Walmart apparently doesn't want to be left out of the crypto rush. CNBC has learned Walmart filed several trademark applications with the USPTO in late December for selling virtual goods, and in another filing said it would provide a cryptocurrency as well as NFTs. While the documents don't necessarily guarantee action, trademark attorney Josh Gerben told CNBC the trademarks were highly detailed — Walmart was clearly thinking about how it would tackle digital currencies and products.

We've asked Walmart for comment. The company was purposefully all-encompassing with its virtual goods trademark, effectively giving it the option to sell NFT counterparts to the physical items it sells.

It wouldn't be strange for Walmart to dip into cryptocurrencies or NFTs. After Facebook changed its name to Meta and signaled its intention to foster metaverses, there has been a rush among major brands to enter the space with currencies, NFTs or both. Adidas, Nike, Gap and other well-known names have started selling NFTs and hinted at intentions to create virtual spaces. Walmart might not want to risk missing out if this trend lasts, even if it's not in a hurry to join early adopters.

Samsung's long-rumored 14-inch Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra might be close to launch — and could have more to offer than its screen size. WinFuture has obtained what it says are leaked official images and specs for the Ultra (pictured above) and its more modestly-sized counterparts. The Ultra would unsurprisingly revolve around its 14.6-inch, 2,960 x 1,848 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and S-Pen support, but it would come with as much as 16GB of RAM and 512GB of expandable storage. If you don't mind the display notch built to hold dual 12MP front cameras, this might be the ultimate Android tablet.

All Galaxy Tab S8 models would reportedly have Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, dual rear cameras (13MP main, 6MP ultra wide), Dolby Atmos-capable quad speakers and optional 5G. The differences would mostly come down to screens, memory and storage. The 12.7-inch Tab S8+ would carry a 120Hz, 2,800 x 1,752 AMOLED panel, one 12MP front camera, 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of expandable storage. The 11-inch regular Tab S8 would 'just' include a 120Hz 2,560 x 1,600 LCD but otherwise offer features similar to the mid-tier model.

The release date and pricing weren't mentioned in the Galaxy Tab S8 leak. However, WinFuture expects Samsung to introduce the range at its rumored February 8th Unpacked event. If so, the presentation could be one of Samsung's most important to date when the Galaxy S22 is also expected to make an appearance.

Apple's digital car key feature might soon be useful for unlocking more than a handful of BMW models. In his latest newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed Hyundai and its upscale Genesis badge will support Apple CarKey "by the summer." It's not certain which models would provide the option, but it's notable that some trim levels of the Ioniq 5 and other Hyundai cars include NFC for a (currently proprietary) digital key.

While remote lock controls have been available through smartphones for a while, CarKey (and its Android equivalent) treats the phone more like a physical key. You just have to bring your phone or Apple Watch to the door handle to unlock it, and you can even place your phone in a given area to start the car. People with ultra-wideband iPhones (such as the iPhone 11 and newer) can even leave their phone in their pocket when opening and starting the vehicle.

If the leak is accurate, Apple's move could significantly expand the audience for digital car keys — you wouldn't need to shop from one high-end marque to even consider it. A deal would also suggest the tussle over a possible EV collaboration wasn't enough to deter Apple and Hyundai from exploring a CarKey team-up.

Now is a good opportunity to buy one of the best no-frills e-readers available. Amazon is selling the latest generation of its standard Kindle reader for just $50 during a one-day sale, or $70 for a version without ads. Those are the lowest prices we've seen since Black Friday, and make them easy picks if you don't need water resistance or other extras. There's also a Goldbox sale on Kindle e-books if you need some reading material.

The base Kindle may be from 2019, but it's still a very competitive e-reader in 2022. The touchscreen, front illumination, high-contrast display and compact design make it easy to use and read in many situations, whether you're in bed or at the beach. More importantly, you're getting full access to the Kindle book ecosystem for a low price — if you don't care for what the Paperwhite offers, why pay more?

There are limits you should consider. The lack of waterproofing will prevent you from reading by the pool, and the 4GB of storage may prove limiting if you either want a large on-device library or tend to read visually intensive books that chew up storage. For most people, though, the regular Kindle is plenty.

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Ukraine isn't hesitating to point fingers following a major cyberattack that hobbled dozens of government websites. As The Guardianreports, Ukraine's digital transformation ministry has blamed Russia for the hack, accusing the country of fighting a "hybrid war" meant to "destabilize" an already tense situation and erode trust in the Ukranian government. While officials didn't elaborate on the evidence linking the attack to Russia, Microsoft shared details late Saturday that suggested a hostile nation was responsible.

The company's Threat Intelligence Center noted that the code was purely destructive malware disguised as ransomware. It had a ransom note, a Bitcoin wallet and an encrypted messaging identifier, but no recovery mechanism — in fact, it wipes the Master Boot Record (the hard drive element that tells a PC how to load the OS) and downloads malware meant solely to corrupt files. All known targets are in Ukraine, and there aren't any tangible links between this campaign and other groups.

Russia denied any involvement in the cyberattack. A spokesperson for President Putin said Ukraine pinned everything on Russia, "even the weather." Russia has long been accused of using cyberattacks to target its political opponents, including Ukraine, the US and European countries.

Microsoft said it wasn't certain about the current stage of the hacking operation or the scope of the damage. It wasn't yet clear if there were other victims in Ukraine or beyond. However, it's safe to presume the timing of the attack is problematic regardless of the perpetrator. Ukraine and its allies have been worrying for months about signs of a looming Russian invasion, and the US on January 14th claimed Russia was planning a false flag operation that would help it justify that invasion. The cyberattack appears to be exacerbating those tensions, and may have weakened Ukraine's government infrastructure at a critical moment.

