BMW unveils car that changes colour at touch of a button

BMW has unveiled a chameleon car that changes colour, in the latest attempt by automotive firms to combine their vehicles with cutting-edge technology. The German car firm said it was “bringing the car body to life” with the specially developed body wrap for its all-electric iX SUV model, which uses the same technology as Amazon’s Kindle e-reader.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/05/bmw-unveils-car-that-changes-colour-at-the-touch-of-a-button?source=Snapzu

Revitalizing batteries by bringing ‘dead’ lithium back to life

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University may have found a way to revitalize rechargeable lithium batteries, potentially boosting the range of electric vehicles and battery life in next-gen electronic devices.
Read more: https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2022-01-03-revitalizing-batteries-bringing-dead-lithium-back-life.aspx?source=Snapzu

Congress is preparing an oversight hearing on Bitcoin mining's environmental impact: sources

A Congressional subcommittee is preparing a hearing to examine the environmental impact of cryptocurrencies, especially bitcoin mining, three sources with knowledge of the matter have told The Block.
Read more: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/129336/congress-is-preparing-an-oversight-hearing-on-bitcoin-minings-environmental-impact-sources?source=Snapzu

LG makes the best TVs? Maybe not after Samsung's QD-OLED TV appeared at CES 2022

Get ready for a new OLED TV player. Samsung is the top-selling TV brand worldwide, but its QLED televisions have never performed as well as OLED TVs made by rivals like LG. At CES 2022, Samsung tackled those rivals head-on with its new QD Display, a new kind of big screen that relies on OLED technology.
Read more: https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/lg-makes-best-tvs-maybe-not-after-samsung-qd-oled-tv-appeared-ces-2022/?source=Snapzu

What The Disney Metaverse Experience Might Look Like In 2032

Starting Monday, November 29th 2021 thru Tuesday November 30th 2021, Voyager will offer new customers an additional $15 in Bitcoin on top of their regular $25 Bitcoin sign-up reward, giving $40 total in Bitcoin just for joining the popular and high-reward crypto exchange. This makes their sign-up incentive one of the largest in the industry, and does not even take the 12% interest that customers earn on their crypto into account.
Read more: https://cryptosauce.news/2022/01/05/what-the-disney-metaverse-experience-might-look-like-in-2032/?source=Snapzu

NASA will test Alexa voice control aboard the Artemis I mission

Alexa will be the first voice assistant available beyond Earth. Amazon and Lockheed Martin have revealed NASA will carry Alexa to space aboard the Artemis I mission launching later in 2022. While that flight is uncrewed, the companies are planning a "virtual crew experience" at NASA's Johnson Space Center that will let people in Mission Control (including students and special guests) simulate conversations between the digital helper and astronauts.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/alexa-in-space-nasa-artemis-mission-143518042.html?source=Snapzu

Apple's Third Potential Supplier of Mini-LED Display Chips Hits Certification Hurdle

Apple's search for additional mini-LED display suppliers has hit a speed bump after its primary candidate's latest attempt to pass certification failed, according to a new industry report.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/05/apple-mini-led-supplier-hits-quality-hurdle/?source=Snapzu

Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX is a 621-mile luxury hypermiler

This research concept went from sketches to the real world in just 18 months. It's loaded with advancements that could be in your next EV.
Read more: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mercedes-vision-eqxx-concept-debut-ces-2022/?source=Snapzu

Amazon Alexa Devices Take Voiceprints, Misuse Biometric Data, Says Class Action

Amazon improperly collects and stores consumers’ biometric data through its Alexa voice-based virtual assistant devices, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Lead plaintiff April Schaeffer claims Amazon uses devices equipped with the Alexa virtual assistant, such as its Amazon Echo smart speaker and Fire tablet — in addition to many other company’s products — to capture and store voiceprints and create transcriptions. She wants to represent an Illinois Class of consumers who own an Alexa-enabled device.
Read more: https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/privacy/amazon-alexa-devices-take-voiceprints-misuse-biometric-data-says-class-action/?source=Snapzu

Sony to establish new electric vehicle company

Japan's Sony Group will establish a new company for electric vehicles this spring, its chairman said, becoming the latest tech company to beef up its ambitions in the fast-growing market.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/technology/sony-says-establish-new-electric-vehicle-company-2022-01-05/?source=Snapzu

