NVIDIA's GPU Technology Conference goes down this month and the company has revealed when CEO Jensen Huang's keynote will take place. You'll be able to watch it on NVIDIA's website at 11AM ET on September 20th. The keynote will kick off with a GeForce Beyond special broadcast, which will also stream on Twitch and YouTube.

The company says the event will include "the latest breakthroughs in gaming, creating and graphics technology." NVIDIA is expected to reveal its RTX 40-series graphics cards during the broadcast — an image the company shared to promote the event includes the GeForce RTX Logo. NVIDIA previously said it would release its first Ampere Next-based GPUs this year. Those will supplant graphics cards with the current Ampere architecture.

It remains to be seen just how well the RTX 40-series cards will perform. In the meantime, the 30-series GPUs are finally readily available after the cryptocurrency market cratered.

Paramount has announced a new scripted Star Trek podcast detailing the exploits of arch-villain Khan Noonien Singh. Star Trek: Khan - Ceti Alpha V will cover the period of time after Khan and his cohort of genetically-engineered villains were exiled during the classic episode Space Seed and before Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. More importantly, the long-mooted miniseries will be written and directed by Trek auteur Nicholas Meyer.

To Trek fans, there are few creative figures who deserve more swooning adoration than Meyer. The writer-director made The Wrath of Khan, the movie that ostensibly saved the series from obscurity. He would go on to co-write The Voyage Home and helm The Undiscovered Country — three of the best Star Trek movies ever made. In fact, one esteemed Trek scholar even said that to make great Star Trek you need to do two things: Hire Nicholas Meyer, then cut his budget in half.

Alex Kurtzman gave praise to Meyer, saying that “Nick made the definitive Trek movie when he made Wrath, and we’ve all been standing in its shadow since.” He added that Meyer has “come up with something as surprising, gripping and emotional as the original, and it’s a real honor to be able to let him tell the next chapter in this story exactly the way he wants to.”

When Star Trek’s revival began, Discovery’s original creator Bryan Fuller recruited Meyer as a producer. Back in 2017, Meyer added that discussions had taken place for him to write a Khan mid-quel series covering his exile and bridging the gap between the classic series and the film. The series may or may not have been put on ice as a consequence of Paramount and CBS’ complex re-merger, and the fact it was only expected to be three episodes long.

Unfortunately there’s no solid details on who will star in the series (Ricardo Montalban passed away in 2009), and no word on a release date or runtime. But given that Paramount has a) Hired Nicholas Meyer and b) cut his budget by more than half, we should expect this podcast to be the greatest piece of Trek ever committed to audio.

Overwatch 2 is just a few weeks away and more details are trickling out about what to expect from the sequel. It’s been known for a while that there will be three new heroes at launch, the first fresh faces for the series in over two and a half years. But there will be significant changes to how Blizzard introduces new playable characters — you’ll need to unlock them through a battle pass.

“Addressing some incomplete info posted early about our Overwatch 2 Battle Pass — we'll be sharing all details ahead of launch, but want to confirm that new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass,” Overwatch commercial leader and vice-president Jon Spector wrote on Twitter. Blizzard plans to add three or four heroes every year on a seasonal basis after launch.

Spector was referring to details that someone apparently released too early about the battle pass. The leak also indicated that the next support hero will be named Kiriko. Per Reset Era, a description for the Watchpoint Pack, a bundle that includes access to Overwatch and a bunch of perks for the free-to-play sequel, noted that those who buy the premium version of the battle pass “automatically receive access to Overwatch’s latest hero Kiriko!” The description has since been edited to remove that information.

It’s not uncommon for free-to-play games to paywall new characters or at least not make them available immediately to everyone. Valorant and Apex Legends take that approach.

This is a major shift for Overwatch, though. Blizzard made every character available to all players at the same time in the original game. Players are free to swap characters mid-game to counter enemy compositions, something that isn’t possible in the likes of Apex and Valorant. New heroes tend to be overpowered at first as well. Newcomer Junker Queen has been a dominant presence in the Overwatch League in recent weeks for that very reason (the league moved to an early build of Overwatch 2 this season).

Gating new heroes behind battle pass progression means those who don’t have the time to grind to unlock them might quickly find themselves at a disadvantage. It's unclear whether players will be able to pay to level up the battle pass, as they can in the likes of Fortnite and Fall Guys, but it seems those who buy the premium battle pass will gain instant access to at least one of the fresh faces.

