Tech Digest daily roundup: Peloton attracts attention from Amazon and Nike
Exercise brand Peloton is attracting bid attention from the likes of Amazon and Nike, according to reports. They have been attracted by the soaring sales of Peloton’s exercise bikes and treadmills during the pandemic. Suitors have not been put off by the return to gyms post-lockdown, which has left the firm worth less than a fifth of its peak $50bn valuation. There have also been recent PR disasters when TV characters had heart attacks when using Peloton machines. Amazon declined to confirm or deny whether it was considering making an offer for the US exercise equipment maker. BBC
Spotify’s chief executive has defiantly said he will not “silence” the podcaster Joe Rogan, despite confirming that more than 100 of his previous episodes had been removed. Daniel Ek told staff in an email that “cancelling voices is a slippery slope”. It comes despite a revolt from prominent musicians including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell that has seen their back catalogues removed from the streaming service over Mr Rogan’s alleged embrace of vaccine sceptics. “I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope,” Mr Ek wrote. Telegraph
MG is looking to significantly expand its product portfolio as the marque approaches its centenary in 2024, with the aim of attracting new buyers in new segments and continuing on its steep growth trajectory. In the 16 years since being acquired by the Chinese state-owned SAIC, MG has established itself as a leading maker of value-oriented yet well-equipped and safe family cars, selling more than 52,000 across Europe in 2021 – far more than half of which were in the UK, its spiritual home. It plans to triple that figure in 2022 on its way to reaching one million sales across 100 global markets by 2024. Crucial to this goal will be the introduction of new cars. The MG 5 SW EV estate and ZS EV crossover are already among the most popular electric cars in Europe, and MG will look to build on this success by appealing to younger drivers and enthusiasts with an all-new product line designated Cyber. Autocar
The Samsung Galaxy smartphone in your pocket is set to lose some of its shine this week as Samsung gears up to launch its next-generation range, dubbed Galaxy S22. The new series of handsets are tipped to arrive in three flavours – the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra. Ahead of the official announcement, scheduled as part of the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked launch event on February 9, a number of leaks have seemingly revealed details about the forthcoming flagship. And it sounds like a real doozy. The latest leaks as courtesy of reliable tipster Evan Blass, who has an almost unmatched track record when it comes to sharing as-yet-unannounced details about hardware from Samsung, and seemingly reveal new details about the camera and specifications of the Galaxy S22 series. First up, the Galaxy S22 will purportedly ship with a 6.1-inch display, while the Galaxy S22 Plus arrives with a larger 6.6-inch screen. Express
It’s taken a very long time, but Rockstar Games confirmed on Friday that development on Grand Theft Auto 6 is underway. Unfortunately, the company did not offer anything resembling detailed information about the game (including an official name), but the announcement alone has led to a lot of excitement. Jim Jagger, Rockstar’s vice president of animation, commented on the announcement on Twitter, and while he didn’t say much, he did tease that the next series entry “is going to be special.” That’s quite cryptic, but it was enough to get many fans even more excited about the upcoming sequel! Comicbook
