Sony to phase out plastic packaging, Hollywood actors suspended from Twitter for parodying Elon Musk, Apple’s AR glasses won’t be ready till 2025 or 2026.
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Wednesday, November 9, and I’m your host, Tom Li.
Sony will start phasing out plastic packaging for small electronic gadgets like smartphones, cameras and audio accessories starting next year. From April, plastic packaging will not be used for some new products weighing 2.2 pounds or less. According to TechXplore, the Japanese conglomerate is aiming to replace plastic packaging with paper packaging by 2025. Sony is also looking to eliminate plastic packaging for larger products like televisions, but no specific time frame has been decided yet. The company has announced a long-term global plan targeting “zero environmental footprint” by 2050.
Source: TechXplorer
A number of Hollywood actors with verified Twitter accounts have had their pages suspended for parodying Elon Musk. Following Musk’s controversial decision to charge Twitter users for the blue verified tag, a number of verified stars have used their own accounts to mimic Musk, including comedians Sarah Silverman and Kathy Griffin. Former Saturday Night Live star Silverman had her account suspended after she changed her name and profile picture to mirror Musk’s. Meanwhile, Griffin used her parody account to send a political message before it was suspended. Other actors hit with a suspension for parodying Musk include Mad Men star Rich Sommer and former NFL star Chris Kluwe.
Source: NME
Apple’s rumoured augmented-reality glasses may not be ready until at least 2025, according to an analyst at Haitong International Tech Research. There have been rumors that Apple is working on an AR/VR standalone headset and AR glasses for everyday wear. The glasses were expected to be announced in late 2024. However, it is now expected to debut later than that. In a recent interview with the Dutch media outlet Bright, chief executive officer Tim Cook described augmented reality as a “profound technology” that will affect everything. Apple is expected to announce its own AR/VR headset in the next few months, with the device likely available next year.
Source: Market Watch
AMC is working with Zoom to turn some of its movie theaters into huge videoconferencing spaces for 75 to 150 people. AMC said it will also provide food and beverage offerings as well as “concierge-style personalized handling of meeting needs,” for an additional cost, The Verge reported. The theater chain says that when companies are planning a gathering, they can book theaters across the country online, so their employees can have a similar experience on the call. Companies will get a three-hour block at the selected theater. The service won’t be available at all AMC theaters. The company says it’s only planning on launching it in up to 17 major U.S. markets in 2023.
Source: The Verge
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Tom Li.
