Netflix, Amazon, Electrify America, Apple, & American Express

Ho, ho, ho! Now that Netflix did another round of price increases, Hulu has gifted its Live TV customers with an 18% price increase just ahead of Christmas— on December 18. Reported by TechCrunch, the company confirmed that its Hulu + Live plans will be jumping about 18% for both existing and new customers.The Hulu + Live plan that was $54.99 is increasing to $64.99 and the ad-free version is going from $60.99 to $70.99. The price changes only appear to be affecting the Hulu plans with Live TV. 

A little over two years after its $753 million acquisition of the prescription medicine delivery service Pillpack, Amazon has finally launched Amazon Pharmacy, its online and mobile prescription medication ordering and fulfillment service. Techcrunch.com says that through Amazon’s portal, you can even speak to pharmacists either via web or over the phone, for advice…24/7! Online pharmacy services are projected to hit revenues of $131 billion by 2025 worldwide. 

A big plus of Tesla’s Superchargers has been ease of use. Now, fast charging at an Electrify America station just got a lot more seamless. Arstechnica.com reports the company has now implemented Plug&Charge, which enables an electric car to talk to the charger and handle authentication and billing. So far, 2021 Porsche Taycans, Lucid Airs, and Ford Mustang Mach-Es will all support Plug&Charge, and expect more cars to add the feature soon. 

Apple has announced a reduction to its longstanding App Store commission rate, as part of a new program for small businesses. According to theverge.com, the new App Store Small Business Program will allow any developer who earns less than $1 million in annual sales per year from all of their apps to qualify for a reduced App Store cut of 15 percent, half of Apple’s standard 30 percent fee, on all paid app revenue and in-app purchases.

American Express is deepening its integration with Apple Pay. The company has announced today that when you’re approved for a new American Express credit card, you can now instantly add that card to Apple Pay and begin using it immediately. According to 9to5mac.com, once you’ve added your new American Express Card to Apple Pay, you can use it in retail stores, online, and in-app, just like you can do with any other card via Apple Pay. There’s more info at Amex’s website. 

Older MacBook Pro? Wait On Update to Big Sur; 1.4 Million Dumped from Airbnb-Wouldn’t Sign No-Bigotry Agreement; Samsung Galaxy S21 Leak; Hyundai Looks to Flying Cars

Last week, Apple released the latest update to the macOS, Big Sur. Macrumors.com and others have reported that a substantial numbers of late 2013 and mid 2014 13-inch MacBook Pros have had their laptops bricked when they tried to update to the new OS. Reports have popped up in the Apple Support communities, on Reddit, and have reportedly hit a large enough numbers that things have been escalated to Apple’s engineering team. Until this issue is resolved, and an update to Big Sur comes out, stay away from updating if you are running an older Mac…or you are running complex software that the developer recommends holding off for now…as is true of Universal Audio, Avid, and others. 

Bigotry is alive and well in a segment of the hospitality industry, calling into question the hospitality of some. According to gizmodo.com, Airbnb had to ban 1.4 million individuals because they declined to click ‘accept’ on the company’s non-discrimination agreement. Black guests have shared numerous instances of being denied bookings based on their avatars, which has resulted in multiple lawsuits. Although 1.4 million is a substantial number, Airbnb hosts some 7 million rentals worldwide. 

Android Police has seen an official press blurb, which has now been confirmed by multiple sources. They say there will be 3 models of the S21, like the S20…a regular, a Plus, and an Ultra. You will have a choice of Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom White, and Phantom Pink for the S21. The S21+ will feature Phantom Sliver, Phantom Black, and Phantom Violet. For the Ultra, it’s only Phantom Silver and Phantom Black. The handsets will run on Snapdragon 875 (yet to be released), and Exynos 2100. It appears they will all be 5G compatable, but only the Ultra will have WiFi 6E support…which Samsung claims is 2X faster than standard WiFi 6. Cameras appear to be the same on the S21 and + models as on the 20, but the Ultra will have an improved 108MP sensor. There will be two telephoto sensors…a 3x optical telephoto, and a 10x optical ‘super’ telephoto. 

