Toyota plans to pump $3.4 billion into high-tech batteries for electric vehicles in the US, with the automaker revealing aggressive plans for next-gen cells through 2030. The investment will see a new automotive battery plant constructed, Toyota says, as it pushes back against suggestions that it allowed its electrification lead over competitors to wane.
For nearly three years, the Nintendo Switch has reigned supreme when it comes to hardware sales in the United States. As the previous generation wound down and the new generation began ramping up, the Nintendo Switch found itself on top of NPD's sale charts month after month. But, in September, that all changed when the Switch was finally unseated by a new top-seller: The PlayStation 5.
Foxconn may be best known as the electronics manufacturer Apple relies on to build the iPhone, but the company is also previewing its automotive intentions with the reveal of three new EVs. Part of Foxconn's push to diversify beyond phones, tablets, and other consumer tech, the trio included two cars and an electric bus.
Maserati is feeling the pinch of the unsettled global supply chain, delaying the unveil of the new Grecale luxury SUV. The newest addition to the line-up was intended to make its debut on November 16, 2021, but Maserati confirmed today that it's pushing that back.
The smartphone market has been in a bit of flux in the past year and a half. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, Huawei's exodus from the world's top five vendors has caused a shift in the grand order of things. The industry is now facing another major disruption that could last it well into 2022, but, at least based on one market analyst's figures, Apple has been able to take advantage of the situation and regain its place as the world's second-biggest smartphone maker.
We've known for a while now that McDonald's is testing its own plant-based burger offering called the 'McPlant,' but it has thus far been unavailable for consumers in the US to try. That changes starting early next month when McDonald's will begin testing the McPlant at select restaurants across the nation. Because this is only a test run, the burgers will be available for a limited time.
The global chip shortage is impacting automakers significantly. This week, Toyota announced that it plans to cut its global production output by 15 percent in November. The reduced production is laid directly at the feet of the shortage of microprocessors needed to build modern vehicles.
Earlier this month, Twitch suffered a major security breach in which many details about the website and its streamers were leaked to the internet. While it seems the extent of the breach is still being investigated, Twitch has provided an update about its findings so far, and it's made a big confirmation for users who were worried that their personal information or login credentials were leaked.
Coinbase has announced plans to make NFTs more approachable for the general public. Though the new NFT platform isn't available right now, Coinbase has launched a waitlist for those who are interested in trying it out for themselves. Among other things, Coinbase says its NFT platform will include social features, centralized showcases, and discovery features.
Back in August, Epic Games rolled out a new game mode for Fortnite called Fortnite Impostors. The mode was a Fortnite-themed take on the Mafia/Werewolf party game made popular in video game format by Among Us, which exploded in popularity during the pandemic. There was just one problem with the rollout of Fortnite Impostors, as there was no mention of Among Us - a game it clearly drew inspiration from - anywhere to be seen.
Throughout much of the past year, GM has been grappling with defective battery packs in its Chevy Bolt EVs. The faulty battery packs, which can cause fires in some cases, have been at the center of two recalls and even a pause in Bolt EV production. Now, GM has announced that it has reached an agreement with LG Electronics in regards to covering the cost of these recalls, and it looks like LG is going to be on the hook for much of it.
PCs, which some have limited to desktops, workstations, and conventional laptops, were once thought to be a dying breed. The proliferation of powerful smartphones and the offloading of computational resources to the cloud are believed to be the cause of the PC market's inevitable but slow demise. And then came 2020 and COVID-19 that almost threw all reason out the window. That was the backdrop that led to this market's revival, and it is now seeing its sixth consecutive quarter of growth, though there are also growing signs of potential problems around the corner.