Microsoft in Talks re Buying Discord; Niantic Partners With Nintendo; Waymo Driverless Taxis-Multi Stop Now; Class Action Certified Over crApple Butterfly Keyboards

In a hot deal that may or may not happen, Microsoft is in talks to buy Discord for over $10 billion. Bloomberg.com reports that discord has been talking to a number of potential buyers, but that a deal is not imminent. In a rumor that may please Discord users, one party close to the situation has leaked that Discord is more likely to go public at this point than to sell itself. Gamers have loved Discord as the go-to way to chat by video, voice, and text. Through the pandemic, the platform has also added study groups, dance classes, book clubs, and other virtual gatherings. Previously, Microsoft had tried to by TikTok, and in the past had looked at picking Pinterest. The company’s purchase of Skype seemed to chase off most users, and even business users have mostly abandoned that for Microsoft Teams, which has had robust use through the pandemic. 

Niantic has announced it is partnering with Nintendo to co-develop a new game based on the Pikmin franchise. According to TechCrunch.com, it will launch later this year. The new augmented reality app ‘…will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful.” Although Pokemon Go has disappeared from most peoples’ radar, it brought in over a billion dollars to the San Francisco based company in 2020! 

Waymo has added a new feature to his autonomous taxis in the phoenix area. Mashable.com says you can now ‘add a stop’. Now, you can stop for groceries, or pick up a friend without having to reorder a car for each leg. If it is a long stop, the vehicle will wait nearby, and pick up up when you are ready for the next leg of your trip. Waymo stresses that “the meter is not running while on your long stop,” unlike with a traditional taxi. Another plus…you can now connect your phone via Google Cast and play music from other music systems besides Google Play Music. 

A judge has certified a class action against Apple for its crappy butterfly keyboard design. According to theverge.com, The suit covers anyone who purchased an Apple MacBook with a butterfly keyboard in seven states: California, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, and Michigan. That includes people who bought a MacBook model dating between 2015 and 2017, a MacBook Pro model between 2016 and 2019, or a MacBook Air between 2018 and 2019. It is my fervent hope that this doesn’t result in everyone involved getting something like a $25 Apple gift card! I am typing and re-typing this on one on a MacBook Pro. The worst offender is the letter ’s,’ which either won’t type, or becomes multiples of the letter, but there are a number of other keys that intermittently screw up…including the space bar that won’t always ‘space.’ (I retyped that 3 times, trying to get only one letter ’s,’ btw. Even with a warranty, who wants to have to make an appointment, go to an Apple Store, drop of the laptop, and hope you get a decent refurbished one that isn’t worse? After that, you can reinstall from backup every single thing to the wiped drive. Grrr.

Google-More Custom Chips; Facebook’s Experimental Wrist Gadget; Trump Plots Launching Social Net; Micro EV Beating Tesla Model 3 Sales Last 60 Days

Apple has gone big in their own silicon, moving from iOS devices to Macs in the last year. Now, Google has announced that it is ‘doubling down’ on custom chips as well, as “one way to boost performance and efficiency now that Moore’s Law no longer provides rapid improvements for everyone.” According to 9to5google.com, the company is focused on Systems on Chip (SoC), where ‘multiple functions sit on the same chip, or on multiple chips inside one package,’ as opposed to on motherboards. Google plans to use the tech in servers as well as in their consumer hardware, like Pixel phones and Pixelbooks. 

Facebook has not had the best luck with hardware…think the Facebook phone or their in-home screens that creepily follow you around the room so you can be on camera. Now, a new wearable is in the works…or at least being experimented with. Arstechnica.com reports that the wrist worn device senses nerve activity that controls your hands and fingers. They claim it could enable new types of human-computer interactions. Technically, it is called an electromyography device. It allows you to just flick your fingers in space to control virtual inputs, either to a VR headset or other device. Facebook is apparently trying to make it trainable…so it can sense the intention of your fingers, so actions could happen even when your hands are totally still. Don’t expect to see this gadget by Christmas…it could be 5 to 10 years out.