Hyundai is high on flying cars. In fact, they are planning a full lineup of airborne vehicles. Bloomberg.com reports that they will offer models that will carry 5-6 people and flit around metro areas, as well ass bigger ones to fly between cities. A Morgan Stanley analysis finds that this sector of flying vehicles could lead to a $2.9 trillion dollar industry by 2040…a pessimistic view even shows a value of $615 billion. Airbus, Boeing, and startup Lilium, and Chinese maker XPeng are hot on the path to the skies. Happy landings!

Apple’s New Macs With ARM Chips EU Charges Amazon With Breaking Competition Law; Uber- Users Can book 30 Days Ahead and Pick Drivers

Apple showed off their previously announced Arm chips for Macs today in a record short online presentation…only 45 minutes! Theverge.com reports that the new M1 chip will give the upgraded Macs the longest battery life ever in a Mac…by a considerable amount. The new chip will power the MacBook Air, the entry level 13 inch MacBook Pro, and the Mac Mini for now. All other Macs will continue to use Intel silicon. Power efficiency gets a huge boost…the Arm chips are noted fr that. It is also faster Apple plans to move all Macs over to the new processors in the next couple years. The new MacBook Air will stay at $999, and the Pro at $1299. The Mac Mini starts at $699. Preorders are open now, and the new Macs ship next week.

The European Union’s top competition regulator filed charges against Amazon today, claiming that the online giant has abused its size, position, and access to data to gain unfair advantages over competitors. According to arstechinca.com, the EU’s statement of objections flows from Amazon’s ‘dual role’ in e-commerce..i.e. as both a retailer and a platform for third-party retailers. As a platform, Amazon has access to proprietary data about all those other merchants’ online business, which it then gathers and uses anticompetitively to get a leg up in its own retail operations, the EU alleges. In the US, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have been investigating Amazon for similar reasons. 

Uber is bowing a new feature this week. Techcrunch.com says users will be able to reserve a ride up to 30 days in advance, and can pick a favorite driver. The feature is intended to try to bring in new customers during the ongoing pandemic. It’s called Uber Reserve, and should show up on your app this week. 

Apple’s Imminent 3rd Special Event; Trump Loses Twitter “Public Interest” Shield in January; Google ‘Device Lock’ Controller-Wheel Lock for Your Phone; Car Makers Look to Dropping Battery Packs for Body Based Storage

Apple’s 3rd event since September is tomorrow at 10 am Pacific. 9to5mac.com reports that it will feature the new Apple silicon powered MacBook Air and Pro, the release of the latest Mac OS Big Sur update, and we may get get the delayed AirPods Studio headphones, and the AirTags (Tile clone) trackers, too. We will post a recap/overview of the announcements here tomorrow. 

After January 20th, Donald Trump will lose his so-called ‘public interest’ protection on his Twitter account. According to theverge.com, his account will be subject to the same rules as any other user…including bans on inciting violence and posting false information (such as about voting and the pandemic.) Twitter said in a statement “Twitter’s approach to world leaders, candidates, and public officials is based on the principle that people should be able to choose to see what their leaders are saying with clear context. This means that we may apply warnings and labels, and limit engagement to certain tweets. This policy framework applies to current world leaders and candidates for office, and not private citizens when they no longer hold these positions.” Position related accounts like @POTUS transfer to the new administration upon the inauguration of the new president. 

In a notice published under the radar this year, Google noted a Play Store app called ‘Device Lock Controller.’ 9to5google.com says the app allows creditors to take action on smartphones that users buy on time, and don’t pay or pay slow. Ultimately, you can get locked out of the phone if you don’t pay your bill. It happens in stages. 

