Twitch Getting Discovery Feed; GM Dealers Get Blowback over No CarPlay on EVs; Sega America Unionizes; Samsung Bows Monster OLED TV

Posted: July 11, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

At long last, Twitch is getting a Discovery feed…this after years of griping from creators about the lack of growth opportunities for smaller streamers. According to techcrunch.com, all the new features that were announced at TwitchCon Paris revolved around supporting short form video content. It is expected that Twitch’s bread and butter will continue to be live-streaming, but even at that, most creators depend on promoting their content on YouTube Shorts and TikTok to drive viewers to their Twitch Channel. The company is also shifting its approach to ad breaks, which have been a point of contention between the platform and its users. Although streamers have been able to see countdown timers for ad breaks on their end, many have complained that ads interrupt their content without enough warning. Starting this month, streamers will be able to turn on a chat countdown timer to have more of a heads-up for ad breaks. The countdown timer allows streamers to “snooze or pull ahead,” and gives them the chance to “make the right calls” for their community.

As we reported here a while back, GM announced it was dropping Apple CarPlay in all future EVs in favor of an exclusive partnership with Google. Well, 9to5mac.com reports that GM dealers are not happy with the move. One reason is that dealers and salespeople are getting a lot of blowback from customers unhappy with the move. Other car makers have doubled down on supporting CarPlay. Ford, for example. Ford has determined that 70% of their customers are also Apple customers. Besides GM, Tesla and Rivian are the other two major holdouts in adopting CarPlay…in Tesla’s case, it probably flows from Elon Musk’s claiming that Apple was poaching Tesla engineers for their secretive Project Titan self-driving car project. 

Sega of America workers have voted to unionize! Engadget.com says the staff voted 91-26 in favor in the NLRB supervised election, and the union will now be officially recognized under the Communication Workers of America. There are some 200 workers in various departments around the country. It’s not the first games union in North America, but workers say it’s “the largest multi-department union of organized workers in the entire gaming industry.” 

When ya just have to have the biggest….TV on the block. Samsung has rolled out their biggest OLED TV, an 83 inch mega screen, matching the 2nd biggest TV LG makes. According to Cnet.com, the 83 incher will will sell for $5400, and be available later in July. The rival LG 83 inch TV is $4800…$500 less than the new Samsung. If you are really well fixed cash wise and have a huge room, of course, you can go for the LG 97 inch set…that beauty is $25,000! Yeah, I know…dream on! The new Samsung seems to match the LG 83 inch screen feature for feature, although Samsung says the new series isn’t as bright as their 77 inch set. The new Samsung will work for PC gamers, but only if they have a high-end video card. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Elon Spirals Out of Control; Prime Day and Other Discount Deals This Week; Apple Experimenting with 32 Inch iMac; ChatGPT Sees First User Decline

Posted: July 10, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

As Threads has gotten to 100 million sign ups since launching the middle of last week, Elon Musk’s freak out continues. Twitter only has about 250 million active users at this point, and Twitter’s website traffic is also “tanking”, according to the chief of the internet services company Cloudflare, amid signs users are migrating to alternative platforms such as Threads, BlueSky and Mastodon. Musk has threatened to sue Meta, and now…after challenging Mark Zuckerberg to a cage match, he Tweeted over the weekend ‘Zuck is a cuck.’ Zuckerberg posted back on Threads ‘Concerning,’ followed by a laughing emoji. According to the Guardian, Musk also allegedly Tweeted a challenge to Zuck to ‘a literal dick-measuring contest.’ In launching Threads, Zuckerberg said: “The goal is to keep it friendly as it expands. I think it’s possible and will ultimately be the key to its success. “That’s one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have, and we want to do it differently.”

Prime Day starts tomorrow, and as always there are already deals. Not only that, there are deals other places, as retailers try to compete with the online giant’s big summer sale. Cnet.com notes that Target’s Circle Week started Sunday, Walmart Plus Week started today, as did Best Buy’s Black Friday in July sale. If you are up for bargains, get your plastic ready and to quote Fry in the cartoon series ‘Futurama,’ “Shut up and take my money!”

Apple is working with a 32 inch screen iMac…according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said these iMacs are still in early development, so he does not expect them to launch until late 2024 or at some point in 2025 at the earliest. One of these days we are going to run out of desk space…no wonder Apple has the Vision Pro on the way, where you can have several large virtual monitors floating in front of you! A 32 inch iMac would be the same size as Apple’s high end Pro Display XDR, which sells for a wallet-crushing $4,999. No word at this point on how much more the 32 incher will be than the now discontinued 27 inch iMac, but it will be a fraction of the price of that Pro Display. 

