This week, how Fortnite got sucked into a black hole, only to be reborn. Plus, Facebook’s Libra non-profit is official and Tile has some new tracking devices available. But first, all the new hardware coming from Google.

Pixel 4, Pixelbook Go, and more new stuff coming from Google

In a media event in New York this week, Google announced a host of new devices, including two new smartphones, a tablet, wireless earbuds, and more. You can watch the entire event below.

The Pixel 4 (starting at $999) and Pixel 4 XL, which are available for pre-order now and will be in your hand before the end of the month, don’t set a new standard for smartphone cameras, like the previous generation of Pixel devices.

Instead, Google has focused on improving its handset in other areas. They have face identification, for one, so you can simply look at the device to unlock it.

More interesting is Motion Sense, which lets you control the device with a gesture without having to touch your phone. This is achieved with a radar chip built into the phone.

There are high quality cameras, of course, a 12 MP and 16 MP telephoto on the back, and a 8 MP front camera. And they are supported by Google’s outstanding photo-taking software.

The Pixel 4 devices do not come with headphones or earbuds, but pre-ordering a handset from Google will get you $150 towards accessories from the Google Store. Which could be the new Pixel Buds, which look slick. They are very small and will work not just with Android devices but also iOS. But they won’t be coming until the spring.

Google also showed off the new Pixelbook Go ($879 to $1,849 depending on configuration) a Chromebook with a touchscreen that weighs less than three pounds.

There were also revelations about what Google is doing with the Nest brand.

Formerly known as the Google Home Mini, the speaker with Google Assistant built in is now the Nest Mini ($69) and it comes with better speakers.

Nest Wifi is the new router/Wifi extending devices (two pack for $269, three pack for $349) are backwards compatible, so they’ll work with any Google Wifi devices currently in your home.

Canada is also getting the Nest Hub Max, the speaker with a screen that replaced the Google Home Hub. It’s priced at $299.

Finally, Google is launching a new subscription service for its suite of Nest devices. Nest Aware is, essentially, a cloud-based video solution. Any videos that are captured by your various Nest devices are viewable online, you can get notifications for certain triggering events, and the video is archived for between 30 ($8 a month) and 60 days ($16 a month).

The state of Facebook’s new Libra concept

Paypal is out. So are Mastercard and Visa. As is eBay. With all the major payment processing companies getting out of the Libra project, what happens next?

The companies dropped out last week, just days before the first meeting of the Libra Association to elect a board and formalize the new cryptocurrency organization. That happened yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland, where the non-profit is to be headquartered.

Russell Brandom, who covers cryptocurrency for the Verge, suggests that the departures were a result of the grey areas around how Libra will deal with the regulatory requirements that governments have in place to prevent things like money laundering.

New Tile devices will help you keep track of your stuff

Tiles are clever devices that use Bluetooth technology to help you find things you misplace. The concept is simple: Attach a Tile to the object you want to keep track of, and when you want to find it, simply use your smartphone to ping the device and make it start ringing.

The company has been around since 2014, and just recently announced the latest Tile products.

The Tile Mate ($30 or a four pack for $90) now has a range of 60 metres (200 feet) and a replaceable battery. It has a hole in the top corner of the device so you can attach it to your keys, a backpack, or even a pet collar.

The Tile Slim ($35) is the size of a credit card for a reason. It’s perfect for wallets and purses, and also has a 60-metre range.

The Tile Sticker (two pack for $50, four pack for $75) is a waterproof dot with an adhesive back and a weight of only five grams. Stick one of these on your TV remote control or even a bicycle.

You don’t need to use your smartphone to use the Tile finding, either, as the various devices will integrate with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri.

Fortnite world gets sucked into a black hole before being reborn with all new stuff

After more than 35 hours staring at blank screen, Fortnite players finally found out what they’d all been waiting for.

More than 5 million player watched as Fortnite: Chapter 1 came to an end, with a black hole consuming everything, including player avatars, and leaving an image of the black hole, animated and with some music playing. Every once in a while, numbers would emerge from the event horizon.

And at one point nearly 500,000 people were just watching this. Waiting.

Early Tuesday morning, Epic Games, which develops and publishes Fortnite, pulled the veil back on Chapter 2, Season 1 of the game.

There’s a new world, new vehicles and mechanics, and a new weapon that you can use to heal your teammates.

Plus: Fishing.

Epic is well aware that many Fortnite players are in the space just hanging out with friends. They’ve created a new space that players can explore and have loaded it up with things that encourage the having of fun.

Looks like a winner.