In case you didn't know, Google Assistant devices like the Nest Hub can play white noise ambient sound to help you or your young ones get to sleep. However, multiple users have noticed that Google recently changed that to something that loops more frequently and has a muffled sound, according to 9to5Google. As a result, they and their infants and toddlers are apparently losing sleep over it.

"White noise" is among the 14 ambient noises available from Google Assistant, along with "babbling brook," "fireplace," "ocean" and others. You can play them for up to 12 hours if not disabled by a sleep timer, and the 2nd-gen Nest Hub has an "auto-off" feature that turns off the sound once you fall asleep.

Previously, it looped the White Noise sound every hour, but now the sound is repeated every 10 minutes, something users find annoying and repetitive. On top of that, the previously crisp sound file is now apparently "muffled" and quieter than before. "It's a different pitch, almost muffled," said one user. "Very annoying you have to set the volume to 70 percent," another noted. 

There are at least 100 complaints along the same lines, with many people saying they use the white noise to get their babies or toddlers to sleep. "I play it every night for my toddler and she's really upset about this change," said one. "Please, let there be a way to get the older version back so we can maintain our sleep schedule and sanity!"

Google may have changed the file to reduce data usage, as one Redditor said that his Mini used about 4GB of data every night just playing Google's ambient noises. Another acknowledged that this is a "first world problem," but it goes to show how tiny changes in widely used technology can cause unintended problems. If you use the old sound and miss it, another Reddit user has uploaded the original to Google Drive, so you could in theory download it and cast to YouTube Music. 

Governments are paying more attention to the rise and rise of cryptocurrencies – and their tax implications – whether it’s the major players like Bitcoin and Ethereum or newcomers looking to pick up users, investors and headlines.

In Spain, influencers and other advertisers with more than 100,000 followers will soon have to notify the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) at least 10 days before plugging crypto assets. They'll face fines of up to €300,000 (around $342,000) for breaching the rules.

And it’s already happening. Some influencers who have plugged crypto-assets and related products have found themselves in hot water. In July 2021, French authorities fined a reality TV star €20,000 ($22,800) for “misleading commercial practices” over a Bitcoin trading site ad on Snapchat. More recently, Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather were named defendants in a class-action lawsuit that accuses them of taking part in a "pump and dump" scheme earlier this month.

— Mat Smith

Apple may have dropped built-in noise cancellation on the iPhone 13

It's been a long-running accessibility feature on past iPhones.

Engadget

Apple's Noise Cancellation accessibility feature has been a staple on past iPhones but may have been permanently removed from the iPhone 13 series. The feature "reduces ambient noise on phone calls when you are holding the receiver to your ear," a feature that can help make calls easier to hear.

"Phone Noise Cancellation is not available on iPhone 13 models, which is why you do not see this option in [the Accessibility] settings," Apple support told one of 9to5Mac's readers. When the reader asked for clarification, the support team confirmed the feature is "not supported."

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Even Walmart might be getting into cryptocurrency and NFTs

Patents have been filed.

CNBC is reporting that Walmart filed several trademark applications with the US patent office in late December for selling virtual goods. Meanwhile, in another filing, it said it would provide cryptocurrency and NFTs. While the documents don't necessarily guarantee action, they’re surprisingly detailed.

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That time France tried to make decimal time a thing

Days were divided into ten parts.

pjjones via Getty Images

The French Revolution of 1789 set its sights on more than simply toppling the monarchy. Revolutionaries sought to break the nation free of its past, reframing how time itself was measured. In short, it tried to make decimal time happen. Senior Editor Andrew Tarantola explains the attempt.

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Samsung's new mobile processor uses an AMD ray-tracing GPU

It's likely to appear in the upcoming Galaxy S22.

Samsung’s first mobile processor with an AMD RDNA 2-powered GPU will allow ray-tracing and other gaming features. The system-on-chip (SoC) will likely appear in Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S22, rumored to be launching at an Unpacked event on February 8th.