The virtual bloom may be off the virtual rose to a degree. ChatGPT saw its first user decline in June. Engadget.com reports that mobile and desktop traffic for the website dropped 9.7% globally. Waning interest in ChatGPT appears to be part of an industry trend. Similarweb’s numbers show fewer people visiting the desktop and mobile websites for Microsoft Bing, Google Bard and Character.AI in recent months. Some are speculating the drop off has to do with the end of the school year. Also, a number of companies have banned employees from using it, fearing that proprietary company data will be chewed up by the artificial intelligence and be available all over the net. The chatbot maker isn’t worried…they have said it costs ‘an eye-watering amount’ to operate, so seem to be ok with the breathing room.

I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

Threads Gaining Signups Quickly; New Galaxy Folder Reservations Are Open; iPhone 15 Pro Max-Expect to Pay More; U of Washington Researchers-Smaller & Cheaper LiDAR

Posted: July 6, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Meta launched Threads a day early yesterday, and the new Twitter clone signed up two million in the first two hours, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Techcrunch.com reports that the app is up to over 30 million users in less than 24 hours…again according to data from Meta. Zuckerberg Tweeted for the first time in 10 years to announce the new Instagram affiliated app, in a tweak to Elon Musk’s nose. It is too early to tell anything, but a number of entertainers, influencers, tech wheels, and journalists are already on the new app. 

Samsung’s Unpacked will be on July 26th. We already knew it would be in their home capitol of Seoul, South Korea. According to 9to5google.com, you can now preorder either the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 or the Z Flip 5. Both the new folding phone models will be showed off at Unpacked, along with a new Galaxy Tab S9 and the Galaxy Watch 6. If you preorder either of the phones, you can get a $50 credit right now. 

It has been rumored every year, but now it looks like Apple really will boost the price of at least the iPhone 15 Pro Max this September. Macrumors.com says tech analyst Jeff Pu believes this will be due to the more expensive periscope telephoto lens that is supposed to be exclusive to that model. The present iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1099, so a good guess is that we will see a $100 price bump. 

This could be big for self-driving vehicle tech. University of Washington researchers have invented new tech that integrates LiDAR onto a computer chip and uses sound waves running over its surface to steer a laser beam, helping cars to see objects or people and animals that are far in the distance. It is must smaller and cheaper than present LiDAR, and has no moving parts….a likely game changer according to geekwire.com. The researchers have already gotten a seed grant to start to upscale the tech so it might be mass produced and find its way into self-driving vehicles. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

Twitter Drops Log-In to See Tweets, Threads, Meta’s Twitter Competitor Launches Tomorrow; iPhone 15 Series Getting Bigger Batteries; TSA Expanding Facial Recognition-400 Airports

Posted: July 5, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

After adjusting the number of Tweets people could see several times over the weekend…depending on if they are Blue members or not…and after blocking people from reading Tweets unless they are logged in to Twitter…Elon Musk has backtracked. Engadget.com reports that people can now read Tweets without a login. Musk had said making the platform inaccessible to logged out users was a ‘temporary emergency measure.’ It appears the limits on number of Tweets you can read per day is still in place…but Twitter has increased the number several times.

Tomorrow is the day…the day Instagram’s new Threads app goes live for all. Meta’s Twitter competitor briefly went live on the web for a few hours earlier today. Theverge.com says the interface is pretty basic…like, comment, repost, and share — all prompting you to download the mobile app for the time being. It will be live first in the US, although EU users will be able to view threads…just won’t be able to post as yet. If you are interested, and think Zuckerberg is less odious than Elon, the apps should be available for iOS and Android on tomorrow, the 6th of July.

One thing that no one gripes about with phone sizes…bigger batteries. Now, a rumor has been picked up by 9to5mac.com saying all the iPhone 15 models will get a bigger battery. The base iPhone 15 will have an 18% bigger one, the 15 Plus about 13.6% larger, and the iPhone Pro will get a 14% bigger battery. The 15 Pro Max will only get a bit less than 11% more in the battery department. The Pro models should get noticeably longer time on a charge as they move to 3 nanometer tech for their processors. The smaller processors use less juice. 

From the ‘what could possibly go wrong’ department, the TSA is getting set to expand its controversial facial recognition to 430 airports over then next several years. The agency claims the pilot program was ‘extremely promising.’ Fastcompany.com reports that rights advocates claim the agency is improperly coercing travelers to participate. The TSA says they don’t save your biometric data. “TSA doing its own testing and not releasing the results publicly calls into question the quality of the testing and veracity of the results,” says Jeramie Scott, a senior counsel and director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s surveillance oversight program. “Given there are over 2 million airline passengers a day, a 97% effective rate means there would be over 60,000 people a day the tech doesn’t work on if fully implemented. Have fun, flyers!