1. On the fourth (4th) day after the repayment deadline, (carrier) will lock the device, limiting your use.
2. Should you continue to default, on the 7th day, you will be barred from all outgoing calls and SMS.
3. Should you default for 30 days, you will be blacklisted and disqualified for subsequent device loan facilities and your details will be forwarded to the CRB.

Note that if your device is restricted, basic functionality, such as emergency calling and access to settings, will still be available. Best course…pay your bill!

A potential game changer for electric cars is being experimented with. It would allow ditching battery packs completely! Arstechnica.com reports that a team of European scientists headed by Lief Asp from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, is working on using the bodies of cars for electric storage. The so-called ‘structural batteries’ would mean a large section of the vehicle would be freed up, to say nothing of a huge amount of weight could be removed. One experiment so far involved using a trunk lid as a huge supercapacitor. They have also been running cells integrated right into body and frame members, protected by a layer of carbon fiber. It is years away, but could be a huge game changer down the road.

VOTE

Just vote….no tech report today or tomorrow. Vote! If you have, thanks. Now, urge your friends that may not have to do so! See you after the election.

Amazon Putting on 100K for Seasonal Work; Microsoft Teams Milestone; Tesla Owns the Electric Top 10 for Mileage; Jon Stewart Heads to Apple TV+

Heading into the holiday season, Amazon is looking to add another 100,000 seasonal workers, as they expect a healthy bump in online ordering with the pandemic continuing to rage. Geekwire.com reports that while this is a big number, its about half what they did in 2019. That said, Amazon has already put on an extra 175,000 workers since COVID! Amazon later converted 125,000 of those seasonal positions from spring into full time positions. 

Microsoft released financials, but notable in addition was the growth in Microsoft Teams. According to venturebeat.com, Teams has passed 115 million daily active users. That’s a bump of 53% since April. Only 13 months ago, Teams just barely had 13 million daily active users. Comparing the big video conferencing platforms, Google Meet has seen a peak of 100 million meeting participants in a day, Teams has had over 200 million, and Zoom is still tops with 300 million. 

Nearly every auto maker is getting into the EV game, but for now…when it comes to mileage…Tesla still rules. The EPA’s tests of 2021 models have the EV maker holding down 7 of the top 10 spots for electric vehicle mileage. The Mini Cooper SE is 5th, Polestar 2 is 8th, and Volvo XC40 EV is 10th. Engadget.com says the Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD was the topper, with 134 MPGe, or 25kWh perf 100 miles. Tesla’s build quality may be iffy at times, and GM bested them with Super Cruise over Tesla’s ‘Auto Pilot,’ but their battery tech is still ahead of the curve. 

Jon Stewart will host a new Apple TV+ series. According to theverge.com, the shows “will feature focused looks at his advocacy work and “topics that are currently part of the national conversation.”  The episodes will run an hour, and feature a single topic. There is also a companion podcast planned. Apple hasn’t given a start date nor a name to the show ass yet. If it is half as successful as the Daily Show, it should be a big boost to Apple TV+.

UK Will Ban Locked iPhones in 2021; SpaceX’s Starlink Net Service Price Revealed; Zoom Rolls Out End to End Encryption; Twitter to Preemptively Debunk Election Misinformation

In a move that will be cheered by users, and cause gnashing of teeth by carriers, the UK Ofcom regulatory body has used that ALL phones will have to be sold unlocked from late 2021. Appleinsider.com reports that the agency had given intention to institute the ban about 11 months ago in a published report. The Brits want to eliminate the intense frustration of switching carriers. It should save people time, effort, and money. With any luck, and a possible new administration in the USA, perhaps this type of ban will come to the US. The carriers have argued that locked phones help prevent fraud. Right now, 4 of them already sell unlocked phones, though…as that is required by existing EU rules.