AMD and Samsung announced a collaboration back in 2019, with the expectation that AMD's graphics tech would be used in Exynos smartphone processors. Rumors early last year suggested that AMD-powered Samsung processors were coming soon, and at Computex, AMD subsequently confirmed an upcoming Exynos mobile system-on-chip would feature its RDNA 2 graphics tech.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Awesome Games Done Quick raised a record $3.4 million for charity

US airlines warn C-Band 5G could cause 'catastrophic disruption'

Samsung's 14-inch Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra may offer equally massive specs

The next iPad Pro will reportedly offer MagSafe charging and a 'brand new chip'

If you want a Garmin that screams "adventure" the Fenix line is the one to go for. The premium range of multi-sport GPS watches has come a long way over the last 10 years, and the new 7-series adds a few new tricks. 

Most notably, Fenix 7 line will now include touchscreens. It might seem something of an odd omission thus far, but the great outdoors tends to mean gloves, sweat, motion and the elements — all of which can play havoc with a touchscreen. As such, it'll be interesting to see how responsive it is under active conditions. Although other Garmin watches, like the Venu and vivoactive lines, have had touchscreens for a while so this isn't a first for the company by any stretch, but a new addition to the Fenix line.

Another addition includes a new multi-LED flashlight. Handy for those camping trips or early morning/late night runs. Not only is it a general-purpose light, but it can also alternate between red and white as you run, matching your personal cadence, so traffic or cyclists can be alerted to your presence (and direction).

As usual, the Fenix comes in three models/sizes: the 7S/7 and premium 7X which measure 42, 47 and 51 mm across respectively. All have solar-charging options and Garmin claims the new casing includes a larger screen surface area which could see solar gains doubling over the Fenix 6 line. This potentially puts the total time between charges (without using GPS) at up to five weeks, which is pretty impressive for a smartwatch of this size.

Beyond the hardware changes on the Fenix, there are some new advanced training modes too. These include Real-Time Stamina, Visual Race Predictor, Recovery Time Advison and Daily Workout Suggestions. These features join the already extensive offering of topo-maps, golf courses and surf/snow features that lie hidden within the Fenix's extensive sporting options.

All the models and varieties in the Fenix 7 line are available as of today, starting at $700. 

Logitech has launched a new stylus called the Logitech Pen designed specifically with K-12 students in mind. It will work with touchscreen Chromebooks that support the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) standard and is Works with Chromebooks certified. Google backed the initiative in 2018 and joined other supporters like Intel and Lenovo in their quest to create an open active stylus standard, and a bunch of manufacturers has released USI-compatible Chromebooks over the years since then. 

The Logitech Pen works with various models across brands, namely Lenovo, Acer, HP, Asus and Samsung. Michele Hermann, Vice President of Mobility and Head of Education Solutions at Logitech, said in a statement: "Given that students and educators are increasingly using Chromebooks as an everyday tool in schools and at home, we created the Logitech Pen to unlock the full potential of Chromebooks in the classroom."

The Logitech Pen has a silicone grip, non-slip design and comes in a size that even children can hold comfortably. Its active tip features 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity — that's the same pressure levels as the Surface Slim Pen 2 — and can simulate writing on paper more closely than a stylus with a rubber tip or a finger can. As per the standard, the Logitech Pen doesn't need to be paired beforehand, so students can just pick it up and use it. 

The Pen's battery can last for up to 15 days with regular school use and can be charged using a standard USB-C Charger. And, since it's designed for students, it's also spill-proof and has military-grade drop protection of up to four feet. It will be available this month from resellers in the United States and select markets for $65.

Late last year, Nintendo revealed that the Kingdom Hearts JRPG trilogy would be coming to the Nintendo Switch, with the caveat that they'd be cloud streaming titles only. Now, Square Enix has announced that the three games, Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts III will arrive to Switch via cloud on February 10th. 

