Twitter Now Lets You Add Stickers To Fleets

Twitter is adding stickers to its ephemeral, Snapchat Stories-like Fleets, the social media company announced on Wednesday. Stickers are available for users on both Android and iOS. When you’re making a Fleet, you’ll be able to add stickers by tapping the smiley face icon on the bottom row of your screen.

When you do, you’ll see a collection of Twitter-made animated stickers and emoji (the latter of which Twitter calls “Twemoji”). And if you search for something in the search bar at the top of the screen, Twitter will pull up GIFs sourced from Tenor and Facebook-owned Giphy. Your Fleets just got an upgrade. Now you can express yourself in the conversation with stickers. Add GIFs and Twemojis to a Fleet by tapping the icon, on Android and iOS. If you’ve ever used stickers on Snapchat or Instagram, this new feature should feel quite familiar to you. That said, the feature might feel so familiar because both Snapchat and Instagram have offered it for years. But Twitter is still in early days with Fleets, which only became available to everyone back in November, so perhaps stickers are just a first sign of more additions to come.

Elon Musk says people can now buy a Tesla with bitcoin

The inevitable has happened: You can now purchase a Tesla vehicle with Bitcoin. This is according to Tesla CEO, pardon, Technoking Elon Musk, who tweeted it on Wednesday. Tesla announced this would be happening in February, when the company said it purchased US$1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. In an SEC filing, Tesla said it might start accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment "in the near future." Musk also shared a few details on how this works in the background.

 

He says Tesla operates its own Bitcoin nodes and uses "internal and open source software" for the bitcoin payment system. Notably for those bullish on the price of Bitcoin, Musk also said the company plans to retain the bitcoins it receives as bitcoins, instead of converting them to fiat currency. Finally, Musk said Bitcoin payments are only available in the U.S. right now, but they should become available outside the U.S. "later this year." It's hard to estimate the real impact of this news. Once thought to be the future of payments, Bitcoin is far more used as a store of value, as well as a speculative asset, primarily due to its volatility. For many Tesla buyers, it certainly won't be the most practical means of payment. Still, the market perceived this as good news: The price of Bitcoin went sharply up following Musk's announcement, from roughly US$53,700 to US$55,400.

Creed 3 Movie Confirmed

Creed 3 officially has a release date and Michael B. Jordan has been confirmed as the movie's director. The third installment of the rebooted Rocky series is set to release on November 23, 2022. As well as making his directorial debut, Jordan will still be in front of the camera, returning to the role of Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the son of Apollo Creed from the original Rocky movies.

Jordan is also producing, with the script being penned by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin based on an outline by Creed director Ryan Coogler. Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad are also expected to reprise their roles as Bianca, Donnie's love interest, and Mary Anne, his step-mother. "Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right," Jordan said in a statement. "Creed 3 is that moment a time in my life where I've grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally, and learning from the greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect. All of which sets the table for this moment." He continued: "This franchise and in particular the themes of Creed III are deeply personal to me. I look forward to sharing the next chapter of Adonis Creed's story with the awesome responsibility of being its director and namesake." The first Creed movie came out in 2015, with Creed II following in 2018 the sequel follows Donnie as he prepares to face Viktor Drago in the ring the son of Ivan Drago, the athlete who took the life of Donnie's father Apollo Creed in 1985's Rocky IV.

Samsung Announces Its Television Lineup for 2021

Earlier this week, Samsung held its “Unbox and Discover” event, announcing its comprehensive lineup of televisions and displays for 2021. The highlight of the entire event was no doubt Samsung’s Micro LED technology. Previously only available for its “The Wall” model, which required custom assembly, the Korean company is now making the technology available to general consumers all across the world, coming in the form of new 110-inch and 99-inch models. Two smaller options at 88 inches and 75 inches will follow later this year.

On top of a new Micro LED series, Samsung also unveiled more Neo QLED televisions that utilize Mini-LED technology. Offered in both 8K and 4K, the former lineup will include 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch models while the latter will measure in at 55 inches and 85 inches. The display technology will also be used for its Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor, giving gamers something to look forward to as well. Revisiting its Frame TV series, Samsung is increasing the storage of 2021’s offerings to 6GB, which can accommodate up to 1,200 ultra-HD images. All models are now just 24.9mm thick, and can be used together with a brand new “My Shelf” accessory so you can hang them up at ease. Finally, turning to its outdoor options, the Korean tech giant has announced a new 75-inch option of its waterproof and weather-resistant Terrace TV series, which will join the existing 55-inch and 65-inch models this summer. A 4K ultra-short-throw laser projected dubbed “The Premier” will also be arriving later in the year.