TikTok will allow users to create and customize animated avatars to star in their videos. The feature, officially called TikTok Avatars, is a lot like Snapchat’s Bitmoji or Apple’s Memoji characters.

Users can customize the look of their avatar by changing its appearance, clothing and other characteristics like piercings and hair texture. The app will have ready-made templates that can be tweaked, or you can start from scratch to create a completely unique avatar. Once the avatar is created, TikTokers can use the character in their videos, with the ability to add different voice effects or animated “reactions.” And, similar to Apple’s Memoji, users can record videos in which their avatar mirrors their own facial expressions and gestures.

TikTok Avatars was first spotted back in February, though the company hadn’t confirmed its existence until now. Though the company is hardly the first to experiment with animated representations of its users, the addition is likely to raise questions about whether TikTok is eyeing a potential metaverse tie-in. For now, the company hasn’t commented on any metaverse plans, but TikTok says it plans to “continue exploring ways to bring Avatars into more TikTok experiences.”

You can get Anker's power banks, cables and other charging accessories for up to 40 percent off only for today at Amazon. The brand's pint-sized 30-watt Nano II charger that's powered by GaN technology, for instance, is currently listed for $23.80. That's the lowest price we've seen for the device, which typically sells for $30. Since it's powered by GaN technology that replaces silicon with gallium nitride, Anker was able to design the USB-C device to be as big as a phone charger even though it can also power laptops like the MacBook Air and tablets like the iPad Pro. 

If you're looking for something even cheaper, the Anker 20W Nano Pro charger is also available for $15. While that's only $5 off its original retail price, that's also an all-time low for the USB-C charging accessory. The "Glacier Blue" version of the Nano Pro can be used to charge phones like the iPhone and some tablets like the iPad mini. 

Anker is also selling its PowerCore bundle with a 20,000 mAh power bank and the PowerPort III Nano One charger, which is only one-inch thick but has a charging power of 18 watts, for $52.49 or $7.50 off its retail price. The package comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable and a carrying pouch, as well. Another deal worth checking out if you have Apple devices is for the Anker USB-C to Lightning cable package that's currently on sale for $24. That represents a 40 percent (or $16) in savings and is the lowest price we've seen for the pack of two cables, each with a length of 10 feet.

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Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, an event you should, out of principle, refuse to call Dub Dub, has kicked off. The show started with the customary lengthy keynote showing off all the new software and hardware Apple wants you to get excited about. Including the launch of Apple’s second-generation of homegrown silicon, the M2.

The M2 is very much an evolution of its immediate predecessor, designed to address some of the performance issues from the original vanilla M1. Memory bandwidth has been increased by half, and you can now spec the unit with up to 24GB “unified memory,” more than the maximum cap of 16GB on that first groundbreaking system-on-chip. Apple’s still sure it won’t be beaten on efficiency, claiming the M2 is 18 percent faster than the M1 while drawing the same amount of power.

— Daniel Cooper

The biggest stories you might have missed

• LastPass no longer requires a password to access your vault

• Sony and Honda want to make their EV partnership a standalone business

• Apple adds Undo Send and new dictation tools to Messages in iOS 16

• Apple's next-gen CarPlay will better integrate with your car's infotainment system

• Google settles Photos facial recognition lawsuit for $100 million

MacBook Air M2 hands-on: Bye-bye wedge

New colors, and MagSafe is back!

Cherlynn Low

Of course, with a new chip should come new computers to sit around it, and Apple has finally redesigned the MacBook Air for the Apple Silicon age. Gone is that elongated wedge in favor of a more MacBook Pro-esque body, albeit even smaller. You’ll also get a full-size row of function keys this time around and a bigger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display that’s brighter than the previous model and has a webcam notch up top. Alas, it’s also $200 more than the M1 MacBook Air, but hopefully we’ll see plenty of retailer discounts in the coming weeks and months. You’ll also find the new M2 in an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro, but there’s no glossy redesign here to get all excited about.

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iOS 16 brings big updates to the lock screen

While iPadOS 16 gets overlapping windows.

Apple

Of course, the point of WWDC is to talk about software, and Apple had plenty to share about iOS and iPadOS 16. The biggest change for the former is a revamped lock screen that’ll give you a choice of fonts, accent colors and layouts for you to customize. You’ll be able to add widgets up front, too, enabling you to check vital data without unlocking your phone. (Sounds like the sort of thing that would be really useful if your phone had an always-on screen, too, doesn’t it?) iPadOS, meanwhile, will let you use overlapping windows just like a real computer, and Apple is even bringing the Weather app to the humble slate, just 12 years after the first model was released.

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macOS Ventura offers new tools for efficient multitasking

Is this the end of multiple-window syndrome?

Apple

The next version of macOS, meanwhile, is dubbed Ventura, and the headline feature is the ability to better sort and organize your open applications. Stage Manager will enable you to group windows to the side of your desktop, organizing them by app, letting you switch between each group in turn. You’ll also find incremental updates to Spotlight, gain the ability to search for text in photos and notice long-overdue refreshes to Safari and Mail. But the most exciting feature might be the ability to use your iPhone as a webcam, giving you one fewer excuse to hide your face during those interminable work Zoom calls.