Apple is facing another lawsuit over Powerbeats battery trouble. New York resident Alejandro Vivar has filed a potential class action lawsuit over allegations Powerbeats Pro design defects prevents the wireless earbuds from charging properly. As it's reportedly too easy to lose contact between the buds and their charging case, one of the earpieces either won't charge "consistently" or quickly drain its charge. Apple committed fraud by misrepresenting battery life and failing to address issues it supposedly knew about, the plaintiff said.

Vivar's attorneys suggest a combination of the case design and an insufficiently sturdy ear "gasket" (the piece that goes into your ear) may be responsible. Customers have had to resort to inserting a "wedge" to keep the charging pins in contact, according to the lawsuit. The lawyers also reject Apple's claims the Powerbeats Pro are sweat- and water-resistant, arguing that sweat corrodes the charging contacts.

The lawsuit calls for Apple to "correct" the situation, compensate affected users and pay unspecified damages. If the lawsuit is fully certified as a class action, it would cover both New York customers as well as those in Georgia, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Virginia.

We've asked Apple for comment. As with many such lawsuits, there's no certainty it will reach class action status or lead to compensation. And don't expect a windfall even if the case succeeds — with some exceptions, class actions tend to result in small payouts. If anything, the lawsuit may do more to affect design choices than Powerbeats Pro buyers' bank accounts.

You might not be thrilled that face masks are a part of daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they could soon be useful for more than protecting others and yourself. Researchers at Northwestern University (including battery-free Game Boy creator Josiah Hester) have developed a "FaceBit" face mask sensor that can track a wide range of health data from inside an N95 mask. The magnetically-attached unit can gauge your heart rate using the subtle head movements from blood pumping, and can detect leaks or a poor fit by looking for sudden dips in mask resistance.

Those measurements, in turn, can help the sensor detect a slew of other conditions. Heart and breathing data could let you know when you're stressed and need a break. And while the sensor won't replace an N95 fit test (to verify a proper seal), it's capable enough to help you maintain that fit over the course of a long day.

You might not have to charge the sensor, either. While there is a battery in the prototype, the sensor uses breathing force, heat, motion and the Sun to extend the mask's longevity to 11 days. Hester eventually wants the mask to be battery-free.

FaceBit will need to go through clinical trials and other tests before it's ready for real-world use. However, Hester's team has already released the project code and hardware to the public to help others build and verify it. While you probably won't buy one of these for personal use, it could be crucial for hospitals eager to keep workers safe and prevent burnout over long shifts.

If you're on Humble Bundle and use a Mac or a Linux computer, you may want to download all the games you can from the service's Trove before the month ends. Starting on February 1st, the Mac and Linux versions of the games in the Humble Trove will no longer available. The Humble Trove is a catalog of over 70 DRM-free games that you can access, so long as you have a Choice subscription. A few days ago, Humble announced that it's simplifying its subscription service by offering a single $12 monthly plan that gives you permanent copies of all the games for that month. 

In addition to getting access to Trove, you'll also also be able to play the Humble Games Collection with a more modern collection of titles starting in February if you subscribe. To be able to access the games in the Humble Trove and Collection, though, you will have to download the service's new app. That new app is Windows only, leaving you out completely in case you're a Mac or Linux user. Humble has already started sending users an email, reminding them that they only have until January 31st to download games if they're not on Windows. The email also says that the Windows versions of all the available games will continue to be available going forward.

Apple employees may have to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines if they want to avoid significant hassles. The Verge says it has seen internal email revealing that Apple will require corporate and retail staff to offer proof of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots if they want to enter offices or stores from February 15th onward. Once an employee is eligible for a booster, they'll have four weeks to get it and provide evidence.

Workers who are either unvaccinated or can't provide proof will have to provide negative rapid antigen test results from January 24th onward, but it's not certain if this affects both office and store employees.

Apple was plain in its reasoning. The "waning efficacy" of initial vaccine doses and the rise of COVID-19's Omicron variant meant that boosters were necessary to guard against serious illness, according to the company.

We've asked Apple for comment. The report comes just days after Facebook parent Meta required booster shots for a return to the office, and not long after Apple temporarily closed numerous stores following COVID-19 outbreaks. Simply put, there's a lot of added pressure to require boosters and minimize significant disruptions.

FedEx jets might soon pack defensive weaponry. NBC News and Reuters report FedEx has asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to equip an upcoming fleet of Airbus A321-200 aircraft with an anti-missile laser system. The proposed hardware would disrupt the tracking on heat-seeking missiles by steering infrared laser energy toward the oncoming projectiles.

The courier service pointed to "several" foreign incidents where attackers used portable air defense systems against civilian aircraft. While there weren't specific examples, NBC pointed to Iran shooting down a Ukranian airliner in January 2020 (reportedly due to mistaking the jet for a cruise missile) and a Malaysian flight brought down by Russia-backed Ukranian separatists in July 2014.

FedEx first applied for the laser system in October 2019. The FAA is open to approval, but has proposed "special conditions" before lasers could enter service. The system would need failsafes to prevent activation on the ground, and couldn't cause harm to any aircraft or people.

The concept of including countermeasures isn't strictly new. Some American commercial aircraft have used anti-missile systems as early as 2008, and FedEx helped trial a Northrop Grumman countermeasure system around the same time. Israel's El Al has used anti-missile systems since 2004. FedEx's plans would be significant, though, and rare for a courier company. It wouldn't be surprising if more commercial aircraft followed suit, even if the risks of attacks remain relatively low.