might guess, life isn't quite so peachy despite all the sunshine — what promises to be a wonderful spring break invariably leads to mysteries and plenty of run-ins with dodgy government forces, including the occasional explosion.

Only pieces of the story have been available so far. Netflix has touched on the ostensibly haunted Creel House, a possibly giant monster, Hopper's stint in Russia and the return of Dr. Brenner. Eleven may have to confront her past life in the new season. There still isn't a full trailer, though.

Netflix has only committed to debuting Stranger Things season 4 sometime in 2022. That's expected given the long development process and the challenges of filming during the pandemic. All the same, it's easy to imagine fans getting frustrated as they wait for a solid premiere date.

SpaceX's Crew-2 mission is ready to come back after half a year at the International Space Station. NASA has confirmed that Crew-2 will return starting November 7th at 11:10AM Eastern, when astronauts close the Endeavour capsule's hatch. The vehicle undocks at 1:05PM, and should splash down on November 8th around 7:14AM Eastern. You can watch live coverage starting November 7th at 10:45AM through NASA's YouTube channel, below.

Astronauts Akihiko Hoshide (JAXA), Thomas Pesquet (ESA), Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur (both from NASA) will have spent 199 days aboard the ISS, and will be coming back with both hardware and science experiments. Crew-2 has been a crucial mission for SpaceX on multiple fronts. It's not just additional proof that private spacecraft are a viable option for NASA operations — Endeavour is SpaceX's first reused Crew Dragon capsule. If all goes well, the company will have lowered the practical costs for ferrying people to space in the post-Space Shuttle era.

The ISS will be crowded for a little while. NASA and SpaceX currently expect to launch Crew-3 on November 3rd and dock that same day. Not that either outfit necessarily minds. The third ISS trip marks the start of a routine where NASA-oriented Crew Dragon flights are no longer rare. This is, effectively, the new normal.

Apple might loosen its mask requirements at some stores after months of taking a cautious approach. Bloombergclaimed to have an Apple memo outlining plans to lift mask requirements at more than 100 of the iPhone maker's roughly 270 US stores. The policy will reportedly apply to stores in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey and New York before spreading to other states and shops. Apple has declined to comment.

The company is lifting the requirements due to declining COVID-19 case numbers and improving vaccination rates, according to the memo. The policy will apply regardless of a customer's vaccination status, although retail staff will still have to wear masks due to longer interactions and closer contact. Stores will still require masks for everyone in areas where the local government demands the safety measure, such as in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The company has frequently changed its retail policies as the pandemic has evolved. It has closed and reopened stores based on case levels, for instance. It scrapped the mask requirement in many US stores in June only to bring them back a month later.

Provided the leak is accurate, it's far too soon to say whether or not this policy shift will stick. The pandemic hasn't been entirely predictable, to put it mildly. However, a change in mask requirements would certainly reflect Apple's hopes of returning to pre-pandemic conditions as soon as possible, both in stores and in the office.

Wouldn't it be better if your car could recommend service based on when you're likely to need it, not just a fixed schedule? It just might. Porsche is developing a "digital twin" (that is, a virtual copy) that helps predict service requirements based on driving styles. Algorithms can parse a combination of sensor data and "big data" to recommend service based on your driving style. You may need early work on your suspension if you take your car to the track, or the engine if you have a long highway commute.

The system can even anticipate faults before they happen. That will please mechanics, of course, but it could also keep you safe (and spare you additional repair costs) by scheduling maintenance long before there's a crisis.

Porsche doesn't officially launch its first digital twin until 2022, and then only using sensor data. Field testing is already underway however — about half of Taycan owners have volunteered for a pilot that anonymously monitors the EV's air suspension for body acceleration. If the car ventures past certain thresholds, the vehicle tells the driver they may need to visit a repair shop.

The twin system would let automakers ditch fixed maintenance schedules in favor of driver-specific recommendations. Porsche also envisions the algorithms helping even when your car is running flawlessly. You'd have a digital record that could both suggest an accurate selling price for a used car as well as greater transparency for would-be buyers. Car brands could even pitch extended warranties based on the status of your car. So long as companies take privacy into account, though, this could save you more than a little stress (and moments of sheer panic) on the road.