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Elon Musk threatens to back out of Twitter deal over bot estimates

But it might not be that easy for Musk to back out.

Let’s be honest, who hasn’t publicly pledged to do something, made a big show and dance about following through, then got cold feet? It’s something Elon Musk might be feeling right now after he filed paperwork with the SEC to claim Twitter has committed a “material breach” of its deal terms. The Tesla CEO is claiming Twitter is refusing to disclose detailed data about the amount of fake, spam and bot accounts in its user figures. And that it has nothing to do with both Twitter and Tesla’s valuations dropping in recent months, making the deal a lot less enticing (for Musk) than it was when he started the process. For its part, Twitter says it has, and will, continue to share information with the billionaire, and that it fully intends to “close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms.”

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We got our first, camouflaged glimpse of Polestar's next EV back in December. We'll have to wait until October, however, to see the rest. The company announced on Tuesday that it will officially reveal the Polestar 3 later this fall.

This EV SUV is not only Polestar's first SUV, it's also the company's first vehicle to be produced (at least partially) in the US. What's more, it will be the first of three new models debuting over the next few years as Polestar seeks to put its vehicles in 30 markets by the end of 2023. 

Like the Polestar 2, the 3 will offer 4WD thanks to its dual-motor drivetrain and a 600 km (372 mi) range. It will be built in the US and China, according to the company, with orders opening the same day as the October premiere. There's no word yet on pricing, though production is slated to begin in early 2023.

Europe has reached a deal to make USB-C a common charger for all phones and electronic devices, with the aim to reduce e-waste and inconvenience with incompatible chargers. "Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charging device and cable every time they purchase a new device, and can use one single charger for all of their small and medium-sized portable electronic devices," the European Parliament said in a press release. 

Buyers will also be able to choose whether they want to purchase new electronic equipment with or without a charger. "These new obligations will lead to more re-use of chargers and will help consumers save up to 250 million euro a year on unnecessary charger purchases," the EU wrote. 

Manufacturers have until autumn 2024 to implement the new rule, which covers "mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers." They'll have a bit longer to adapt the rule for laptops, up to 40 months after the rule goes into effect. 

The EU has worked with the industry to reduce the number of mobile phone chargers from 30 to 3 over the last decade, it said last year. The biggest odd one out is Apple's Lightning iPhone port that's used by around 20 percent of devices sold in Europe. Apple has yet to respond to the legislation, but in 2020, said that the push for a universal phone charger would "stifle innovation." 

Another issue that's not completely clear is how the EU wants manufacturers to handle different standards like DisplayPort for video. As for power delivery (PD), the EU simply said that "consumers will be provided with clear information on the charging characteristics of new devices, making it easier for them to see whether their existing chargers are compatible." USB-C version 2.1 supports up to 240 watts of power delivery, up from 100 watts, but there's no clear way to identify how much power a given cable can support. 

The EU throws away 12,000 tons of chargers each year, many unused, according to Bloomberg. At the same time, consumers spend around 2.4 billion euros ($2.8 billion) on standalone chargers not included with devices. The new rules require formal approval the EU's Parliament and Council, which won't take place until after the summer recess. It'll enter into force 20 days after it's published in the EU Official Journal. 

Yesterday at WWDC 2022, Apple discussed how iOS 16 would improve the gaming experience with updated Metal 3 graphics, Game Center improvements and more. Now, it looks like iOS 16 will offer support for more third-party gaming controllers as well, most notably Nintendo's Joy-Con and Pro controllers, 9to5Mac has reported. 

Developer Riley Testut found that he could play games with Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and Pro controllers on iPhones and iPads with the latest iOS 16 beta release. The update also supports the 8Bitdo, BADA MOGA XP5-X Plus and Logitech F710 Gamepad controllers, according to the internal code spotted by 9to5Mac. 

iOS 16 lets you pair the Joy-Cons as one controller or separately, and you can customize the controls in the Bluetooth settings. You can even dynamically switch between using both Joy-Cons as a single controller or two separate controllers by pressing and holding the screenshot and home buttons. "Apple seriously killed it with this implementation," said Testut. (In a reply to his tweet, another user noted that Apple apparently initiated support for Switch Pro controllers last year with macOS 12.)

It looks like Apple will be able to add support for more controllers without the need to ship a new iOS version, using something called "mobile assets." That's similar to another new feature that allows Apple to automatically issue security updates in between iOS releases. 

Beeline's original Velo brought an interesting twist to bike computers with a simple interface and single arrow guidance designed to help you discover your environment. The company has now launched its second model, the Velo 2, that keeps the spirit of the original while introducing a number of key new features like a bigger screen, all-new interface and app-based route planner.

