Google has been trying to get Apple to adopt the GSMA’s RCS messaging protocol, from not-so-subtle jabs at I/O 2022 to lengthy Twitter threads from the head of Android. The latest tool from the makers of Android? Drake lyrics. The official Android Twitter account shared an “unofficial lyric explainer video” for “Texts Go Green,” the third track from Drake’s latest album. The title and chorus refer to what happens when an iPhone user blocks someone from contacting them via iMessage, causing messages to default to SMS and losing features like read receipts. Quickly destroying any cultural cachet by referencing lyrics to a recent Drake song, the Twitter account calls it “a real stunner.” And I close my Twitter app. — Matt Smith
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Meta launches an Avatars Store for digital fashion. Meta opens an Avatars Store to buy outfits for your avatar on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. Zuckerberg and Eva Chen, Meta’s VP of fashion partnerships, announced the new store on Instagram Live, calling it the “first live avatar fashion show.” The “fashion show” featured Chen holding up paper drawings of Zuckerberg’s avatar, wearing increasingly questionable, albeit metaverse-ready, outfits. The new looks include designer duds from Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne, and the company expects to add more designers over time.
Europe would not be alone in trying to reduce e-waste.
US Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo calling on her department to develop a “comprehensive strategy” to lead to a common charging standard. The senators said the EU acted in the “public interest” by settling for one port, and the US should follow suit to reduce chargers’ environmental impact while increasing user convenience. A charger stand would theoretically reduce e-waste by allowing people to reuse existing cables and adapters for new devices.
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Free to play, license to print cash.
Two weeks after its release, Blizzard’s Diablo Immortal has made approximately $24 million, according to Appmagic. The analytics company said the free-to-play game had been downloaded nearly 8.5 million times. Will this inform the rest of the Diablo gaming universe? Possibly not. Diablo franchise general manager Rod Fergusson recently said Diablo IV would have a different monetization system than Immortal.
Who says greatness has to be expensive?
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The middle of the smartphone road has great options that balance price and features. You still get great cameras, vibrant screens, and decent battery life. But there are so many, so where do you start? What about this guide? Our editorial team, independent of our parent company, has selected all products recommended by Engadget Some of our stories contain affiliate links. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy something through one of these links.