That's essentially the entire series so far, covering Sora's journey up to the most recent chapter, Kingdom Hearts III. The series is one Square Enix's best-selling franchises of all time, particularly the original and Kingdom Hearts III titles. 

Because the Switch trilogy is a cloud version, you'll need a reasonably fast internet connection to have a decent experience. While a cloud release seems valid for the latest Kingdom Hearts III chapter release on the PlayStation 4, one has to wonder why the first two games couldn't have been remade to run directly on the Switch. After all, it can run Witcher 3 and the Assassin's Creed collection that's set to arrive on February 18th.   

By purchasing the all-in-one collection, you'll receive the Advent Red Keyblade for use in the Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind (DLC), Square Enix said. There will also be a Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary event in Tokyo, with a mini concert, Q&A with the development team, an exhibition and more. The collection is now available for pre-order. 

Samsung has revealed the Exynos 2200, its first mobile processor with an AMD RDNA 2-powered GPU that will allow ray-tracing and other gaming features. The system-on-chip (SoC) will likely feature in Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S22, rumored to be launching at an Unpacked event on February 8th. 

The Exynos 2200 with AMD's "Xclipse" GPU will be manufactured on Samsung's 4-nanometer EUV process. "Samsung’s Xclipse GPU is the first result of multiple planned generations of AMD RDNA graphics in Exynos SoCs,” said AMD Senior VP David Wang.

The CPU, meanwhile, will use one high-powered Cortex-X2 "flagship core" along with three performance and efficiency balanced Cortex-A710 big-cores and four power-efficient Cortex-A510 little-cores. The image processor is designed to support camera sensors up to 200 megapixels like the Isocell HP1 Samsung revealed last September. 

Evan Blass

AMD and Samsung announced a collaboration in 2019, with the expectation that AMD's graphics tech would be used in Exynos smartphone processors. Rumors early in 2021 suggested that AMD-powered Samsung processors were coming soon, and at Computex, AMD confirmed that an upcoming Exynos mobile system-on-chip would feature RDNA 2 graphics technology. 

The Exynos 2200 was supposed to be launched earlier, but Samsung mysteriously no-showed its own launch event originally scheduled for January 11th. Normally, Exynos processors are earmarked for regions outside North America, while the US gets Qualcomm's Snapdragon mobile processors. That would mean the you wouldn't see the AMD GPU and its ray tracing features stateside, but we'll have to wait for the Galaxy S22 launch to confirm that. 

Spain is establishing rules related to how influencers, their sponsors and others promote cryptocurrencies. Influencers and other advertisers with more than 100,000 followers in the country must notify the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) at least 10 days before plugging crypto assets. They'll face fines of up to €300,000 (around $342,000) for breaching the rules, which come into force on February 17th.

Influencers need to disclose if they receive payment for talking up cryptocurrencies. If that's the case, they'll need to provide clear and impartial warnings about the risks of crypto, including the fact that investments aren't regulated. The rules also cover companies that promote crypto assets, as well as PR companies they hire.

“If influencers weren’t covered there would be a backdoor to avoid regulation," CNMV chief Rodrigo Buenaventura told the Financial Times. "This is new terrain, for us and for them, and there will be moments of friction but that always happens when you bring in rules for something that wasn’t regulated before.”

It's believed to be the first time a European Union country has brought in such directives. EU members have yet to agree on how to regulate crypto across the bloc. In the meantime, Buenaventura notes, member states are tackling some crypto-related matters, including how they're advertised.

Some influencers who have plugged crypto assets and related products have found themselves in hot water. In July, French authorities fined a reality TV star €20,000 ($22,800) for “misleading commercial practices” over a Bitcoin trading site ad on Snapchat. Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather were this month named as defendants in a class-action lawsuit that accuses them of taking part in a "pump and dump" scheme.

The latest Awesome Games Done Quick speedrunning marathon is in the books. After another week of players showing off their skills and romping through games as quickly as possible, AGDQ 2022 raised $3,416,729 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. That's a record total for any Games Done Quick event in the organization's 12-year history.

