Apple has released a firmware update for the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max that opens up new 'Find My' possibilities. Losing one or both of the relatively small earbuds can be easy to do and happens often. Losing AirPods Max is a bit harder, but when tucked in a bag or if they've slipped behind a cushion that can occur. Worse, if lost when away from home or the office, tracking down AirPods becomes more of an urgent challenge. Whichever gremlin causes the problem, it will be easier to locate them with the new firmware.AirPods have always had the ability to be found via 'Find My Device' in the Find My app. However, as this tended to simply show a map location and play a sound, it isn't quite as robust as the AirTag or Bluetooth beacons. AirTag is Apple's newest item location tracker. A small round tag about the size of a bottle cap, AirTag features Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology along with a speaker, resulting in a wide range of tracking possibilities.The new firmware for the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max will help users track these items down in the event they are misplaced, lost, or stolen, as explained by Apple. The update is rolling out and will automatically install so there is nothing the user needs to do. The new finding method appears quite similar to that of the AirTag, but uses a blue color theme rather than the green of the AirTag. To locate a missing AirPods Pro or Max, the user will be able to open the Find My app and tap the Items tab, then the AirPods to begin finding. The app will begin searching for the AirPods Bluetooth signal, in case they are nearby. The feedback is not precise since AirPods don't have UWB capabilities, meaning the screen may show far, near, or here if very close. A sound can be triggered at any time using the on-screen button that looks like a speaker icon.With Apple's new firmware update for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, these items can be found much easier than before. However, if the user is not currently at the map location shown, it might be a good idea to use 'Lost Mode.' Previously only available for the AirTag and other Find My items, which include some Bluetooth beacons and a few third-party devices, AirPods Pro and Max are also now able to use Lost Mode as well.After tapping the AirPods in the Find My app, a map appears at the top showing general location and a panel below shows a few options for locating AirPods. Dragging this panel upward will reveal more options, including Lost Mode. There is an option to leave contact information, email or phone number, along with a message. If someone finds the AirPods, the information can be scanned and shown to the person that has the earbuds. The addition of AirPods Pro and AirPods Max in Find My Items is a nice upgrade that comes for free.Source: Apple

High-profile The Bachelorette couple Clare Crawley and Dale Moss have called it quits and many fans aren’t surprised, as their relationship has been a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Clare and Dale’s second breakup will reportedly be for good, though that seemed to be the case with their first breakup as well. The couple’s romance didn’t last long, but it sure made a splash in Bachelor Nation.Fans had their doubts from the get-go, mostly because the couple’s engagement (which upended Clare’s season of The Bachelorette) happened so quickly. Clare and Dale didn’t have much time to get to know each other before getting engaged, and that seems to have been a problem in their relationship. Their first break-up was sudden and dramatic, and Clare claimed to be blindsided by it. There were even rumors that Dale had cheated on her. It appeared that they were completely done, but there were a few more twists in store for reality stars.After Clare and Dale reunited, they seemed like they were doing better than ever, and that caught a lot of fans by surprise. However, unfortunately, the couple’s reconciliation was short-lived and Clare and Dale are now supposedly moving on. The latest rumor is that Abigail Heringer from Matt James' season of The Bachelor somehow got between the two, and The Bachelorette fans again suspect that Dale was unfaithful. There will no doubt be more drama unfolding in the wake of Clare and Dale’s latest split.Clare and Dale’s relationship began last July when The Bachelorette finally began filming after its initial shutdown due to COVID-19. From the minute Dale stepped out of the limo on night one, it was pretty much game over for the rest of the men. Clare and Dale were only on the show a couple of weeks before getting engaged. They left so another reality star, Tayshia Adams, could become The Bachelorette.Of course, the newly engaged couple had to keep their relationship under wraps until the season premiered in the fall. However, by mid-October, Clare and Dale went public with their engagement. The couple faced significant scrutiny from fans, who suspected Clare and Dale were in communication while the show was shut down due to COVID-19. Clare and Dale insisted that their first interaction happened when