Ex-President Donald Trump has been holed up in the Bridal Suite at his Mar-a-Lago resort (mostly closed due to a COVID outbreak.) engadget.com says he’s scheming to start a new, Trump=branded social network in the next ‘two to three months.’ His aide Jason Miller claimed on Fox News it would ‘redefine the game,’ and attract millions of users. So far, the response from his supporters has ranged from tepid to angry. Many are complaining on actual social media that he should be planning to run for office again, not attempting to get into a business he knows nothing about. One feature that might kill the millions of users off before it even gets off the ground…he is apparently thinking of charging users to be on the platform!

A micro-sized EV has beat Tesla’s Model 3 in sales during January and February. It’s the Hong Guang Mini, made by a joint venture between China’s state-owned SAIC Motor, Wuling Motors, and General Motors. According to theverge.com, the Mini sold 36,000 units in January and 20,000 in February…compared to the Model 3’s 21,500 units in January and 13,500 in February. It sells in China for about $4500, and has a range of 106 miles on a charge…with the top speed being 62 mph! As a short distance commuter car, it might work, but if you look at a photo, the claim that its seats 4 adults is laughable. It appears to be the size of a Smart Car. In gross numbers, a big win…but as a practical matter, Tesla probably doesn’t have much to worry about with their vast range superiority…not to mention size and capacity.

Huawei Plans Charging for 5G Patents; Samsung to Delay Galaxy Note Refresh; UK Uber Drivers Now Employees; Foxconn May or May not Make EVs in Wisconsin

Since the US blocked Huawei with sanctions that cut the company off from Android and mobile chips, the company has been looking to make up for the loss. According to zdnet.com, Huawei is looking at charging Apple and Samsung a ‘reasonable’ fee for using Huawei 5G patents in their smartphones. Jason Ding, head of Huawei’s intellectual property rights department, says it will probably amount to about $2.50 per phone. It’s likely Apple and Samsung will just eat that amount. For comparison, Dolby used to charge about $2 bucks decades ago for the Dolby System in cassette players and use of the Double D symbol, so Huawei’s fee doesn’t seem excessive. Huawei owns a massive number of 5G patents, and both Samsung and Apple probably use over 30 of them in their phones. 

Samsung has warned that it is being seriously affected by the worldwide chip shortage. Bloomberg.com reports that the shortage means Samsung is considering putting off introduction of a refreshed Galaxy Note…one of its best-selling models. Samsung CEO Koh Dong-jin claims that any delay or cancelling of the Note might really be geared towards streamlining their line. The car industry has already taking quite a hit from the chip shortage. Samsung, TSMC, and Qualcomm are all working to clear the chip shortage, and hope supplies will be back to normal by the middle of this year. 

Despite the successful campaign to get a proposition (Prop. 22)…at the cost of some $200 million bucks…in California to overturn AB5, which characterized Uber and Lyft drivers and others as employees, Uber has taken a loss in that regard in the UK, and will have to classify drivers as employees. Theverge.com says they will have to pay some 70,000 drivers minimum wage as employees, and give them holiday time and a pension plan beginning today. The reason? Uber lost an appeal in the British Supreme Court. Uber and companies like it have long argued that classifying drivers too rigidly would make it harder for them to work when they wanted, and that flexibility was just as, if not more, important than benefits and other protections afforded by more official employment status. In an op ed, Uber’s CEO called employment laws ‘outdated.’ 

Foxconn has said it is considering using its yet to be used Wisconsin facility to make its 1st electric vehicle. According to electrek.co, the maker of iPhones and more for Apple and the Nintendo Switch has developed a platform of open-sourced hardware and software for building EVs. In the past month, Fisker announced plans to work with Foxconn to build and EV. They plan to be producing in 2023. Foxconn projects it can crank out about 250,000 vehicles a year. Considering that the company has had the Wisconsin location for several years, and has yet to really do much with it, take their talk or building EVs there with a grain of salt….or a whole salt shaker. 

