Tech Digest daily roundup: Nissan unveils 4 concept EVs
Nissan has shown four new concept cars and detailed an ambitious transformation plan for the next eight years, giving clues to its next-generation electric cars. The headline unveiling is the Chill-Out concept, which is familiar from earlier preview images issued by Nissan when it confirmed a new electric crossover will be built at Sunderland in the coming years. Although unconfirmed, the Chill-Out is expected to closely preview the styling of this future production model, which has earlier been said to prioritise “making the switch to electric driving even more accessible”. As with the eventual production car, which could serve as a replacement for the Nissan Leaf, the concept sits atop the same CMF-EV architecture as the forthcoming Ariya SUV and uses the same e-4ORCE, twin-motor four-wheel drive system. Autocar
The UK competition regulator is expected to block Meta Platforms’ (FB.O) acquisition of online GIF platform Giphy in the coming days, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The Competition and Markets Authority is set to reverse the deal in what would be the first time the watchdog has reversed a Big Tech acquisition, the report said, citing individuals close to the matter. Meta Platforms and the regulator did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters sent outside working hours. The regulator had in October fined the U.S. social media giant Facebook, now Meta, 50.5 million pound ($67.35 million) for breaching an order that was imposed during an investigation into its purchase of the GIF platform, Giphy. Reuters
A group of emergency services, consumer watchdogs and safety groups want the government to make online sellers more liable for selling dangerous items. Online marketplaces are a “hotbed” for risky electronics, such as hairdryers and straighteners with electric shock risks, and dangerous toys, it says. The group wants sites like Amazon, eBay, Wish and AliExpress to be held responsible for unsafe listings. Each of these retailers removed dangerous listings when contacted. At the moment, “gaps in the law” mean that such marketplaces are not held to the same standards as High Street shops, the group said. That means “they have no responsibility for the safety of products sold to millions of consumers via their platforms”. BBC
Investment in UK impact technology firms jumped to £2 billion in the past year as the sector passed a total valuation of £50 billion, according to new data. Impact tech firms – which use technology to address issues such as climate change and global health – saw funding rise £300 million from 2020, according to data from Dealroom compiled for the UK’s Digital Economy Council. Investment in the sector was found to have increased 127% since 2018, taking the total value of the sector beyond £50 billion for the first time. Climate tech firms led the hike in investment, with green energy provider Octopus Energy raising the biggest round of the past year of £438 million, followed by electric car subscription platform Onto, which attracted £130 million in July. Yahoo!
We’ve already seen a plethora of leaks around the Samsung Galaxy S22, but we’re happy to add another one to the pile: new pictures show off what look to be official screen protectors for all three phones in the range, giving us an idea of their front-facing design and their relative sizes. These come from prolific and reliable tipster @UniverseIce, so it’s more likely than not that they’re the real deal. The clues that they give us match up with what we’ve seen from previous leaks and rumors as well. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is clearly the largest of the three smartphones, and takes a more Galaxy Note-like approach to its design, with squared corners – in fact, there has been talk that the S22 Ultra is actually going to adopt the Note moniker this time. Tech Radar