Dale stepped out of the limo. For several months, the two reality stars seemed to be deeply in love and were reportedly even discussing starting a family.In January, The Bachelorette fans were shocked and upset when heartthrob Dale said he and Clare had broken up in an Instagram post. Clare claimed to be blindsided by the announcement, even though she apparently knew their relationship was in trouble. For weeks, fans speculated about what caused the breakup, and there were rumors circulating that Dale had been unfaithful to Clare.However, their relationship didn’t end there, and not even a month later, Clare and Dale were seen together in Florida. Though Clare and Dale were tight-lipped about their reconciliation, it was clear that they had rekindled their initial spark. The couple wouldn’t confirm their relationship but Clare and Dale were spotted getting cozy together multiple times.Clare and Dale seemed to be on track for a re-engagement, and in March, the two of them took a trip to wine country. Despite Clare and Dale’s relationship questions and the couple’s reluctance to confirm they were back together, social media clues confirmed the two had taken a relaxing trip. They went to Napa to celebrate Clare’s 40th birthday.For months, Clare and Dale wouldn’t address their reunion, though even a cursory investigation into their social media activity provided ample proof that the couple was spending a lot of time together. The next big step in the pair’s relationship came in April when Clare and Dale went Instagram official. They shared their first couple pic since their January breakup.Though many fans had doubts about Clare and Dale’s rekindled romance, they seemed to be getting stronger and stronger after their reconciliation. In May, Clare and Dale took a trip to Hawaii and posted a lot of content from their vacation. Based on what followers saw on social media, Clare and Dale appeared to be more in love than ever.A happy Clare teased a “big move” to her followers in June when she and Dale went furniture shopping. Clare is a long-time Sacramento, CA resident, but by summer, rumors were swirling that she and Dale were making plans to live together in New York City. Fans just assumed that meant the couple would be moving in together, though Clare and Dale didn’t provide any details.In late July, Dale celebrated his anniversary with Clare, one year after they got engaged on The Bachelorette. “When we first met I knew god’s hand was at work but I could have never imagined the journey he had in store for us. Love you with all my heart @clarecrawley,” Dale commented on Instagram. It seemed like Clare and Dale had successfully proven their haters wrong, despite their brief breakup at the beginning of the year.The couple seemed to be doing well, and this was the catalyst for last month's rumors that Clare and Dale had gotten married secretly and filmed the wedding. Reportedly, the couple was shopping the footage around to various networks. However, Clare had just gotten her breast implants removed and was recovering from surgery, so it’s unlikely that the secret wedding actually took place.Although Clare and Dale’s relationship appeared to be going strong, out of nowhere, news broke that the couple had called it quits and that there was no chance of them reconciling this time around. Clare recently took to Instagram to say she will not be discussing the breakup just yet, though she made sure to throw some shade at Abigail in the process.After raising viewers’ eyebrows on The Bachelorette, Clare and Dale have proven their doubters right with this latest breakup. There seems to be a lot of pain and hurt feelings on both sides. These famous exes may greatly benefit from time away from the spotlight.Source: Dale Moss/Instagram

It's not uncommon for online games like Genshin Impact to celebrate a player's birthday with a little treat. Genshin Impact takes birthdays one step further, however, by also celebrating the birthdays of its many collectible playable characters. While celebrating specific Genshin birthdays, players can earn rewards on that character's special day, whether they've been acquired yet or not.Genshin Impact has made a name for itself by combining gacha mechanics with an incredibly dense and well-executed open-world game. Players get an impressive amount of content for free but are encouraged to spend money on Wishes, gacha pulls, which give players a small chance to add a new character to their Genshin Impact roster. These characters have unique backstories, favor different elements and weapon types, and have different favorite foods. They also have an assigned birthday in Genshin Impact, which can be found in their character description.On a character's birthday in Genshin Impact, players will receive in-game mail from that character, talking about how they spent their birthday. The mail includes that character's Special Dish (a dish that can only be cooked by that particular character) and a batch of level-up items associated with them. Unlike mail that arrives for a player's birthday in Genshin Impact, which can be claimed within one year, character Genshin birthday