KFC to launch plant-based fried chicken made with Beyond Meat nationwide

KFC restaurants nationwide will add Beyond Meat's plant-based chicken to their menus, starting Monday for a limited time.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/04/kfc-to-launch-meatless-fried-chicken-made-with-beyond-meat-nationwide.html?source=Snapzu

Marvel Movies Made 30% Of The Total Box Office Last Year

The era of Marvel superhero movie domination is here to stay, and the proof is in the 2021 box office returns.
Read more: https://www.slashfilm.com/723877/marvel-movies-made-30-of-the-total-box-office-last-year/?source=Snapzu

BlackBerry: End of an era as company pulls plug on iconic handsets

The company itself now provides security software and had been maintaining support for the devices "as an expression of thanks" to loyal customers.
Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/amp/blackberry-end-of-an-era-as-company-pulls-plug-on-iconic-handsets-12508731?source=Snapzu

From Squid Game to Hellbound: how South Korean TV took over the world

This year saw the long-awaited return of music festivals, clubs, theatres and cinema, but the biggest entertainment story of the year was arguably one that took place on the small screen. Squid Game was the global media sensation of the year, a bonafide TV hit that smashed viewership records, and was the latest South Korean cultural artefact to set the world alight after BTS, Blackpink and Parasite.
Read more: https://theface.com/culture/korean-cinema-took-over-the-world-squid-game-dr-brain-hellbound-parasite-netflix?source=Snapzu

Anti-Vaxxers Spread Lies Online About Betty White's Death

Anti-vaccine activists have spent the past few days spreading lies about Betty White, the beloved actress who passed away at 99 years old on Dec. 31. But contrary to internet rumors, Betty White didn’t die after getting a covid-19 booster shot. “Betty died peacefully in her sleep at her home. People are saying her death was related to getting a booster shot three days earlier but that is not true,” White’s agent, Jeff Witjas, told Yahoo Entertainment.
Read more: https://gizmodo.com/anti-vaxxers-spread-lies-online-about-betty-whites-deat-1848299480?source=Snapzu

A new coronavirus vaccine heading to India was developed by a small team in Texas. It expects nothing in return.

The ambition is to create a low-cost, open-source alternative to expensive and limited supply mRNA vaccines for developing and under-vaccinated countries.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/30/corbevax-texas-childrens-covid-vaccine/?source=Snapzu

Toyota dethrones GM to become America's top-selling automaker in 2021

Toyota Motor has dethroned General Motors as America’s top-selling automaker in 2021, marking the first time since 1931 that the Detroit automaker wasn’t the best-selling car company in the U.S. It also marks the first time a non-domestic automaker has taken the top spot in America.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/04/toyota-dethrones-gm-to-become-americas-top-selling-automaker-in-2021.html?source=Snapzu

How we drained California dry

The wind finally blew the other way last night and kicked out the smoke from the burning Sierra. Down here in the flatland of California, we used to regard the granite mountain as a place apart, our getaway. But the distance is no more. With all those dead pine trees in thrall to wildfire, the Sierra, transmuted into ash, is right outside our door.
Read more: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/12/16/1041296/california-climate-change-water-drought/?utm_source=pocket-newtab?source=Snapzu

‘Late Night With Seth Meyers’ Canceled For Rest Of Week After Host Tests Positive For Covid

Covid-19 has hit another late-night host. Seth Meyers has revealed that he has tested positive for the virus and, as a result, Late Night will be canceled for the rest of the week. The former SNL star, who is vaccinated and boosted, added that he felt fine.
Read more: https://deadline.com/2022/01/seth-meyers-late-night-canceled-covid-1234904176/?source=Snapzu

David Bowie estate sells his songwriting catalog to Warner Chappell Music in latest such mega-deal

David Bowie's estate has sold the publishing rights to his "entire body of work" to Warner Chappell Music, the company said Monday, the latest massive deal in a roaring song rights purchasing boom. Warner Chappell didn't reveal financial terms of the agreement, but according to trade publications the price tag is estimated at upwards of $250 million.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/david-bowie-estate-songwriting-catalog-warner-chappell-music/?source=Snapzu

China to subject firms to cybersecurity test before foreign IPOs

China’s cyberspace regulator said it will implement new rules from February 15 that require platform companies with data for more than one million users to undergo a security review before listing their shares overseas.
Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/4/china-to-subject-firms-to-cybersecurity-test-before-foreign-ipos?source=Snapzu