The new model has a 32mm 200x200 TFT LCD screen that's larger than the original to accommodate the extra information displayed. Instead of the original strap, it uses a quarter lock universal mount and is waterproof and shock proof. The battery is charged by a USB-C port and lasts 10+ hours, and you can change settings (even with gloves) using the rocker top mechanism. 

Beeline

Where the original Velo worked more like a compass than a regular GPS, the new model has an all-new turn-by-turn interface that's more like a vehicle heads-up display. To use it, you just type in your desired destination into the Beeline app, and you'll get three options: a fast route, a quiet route or a balanced blend of the two. It then displays turn directions and road details and the direction of your destination. In addition, you can pick your own route using the original model's as-the-crow-flies Compass Mode navigation. 

It offers other display modes showing speed, an odometer, a clock and ETA, and keeps stats of your rides, so you can see your average speeds and other details. Beeline also gathers data and ratings from riders to find the best possible routes, while offering worldwide mapping and navigation via OpenStreetMap. 

Beeline originally launched the Velo 2 on Kickstarter and has so far raised over $400,000 from 5,000 backers. It's now available at Beeline's store for £80 in the UK or $103 in the US. 

When iOS 16 arrives, iPhone owners won't have to deal with full software installs for the latest security patches. Apple is launching a new feature with the mobile OS called Rapid Security Response, which enables the company to automatically apply security fixes to users' devices in between its standard software updates. It's one of the security features the tech giant has announced at WWDC this year, along with Safety Check that gives users a quick way to see which contacts have access to their location and calendar info. Safety Check will also show them the permissions used by every app on their device. 

As MacRumors notes, iOS 16 will add a new section under Automatic Updates in Settings called "Install System and Data Files." When toggled on, users can get software fixes that aren't tied with full updates, installed automatically and without them having to restart their phones or lift a finger altogether. It's switched on by default upon upgrading to the new OS, so those who don't want automatic installs will have to remember to toggle it off.

Apple's iOS 16 brings a bunch of other new features to iPhones, including a more customizable lock screen, the ability to edit texts and the ability to use Face ID even when the device is in landscape mode. The public beta of the mobile platform will come out in July, though it'll no longer support the iPhone 6S, 7 and the first-gen SE.

Follow all of the news from WWDC right here!

Bioware's quality assurance testers working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf have voted to form the first unionized workplace for the video game industry in Canada. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 applied to become the certified bargaining agent for Keywords Studios, the contracting company through which the testers are employed, back in April. Now, Kotaku says the election has resulted in a 16-0 vote in favor of unionization. Before working on the fourth major game in the Dragon Age franchise, they also supported the development of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and Legacy of the Sith, an expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The testers, who work out of BioWare's Edmonton office, started organizing after Keywords Studios announced that they'll be required to return to office, whereas direct BioWare employees were give more options. Keywords took back its return-to-office order, but the testers told Kotaku that they're working to prevent it from being reinstated and to get the company to increase their pay. At the moment, their base pay is around US$13 an hour, roughly equivalent to the area's minimum wage. They argued that the amount they're being paid isn't commensurate with the skills needed for the job and that BioWare employees doing the same work are being paid a lot more.

The union that's now representing the workers are expected to bargain with the studio's bosses sometime this week. In an email the QA testers sent out, they wrote: "We are excited to move into bargaining with the employer and start towards a more equitable working situation."

In the US, QA workers at Activision Blizzard studio Raven Software voted to unionize last month. That came after they went on strike following layoffs that affected 12 testers and after the studio split the remaining workers among various departments, perhaps in an effort to make unionization efforts hard to organize. Xbox head Phil Spencer announced that Microsoft will recognize the union after the tech giant's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is complete.

Father's Day is right around the corner, so you might be sniffing around for the perfect gift for dear ol' dad. If he likes fiddling around the kitchen, then consider giving him a sous vide machine, which helps ensure the perfect medium-rare steak or chicken breasts that are never dry or overcooked. Sous vide machines can be pretty pricey, but thankfully the Anova Precision Cooker is on sale right now; it has dropped to a new price of $139 from its original $220. 

Cooking via sous vide really just means cooking foods in a water bath. You'd typically place food inside a sealed bag and submerge it in a water-filled vessel. A sous vide machine attached to it essentially regulates the temperature of the water so that the food is cooked low and slow to the desired doneness. 

Anova's Precision Cooker lets you do that easily right out of the box thanks to its on-board controls. It also has WiFi so you can connect it to Anova's companion app, which comes with a plethora of recipes and a handy tutorial in case you need some guidance. 

The Precision Cooker is usually pricier than the Nano, which is what we normally recommend, but it does have a few advantages. It has an adjustable clamp compared to a fixed-position model, and it can fit on thicker vessels (up to 1.2 inches). Plus, it has 1,000 watts instead of the Nano's 750 watts, which means it can heat the water faster as well. Since this deal drops the price of the Precision Cooker down to nearly the same price as the Nano, we think it's absolutely worth the upgrade. 

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