Samsung Confirms August 7th Unpacked; Facebook Downranks Misleading Health Info; Apparent Big Amazon Retail Space in Seattle; Tim Cook Blasts Jony Ive Report

It appears that Samsung will show off the Note 10 during their Unpacked event August 7th in New York. According to cnet.com, the event will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The invite shows a stylus and what looks like a camera lens. There is a rumor that the new S Pen may have a cam of its own, and another that claims the new Note 10 might have 4 rear cams. Yet another rumor touts a swivel selfie cam like the Galaxy A80. Although the Note line doesn’t sell like the Galaxy S handsets, the Note has always had a rabid fan base.

Facebook is taking a baby step when it comes to preposterous miracle cures and other bogus health info. The social network won’t be banning or blocking these crazy posts, but will be using their News Feed algorithm to downlink them, and other clickbait and low quality content. Techcrunch.com reports that Facebook explained “Posts with sensational health claims or solicitation using health-related claims will have reduced distribution. Pages should avoid posts about health that exaggerate or mislead people and posts that try to sell products using health-related claims. If a Page stops posting this content, their posts will no longer be affected by this change.” Note that this applies to pages, and doesn’t affect crazy content spread by individuals or ‘social selling’ like MLM pitches. Again….a baby step.

Amazon is apparently working on a new store taking up the 1st flor of a Capitol Hill apartment complex. Geekwire.com says all the windows are covered as crews work inside the building. They note that it is a much larger space than an Amazon Go store would require, and is in what is essentially a residential area. Geekwire has tracked down permitting that names an Amazon construction coordinator as the ‘client’ for the project. There are drawings showing space for entry and exit kiosks like could bee for scanning a QR code on the Amazon Go app. There is a large general sales area. It may be a bigger Amazon Go, or possibly a checker-less mini-grocery store. It looks like it might have around 7000 square feet of shoppable space. Amazon Go stores generally have 1500 to 3000 square feet.

After reports that Jony Ive was leaving apple due to Tim Cook’s focus on operations rather than design, Cook has fired back. In an email to NBC News, Cook called the story ‘absurd’ and said that such conclusions ‘don’t match with reality.’ From Cook’s email:

‘The story is absurd. A lot of the reporting, and certainly the conclusions, just don’t match with reality. At a base level, it shows a lack of understanding about how the design team works and how Apple works. It distorts relationships, decisions and events to the point that we just don’t recognize the company it claims to describe.

The design team is phenomenally talented. As Jony has said, they’re stronger than ever, and I have complete confidence that they will thrive under Jeff, Evans, and Alan’s leadership. We know the truth and we know the incredible things they’re capable of doing. The projects they’re working on will blow you away.’ At any rate, it had already been announced that Ive’s new design firm would continue to work on projects for Apple.