Facebook reportedly killed its political moderation task force in the weeks leading up to the January 6 insurrection

In the approximately two months between the November 3, 2020, US presidential election and the January 6, 2021, attempted insurrection at the US Capitol, Facebook "took its eye off the ball" on moderation of political groups, a former Facebook employee told the Washington Post.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-dissolved-political-moderation-task-force-january-6-insurrection-2022-1?source=Snapzu

New research finds way to scrub carbon dioxide from factory emissions, make useful products

Carbon dioxide can be harvested from smokestacks and used to create commercially valuable chemicals thanks to a novel compound developed by a scientific collaboration led by an Oregon State University researcher.
Read more: https://newsconcerns.com/new-research-finds-way-to-scrub-carbon-dioxide-from-factory-emissions-make-useful-products/?source=Snapzu

Scientists build first ‘liquibots’ that run continuously without electricity

Inspired by water-walking insects, scientists have built liquid robots that work autonomously and continuously without the need for electrical inputs, transporting chemicals back and forth while partially submerged in solution.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/liquibots-liquid-robots-self-powered-electricity-b1986230.html?source=Snapzu

Jessie J Reveals She Got COVID-19 at Her Last Concert in Los Angeles

Jessie J tested positive for COVID-19 after performing at her Dec. 15 concert at The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, the singer revealed in an Instagram post on Sunday. "I got covid at this show BUT The audience could clap in time," the "Bang Bang" singer, 33, captioned a collection of photos from the night of the intimate concert, adding, "Balance."
Read more: https://people.com/music/jessie-j-reveals-she-got-covid-19-at-her-last-concert-in-los-angeles/?source=Snapzu

Google Pixel C review: An Android tablet worthy of replacing your iPad

Google's latest tablet is its greatest yet. In fact, the Pixel C hands down is the most powerful Android tablet I've ever used. The real question here isn't if the Pixel C is the best tablet, it's "who cares"?
Read more: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/google-pixel-c-review/?source=Snapzu

The governor of Missouri still doesn’t know how websites work

Mike Parson, Governor of Missouri, does not understand how websites work. He held a press conference earlier this week in St. Louis to once more reiterate his desire to prosecute a St. Louis Post-Dispatch journalist for looking at the source code of a state-run website.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/31/22861188/missouri-governor-mike-parson-hack-website-source-code?source=Snapzu

Over 140,000 gaming firms close as China continues new license freeze

China is continuing to hold off from issuing new game licenses to app developers producing for the App Store and other platforms, in regulatory inaction that has reportedly led to the shuttering of around 140,000 small game studios and related companies in the country.
Read more: https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/01/02/over-140000-gaming-firms-close-as-china-continues-new-license-freeze?source=Snapzu

Officials: Nearly 1K structures destroyed in Colorado fire

A Colorado official says nearly 1,000 homes and other structures were destroyed, hundreds more were damaged, and three people are missing after a wildfire charred numerous neighborhoods in a suburban area at the base of the Rocky Mountains.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-denver-suburbs-12017abc8b29dbd42c3169c615580d6e?source=Snapzu

Massive sewage spill closes California beaches

A massive spill of raw sewage in California on Friday forced the city of Long Beach to close all swimming areas at nearby beaches, officials said.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/massive-sewage-spill-closes-california-beaches-2021-12-31/?source=Snapzu

Twitter permanently suspends Marjorie Taylor Greene's personal account

Twitter suspended a personal account for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after "repeated violations" of the Covid-19 misinformation policy, the company said Sunday. "We permanently suspended the account you referenced (@mtgreenee) for repeated violations of our COVID-19 misinformation policy," Twitter said in a statement. "We’ve been clear that, per our strike system for this policy, we will permanently suspend accounts for repeated violations of the policy."
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/twitter-permanently-suspends-marjorie-taylor-greenes-personal-account-rcna10615?source=Snapzu

Evergrande shares placed in trading halt after luxury island demolition order

Troubled Chinese property giant Evergrande's shares have been suspended from trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Evergrande has more than $400 billion in debts, triggering financial woes in the world's second-biggest economy.
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-03/china-evergrande-shares-halt-detb-crisis/100735938?source=Snapzu

