Apple Event April 20th; Microsoft New Webcam & Speakers; Spotify has a ‘Car Thing’; Facebook Oversight Board Now Lets Users Appeal To Have Content Removed

Earlier today, Siri spilled the beans on Apple’s next upcoming event, they are dubbing “Spring Loaded.”. It’s April 20th. Engadget.com notes that it is widely expected to show off the new iPad Pro and the long expected AirTags. It will start at 10 AM Pacific time, and will again be completely virtual. With the ongoing chip shortage, it seems unlikely that a new MacBook Pro will be unveiled, or a new iMac. Those are more likely to bow this Fall  a few weeks after the September iPhone event.

Microsoft has released their new ‘Modern Webcam’ and also a USB-C speaker. According to theverge.com, the new hardware….aimed at work from home…is pretty basic, but the price isn’t bad. The 1080p webcam will ship in June for $69.99. It does use USB-A not C. the USB-C “Modern Speaker” is intended mainly for Microsoft Teams. It features a launch control panel for Teams, and includes omnidirectional mics and background cancellation. It comes with mute, volume, and call button controls on the top. The speaker will also be out in June, and is priced at $99.99.

Spotify has unveiled their first consumer gadget, and it’s Spotify for you car. No snappy name, either. Thenextweb.com says it’s just called ‘Car Thing.’ What you get is basically a touchscreen with a large volume knob and voice controls that allow you to run Spotify music through your car speakers. There are 4 preset buttons you can set for podcasts or playlists you frequently use. It needs to talk to your phone over Bluetooth, and also has to be plugged in to power via USB or the 12V outlet. The device is available to a limited number of people in the US, and is FREE, although you have to pay shipping and have a Spotify Premium account. Hit the waitlist at carthing.spotify.com.

We still don’t know if Donald Trump will be allowed back on Facebook, but the Oversight Board there has dropped a new decision. Mashable.com reports that theBoard will accept appeals from users that want to have content removed from the social media platform. After a user reports content to Facebook, there will be options to appeal the company’s decision. After the final appeal within Facebook is exhausted, a user will receive an Oversight Board Reference ID, which they can cite if they do appeal to the Oversight Board. The Oversight Board will then consider whether to take on the case and analyze whether the content at hand “violates Facebook’s Community Standards and values and international human rights standards.”