Blizzard will reveal more details about how the Overwatch 2 battle pass and character unlocks work in the coming weeks. The game will arrive and replace the current version of Overwatch entirely on October 4th.

Why screencap when you can simply share? Twitter Support announced on Thursday that its Android app will soon receive the same functionality that its iOS alternative already enjoys: the ability to share tweets directly on Instagram or Snapchat.

What's more, Twitter is adding LinkedIn direct sharing to both Android and iOS so your echo chamber will be able to bounce around through three separate social media silos. Twitter is also working to increase its cross-platform reach in India, where TechCrunch reports that the social media company is already testing out a "Share to Whatsapp" button for users in that market. 

Meta’s “Responsible Innovation Team,” a group meant to address “potential harms to society” caused by Facebook's products, is no more. The Wall Street Journal reports that the team was recently “disbanded” though “most” members will stay on with other teams at the company. A Meta spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal the company was “committed to the team’s goals,” but didn’t provide a reason for the change in strategy.

The Responsible Innovation team was first formed “several years ago,” according to a 2021 blog post written by Meta’s Margaret Stewart, the Facebook VP who oversaw the team. The team was made up of engineers as well as people with backgrounds in civil rights and ethics, and advised the company’s product teams on “potential harms across a broad spectrum of societal issues and dilemmas,” she wrote last year. Zvika Krieger, the Meta employee who led the team, departed earlier this year, according to The Journal. 

The Responsible Innovation team isn’t the only team to recently be reshuffled. Earlier this summer, Meta reorganized its entire AI team, which included folding the Responsible AI group into its Social Impact team. The company has also been looking to cut costs as its revenue shrinks for the first time in its history. Meta has also axed some projects in its Reality Labs division and slowed its hiring amid rumors of potential layoffs.

In what has become a much less shocking announcement in the automotive industry over the past few years, Jeep revealed on Thursday its plan to release four new EV models in the US and Europe by 2025 as the company seeks to "become the leading electrified SUV brand in the world." Furthermore, Jeep has set a goal for 50 percent of US sales and 100 percent of EU sales to be battery electrics (BEVs) by 2030.

Fiat Chrysler

The new model lineup expands upon the success of the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid and recently announced Grand Cherokee 4xe. They'll include a new Recon and Wagoneer, both of which were first unveiled during Thursday's livestream and will available in both North American and European markets, as well as an Avenger EV coming to Europe "early next year," per Jeep PR.

The Recon will make its public debut next year with production expected to begin in 2024. Reservations for that model open early 2023. The Wagoneer will be an entirely new take on a stalwart Jeep model with the company reportedly "targeting a range of 400 miles on a single charge, 600 hp and a 0-60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds." It too will be open for reservation early next year. Complimenting the Wagoneer's midsize bulk will be the compact Avenger SUV, though it won't be arriving stateside to start. Instead it'll be marketed to Europe and Asia, offering a targeted range of 400km. It will debut publicly in October and should hit dealer show floors by second quarter 2023.

Uber and Lyft say riders and drivers in New York are no longer required to wear masks. "With NYC's updated mask guidance for transportation, masks are now optional in Lyft rides," a Lyft spokesperson told Engadget. "We're in the process of updating the app to reflect this." Uber informed users of the policy change by email.

The move follows Governor Kathy Hochul's decision to lift a mask mandate for public transportation on Wednesday. New York City's Taxi & Limousine Commission also announced that face coverings were no longer mandatory in vehicles that it oversees, though it still strongly recommends wearing masks. Face coverings are no longer required on the subway either.

After a federal judge struck down a nationwide mask mandate for public transit in April, Uber and Lyft both dropped their mask requirements in the US. However, riders and drivers still needed to wear masks in some areas, including New York, depending on local regulations. (Engadget has also asked Lyft about its masking policy in New York.)

COVID-19 case numbers have been falling in NYC since a sixth wave hit the city in July, The New York Times notes. Although she removed the mask mandate, Hochul encouraged the state's residents to get a booster shot that targets the Omicron variant. The Food and Drug Administration authorized Omicron inoculations last month.