At Least 100 House Members Are Invested in Fossil Fuels

In May, the International Energy Agency laid out an ultimatum to policy makers: for the world to have a 50/50 chance at reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, no new fossil fuel developments can be approved, starting immediately.
Read more: https://readsludge.com/2021/12/29/at-least-100-house-members-are-invested-in-fossil-fuels/?source=Snapzu

Denmark to make domestic flights fossil fuel free by 2030

The PM wants domestic flights to go green, as part of ambitious national plans to cut emissions.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59849898?source=Snapzu

For kids grappling with the pandemic's traumas, art classes can be an oasis

As health officials sound the alarm about the pandemic's impact on children's mental health, music, drama and other art classes are helping kids adjust to being in-person again.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/09/1061027655/arts-education-kids-teens-pandemic-stress-help?source=Snapzu

First sickle cell patient treated with CRISPR gene-editing still thriving

For more than a year, Victoria Gray's life had been transformed. Gone were the sudden attacks of horrible pain that had tortured her all her life. Gone was the devastating fatigue that had left her helpless to care for herself or her kids. Gone were the nightmarish nights in the emergency room getting blood transfusions and powerful pain medication.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/31/1067400512/first-sickle-cell-patient-treated-with-crispr-gene-editing-still-thriving?utm?source=Snapzu

Scientists Take a Step Towards Building a Real-Life Warp Drive... By Accident

A team of physicists has reported the accidental discovery of a real-world "warp bubble" whilst observing the structure of Casimir cavities – a small step towards building a potential warp drive. The Debrief reports that Dr. Harold G. "Sonny" White and his team stumbled upon the existence of a warp bubble whilst conducting DARPA-funded research into Casimir cavities and the energy density present in those structures. White acknowledged the significance of the fluke findings but asserted that it was only a small step forward in regards to actually building a warp drive.
Read more: https://www.ign.com/articles/warp-bubble-discovery-real-life-warp-drive-by-accident?source=Snapzu

Facial Recognition For Covid-19 Tracking In Seoul

The city of Bucheon, population 830,000, is a satellite city southwest of Seoul and part of the greater metropolitan area and the site of a pilot program to apply AI facial recognition and tracking technologies to aid Covid-19 epidemiological investigators. South Korea has been generally praised for its rapid response to coronavirus patient tracking since the beginning of the outbreak.
Read more: https://hackaday.com/2021/12/31/facial-recognition-for-covid-19-tracking-in-seoul/?source=Snapzu

Google Killed the Best Android Auto Music App, And Its Replacement Is a Mess

If you’re a long-time Android Auto user, you probably know already that last year, Google killed off what was considered by many the best music app this platform ever had.
Read more: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/google-killed-the-best-android-auto-music-app-and-its-replacement-is-a-mess-177159.html?source=Snapzu

TV’s Biggest Newsrooms Poised for 2022 Surge in Streaming Wars

If a big story erupted at a random hour not too long ago, executives at big TV-news outlets would typically try to break into regularly scheduled network programming with one of the oldest tools in the box, a “special report.” Now, thanks to a widening fight among TV companies to capture streaming audiences, they have many new options.
Read more: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/tv-news-streaming-wars-cnn-fox-news-abc-news-1235143944/?source=Snapzu

Omicron infection appears to protect against Covid delta variant and could displace it, South Africa study finds

People infected with the heavily mutated omicron variant of Covid-19 may have increased immune protection against delta, a new study says. As a consequence, omicron could displace delta, according to the small study published by South African scientists this week.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/28/covid-omicron-appears-to-protect-against-delta-could-displace-it-study.html?source=Snapzu

Math, Science Popular Until Students Realize They're Hard

Math and science majors are popular until students realize what they're getting themselves into, according to new research. In a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers Ralph Stinebrickner of Berea College and Todd R. Stinebrickner of the University of Western Ontario say that college students are fleeing from math, physics, chemistry and the like after dipping into some classes.
Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-REB-19463?source=Snapzu

Jeffrey Epstein: Charges dropped against prison guards who falsified records

US prosecutors have dismissed charges against two prison guards who falsified records the night Jeffrey Epstein killed himself on their watch. Tova Noel and Michael Thomas admitted to fabricating log entries to show they had monitored Epstein properly. Prosecutors have asked a judge to dismiss their case, saying the pair have complied with a plea deal.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59839724?source=Snapzu