According to GDQ's tracker, the highest donation was $236,656 and the median pledge was $25. AGDQ 2022 speedran to $1 million in donations, hitting that threshold faster than any previous GDQ event.

AGDQ once again took place as an online-only event amid COVID-19 concerns. Even though there wasn't an in-person audience to hype up the players, there were still some remarkable runs. For instance, a runner named Mitchriz used audio cues and a deep knowledge of the notoriously difficult Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to beat the game in two hours while blindfolded.

Runners broke some world records during the event too, including in Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Pumpkin Jack and Webbed. You can catch up on those runs, and everything else from AGDQ, on the Games Done Quick YouTube channel.

GDQ will next host an all-women speedrunning event called Frost Fatales, which takes place between February 27th and March 5th. As usual, you'll be able to watch it live on Twitch. Summer Games Done Quick will return later this year.

Since July, 37 Activision Blizzard employees have been fired or forced out and another 44 have been disciplined as the company attempts to address accusations of harassment and misconduct, a spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. In October, the company said more than 20 people had departed and at least another 20 had been disciplined.

The game publisher was supposed to share a summary of that information publicly before the holidays, according to the report. However, embattled CEO Bobby Kotick is said to have pulled the plug on that over concerns it would make Activision's woes seem even worse.

The spokesperson denied "the assertion regarding Mr. Kotick," as well as claims that employees had filed around 700 reports of misconduct and other issues since July, when Activision was sued by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). The agency alleged the company fostered a "frat boy" culture where discrimination and sexual harassment were rife.

Former Blizzard president J. Allen Brack, who was accused in the DFEH suit of taking "no effective remedial measures" to mitigate sexual harassment, left the company soon after the filing. Activision Blizzard's top HR executive Jesse Meschuk has departed, as have Diablo 4 game director Luis Barriga, lead designer Jesse McCree (after whom an Overwatch character was previously named) and World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft.

In November, the WSJreported that Kotick had known about many of the worst instances of abuse for years and that he may have protected some employees who were accused of harassment. Many Activision Blizzard employees staged a walkout in the wake of the report and around 2,000 signed a petition calling for him to step down. The Activision board has issued a statement of support for Kotick.

Along with employees, state treasurers and investors (the share price has dropped by almost 30% since July) have expressed concern about the issues at hand. Several Activision Blizzard partners have condemned the company or reassessed their relationships with it too.

PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo chiefs criticized the company in notes to their employees. Xbox head Phil Spencer said last week that Microsoft has "changed how we do certain things with" Activision, but didn't share details. Also this month, Lego postponed an Overwatch 2 set that was supposed to arrive in February while it evaluates its partnership with Activision Blizzard.

The airline industry claims a “catastrophic” event could unfold on Wednesday when AT&T and Verizon activate their new C-Band 5G networks. In a letter obtained by Reuters, the CEOs of several prominent passenger and cargo airlines, including Delta, United and Southwest, warn interference from 5G cell towers could affect the sensitive safety equipment on their planes.

"Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded," they state in the letter, which was sent to the heads of the White House Economic Council, Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission, as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "Immediate intervention is needed to avoid significant operational disruption to air passengers, shippers, supply chain and delivery of needed medical supplies."

The airlines have asked that AT&T and Verizon not offer 5G service within 2 miles of some of the country’s busiest and most vital airports. They’re also urging the federal government to ensure “5G is deployed except when towers are too close to airport runways until the FAA can determine how that can be safely accomplished without catastrophic disruption." The agency established 5G buffer zones at 50 airports on January 7th. 

The letter is the latest development in the ongoing back and forth between the airline and wireless industries. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon spent nearly $80 billion at the start of 2021 to secure the repurposed C-Band spectrum the FCC had put up for auction. In November, AT&T and Verizon agreed to delay their C-Band rollouts to January 5th to help the FAA address any interference concerns. They later proposed limiting the power output of cell towers close to airports and agreed to a further two-week delay on January 4th.