MASSACHUSETTS — New Englanders could catch a sight of the Northern Lights Saturday night as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch for Saturday, noting that the aurora could be visible as low as Pennsylvania to Iowa to Oregon. via Technology and News Today https://patch.com/massachusetts/across-ma/northern-lights-possible-saturday-night-over-massachusetts

For decades cosmologists have wondered about the nature of dark energy, the proposed antigravitational force behind the accelerating expansion of the universe. Since the 1990s astronomers have observed that the universe is not only expanding, but also increasing its expansion rate. via Technology and News Today https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-gravitys-quantum-origins-explain-dark-energy/

While Facebook the social network is still Facebook, the overarching company that it created is now called Meta. Facebook Inc. is changing its name in order to distinguish its myriad parts from the social network, which has an increasingly poor reputation pretty much everywhere. via Technology and News Today https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-facebook-is-now-called-meta-112003930.html

Two Netflix employees at the heart of the Dave Chappelle controversy have filed labor charges against the company, alleging the streaming giant retaliated against them for engaging in protected activity. B. via Technology and News Today https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/29/22751847/netflix-employees-dave-chappelle-file-charges-nlrb

Amazon is now making its own TVs, and today marks the release of the company’s Omni and 4-Series Fire TVs. As the 4K HDR sets start making their way to customers, Amazon is making one more last-minute announcement: it plans to add support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit features “soon. via Technology and News… Read More Amazon’s new TVs will soon support Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit

Google has launched a new safety feature that lets under-18s request the removal of images of themselves from the company’s search results. The feature was originally announced in August (along with new restrictions of ad targeting of minors) but is now widely available. via Technology and News Today https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/27/22748240/remove-images-google-search-results-under-18-request-how-to

Apple hit Intel hard with its first M1 chips, offering a rare step-change improvement in performance with its 2020 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Less than a year later, it’s already starting to compete with the best GPUs from AMD and Nvidia as well. via Technology and News Today https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/26/22746371/macbook-pro-m1-max-apple-gpu-performance-nvidia-amd

It didn’t take long to greenlight a follow-up to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Legendary Pictures has confirmed plans to release Dune: Part Two, saying it was “excited to the continue the journey. via Technology and News Today https://www.engadget.com/dune-part-two-movie-approved-184447853.html

At its annual Max conference, Adobe detailed some enhancements that are coming to its Lightroom and Lightroom Classic software suites. To start, the company is introducing a “re-envisioned” set of selective adjustment tools. via Technology and News Today https://www.engadget.com/lightroom-updates-adobe-max-2021-130009666.html

It’s been nearly three years since Amazon has updated its best (and bestselling) Kindle: the midtier Kindle Paperwhite, which is getting its biggest upgrade ever. On paper, at least, Amazon has finally built the ultimate Kindle. via Technology and News Today https://www.theverge.com/22745670/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-2021-review-usb-c-signature-edition-display-e-reader-books

Apple TV+ will expand into a new territory when it launches in South Korea on November 4th. In a case of perfect timing, the streaming service’s first series from the country will debut worldwide on the same day (or a day earlier if you’re in the US). The brilliantly titled Dr. via Technology and News… Read More Apple’s first Korean TV series is about brain hacking

Tesla is no stranger to raising prices for its EVs, but its latest round has been more aggressive than most. Electrek notes Tesla has hiked prices for all four of its in-production vehicles in the past two days. via Technology and News Today https://www.engadget.com/tesla-raises-model-s-3-x-y-prices-152134496.html

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s leaks suggest its problems with extremism are particularly dire in some areas. Documents Haugen provided to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other outlets suggest Facebook is aware it fostered severe misinformation and violence in India. via Technology and News Today https://www.engadget.com/facebook-misinformation-violence-india-leak-221447186.html

Nearly 100 million people nationwide are immediately eligible to receive Covid booster shots after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized extra doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines Thursday night. via Technology and News Today https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/23/covid-vaccine-boosters-are-now-available-heres-whos-eligible-for-pfizer-moderna-and-jjs-shots-.html