Pixel 6 Code Hints Google Is Already Working on a New Tensor Chip

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are just now arriving on buyers’ doorsteps, and we’re already talking about what’s next for Google’s flagship Android lineup.

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The Nerd's Watch: Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Streaming in November 2021

The Nerd’s Watch just got an upgrade. After years of customizing the most enjoyable titles in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies and TV from the “original” streamers, io9 has decided to kick things up a notch. Folks, there may be too many streaming services.

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Biden Says Pope Told Him To Keep Receiving Communion, Thwarting Anti-Abortion Bishops

Some U.S. bishops have said Biden, a devout Catholic, should be denied Communion due to his support of abortion rights.

Meta Project Nazare are the real Facebook AR glasses

One of the most important announcements made this week by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was about a pair of augmented reality glasses. The hardware is being developed at what was until this week Facebook and Oculus. Now they’re all under the Meta brand umbrella – and they want to present an all-encompassing universe in which we’ll all live virtually. That’ll … Continue reading

Why Google’s Tensor is a huge deal for Android’s future

The Pixel 6, particularly the Pixel 6 Pro, has definitely piqued the interest of smartphone users on the Android side. More than just passing interest, too: Google has implied that high demand for the phones is causing shipment delays and supply problems. But, while Google is undoubtedly pleased by that turnout, its primary interest in the Pixel 6 is undoubtedly … Continue reading

Cyberpunk 2077 delays updates, fixes, DLC roadmap to 2022

Shortly after Cyberpunk 2077 released and fans expressed their discontent with the game, CD Projekt Red committed to fixing its various issues. When it made this commitment, it shared a roadmap that detailed its plans for updates, DLC, and the next-gen upgrades for 2021 and beyond. Today, however, we’re learning that the remainder of the roadmap for 2021 has been … Continue reading

Samsung Galaxy S22 release dates enter whirlwind of leaks

The latest data leak on the next Samsung smartphone suggests we’ll see the device available for sale near the end of January, 2022. With this information we have enough of a lead on the full picture that we can present an early peek at what’s likely in specifications and features of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and its kin. Two slightly … Continue reading

The latest 'Valorant' hero is Chamber, the dapper sniper

Valorant players are getting another hero to use in Riot’s free-to-play shooter. As described by character producer John Goscicki, Chamber plays the “gentleman assassin” role, a Sentinel-class character who “bunkers down, and holds a location by getting frags.” He can do this through a skill and weapon set that includes a trap that scans for enemies, a heavy pistol and a sniper rifle that can take enemies out with one perfectly-placed shot. Chamber will go live in Valorant with Patch 3.10 on Nov. 16. 

Valorant Chamber
Riot Games

Given that his abilities are focused around “highly lethal, pinpoint accuracy,” as Goscicki says, they wanted his style to match. “A person like that would care about the finer things in life as well—from the cut of his vest, to the color of the threading, and how shoes would bring the whole outfit together.” If that description speaks to you, Chamber might be an agent worth trying out.

That patch comes a few weeks after Riot is set to release the Valorant Episode 3, Act III Battlepass, which goes live on November 2nd and will be available for 10 weeks. It comes with five free and nine paid “Marquee Items,” and the pack itself costs 1,000 Valorant Points, the game’s in-game currency. According to Riot associate art director Sean Marino, the Battlepass is focused on bringing some fall holiday vibes to the game. Given that one of the items Marino mentioned is meant to fit in with Halloween, it’s a little bit of a bummer that this doesn’t launch until after the holiday. But hey, why limit Halloween to just one month?

Amazon owns a 20 percent stake in Rivian

Amazon owns a 20 percent stake in electric transport startup Rivian, according to a recent SEC disclosure spotted by Bloomberg. As of September 30th, the company said the stake was valued at $3.8 billion, up from $2.7 billion at the end of 2020. That Amazon should own a fifth of Rivian is not surprising. In 2019, the retailer led a $700 million investment round in the automaker, contributing about $440 million to that total. 

That same year, it announced as part of its 2040 climate pledge it would purchase 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian. The first of those EVs, a cutesy van, began making deliveries in Los Angeles at the start of the year. Amazon hopes to have 10,000 of its Rivian EVs on the road by the end of 2022.

As you might imagine, that has put pressure on Rivian to deliver for its biggest customer. Per Bloomberg, the company has prioritized manufacturing vans for Amazon at the expense of its consumer vehicles like the R1T and R1S. The former was supposed to debut in 2020, but following a series of pandemic-related delays, the first customer-ready vehicle only rolled out of the company’s Normal, Illinois factory this past September.

Tesla recalls nearly 3,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over separating suspensions

Tesla is recalling 2,791 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over concerns that their front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, potentially shifting the wheel alignment and increasing the risk of a crash. The affected vehicles are 2019, 2020 and 2021 versions of the Model 3, and 2020 and 2021 editions of the Model Y.

Tesla has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the recall and plans to mail notification letters to affected owners on December 24th. The company will tighten or replace the fasteners free of charge. The number for this recall is SB-21-31-003.

This is far from the first recall on Tesla’s books, and in the grand scheme of things, it’s a small one. Tesla has issued a handful of recalls this year alone, including one in February that affected 135,000 vehicles in the US and another in June affecting 6,000 US vehicles. German regulators issued an additional recall of 12,300 Model X EVs in February of this year, citing trim-adhesive concerns. That issue sounded eerily similar to one that led to a US recall of more than 9,000 cars in November 2020.