PayPal is continuing its push into buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services with the acquisition of Japanese company Paidy for 300 billion yen ($2.7 billion), Bloomberg has reported. That represents its second largest acquisition to date after the $4 billion dollar purchase of online coupon aggregator Honey. 

BNPL services let users divide purchases into multiple payments with paying any interest. Instead, PayPal and other providers make money by charging fees to merchants when a consumer buys a product, much as credit card providers do. PayPal's move follows Jack Dorsey's Square much larger acquisition of Australian BNPL firm AfterPay for $29 billion. 

Paidy differs from other BNPL firms in that it allows Japanese consumers to purchase items online and then pay them off in person at local convenience stores. PayPal doesn't currently offer a BNPL service in Japan, so the acquisition will help it break into that market. 

“Paidy pioneered buy-now-pay-later solutions tailored to the Japanese market,” said PayPal Japan chief Peter Kenevan. “Combining Paidy’s brand, capabilities and talented team with PayPal’s expertise, resources and global scale will create a strong foundation to accelerate our momentum in this strategically important market.”

WhatsApp has come under fire of late for its privacy policies, but an upcoming update will actually give you a bit more control over your privacy settings, according to WaBetaInfo.com.

Several years back, WhatsApp introduced new privacy settings that let you change who could see your Profile Picture, About and Last Seen settings. Each of those could be set to allow Everyone, My Contacts or Nobody to see them — not exactly a great level of control. In a new preview, however, WhatsApp introduced a new parameter for "Last Seen" called "My Contacts Except...", allowing you to block specific contacts if you don't want them to see your Last Seen status. 

WaBetaInfo

WaBetaInfo has a screenshot taken from iOS as proof, thought it notes that the new feature should eventually appear on both iOS and Android. The parameters will also apply to the Profile Picture and About settings. According to the screenshot, if you block someone's Last Seen setting, you won't be able to see their Last Seen setting in return. 

The site notes that the feature is still under development, so it may either appear in a future release or be shelved, provided the post is accurate in the first place. It seems like a pretty logical setting, though, that probably should have been in there already. 

Despite its problems including inefficiency and pollution, Hyundai is betting big on hydrogen. The company has unveiled a new strategy called Hydrogen Vision 2040, including next-gen fuel cell technology and new concept vehicles include trucks, trailer drones and a 650 horsepower hybrid fuel-cell sports car developed in conjunction with its new partner, Rimac.

The most intriguing hydrogen product is the fuel cell Trailer Drone, a cab-less "hydrogen-powered container transportation system capable of operating fully autonomously," according to Hyundai. Powered by the modular fuel cell "e-Bogie" wheel sub-frame, it could travel up to 1,000 km on a tank of H2, "comparable to existing container transportation system." The trailer itself would contain the sensors and computers needed for autonomous driving. 

Hyundai

The e-Bogies could operate independently or be used in pairs to make up a Trailer Drone. Each bogie could turn independently, making the trailer more maneuverable than a normal semi on tight streets. They could also operate in platoons on the highway to boost efficiency. On arrival, the trailer could automatically unload itself by lifting onto legs, transformer style, while the e-Bogies drive away to the next task. The trailers could even be divided into three containers, making the majority of the trip connected then breaking away into independent e-Bogies to the final destination. 

Hyundai

The automaker is also interested in consumer tech, unveiling a 670 horsepower hydrogen plug-in hybrid sports car called the Vision FK concept developed in collaboration with Rimac. It's powered by Hyundai's next-gen fuel cell tech, mated to a large battery pack. As such, it could be plugged in for extra range or powered by hydrogen. Since a fuel cell could directly charge the battery (or powered the four independent motors), the operation would be a bit simpler than a gas-powered hybrid car. 

Hyundai said it would be able to go about 600 km (372 miles) on a charge, and be refueled again in just five minutes — not counting the battery recharge time. As it stands now, it's just a concept and Hyundai has no concrete plans to put it in production. 

Hyundai

Hyundai also unveiled its third-generation fuel cell stack technology, expected to arrive in 2023 and replace Hyundai's current Nexo fuel cell tech. They'll be available in a 100 kW unit that's 30 percent smaller than Hyundai's current 95 kW stack, and a 200 kW version similar in size to the current Nexo model but with more than double the output. 