Google- New Nest Hub; Apple Event March 23rd Rumors; Surface Duo Refresh Coming; Wearables Jumped During Pandemic

Google has unveiled a new Nest Hub, which will feature Soli ‘Sleep Sensing.’ Techcrunch.com reports that the 2nd generation Nest Hub will keep the floating display deign of the original and the Hub Max. It has a 7 inch screen, and while it still has rather thick bezels, the raised surround is gone, which makes wiping it clean easier. The updated Hub comes in Chalk, Charcoal, Sand (pink) and Myst (blue.) Google says the new model has 50% more bass than the original, which they claim gives it richer sound (or at least boomier!) It also sports a third microphone. The ‘killer’ feature is a Soli radar chip in the upper right hand corner. This allows you to play or pause media by tapping in the air. You can wave to snooze alarms, AND it has ‘Sleep Sensing.’ The sleep sensing is opt-in, by the way. If you choose to do sso, its will analyze your sleep based on movement and breathing, and will identify ‘disturbances’…like coughing, snoring light fluctuation, and temperature changes. In the morning, you can ask ‘Hey Google, how did I sleep,’ and get a Sleep Summary (a button also does this.) How much, you say? the new Nest Hub is $99.99…just a $10 buck bump from the old one, and you can preorder today for a March 30th launch.

March 23rd is getting more widely touted as the date for the next Apple event. According to cnet.com, this one will most likely feature an iPad Pro update, AirPods 3, and maybe…just maybe…the long-rumored tracking tags, the AirTags. Most Apple watchers think the AirPods will be very similar in form factor to the AirPods Pro. A late report by Ming-Chi Kuo has those ear buds being delayed until later in the year, however. 

Microsoft’s Surface Duo, the folding dual-screen Android phone, will apparently get a refresh later this year. 9to5google.com notes that the initial model had an outdated chip, and a so-so camera, and what have been called major software issues, so the hope is that the upgrade will be a much better phone. Microsoft is continuing to hire Android engineers, and seems intent to prioritize fixing the software issues. They are also working at getting better pictures out of the handset with software, as Google has done with the Pixel phones. It’s a cool concept, but just as other folders, has lacked in the execution.

With all the changes due to the pandemic, wearables jumped 28.4% in 2020. Idc.com reports that shipments hit 153.5 million in the final quarter of the year. While some bump was due to new models and lower prices, it appears a number of consumers redirected disposable income from other electronics to wearables. Apple again was on top with 36.2% market share for its Apple Watch line. Xiaomi was 2nd, although its Mi band line fell 18.3%. Samsung was third, with 8.8 million.

Facebook’s Vaccination Tools; Disney+ Will Pass Up Netflix; Honda-Two EVs for 2024; Google Incognito Tracking Lawsuit Proceeds

Facebook has caught criticism for its failure to stop misinformation about COVID-19 and about vaccines, and now is stepping up its game to mitigate the damage. The platform is releasing new tools to make it easier for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Cnet.com reports one feature is a tool to find a time and place to get the shot. “The data shows the vaccines are safe and they work. They’re our best hope for getting past this virus and getting back to normal life,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement, noting he’s looking forward to getting the vaccine himself. Facebook has teamed up with Boston Children’s hospital on the tools, and is also partnering with health authorities and governments to get people registered for vaccinations via its messaging service WhatsApp. Meanwhile, Facebook says they will continue to label or remove false info about both COVID-19 and the vaccines. As with most new tools, expect there to be a rolling release…not everyone will have them available as of today.

As Disney+ continues its explosive streaming growth…powered in part by the big success of ‘The Mandalorian,’ the House of Mouse is now poised to pass up streaming king Netflix. According to the guardian.com, Netflix had 203.7 million subscribers as of last month. Disney+ launched in late 2019, and had originally predicted they would have 90 million subscribers in the next 5 years…but has already blown past 100 million. At this rate, Disney+ will be the top streaming service by 2024. Netflix has pumped millions into product…and has not only gotten lots of eyeballs, but critical acclaim for its original product. Disney is powered by the deep library of Disney cartoons and movies, the Star Wars franchise, and the Marvel Universe movies….a pretty formidable stable of products that cut across all demographics. Disney plans to add 100 new titles to its service each year. 