rewards must be collected within 30 days of that specific character's birthday or the mail expires. The good news is that a player doesn't have to own the character to get Genshin Impact's birthday rewards, so if they missed out on collecting Venti, they'll still get birthday mail for him.Now that miHoYo's RPG has been out for over a year, many of these characters will be celebrating their Genshin birthdays for a second time. This opens the door for new or additional rewards, although it's certainly possible the gifts will remain the same. Characters in Genshin Impact have the following birthdays, arranged in order by month:Diona - January 18Rosaria - January 24Beidou - February 14Kokomi - February 22Bennett - February 29Qiqi - March 3Jean - March 14Noelle - March 21Xiao - April 17Diluc - April 30Fischl - May 27Paimon - June 1Lisa - June 9Venti - June 16Yoimiya - June 21Raiden Shogun (Baal) - June 26Barbara - July 5Hu Tao - July 15Tartaglia (Childe) - July 20Klee - July 27Yanfei - July 28Amber - August 10Ningguang - August 26Mona - August 31Chongyun - September 7Razor - September 9Albedo - September 13Ayaka - September 28Xingqiu - October 9Xinyan - October 16Sayu - October 19Kazuha - October 29Xiangling - November 2Xinyan - November 4Keqing - November 20Sucrose - November 26Kaeya - November 30Ganyu - December 2Zhongli - December 31stThe level-up items players receive from characters on their Genshin Impact birthdays are a nice reward for players, as some of them are otherwise only obtainable in drops from completing Domains, including certain dungeons that are only accessible on certain days of the week. And if a player doesn't have a character but receives their birthday rewards, it might not be a complete waste. Xiangling, for instance, rewards players with 10 Slime Secretions on her birthday, a Character Ascension material that is also useful for other Genshin Impact characters like Lisa, Venti, and Zhongli, as well as for ascending several weapons.Mailed gifts in Genshin Impact have been a nice way to reward players since the game launched, and it remains to be seen if the rewards are the same every year. As more playable characters are continued to be added in, it's possible Genshin's birthday system will be altered in the future. Regardless, it's a nice way to gift players a small reward - and to encourage them to log back into the game frequently.

Amazon has set a new release date for Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, days following the film's original release date. The fourth and final entry in the Hotel Transylvania franchise has had an interesting development. It is the first film in the series not directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. It sees Adam Sandler and Kevin James depart the project and Brian Hull and Brad Abrell take over their roles.It is now the first film of the series not to get a theatrical release. The film had multiple release dates, including July 23, 2021, August 6, 2021,  and December 22, 2021. The film was set to open in theaters on October 1, 2021, but in August 2021, Sony Pictures sold the movie to Amazon Studios, where the film will be released on Prime Video due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sony eventually gave Hotel Transylvania: Transformania release date to Venom: Let There Be Carnage, where it set the record for the biggest opening weekend of 2021.Now it appears that Amazon has set a new release date for the film, as the studio announced that Hotel Transylvania: Transformania will release on the streaming service on January 14, 2022, in over 240 countries and territories on Amazon Prime Video. This will be the first time a film in the franchise has opened in January. Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke and Sony Pictures Animation President Kristine Belson said of the release date in an official press release:Jennifer Salke: "The success of the Hotel Transylvania franchise over the years speaks for itself. Audiences around the world have fallen in love with the films created by the brilliant Genndy Tartakovsky, and the latest installment is the perfect ending to an incredible journey. We could not be more excited to work with Sony, Genndy, Jennifer Kluska, Derek Drymon, Selena Gomez, and the talented producing team to bring this funny, heartwarming film to our customers early next year.”Kristine Belson: "The Hotel Transylvania franchise has been exceptional for Sony Pictures Animation, spanning nearly a decade and introducing the world to Genndy Tartakovsky's singular vision, and we’re so proud of what our extraordinary directors Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon have brought to this special property. These films have thrilled audiences and paved the way for so many artists working in CG animation, and now the family saga of Dracula and his daughter Mavis, son-in-law Johnny, and monster BFFs is coming to a close. We are thrilled to work with Amazon to bring this film to families everywhere.”The news of the release date comes days after many parents and fans filled complaints on Amazon's social media, wondering where the film was on October 