The new fuel cells have a target life of 500,000 km (310,000 miles), up from 160,000 km for the current generation. Hyundai also expects the next-gen tech to cost around half of current fuel cells. They're also highly modular, meaning you can stack them to create "Power Unit Modules" with up to a megawatt of output "ideal for emergency power systems for large ships or IT companies," Hyundai said. Another "full-flat" system keeps the stack height under 10 inches for installation in the floor or ceiling of buses, trains or trams.

Hyundai

 One of the main problems with hydrogen power is the lack of infrastructure and Hyundai is addressing that with the H Moving Station concept. It's a heavy-duty vehicle designed to offer hydrogen refueling services in areas with limited infrastructure like rural areas or construction sites. It also unveiled the Rescue Hydrogen Generator Vehicle (RHGV). Rather than doling out hydrogen, it uses hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity for stranded EVs or to power homes in the event of an emergency outage. 

All of this looks promising, but there's a reason most manufacturers are moving toward battery-powered EVs and away from hydrogen. Hydrogen is a highly explosive fuel that needs to be stored at very high pressures (either 350 or 700 bar), making infrastructure expensive and complex. On top of that, most hydrogen used in the US is created by reforming methane using steam, a process that produces significant amounts of CO2 that contributes to global warming. It also doesn't reflect well on the technology that some its greatest support comes from the oil industry. 

After initially failing to capture a rock sample, NASA has confirmed that Perseverance succeeded in its second attempt. The space agency has verified that a pencil-width core of rust-colored rock is safely trapped in the rover's sample tube tube, ready to be processed and sent back to Earth, CNET has reported. 

After NASA initially thought it had nabbed the first sample last month, a subsequent check showed the sample tube empty. That created something of a mystery, with scientists wondering where the rock could have gone. Eventually, NASA determined that the particular sample it tried to collect was actually too powdery to be collected. "The hardware performed as commanded, but the rock did not cooperate this time," JPL engineers said at the time.

This time, NASA wasn't getting ahead of itself. While photos taken on September 1st shortly after the operation clearly showed rock in the collector, NASA wanted to be "extra certain" that it was successfully stored. Following an operation to percuss the drill bit (and ingest the sample), new images were taken, but the position of the sun made it difficult to see the rock. 

This Saturday, however, the sun cooperated and the sample inside is clearly visible. The images match earlier photos of a grind spot on a nearby sample section, revealing a rust-colored, possibly sedimentary rock that could show the presence of iron along with olivine and other minerals that may have precipitated from water, according to Arizona State University's Steven Ruff (via his YouTube channel Mars Guy). 

Now, Perseverance must process, seal and and eventually store the sample somewhere on the surface of Mars. It will then repeat the process and collect as many samples as possible, leaving them scattered about the surface. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) will send a Martian lander and sample collection rover to the same location near Jezero Crater to gather up those tubes and place them into a rocket bound for Earth. 

The only challenge is that said rover and rocket haven't been built yet and don't even have a finished design. However, the agencies involved plan to launch it to Mars by 2026, with arrival there by 2028. They don't expect to receive the samples until 2031, and suffice to say, all of those phases of the Perseverance project will be a huge challenge. 

Volkswagen has shown its closest look yet at the ID.Buzz minivan in the form of a self-driving prototype developed in collaboration with Argo AI, TechCrunch has reported. If you disregard the mild camouflage and lidar stack on top, you can finally get a good picture of how the production ID.Buzz, due to hit the US in 2023, will look. 

The electric minivan looks a bit more practical though less fun than the original concept. The rounded lines meant to evoke the classic '70s VW van have been squared off, and the bulgy fenders are considerably less so. It also appears, though it's hard to confirm with the camouflage, that VW has changed the concept's funky rear window configuration. Still, it does bear a resemblance, especially from the front-side angle where it looks the best. Seen with a driver, one also gets a sense of the ID.Buzz's relatively small size.

Volkswagen

As far as the autonomous tech goes, VW plans to use it in cities first as autonomous shuttles or for deliveries. Argo's AI system packs cameras, lidar modules, radar and an onboard computer to let it "see" up to 400 meters ahead for obstacles. 

Argo AI founder Bryan Salensky said that the system can navigate with or without GPS and can work without changes to roads and infrastructure. Its sensor array will allow it to "predict the actions of pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles, and direct the engine, braking and steering systems so that the vehicle moves safely and naturally," Argo said. 