They are a bit late to the party compared to other brands, but Honda is now jumping into the ever growing EV market. Theverge.com says they will offer two full EV SUVs in the 2024 model year. The vehicles will use General Motors battery and electric systems in Honda designed vehicles. One will be a Honda, the other will be an Acura model. Honda is playing catch up here, as Toyota will have its first mass market EV out by the end of this year. Honda does note that both SUVs will be good-sized, and not mini-SUVs.

Google couldn’t get a class action suit dismissed over Incognito mode tracking, so they will have to defend the practice in court. Engadget.com reports that Judge Lucy Koh ruled that Google “did not notify” users it was still collecting data while Incognito’s privacy mode was active, giving the plaintiffs enough ground to move forward with their case. The search giant has been accused of continuing to collect data while users were in private mode. Google claims it warned that Incognito ‘does not mean invisible,’ and that site could still see search activity. As with most class actions, if the users succeed, they will likely get pennies….but maybe more importantly, Google would have to be very explicit in telling users that they are being tracked no matter what ‘mode’ they may select.

Alexa Smart Speaker as Heart Monitor; Apple Cuts iPhone Mini Production; Twitter Possible Fix For Bad Image Cropping; TikTok-New Tools for ‘Unkind’ & ‘Inappropriate’ Comments

Researchers at the University of Washington have managed to turn one of Amazon’s Alexa smart speakers into a heartbeat monitor. Geekwire.com reports that they figured out a way to use machine learning algorithms to make an Alexa powered speaker into a sensitive medical device that can detect irregular heartbeats. They have also been able to get the result with a Google Home speaker. The smart speakers send out an inaudible sound that bounces of a person’s chest, and back to the device, where it can pick up uneven cardiac rhythm, which can indicate strokes or sleep apnea. Privacy advocates often raise concerns about the ability of smart speakers to listen in on people and collect personal information. This new skill does not use frequencies that have audible data, helping preserve privacy. It also works in a limited range, only monitoring someone within a couple of feet of the device.

Apple has slashed iPhone 12 Mini production due to ‘far lower’ demand for the pint-sized iPhone. According to macrumors.com, Apple is cutting production for all iPhones by about 20%….but the lion’s share of the cuts are for the Mini. Even with the cuts, Apple’s overall iPhone production and sales are running a bit ahead of last year at this time. Demand remains pretty strong for the top of line iPhone 12 models, with Apple expecting to make over 75 million iPhones in the first half of this year. Most Apple watchers think Apple will still make a Mini next year. 

Twitter has come up with a solution of sorts to its less than good image cropping…NO cropping! Theverge.com notes that the image preview in the compose box will be the final result. Twitter says this will make images ‘bigger and better.’ The platform is also testing 4K uploading on iOS and Android in order to improve how users share and others view media on it. Twitter has not said when this change might go live for everyone on the platform. 

TikTok has unveiled new features to rein in ‘unkind’ and ‘inappropriate’ comments. The features remind users about community guidelines but also allows creators to ‘filter’ their comments. You can filter all comments, which enlarges on filtering spam, by key words, and now ‘offensive comments.’ Businessinsider.com reports that besides the creator side, when users try to leave a comment the app sees a ‘unkind’ or ‘inappropriate’, it will prompt them to edit or delete their post, and will remind them of TikTok’s community guidelines. The changes were made in partnership with the Cyberbullying Research Center. 

Amazon Expands Palm Payment Tech; SpaceX- Starlink for Vehicles; Dropbox Picks up DocSend; Apple iPad & AirTag Event March 23rd?

Amazon is adding more stores to its Amazon One palm scanning payment tech. Theverge.com reports that the 4-star store in Lynnwood has gotten it, and Amazon Books in Bellevue will get it in the next few weeks, as will the 4-star and Pop Up locations in Lake Union. There should be 12 physical Amazon stores with the palm payment tech before the start of summer. It works by marking the surface area details and vein patterns. It’s expected that as the Amazon locations are added, the company will be rolled out to other retail outlets. It could also be used in office buildings that still use NFC ID tags. 