1, 2021, the film's original release date and one that was still present on the Sony website. Amazon spent $100 million to acquire the distribution of Hotel Transylvania: Transformnania from Sony Pictures, so it was not likely they would forget about releasing the film, and in the original announcement of the purchase, no mention was made about the release date, either staying on the October 1, 2021, slot or moving from it. Though now, it will not be available for families to watch over the Halloween season as many had planned.Releasing Hotel Transylvania: Transformania in January is likely to upset and confuse many as the film is completed, and a Halloween adjacent release date seems ideal. Various streaming services have high-profile October releases to cash in on the month of Halloween, including Halloween Kills on Peacock and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin on Paramount+. It would seem that Amazon Studios would want to have a high-profile release on their streaming service to draw viewers to their service.Source: Amazon Studios

 Digital currencies backed by central banks are the most reliable form of digital money, according to IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva. At the same time, to think of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin as money is difficult, believes the chief executive of the international financial institution.IMF Chief Georgieva Marks Top Issues for Policymakers Exploring CBDCsAmong the members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), 110 countries are exploring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), the fund’s chair and managing director Kristalina Georgieva revealed at an event hosted by Bocconi University in Italy. Speaking remotely to the audience, she noted that the key challenge for monetary authorities now is to guarantee the interoperability of these currencies.According to Georgieva, a major consideration is whether state-backed digital currencies can serve as a means of exchange trusted by the public, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Other questions policymakers need to answer are if CBDCs can contribute to domestic economic stability and how they would fit within international regulatory frameworks introduced by organizations like the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).The BIS Innovation Hub is leading several projects to test the use of state-issued digital currencies in international transactions such as a collaboration between the Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the South African Reserve Bank. These also include joint trials conducted by China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and UAE as well as a wholesale CBDC test carried out by Banque de France and the Swiss National Bank.In reference to cooperation between international financial organizations and national monetary authorities regarding CBDCs, Kristalina Georgieva further stated:"It is very impressive how much the international community, the central banks, institutions like ours are now actively engaged to make sure that in this fast moving world of digitalization, money is a source of confidence and helps the economy function rather than [being] a risk".The head of the IMF emphasized that she views digital currencies issued by central banks as the most reliable form of digital money while remarking she finds it hard to think of cryptocurrencies as money. “De-facto assets” like bitcoin are not backed by assets that hold their value stable and can rise and fall sharply, Georgieva elaborated, insisting:"In the history of money, it is difficult to think of them as money".In her address at the Italian academic event, the IMF chief also spoke about Europe’s efforts to deal with challenges caused by the spread of Covid-19. Kristalina Georgieva noted that the Old Continent is now more prepared to avoid another debt crisis such as the one with Greece after the last global financial crisis. However, she stressed that governments need to plan their course carefully as they shift to medium-term fiscal consolidation so they can erase the debt burden related to the pandemic.

 Bitcoin, in terms of market value, rose 4.6% to $53,859.6.It passed $50,000 mark for first time in four weeks on Tuesday. Bitcoin fell below $50,000 in early September.Bitcoin hit its highest level since mid-May on Wednesday as bulls bid up the cryptocurrency after it breached the $50,000 mark in the previous session.The world's largest cryptocurrency in terms of market value rose 4.6% to $53,859.6. It passed the $50,000 mark for the first time in four weeks on Tuesday on mounting institutional interest. In early September, bitcoin fell below $50,000 during a broad selloff in shares of cryptocurrency and blockchain-related firms. It fell further in September, hitting a low of $40,596 on September 21.According to reports on Wednesday, Soros Fund management, owned by billionaire investor George Soros, confirmed at a Bloomberg summit that the fund is trading bitcoin. "We own some coins — not a lot," Dawn Fitzpatrick, the fund's chief executive, was quoted as saying.

