Twitter Prepares to React

References to Twitter reactions and downvoting within the app's code imply the pair of features are right around the corner.

November 29, 2021 It's November 29, 2021 and Cyber Monday! Now that the turkey, stuffing, and mac & cheese are out of the way, we can get back to what's important: shopping online for tech deals! Have fun!     ⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to): 319 articles, 6 podcasts, 5 press releases, 256 tweets, and 7 YouTube videos 1. Twitter for iOS Readying Reactions, Downvotes, and Sorted Replies Twitter's new batch of reactions may be on the horizon, as references to it have been found in the app's code. Among these new additions will be "tears of joy," "thinking face," and "clapping hands" reactions, as well as downvotes. We like the first part of that, but we're not sold on Twitter needed downvoting. 2. Spotify Says It's Retiring Its Car View Feature If you liked listening to music in your car using Spotify, it's about to get a bit harder for you. The company revealed in a support thread that it's "retiring" the Car View feature, which made it easier to use Spotify while driving. There's no replacement yet, so Spotify users will have to tough it out for a while. 3. Online Black Friday Spending Is Down for the First Time Despite the allure of Black Friday and it's many, many deals, a new report states that overall spending was down compared to last year. The culprit? Most likely the ongoing global chip shortage and shipping delays, which aren't doing anyone any favors. Especially if you're still trying to get a PS5. 🦑 Go Deeper Apple will introduce a new self repair program next year, and while it seems to be finally embracing at-home repairs, Charlie Sorrel wants you to know the move likely benefits Apple more than it does us.     🎱 By the Numbers A lot of Drake fans are on Spotify Data: ChartMasters A lot of people use Spotify, and the above chart shows a diverse selection of music people listen to. Sure, Drake is in the lead with over 40 billion streams, but don't let that diminish how often people jam out to The Weeknd, Post Malone, and Taylor Swift. Basically, musical tastes are all over the place.   🔥 Today's Hot Deal Improve your sound system with Samsung's 3.1 Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer, which is down to $199 at Walmart right now. It's more than enough for everyday TV, and has Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS Virtual:X support for when you're ready to immerse yourself in that summer blockbuster. Don't Miss This Deal 🤓 Nerd Out "Who said ambiance isn't important?" —Bob Schulties, Senior Editor What do you get when you combine Mars, it's ambient noise, a seismometer, and a team of scientists? A better understanding of the planet's crust, mantle, and core. Never stop being weird and cool, science. (Share on Twitter) 💎 You Know You Want It  A picture frame for everyone Image: Uncommon Goods What's better than a static, unchanging picture frame? One that can receive and display photos and videos sent to you by your friends and family. The Loop Social Picture Frame from Uncommon Goods is one such frame, adding a bit of interactivity to what's typically a set-it-and-forget-it activity. 🎧 Listen Up Listen... and engage! If you're in the mood to listen to a trio of people talk about Star Trek, you're in luck. The latest episode of Galaxy Brains has our hosts and guest digging deep into Star Trek: First Contact, and how it's kind of a meta story about the creation of the Star Trek series. Give it a listen.     🗞 Extra! Extra! We've got you covered with the best in daily tech news! See the latest on our site or follow us on Google News. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Have something you'd like us to write about? We're always open for suggestions, too. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Tech Today newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here .   Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. A Dotdash Brand 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005 2020 Dotdash • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.   [View in Browser]

Windows 11 Expands Its Emoji Dictionary

An optional cumulative update for Windows 11 comes with a bunch of fixes and new emojis to play around with.

November 24, 2021 It's November 24, 2021 and National Thanksgiving Prep Day. Sure, we may have made that up, but what else are we supposed to think about if not all that delicious food? Also, we're out for the rest of the week, so enjoy the holiday and we'll see you all on Monday!     ⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to): 311 articles, 12 podcasts, 15 press releases, 425 tweets, and 11 YouTube videos 1. New Windows 11 Update Includes Many Fixes and More Emojis The latest Windows 11 cumulative update is here, and it's full of fixes, a bunch of new Fluent 2D style emojis, and support for Emoji 13.1. It's an optional download right now, so you can hold off until it's part of the next system update, or you can get in on the fun early. We know which choice we'd make. 2. Roku Issues Reported After 10.5 System Update Roku users are reportedly having issues with their devices since the latest 10.5 update, including streaming apps not responding and frozen screens. Fortunately, Roku has pushed a software rollback as a short-term fix, but there's no word on a more permanent solution. Hang in there, people. 3. Spotify, Netflix Collaborate on New Entertainment Streaming Hub Spotify has added a new Netflix Hub that pulls together music and podcasts tied to Netflix shows. The section is available to Free and Premium subs in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, India, Australia, and New Zealand, and should cut down on how often you have to Shazam a song playing in the background. 🦑 Go Deeper The Pixel 6's slower charge time is either a point against its quick charge capabilities, or a point in its favor as it conserves battery life. According to Rob Rich, it really all comes down to perspective and what you want out of it.     🎱 By the Numbers On the up and up Data: Roku Roku has only found more success throughout the year, as it heads into the final stretch of 2021 with 56 million active users, who probably use a wide range of Roku hardware. We bet that's their secret, too: straightforward, convenient tech that does everything it sets out to do. 🔥 Today's Hot Deal Need a simple device that can handle all your reading needs? Look no further than the Kindle Paperwhite (8GB, without Ads), which is $40 off on Amazon right now, making it a very tempting $109.99. Snatch this one up and get to reading. Don't Miss This Deal 🤓 Nerd Out "See, Apple, you could be like them." —Kyree Leary, Associate News Editor Want to know what's going on inside the Pixel 6 Pro? As always, iFixit has the breakdown you need, as well as some much deserved praise for how Google handles fingerprint sensor calibration after repairs. (Share on Twitter) 💎 You Know You Want It  Let there be light... and sound! Image: Uncommon Goods If you want to get away from our modern, tech-looking bluetooth speakers, this LED Lantern Speaker may be more your style, bringing a bit of a camping flavor to your kitchen, living room, or wherever you intend to set it up. The only thing that could make it better? If it was an actual flame instead of an LED. 🚀 Facing the Future Another metaverse already? We hope you're not already sick of Meta (formerly Facebook) and talk of metaverses, because ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, has ambitions of its own to take on the social media giant. Please, no. This'll go well.     🗞 Extra! Extra! We've got you covered with the best in daily tech news! See the latest on our site or follow us on Google News. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Have something you'd like us to write about? We're always open for suggestions, too. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Tech Today newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here .   Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. A Dotdash Brand 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005 2020 Dotdash • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.   [View in Browser]