SpaceX is expanding it’s beta test of its Starlink satellite internet service. According to cnbc.com, they call it the ‘Better Than Nothing Beta.’ The initial service is priced at $99 a month, with a $499 up front cost to cover ordering the Starlink Kit. The kit includes a user terminal to connect to the satellites, a mounting tripod, and a wifi router. There is also now a Starlink app listed by SpaceX on the Google Play Store and iOS App Store. They are touting speeds varying from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s, with 20 ms to 40ms latency. They will be working to enhance these parameters over the next several months. 

Zoom has started rolling out end-to-end encryption. That’s the good news. The bad? 9to5mac.com says some features get dropped. Those include: join before host, cloud recording, streaming, live transcription, Breakout Rooms, polling, 1:1 private chat, and meeting reactions. The E2EE encryption can be activated on Mac and Windows now, and is coming to iPhone and iPad as soon as Apple approves the pending update. No word on when, or if, the lost features might be restored in a future update. 

Twitter has previewed a series of public service messages it will put atop US users’ timelines to preemptively debunk falsehoods about voting and election results. Engadget.com reports that they will be slated with things like “you might encounter misleading information about voting by mail,” and “election results may be delayed.” Both messages will link to a Twitter Moment with more details. The PSA messages are slated to appear starting next Monday. Twitter hopes they will slow the spread of misinformation ahead of the election. They will also be more aggressively be labeling Tweets that contain false or misleading election info.

DOJ Investigating Google Payments to Apple to be iOS Default; Facebook Streaming Android Games from Cloud; Fresh AirPods Early Next Year; Samsung Partners With Stanford on ‘Flawless VR’

One of the aspects of the DOJ investigation into Google is the hefty payment to Apple to be the default iOS search engine. The price is apparently between $8-$12 billion a year! This is believed to be the biggest single payment Google makes to anyone, and it accounts for 14 to 21% of Apple’s annual profits. The legal intervention poses a threat to a significant chunk of Apple’s revenue, but it is a bigger danger for Google, which would seemingly have no way to replace the traffic it would lose. 

Facebook Gaming has announced the ability to stream Android games to your phone or other device via Facebook.com or the Android app. According to 9to5google.com, the games will be free, but will be ad supported. Right now, only 5 are available: Asphalt 9: Legends, Mobile Legends: Adventure, PGA Tour Golf Shootout, Solitaire: Arthur’s Tale, and WWE Supercard. Facebook has said they will be getting the games to iOS, but are blaming Apple for ‘limitations to what we can offer on Safari for iOS.’

Apple is reportedly working on redesigned AirPods and AirPods Pro models that could be out early next year. Theverge.com says that they will have upgraded wireless chips, but also a new form factor…the iconic stems that hang down out of your ears may be gone from the Pro version. They will still feature noise cancellation, but will use a design more like Samsung and Google muse on their ear buds. The over ear headphones that were delayed due to too-tight headbands may be rolled out at the same time as the new model earbuds. 

VR users complain about the ‘screen door’ effect…gaps between pixels when you are using an on-face display. Now, engadget.com reports that Samsung has partnered with Stanford to develop OLED tech that supports resolutions of up to 10,000 pixels per inch…far above any existing display’s count. They claim virtually ‘flawless’ images with their process…but it may be years away. It takes a massive amount of computing power to generate it. That said, the OLED tech is no longer an issue. 

Home Working Burnout; iPhone May See Record Sales; Sony-Spatial Reality Display; Private Theater Rental From AMC

So people have always gotten burned out at work. Now, we are seeing what burnout from working from home stacks up like. Geekwire.com reports that a survey of over 3,000 workers spread over 40 companies found that 68% of the respondents say they are more burned out now than from working at the office! Companies surveyed included Amazon, Microsoft, T-Mobile, and Expedia. 

Amazon workers surveyed are 74% more burned out working from home and 76% of Microsoft workers feel that way. The number jumps to 83% at Bellevue, Wash.-based wireless carrier T-Mobile. Blind also found 60% of those surveyed are working more hours than prior to the pandemic, with 67% at Amazon and 70% at Microsoft reporting longer work days. On the plus side, no commutes and quicker, better access to food, snacks, and the bathroom! 

