1. Apple to Reopen Some COVID-Closed US Stores

Apple retail stores closed during the first COVID-19 shutdowns in March, some opened in May, then shut down again in June and July as numbers spiked. Now, Apple is telling employees to expect some stores to (safely) reopen, though no one seems to know where, specifically.

2. Judge Blocks Unreal Engine Ban, Allows Fortnite Ban

Another fun development in the Apple vs. Epic Games adventure just happened. A judge blocked Apple from banning Epic's Unreal Engine from the Developer program, but allowed it to keep Fortnite off the iOS App Store. Pretty solid middle-of-the-road response, eh?

3. Microsoft Word Gets Transcription

Microsoft's ubiquitous office app, Word, now offers transcription for both live and recorded audio. It's only available in the web version for Microsoft 365 users, but journalists and students will likely enjoy the feature without having to drop into a different app or (gasp) pay for a third-party subscription.

🦑 Go Deeper

Reddit may be celebrating an 18 percent drop in hate speech on its platform, but the moderators of Reddit's Black and Transgender communities are calling bullsh*t. Brandon Sams has a deeper look into the reality of the situation.

Epic's Unreal Engine has been battling it out with Unity for quite some time. First, one dropped its fees to zero, then the other made everything free. Now, Unity may benefit from Unreal's potential loss of Apple developer privileges, just as it files its first IPO. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

🤓 Nerd Out

"Is nothing true anymore?!" - Kyree Leary, Assistant News Editor

You might not be the kind of nerd who counts how many pieces are in a puzzle and then compares it to the number on the box, but they do exist. Math nerds will like this, too. (Share on Twitter)

💎 You Know You Want It

Keep your cool

Image: Zephyr

With the amount of gaming we're doing during the pandemic, we've become aware of a distinct need for something to keep our sweaty hands a little cooler during those hot sessions of Fortnite on our PCs. (Get it?) This mouse looks like something we really do want. Like, for real real.

🚀 Facing the Future

It's already here, folks

No longer science fiction, electric cars are here today. They're kind of limited, range-wise, though, so we like to envision a future where we can get wherever we want on a single charge (kind of like our cellphone dreams). This car boasts a 1,000-mile range already; just think of where it'll go in 20 years.

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