SpaceX has officially asked the FCC for approval to start deploying Starlink satellite broadband to passenger cars and other moving vehicles. According to arstechnica.com, it could not only be used for cars and trucks, but also ships and aircraft. In their statement to the FCC, SpaceX said “Granting this application would serve the public interest by authorizing a new class of ground-based components for SpaceX’s satellite system that will expand the range of broadband capabilities available to moving vehicles throughout the United States and to moving vessels and aircraft worldwide.” They note that internet users are not willing at this point to do without internet connections while moving.

Dropbox is snapping up document sharing startup DocSend for $165 million. Techcrunch.com says DocSend helps customers share and track documents by sending a secure link instead of an attachment. Combined with the electronic signature capability of HelloSign, which Dropbox acquired in 2019, the acquisition gives the company an end-to-end document sharing workflow it had been missing. DocSend’s some 50 employees will be joining Dropbox when the deal closes.

Several leakers have touted March 23rd as the date of the next Apple event. According to 9to5mac.com, the major suspects for new rollout are updated iPad Pro and AirPods, and the long delayed AirTags. There could also be a refresh of Apple TV. Although the iMac Pro was just discontinued, it seems unlikely to be replaced at this point. Apple will probably do that in the fall when it expands the range of computers using their new, in-house chip..the M1 family. 

Coronavirus Drug Might Cure COVID-19; Apple-AR/VR Headset in 2022, AR Glasses by 2025; Galaxy Watch 4 in Q2; Saudis Pump Billions into Hydrogen Fuel Production

It’s all about the vaccines right now, but a team at Georgia State had announced in December a promising study of a drug called molnupiravir, an oral antiviral which totally blocked virus transmission within 24 hours in ferrets. Bgr.com reports that now, the drug…developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics…has been studied in humans and preliminary conclusions in a Phase 2a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial are out. The drug cured infections from the novel coronavirus in only five days. Full conclusions haven’t been released, but this could be a pretty promising development. We’ll stay tuned!

Well-reputed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says a lot is in the pipeline revolving around AR and VR from Apple. According to macrumors.com, he looks for a mixed reality headset in mid 2022, and augmented reality glasses by 2025. The AR/VR goggles are expected to be 100-200 grams…notably less than most of the headsets out right now. Expect the price to be around that of a high end iPhone…around $1000. Kuo says they will be ‘portable,’ but not truly mobile. That seems to mean they will have their own processors and memory, but may depend on an external battery pack, etc. The glasses are expected to tightly integrate with the Apple Car. Looking way of in the future, Apple is apparently experimenting with AR contact lenses sometime after 2030! Kuo says this will take us from ‘visible computing’ to ‘invisible computing!’

Although Apple has a giant share of the smart watch market, never write off muscular player Samsung, which also has a huge footprint in smartphones. 9to5google.com says a Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4 should be out in the next few months…likely by June of this year. One major feature Samsung is working on…as is Apple….blood glucose monitoring! Also rumored…Samsung may drop Tizen and switch to Android or even Wear OS. 

Saudi Arabia can see the writing on the wall, with most auto manufacturers in high gear now as far as switching to electric vehicles. Bloomberg.com reports that the kingdom is investing a $5 billion plant powered entirely by sun and wind that will be among the world’s biggest green hydrogen makers. It is located in the planned megacity of Neom, and projected to open in 2025. Hydrogen is expected to be a big piece of the move away from fossil fuels, and it appears the Saudis are determined to have a large piece of this market as the oil market shrinks. 

Fitbit Charge 4 Update- SpO2 Right on Device; Google Promises Not to Keep Tracking You After Dropping Cookies; Amazon GameOn Screen Recording App to iOS; Tesla Gives Up LA Restaurant Scheme-Will Become Biggest Supercharger Site

Fitbit has started rolling out a firmware update for the Charge 4 that will allow it to estimate your blood oxygen saturation level (Sp02) while you sleep. Up to now, you had to use the mobile app to check and estimate of this, but now it will be available right on your wrist. After a night’s sleep, swipe up from the clock face until you see an SpO2 tile displayed alongside other stats. Note that Version 1.100.34 is a phased rollout, and may not be available for you yet. When it is available for your Charge 4, a banner will appear at the top of the iOS or Android app.

