Zoom Adds Ads; Sega & Microsoft Partner Up; Tesla Piloting Supercharger Access to Non-Teslas; Generac Buying Ecobee
Posted: November 2, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentZoom Basic free account users will begin to see ads, starting this week in ‘certain countries. Zdne.com reports the ads will be shown on the browser page, and users will see them run after a meeting ends. Zoom says it is adding the advertising program in an effort to cover the cost of free Basic accounts. The company noted that as of ‘right now,’ they don’t plan to “use meeting, webinar, or messaging content (specifically, audio, video, files, and messages) for any marketing, promotions, or third-party advertising purposes.” I have already been getting an ad of sorts at the end of Zoom calls that invites me to use the non-free version or explore their other products, so this is really an extension of that, only with paid ads that can bring in further cash to the meeting platform.
Sega and Microsoft have announced a strategic alliance to develop what they are calling a ‘Super Game’ initiative on Azure. According to geekwire.com, Sega will build new games and overhaul its development process via Microsoft’s Azure platform. Sega will be able to customize to account for different styles of work and infrastructural changes by using Redmond’s Azure cloud services. Both companies see 5G as a supercharging force for cloud gaming in many parts of the world. Sega did not offer a statement as to whether its new Azure-powered titles would involve exclusivity to the Xbox platform or how much money, if any, changed hands as a result of the deal.
Tesla is piloting letting non-Teslas use its Supercharger network, starting out in the Netherlands. Engadget.com says 10 locations are involved in the test. To use them, you will have to have the Tesla app on your phone (v. 4.2.3 or newer). The pilot is only open to non-Tesla cars who’s owners live in the Netherlands, but any Tesla owner from any country can still use the stations when they are passing through. Asked about the future, Tesla said in a statement “Future sites will only be opened to Non-Tesla vehicles if there is available capacity.”
Generac….the generator maker you have probably seen plenty of ads for…has announced it will buy Ecobee, the smart thermostat maker. Techcrunch.com reports that Generac will drop some $200 million in cash and $450 million in stock. If certain targets are made before the deal closes, they will toss in another $120 million in stock. Wisconsin based Generac has been around some 60 years, while Ecobee came on the scene in Toronto in 2007. Ecobee has expanded beyond thermostats in the smart home arena. Previously, it had been thought Amazon would snap up Ecobee, but Amazon developed their own smart thermostat with help from Honeywell.
Amazon Kicks Off Early Black Friday on Its Devices; App Tracking Transparency Hits Social Media in Wallet; Chromebook Falloff-Ed Market Saturation; iPhones & Apple Watches May Get Crash Detection
Posted: November 1, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentAmazon has dived into Black Friday discounts weeks early, with deep discounts on some of its own devices. Engadget.com reports that you can now pick up a Kindle for $50…a $40 savings! Kindle Kids also gets a nice price slash from $110 down to $60. The Fire HD 8 is half off at $45. You can score a Fire TV stick 4K for $25, and the Echo Glow (Amazon night light) is $10 bucks off at $20. It doesn’t have a mic or speaker, but you can use another Alexa gadget to chose brightness and color.
Apple’s privacy initiative is costing social media real money. According to appleinsider.com, the bite into revenues for Facebook, Twitter, Snap, and YouTube is off nearly $10 billion in the 2nd half of 2021. No wonder they are all railing against Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature. Apple has made a big deal for years about protecting the privacy of its users, but lest you think the are bing totally altruistic in this, Apple’s ad business helped Apple Services revenue grow to $18.3 billion last quarter. BlueConic COO Cory Munchbach notes ‘Apple has done a great job in turning privacy into a PR ploy, but they wouldn’t be doing this if there weren’t money in it.’
Chromebook shipments took a nose dive in Q3, which is mainly being blamed on a saturated education market. Zdnet.com says IDC is noting Chromebook sales are down 29.8%. Tablet shipments are off 9.4%. Last year was a banner year, with all the remote learning and work from home going on, but IDC notes that schools that schools and governments that ‘blew out their budgets to provide devices for remote learning’ are pulling in their horns now.
Apple is apparently planning a new feature for iPhones and Apple Watches that could detect a car crash and auto dial 911. This would be similar to the fall detection feature on the Apple Watch. According to macrumors.com, Apple will launch the feature in 2022. The sensors in the devices (like the accelerometer) would measure a sudden spike in gravitational force, or g-force, on impact. As with the Watch’s fall feature, the user would have a bit of time to tap the Watch or Phone to cancel the 911 call, and say they are fine. Personal note: you will have to act fast! I think Apple only gives you 30 seconds or a minute to tap “OK,” or the thing will call 911 and text any emergency contacts you have programmed in. I have never had a hard fall, but a few times when cleaning out the cat boxes, have given one a hard slap on the bottom to dislodge a ‘clump’ of kitty litter, and the Watch goes nuts and thinks I fell!
clarkreid 
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