Based on initial orders in Taiwan, carriers there predict that iPhone sales will be the highest since the iPhone 6. According to macrumors.com, carriers in Taiwan sold out of iPhone 12 preorders in 45 minutes. The iPhone 12 Pro models sold quickly, too…with delivery times slipping to November in less than an hour after pre-orders were opened. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Mini open on November 6th. 

Sony is jumping into the so-called Volumetric 3D display arena, with what it calls the Spatial Reality Display…technically known as ELF-SR1. Venturebeat.com says that Sony will initially target businesses with the glasses free 3D, but they plan to eventually expand to consumer-facing apps. The 4K display looks much like a traditional computer monitor ‘fixed on a 45 degree recline, with a triangular frame.’ It combines a 15.6 inch screen with a micro optical lens coating and an eye tracking cam.

The 4K resolution is actually effectively split into twin 2K arrays (one for each eye), and they use live pupil tracking data and precision alignment of the micro lenses that overlay the pixels to deliver what Sony terms sharp, realistic 3D imagery. Think of it as being like the Nintendo 3DS, only with much better resolution and eye tracking to avoid the headaches. The display will initially sell for $5,000, and ships in November..order directly from Sony’s website. 

Want to feel like a baller? AMC may satiate your whim to live like the 1% with private theater rentals. As a lot of the entertainment industry (and many, many others), theaters have been getting clobbered due to the pandemic. Now, techcrunch.com reports that AMC may let you rent out a theater for only $99. You can have up to 20 friends for classic flicks like Jurassic Park or Nightmare Before Christmas. New titles will set you back up to $349 for a single screening. Hey, if you split the cost, the $99 split over 20 friend i only $4.95 each. Of course, you’ll get whacked on the concessions…as usual, LOL!

YouTube Bans COVID-19 Vaccine Lies; Chevy Bolt EV Fire Investigation; Messenger-Instagram Merge Update Rolling Out; Some Tesla Customers Getting ‘Full Self-Driving Beta

YouTube has announced that it will remove videos from the platform containing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Reuters reports that this is an expansion of the current rules against falsehoods and conspiracy theories about the pandemic. YouTube will now ban content that makes claims about vaccines which contradicts consensus from local health authorities or the WHO. There have been wild false claims, including that the vaccine will kill people or cause infertility, or that microchips will be implanted in people who receive the vaccine.

An investigation has begun on the Chevy Bolt EV after 3 vehicles have had fires in the battery pack. According to arstechnica.com, the NHTSA was contacted by two owners who said the vehicles caught fire while parked and unattended. In each case, NHTSA says the burn pattern was similar: fire damage was concentrated in the lithium-ion battery compartment (which sits underneath the passenger compartment), with some penetration into the passenger area through the rear seat. The three affected cars span model years 2017-2019.

Facebook Messenger’s previously disclosed update has started rolling out. In fact, I saw it yesterday. Techcrunch.com notes that it merges cross-app communication with Instagram, and also adds new features. You can check your own by looking at the little bubble with the lightening bolt. If it’s still all blue, you don’t have it yet. If it is multi-color blue, purple, pink, and orange, you have it. New chat themes, including love and tie-dye are also being pushed out, as are more emoji. Eventually, Facebook plans to connect its What’s App platform with the merged messaging app. 

Next week, some ‘expert and careful drivers’ will start getting Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving Beta’. Electrek.co reports that Elon Musk claims it’s a ‘significant foundational rewrite’ of the Tesla Autopilot. Musk has been using it in his commute, and claims it can ‘see’ the environment in 4D instead or 2D. He claims he has had to make nearly zero interventions as the software drives him to and from the office. If things go ok, it should be released to the broader fleet in December.