VW

We have heard this tune before, though, and there are still no real self-driving cars plying city streets and highways. Volkswagen and Argo plan to test and commercially scale the fully-electric self-driving van over the next four years at Argo's development center near Munich, with plans to develop a fleet by 2025. Argo is also working with Ford and Lyft on a 1,000-vehicle self-driving network with tests planned for cities like Miami and Austin. 

Volkswagen has added another piece to its EV puzzle with the launch of the ID.Life concept, a front-wheel drive EV aimed at city-dwellers, the company announced at IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich. The small crossover shares the MEB platform and battery with the ID.3, and VW plans to launch it in Europe (not the US) by 2025. 

Volkswagen

The ID.Life is powered by a 231-horsepower motor and 57.0-kWh battery pack that's considerably larger than the 35-kWh battery on the Honda E city car. Like the rear-wheel-drive ID.3, also available only in Europe, it should go around 250 miles on a charge via Europe's generous WLTP cycle.

Like other EVs we're seeing in Munich, the ID.Life concept is meant to show how VW can create more sustainable vehicles. Wood chips are used as a natural coloring agent in the clear-coat paint, while the air chamber textile for the roof is made from 100 percent recycled PET bottles. Other materials include wood in the dashboard and ArtVelours Eco seats, along with natural rubber, bio-oil and rice husks in the tires.

Volkswagen

Taking advantage of the wide-open MEB platform, the interior can be transformed by folding down the front and/or the rear bench seats. "This enables a range of different possibilities, from cinema seating, to a bed measuring around two meters in length, to a cargo version that maximizes luggage volume," VW says.

The interior is stripped back, with a digital screen inserted into the hexagonal steering wheel in place of a traditional touchscreen display. Your smartphone can also be plugged in and used to operate the navigation, audio systems and more. It also has a built-in video game console and a projector, no less, with a projection screen that extends from the dash panel when needed. 

Volkswagen

Some, all or none of these eclectic concept features may come to the production car, which is set to arrive in Europe by 2025. Volkswagen suggested that it'll have a price starting at around 20,000 euros (about $23,700). With this EV, the ID.3 and others, it aims to increase its share of all-electric sales in Europe to "at least 70 percent" by 2030. In the US, it aims to have a 50 percent EV mix. 

Concept cars are often a way for automakers to present upcoming production vehicles, but at the IAA Mobility 2021 conference, BMW is taking a more eccentric path. The automaker's i Vision Circular EV hatch is a highly futuristic vehicle both inside and out, and a preview of BMW's dream of sustainable vehicles way ahead in the year 2040. 

The i Vision Circular is relatively small on the outside at 157 inches (smaller than a 2-series), but spacious inside thanks to the EV platform and a smaller and lighter solid state battery. The body looks relatively aerodynamic but has a blunt grill along with geometric edges and embedded shapes rather than rounded contours. The concept comes with a light gold anodized finish that shifts to a heat-treated blue toward the back.

BMW

More important is how it's built. BMW avoided using composite materials and bonded connections to make the EV easier to break down at the end of its life. Rather, it's built mostly with recycled aluminum and uses quick-release fasteners, press studs and cords so recyclers will be able to take it apart easily. As a result, the i Vision Circular is 100 percent recyclable, according to BMW. 

BMW

If you think the outside is far-fetched, wait until you get a load of the interior. The seats use a recycled, crushed-velvet like material with a pink-violet color and light mint green for the door panels and dash. Apart from the rear quarter panels, the cabin is nearly all glass including the highly sloped windshield and roof. 

That brings us to the V-shaped dashboard, which looks like someone splashed blue liquid metal onto it. In fact, it's a 3D-printed crystal sculpture that uses lighting to simulate the vehicle "thinking," according to BMW. Meanwhile, driver information appears on a heads-up display along the entire width of the windshield, while control comes via a pair of steering-wheel mounted touchpads with the same crystal appearance. Each seat has its own "dedicated sound zone" that allows passengers to listen to their own music — a techie, but rather antisocial touch. 

BMW

While the design is fairly bonkers, the i Vision Circular concept does offer some practical ideas. BMW aims to show how it can boost the amount of recycled materials in cars from 30 percent today to 50 percent and higher down the road. That's an application that might appear in the nearer future, even if the crystal interior is still a long way off. 

