CATEGORIES

INSTACART CEO SAYS ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING HAS ROOM TO GROW

When the pandemic hit the U.S. last year, grocery delivery company Instacart suddenly became a lifeline for millions of consumers. Sales volumes skyrocketed; in one month, the company added 300,000 drivers to keep up with its orders.

HYDROPOWER DECLINE ADDS STRAIN TO POWER GRIDS IN DROUGHT

After water levels at a California dam fell to historic lows this summer, the main hydropower plant it feeds was shut down. At the Hoover Dam in Nevada — one of the country’s biggest hydropower generators — production is down by 25%. If extreme drought persists, federal officials say a dam in Arizona could stop producing electricity in coming years.

MICROSOFT SHUTTING DOWN LINKEDIN IN CHINA

Microsoft is shutting down its LinkedIn service in China later this year after internet rules were tightened by Beijing, the latest American tech giant to lessen its ties to the country.

WILLIAM SHATNER, TV'S CAPT. KIRK, BLASTS INTO SPACE

Hollywood’s Captain Kirk, 90-year-old William Shatner, blasted into space Wednesday in a convergence of science fiction and science reality, reaching the final frontier aboard a ship built by JeffBezos’ Blue Origin company.

US REGULATORS SEEK ANSWERS FROM TESLA OVER LACK OF RECALL

U.S. safety investigators want to know why Tesla didn’t file recall documents when it updated Autopilot software to better identify parked emergency vehicles, escalating a simmering clash between the automaker and regulators.

CHINA SET TO SEND 3 ASTRONAUTS ON LONGEST CREWED MISSION YET

China is preparing to send three astronauts to live on its space station for six months — a new milestone for a program that has advanced rapidly in recent years.

UNITED AIRLINES WILL ADD NEW INTERNATIONAL ROUTES NEXT YEAR

United Airlines said Thursday it will launch its biggest expansion of transatlantic service next year, a vote of confidence that international travel will rebound from the depths of the pandemic.

AMAZON TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO WORK REMOTELY INDEFINITELY

Amazon said it will allow many tech and corporate workers to continue working remotely indefinitely, as long as they can commute to the office when necessary.

DELTA POSTS $1.2 BILLION Q3 PROFIT, TOUTS HOLIDAY BOOKINGS

Delta Air Lines posted a $1.2 billion profit for the third quarter, helped by the latest installment of federal pandemic aid for the airline industry, but warned that rising fuel prices will lead to a “modest” loss in the fourth quarter.

Camera Set

The iPhone 13’s leaps forward for photo & video

OFFSHORE WIND SUPPLY CHAIN WORTH $109B OVER 10 YEARS

A group studying the economics of offshore wind energy in the U.S. says building and operating the nascent industry will be worth $109 billion to businesses in its supply chain over the next 10 years.

BIG PICTURE, BIG DATA: SWISS UNVEIL VR SOFTWARE OF UNIVERSE

The final frontier has rarely seemed closer than this — at least virtually.

CALIFORNIA EXTENDS TAX ON PHONES TO FUND HIGH-SPEED INTERNET

Californians could have higher cellphone bills after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws aimed at giving the state more money to build high-speed internet connections in unserved areas.

FACEBOOK UNVEILS NEW CONTROLS FOR KIDS USING ITS PLATFORMS

Facebook, in the aftermath of damning testimony that its platforms harm children, will be introducing several features including prompting teens to take a break using its photo-sharing app Instagram, and “nudging” teens if they are repeatedly looking at the same content that’s not conducive to their well-being.

WHITE HOUSE PROPOSES TECH ‘BILL OF RIGHTS' TO LIMIT AI HARMS

Top science advisers to President Joe Biden are calling for a new “bill of rights” to guard against powerful new artificial intelligence technology.

GM REACHES DEAL WITH LG TO PAY FOR BOLT BATTERY RECALL COSTS

LG Electronics has reached a deal with General Motors to pay $1.9 billion to $2 billion to reimburse the automaker for the cost of recalling Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles due to the risk of battery fires.

YOUR MONEY: SAVE FOR HOLIDAYS NOW, SKIP REGRET LATER

Factoring holiday expenses into your budget all year long is effective for avoiding debt, but it’s not always feasible with a limited budget or unforeseen expenses.

Instant Atmos

KLIPSCH’S NEW Cinema series soundbars are the latest effort of an iconic, 75-year-old speaker maker to push new performance barriers while delivering a product that is quintessential, well, Klipsch.

MEDIA ROOM INSIDER: SENECA CINEMA

Do-It-Yourself Theater with a Twist

LCD Reloaded

IN 2020, Sound & Vision tested Samsung’s 65-inch Q90T series TV, an LCD model that lacked some of the features and refinements found in the company’s flagship sets from the previous year.

OLED For Less

SONY’S NEW XR-65A80J OLED TV isn’t a member of the company’s Master Series—that designation belongs to its XR-A90J OLED models, which are spec’d to deliver higher brightness than the XR-A80J sets. And while we haven’t yet tested those pricier Sony OLEDs, the XR-65A80J is far from being a second-class citizen. Read on to find out why.

Rack Your World

IF YOU’RE A boomer who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s like I did, you’ll remember that no home was complete unless it had a stereo system in the living room.

SPATIAL AUDIO RELATIONS

Ears-on with Apple Music’s new Atmos offerings

The Power Station

True story. My very first hi-fi system featured a Rotel integrated amplifier—if memory serves, a model RA-20 of some 20 watts per channel.

XGIMI – A Potent Portable

Even as TVs grow ever-larger, the projector category continues to be an active one, with more recent designs like ultra-short throw models giving viewers an alternative to room-dominating hangfrom-ceiling setups.

THX Onyx DAC/ Headphone Amplifier

THX Does High-Res Audio

A Classic Reimagined

KLH model five loudspeaker

BOSS CUBE Street II

A feature–packed mobile performance amplifier

Nikon Z fc

Retro looks and handling, with the best in modern kicks

Logitech Ergo K860

This ergonomic “split” keyboard helps reduce wrist–strain