Google is slowly phasing out third party cookies, and they now say they promise not to replace them with something equally invasive…in spite of the financial impact the move will make on their highly profitable ad business. According to theverge.com, the online giant put out a blog post where Google explicitly states that it “will not build alternate identifiers to track individuals as they browse across the web” after the third-party cookies are gone. “Instead, our web products will be powered by privacy-preserving APIs which prevent individual tracking while still delivering results for advertisers and publishers,” writes Google. “Advances in aggregation, anonymization, on-device processing and other privacy-preserving technologies offer a clear path to replacing individual identifiers.” Time will tell if they live up to ‘don’t be evil’ on this one!

Last November, Amazon released GameOn on Android. It’s an app for recording short, sharable clips from your favorite mobile games. Now, engadget.com says you can download the app for your iOS device as well. The app presently works for over 1,000 mobile games, and the clips can run from 30 seconds to 5 minutes in length. You can even edit the clips or add in live commentary. The clips are potable to Facebook, Twitter, et al.

Tesla had been considering a drive-in restaurant in LA, but that idea is dead. Now, they plan to use the location for the biggest Supercharge V3 station in the world. Electrek.co notes that Elon Musk wanted to build an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles.” They plan to open the charging station in the third quarter. It will have 62 charging stations (and rest rooms…like most gas stations.) 

Spotify Poised To Pass Up Apple Podcasts; Twitter Unveils 5-Strike System Banning Users Who Lie About Covid-19; Microsoft Adding Encryption to One-to-One Teams Calls; Hyzon Motors- Hydrogen Fuel Cells from US Plants

Apple has been a big place to be for Podcasts, but it’ looking like Spotify is gaining on them. According to 9to5mac.com, the audio platform may be close to passing up Apple in monthly US podcast listenership. Spotify blew past Apple in 2019 in Europe, India, and South America, but Apple has continued to be king of the hill in the US. eMarketer forecasts that Spotify monthly podcast listenership in the US will hit 28.2 million, beating Apple’s 28 million. That’s not all…they predict that in the next 2 years, Spotify will grow to 37.5 million, while Apple stalls out at 28.8 million.

It may be late to the party, but still a welcome move. Twitter is starting up a 5-strike system today, that will ultimately result in banning users that spread misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines and the pandemic. Gizmodo.com reports that Twitter will ban all medical info that’s “demonstrably false or misleading and may lead to significant risk of harm.”  This new policy comes after a Twitter announcement the end of the year that it would take action to ‘protect the public conversation around Covid-19. 

Twitter’s five-strike policy will be enforced starting today, as the company explains:

• One strike: no account-level action
• Two strikes: 12-hour account lock
• Three strikes: 12-hour account lock
• Four strikes: 7-day account lock
• Five or more strikes: permanent suspension

In an announcement on the 1st day of Microsoft’s virtual Ignite Spring 2 event, they revealed a new-channel sharing feature coming to Teams later this year. It’s called Teams Connect, and allows users to hare channels with anyone…internal or external…to one’s organization. Zdnet.com notes that Teams will also now support end-to-end encryption for one-to-one Teams calls. Also, more came out on ‘Teams Pro.’ Users can organize webinars for those inside and outside an organization of up to 1,000 attendees. 

All the buzz is on EVs…electric vehicles (or BEVs…battery electric, if you insist), but the push for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles has not slowed. According to TechCrunch.com, Hyzon Motors will produce fuel cells at two US factories, in a move to jumpstart domestic production at a commercial scale. Hyzon is a new name, but has spun off from Singapore’s Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies…which has been developing fuel cell tech since 2003. They are already in Asia and Europe. Although focused on heavy vehicles like trucks for now, Hyzon thinks we will see more and more hydrogen vehicles in the car sector. There are already a handful on the road.