In 2019, Mercedes teamed up with Volvo automaker Geely to transform Smart into an EV-only brand with new vehicles to arrive in 2022. We're starting to see the fruits of this collaboration with the unveiling of Smart's "Concept #1" at the IAA Mobility 2021 motor show in Munich.

Smart

If you're familiar with Smart's tiny mobility vehicles, the first thing that stands out with the concept is its relatively large size. Designed by Mercedes, the four-seater has roughly the same dimensions (and kind of a similar look, to be honest) as Mini's largest vehicle, the Countryman. It also features smooth aerodynamic styling, a huge glass roof and a gold-tinted, tech-adorned interior that looks like it was designed by Chanel (it wasn't). 

Some other notable features include a rear scissor door that would allow for easy entry and makes for a cool look when all four doors are open. As they're highly impractical, don't expect to see them on a production version, though. It has a large, Telsa Model 3-like 12.8-inch touchscreen, 21-inch wheels and LED lightbars at the front and back. 

Smart

As for the EV aspect, it's built on Geely's Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) designed to be used across Geely's nine automotive brands, including Volvo, Polestar, Smart and Lotus. It should also support fast-charging tech and over-the-air updates.

And yes, Smart and its Daimler/Geely parents are planning to turn this concept into a production vehicle. The aim is to make multiple versions, including a long-range model, while offering the "highest level of dynamic handling" for enthusiasts. It will be made in China and go on sale there next year, but Smart has plans to bring it to Europe, as well. 

China's second largest e-commerce platform JD.com will stop selling up to 86 games following a crackdown on gaming that limits children to three hours per week, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) has reported. Popular titles being removed from its platform include FIFA 21, The Last of Us 2 and Super Mario Maker 2. 

Earlier this week, China's National Press and Publication Administration (NPAA) regulator issued an edict limiting gaming for kids under 18 to three hours of gaming per week. They're only allowed to play now for an hour every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on statutory holidays, marking some of the governments strictest measures since a blockade on new approvals back in 2018. 

The new rule has a few gaping holes, notably that officials won't be able to monitor unlicensed games not officially in the system. It's difficult to see how officials would monitor offline gameplay, as well. 

However, it's still a big shift in JD.com's strategy, as SCMP has noted. The company announced that it would ban any game that violates China's constitution or national security laws. That also includes games that might promote vulgarity, pornography, gambling and violence. (It's hard to see how some of those games like FIFA 21 and Super Mario Maker 2 violate those rules.)

Previously, JD.com allowed sales of certain games that straddled or crossed those lines, banning them only when they stirred up controversy. Other firms have sold banned games using code titles, changing the name of Resident Evil 2: Remake to First Day on the Job at the Police Station: Remake, for example. 

The new strategy may be due in to stepped up government enforcement, with Guangdong regional officials arresting 54 parallel importers in April and confiscating $11.9 million worth of smuggled consoles, according to the report.  

The wearable market as a whole grew 5.6 percent last quarter, largely due to sales of smartwatches at the expense of basic bands, according to research firm Canalys. The boost was driven by Apple, which continues to dominate the market with its Watch models. 

As Canalys noted, smartwatch sales took over from basic bands (sports bands, etc.) back in Q4 2020 and now account for 62 percent of all wearable band shipments. Apple now accounts for 31.1 percent of the smartwatch market and 19.3 percent of the wearable band market overall, second only to Xiaomi in number of shipments.

Engadget

Samsung also notably grew by 114 percent in terms of smartwatch shipments year-over-year, and could see further success with its latest Galaxy Watch 4 now powered by Wear OS 3, jointly developed with Google. Fitbit also saw a 20.6 percent boost in smartwatches over sales this time last year, powered by its Versa 2 and Sense models. 

In the basic band arena, Xiaomi now leads the way in sales with a 19.6 percent share — just ahead of Apple — led by its Mi Smart Band 5 and 6 models. However, those products are significantly cheaper with retail prices of around $35 and $55, respectively. 

Overall, consumers are most interested their health regardless of the product category. "Health tracking is the most prominent use case for smartwatches," said Jason Low from Canalys. "The ability to deliver cutting-edge health-tracking features and to offer users meaningful data and actionable health insights will set winners and losers apart."