 Frances Haugen’s testimony that social networking company puts profit before people ‘just not true’Mark Zuckerberg has hit back at the testimony of the Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, saying her claims the company puts profit over people’s safety are “just not true”.In a blogpost, the Facebook founder and chief executive addressed one of the most damaging statements in Haugen’s opening speech to US senators on Tuesday, that Facebook puts “astronomical profits before people”.“At the heart of these accusations is this idea that we prioritise profit over safety and wellbeing. That’s just not true,” he said.He added: “The argument that we deliberately push content that makes people angry for profit is deeply illogical. We make money from ads, and advertisers consistently tell us they don’t want their ads next to harmful or angry content.”Zuckerberg said many of the claims made by Haugen – and in the Wall Street Journal, based on documents she leaked – “don’t make any sense”. The most damaging reporting in the WSJ, reiterated at length by Haugen in testimony to the US Senate on Tuesday, was that Facebook failed to act on internal research showing that its Instagram app was damaging teenagers’ mental health.“Many of the claims don’t make any sense. If we wanted to ignore research, why would we create an industry-leading research program to understand these important issues in the first place?” he said.Responding to Haugen’s claims that Facebook’s attempts to limit harmful content were constantly hampered by a shortage of staff, he said: “If we didn’t care about fighting harmful content, then why would we employ so many more people dedicated to this than any other company in our space – even ones larger than us? If we wanted to hide our results, why would we have established an industry-leading standard for transparency and reporting on what we’re doing?”Haugen’s testimony, and accompanying statements by US senators in the hearing, repeatedly questioned whether Facebook could be trusted. “Facebook has not earned a right to just have blind trust in them,” said Haugen, a former Facebook employee who worked on the company’s unit monitoring electoral interference before she quit in May.Zuckerberg said a change to Facebook’s News Feed algorithm in 2018 was implemented because it increased wellbeing. According to Haugen, internal Facebook research showed that the change to News Feed – a customised scroll of content that is a core part of Facebook users’ interaction with the platform – had amplified divisive content.Zuckerberg said: “This change showed fewer viral videos and more content from friends and family – which we did knowing it would mean people spent less time on Facebook, but that research suggested it was the right thing for people’s wellbeing. Is that something a company focused on profits over people would do?”Addressing company staff in the Facebook post, made late on Tuesday, Zuckerberg said he expected many employees would not recognise the business portrayed in the WSJ coverage and Haugen’s testimony.“I’m sure many of you have found the recent coverage hard to read because it just doesn’t reflect the company we know,” he wrote. “We care deeply about issues like safety, wellbeing and mental health. It’s difficult to see coverage that misrepresents our work and our motives. At the most basic level, I think most of us just don’t recognize the false picture of the company that is being painted.”Zuckerberg opened the post with a reference to Monday’s platform outage when the company’s services – including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms – went offline for nearly six hours. Facebook has 3.5 billion monthly active users across its platforms including Instagram and WhatsApp.“The deeper concern with an outage like this isn’t how many people switch to competitive services or how much money we lose, but what it means for the people who rely on our services to communicate with loved ones, run their businesses, or support their communities,” he said.

The European Medicines Agency approved the use of Comirnaty in May, while Spikevax was given the nod for children over 12 in JulySTOCKHOLM: Sweden's Public Health Agency said on Monday it recommended the use of Pfizer-BioNTech's , Comirnaty vaccine against COVID-19 for children between 12-15, opting against rival Moderna's Spikevax. The European Medicines Agency approved the use of Comirnaty in May, while Spikevax was given the nod for children over 12 in July. "All in all, we see reason to choose the vaccine that we know the most about and that is most well-proven when it comes to vaccinating children between 12 and 15 years of age," Anders Tegnell, head of department and state epidemiologist at the Health Agency said. The agency said there was more data about Comirnaty's use on children. "That's why Spikevax is not recommended for the youngest age group in Sweden," the Agency said in a statement. In September, the Agency said that children aged 12 and over would be offered a COVID vaccination starting October 11.