Google has announced a slew of Android updates that should make phones and tablets more useful for many people. One of the more notable changes is for Nearby Share, Google's version of Apple's AirDrop, which should make transferring files between your own Android devices a cinch. After you opt in to the self-share feature, your Android devices will automatically accept files from each other, even if the screen is off. So, you may soon no longer need to email a file from your phone to your tablet or Chromebook. The self-share option should be available in the next few weeks.

It's not clear when you'll be able to check out some of the other freshly announced features, which include more accessibility settings. Android has a feature called sound notifications that's designed to help those in the deaf and hard of hearing community. When the feature is enabled, it can listen for sounds like fire alarms, door knocks and running water, and alert the user to them with a visual notification or vibration on a phone or watch. Soon, users will be able to add custom sounds to their alert library. They'll be able to record audio from appliances and so forth, and receive notifications when their device hears that sound again.

Google TV now has a selection of movies with audio descriptions. You can find these through Google Assistant by saying “Search audio description movies.” Moreover, Google is adding a multi-pinning option to Meet video calls. This will enable users to pin feeds from, for instance, the speaker and a sign language interpreter — or maybe a friend to see their reaction to what's being said a little more clearly.

SharePlay-style options are coming to Meet as well. You'll be able to watch YouTube videos and play games with up to 100 friends and family members simultaneously. Google says this feature is rolling out to Android phones and tablets.

On top of those changes, you can expect updated Drive and Keep widgets, more Emoji Kitchen mashups on Gboard and a way to stuff more emoji into your messages with a tap (or, in other words, "emojify" whatever you're typing). On Wear OS devices, there will be a new Keep tile — with the option to dictate a note or checklist — while Snapchat's Bitmoji is coming to watch faces.

YouTube is already a key destination for folks who want to learn a skill or find out more about a topic. The platform will add more educational features, including a way for creators to offer structured video courses. As such, creators wouldn't need to direct their fans to other sites or apps (like Masterclass) where they sell those kinds of materials. YouTube would be able to take a cut of course sales too.

These courses are intended as "in-depth, structured learning experiences," according to YouTube. Creators will be able to charge for courses or offer them for free. Videos that are part of a paid course won't have any ads and can be played in the background (in other words, you can treat them like a premium podcast). Courses will initially be available in beta next year in the US and South Korea. YouTube plans to expand the feature to more countries at a later time.

To bolster educational content on the platform and perhaps help people taking a course test their knowledge, YouTube will also roll out a feature called Quizzes. Creators will be able to add a quiz to their community tab, where they can ask viewers about something they discussed in a video. A beta version of the feature will be available in the coming months, and all creators who have the community tab will be able to use Quizzes next year.

On top of those features, YouTube announced a new embedded player for education apps. The company says Player for Education omits potential distractions, including ads, recommendations and external links. It added that the player improves on the one used in Google Classroom to deliver "an even better YouTube experience." At the outset, US edtech companies such as EDpuzzle, Purdue University and Purdue Global will use the player.

Rivian and Mercedes-Benz are teaming up with the aim of building large electric vans more quickly. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a strategic partnership and set up a joint venture manufacturing company. They're hoping to use their shared resources to reduce costs and make electric vans more affordable while ramping up production.

The goal is to produce two vans on common assembly lines. One would be based on Mercedes‑Benz Vans' VAN.EA architecture. The other would center around Rivian's second-gen Rivian Light Van platform. The two sides will also look into "further options for increased synergies."

The companies aim to build the EVs in a new factory at an existing Mercedes-Benz site in central or eastern Europe, starting in a few years. The plan isn't set in stone, though, as Rivian and Mercedes-Benz haven't reached a binding agreement and they would need to clear regulatory hurdles.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Mercedes‑Benz on this project," Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said in a statement. "Mercedes‑Benz is one of the world’s best known and respected automotive companies, and we believe that together we will produce truly remarkable electric vans which will not only benefit our customers, but the planet.”

Both companies have already been working on electric vans, with Rivian having an agreement to build 100,000 of them for Amazon. However, Rivian has endured some turmoil in recent months. It's not building EVs quickly enough to meet demand. It recently laid off six percent of employees in order to funnel more resources into building vehicles. The company is setting up a second EV factory in Georgia, but production won't start there until 2024. Teaming up with Mercedes to create common production lines could help it to build electric vans faster.

From Mercedes' perspective, this is part of a broader strategy to accelerate the transition to electric vans. The company said it is revamping its European production setup and that, by the middle of this decade, all of its new vans will be entirely electric.