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The Morning After: Donald Trump is back on Twitter, but not Facebook
TikTok has a ban on some Trump videos, and Tesla is selling a cheaper Model Y.
Trump’s social media ban from Facebook and Instagram will continue until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20th, if not beyond. Social media has been incredibly accommodating to Trump up until this point, but both Twitter and Facebook, not to mention Instagram, TikTok and Twitch, have hardened their stance following the President’s post-riot video that continued to allege election fraud and called the rioters “very special.”
TikTok, which the President is not a user or fan of, says it’ll remove videos of Trump’s praise for rioters, but will allow videos from news organizations reporting on the incident. Twitch, which has now disabled Donald Trump's account, banned its PogChamp emote following the Capitol Hill riots, after the face of it, Ryan “Gootecks” Gutierrez, encouraged further violence.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement: “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.” Meanwhile, Trump has regained his Twitter privileges, despite calls for a permanent ban — even from within Twitter itself.
— Mat Smith
Elon Musk surpasses Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world
During a pandemic.
Around a year ago, Musk’s net worth was around $27 billion, which wasn’t enough to rank among the planet’s top 50 wealthiest people at the time. The Tesla share price has skyrocketed more than nine-fold since then. By around noon ET on Thursday, it had risen by more than $45 (about six percent) from the previous day, putting him at $185 billion, surpassing Amazon’s CEO.
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Microsoft once tried to buy Nintendo
But got laughed out of the room.
The original Xbox was announced at CES back in 2001, making it officially 20 years old this week. According to a fascinating oral history published by Bloomberg, in the console's early stages, Microsoft considered using its considerable financial might to buy developers. And it approached Nintendo about an acquisition.
Microsoft was laughed out of the room, says Kevin Bachus, a director for third-party relations on the Xbox project. “They just laughed their asses off,” Bachus said to Bloomberg. “Like, imagine an hour of somebody just laughing at you. That was kind of how that meeting went.”
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Hyundai confirms discussions about building a car with Apple
Apple is reportedly in talks with several car companies.
We heard rumors last month that Apple’s self-driving electric car project, codenamed Titan, could lead to a vehicle by 2024. Now, multiple reports have corroborated this, with CNBC quoting a Hyundai spokesperson that said Apple was in discussions with multiple automakers, including Hyundai itself. The spokesperson added this was all in the very early stages, so don’t expect an Apple car next year.
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Mercedes-Benz made a 56-inch 'Hyperscreen' for its EQS electric car
The EQS EV is due later this year.
The automaker has unveiled a 56-inch MBUX Hyperscreen that will span nearly the entire cabin of its EQS luxury EV. It’s not just meant to impress — it presents the instrument cluster, infotainment and passenger display in a seamless design that removes unused elements (such as the passenger view on a solo trip).
Hyperscreen’s interface may be as important as the sheer size. Mercedes is focusing heavily on AI that surfaces and suggests features when you need them. It’ll offer to call a contact if you regularly talk to them on your drive home, will automatically lift the car based on your location and will even remember your preferred massage type depending on outside temperatures.
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Tesla starts offering the Model Y with a third row of seats
It’s also taking orders for the cheapest Model Y yet.
When you visit Tesla’s website, you’ll now be able to buy a standard-range rear-wheel drive Model Y for at least $42,000 — or $40,500 if you’re in California — before potential savings and incentives. At an estimated 244 miles between charges, it has less range than the others. The only options in the past were the long-range dual-motor all-wheel drive and the performance versions, and their prices start at $49,990.
If you’re looking for more seats, then there’s good news because the long-awaited third-row option is available, too. You’ll have to pay $3,000 on top of the base price for the interior upgrade, which will give you third-row seating for two with USB-C charging and a sliding second row with adjustable backs.
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But wait, there’s more...
Boeing agrees to pay $2.5 billion to settle criminal charge over 737 Max crashes
Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook 2 is cheaper and sports a QLED screen
Apple releases limited edition AirPods Pro to celebrate the Year of the Ox
Sony's new Bravia XR TVs are all about 'cognitive intelligence'
JBL's latest soundbar offers Dolby Atmos for $400
The Lavie Mini is a modern netbook that doubles as a game console
Lenovo's Yoga 7 AiO can flip between landscape and portrait modes