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Playstation Secrets Revealed via Sharpie; Amazon Partners With Staples for Returns; Ad Community Demands Refunds over YouTube Ad Deficiency; Google Throws in Towel (Again) On AR Glasses

Posted: June 29, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Sharpie has caused highly confidential information about Sony’s PlayStation business to be revealed. In a hearing before the Federal Trade Commission in the FTC v. Microsoft case, Sony furnished a document from PlayStation head Jim Ryan that includes redacted details on the margins of Sony shares with publishers, its Call of Duty revenues, and even the cost of developing some games. According to theverge.com,  someone redacted the documents with a black Sharpie — but when you scan them in, it’s easy to see some of the redactions. While the court moved quickly to remove the document, reporters and Sony’s competitors have already downloaded them. Since they were in the public domain when admitted into evidence, there’s no way to get the horse back into the barn. One interesting reveal: according to Sony, some 1 million PlayStation players don’t play anything except Call of Duty. Sony also accidentally revealed how much money Call of Duty is worth to PlayStation. We already knew the figure was over a billion dollars, but the document suggests CoD was worth $800 million for PlayStation revenue in just the US during 2021…it appears the number is $1.5 billion globally. 

Amazon has allowed returns for some time at Amazon stores, Whole Foods markets, Kohl’s, and UPS Stores. Now, geekwire.com reports that they have announced almost 1,000 Staples locations where customers can drop off label-free, box-free returns. By adding this 1,000 Staples sites, Amazon will now offer some 8,000 drop off locations. According to Amazon, the majority of the e-commerce giant’s customers have at least one return drop-off point within a 5-mile radius of where they live. The collaboration is Amazon’s first major deal on returns since partnering with Kohl’s in 2019.

As I predicted yesterday in a story I did about Google not even following its own rules, and research by Adalytics indicating that some 80% of ads haven’t run as promised…now comes a story from Financial Times that ad business figures are demanding significant refunds from YouTube. Adalytics found “hundreds of thousands of websites and apps” in which these ads play imperceptibly in the background, without sound and on automatic loop. This appears to be a way to avoid viewers noticing the videos altogether so ads are not skipped, but the strategy violates Google’s terms. Google published a blog in response, defending the quality of its partner network and saying the report makes some “extremely inaccurate claims”. After reviewing several websites shared by the Financial Times, the company also said it would take appropriate action including possibly removing all ads on the sites. Note that advertisers have demanded refunds for decades from TV and radio when ads have run improperly or not at all…and have gotten prompt adjustments on their billing or make good ads run right away. Now, Google gets to join this not-so-fun party. 

After the misfire of Google Glass a few years ago, Google headed back to the drawing board and has been hard at work on augmented reality glasses. Now, arstechnica.com reports that Google has apparently halted plans to release AR Glasses they teased a year ago…ones that looked like regular glasses as opposed to the Google Glass design. “Insiders say Google leaders kept changing the strategy for Iris, which led to the team continually pivoting direction, frustrating many employees,” Business Insider reported Google is now going to focus on their AR software instead of trying to build the hardware. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Is Google Violating Own Ad Policies; Twitter Gets Buggier; GM to Go After Tesla Powerwall Market; EU May Approve Disturbing Media Surveillance

Posted: June 28, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nothing like breaking your own rules. That seems to be the case with Google…research from Adalytics, picked up by the Wall St. Journal, found that YouTube ads were running in violation of Google’s own policy and promises. Google promises advertisers that YouTube ads will run on “high-quality” sites, ahead of video content, with audio turned on, and also with ads that only charge if the viewer doesn’t skip the ad. Adalytics claims that this criteria isn’t met 80% of the time, with ads being played with audio off in small pop-up windows aside from the main content, and also on websites that don’t meet Google’s bar for quality. Data was gathered to show this over the course of 2022 and 2023 from more than 1,100 brands’ ads and “billions” of ad impressions. As word gets out, lots of advertisers are probably going to be looking to adjustments to their bills as they didn’t get what they were promised. Google denies the claim.

More bugs on the twitter platform, as the system staggers along with the very few staffers Elon Musk kept on the payroll. Arstechnica.com reports that users have found that Twitter is either glitching or intentionally limiting access to complete lists of any given user’s followers. Also, yesterday, some users began reporting that Twitter is randomly restricting their accounts from following, liking, and retweeting for three days, supposedly after they violated Twitter’s spam policy. These users claim that Twitter took this action after they blocked ads or simply tweeted a few times. I have a friend that this actually happened to. A software engineer that got the violation notice, but said in his case, he didn’t seem to actually be limited in using the platform. It seems the notice just went out in error. 

Even though GM has inked a deal with Tesla to use the latter’s Supercharger network, don’t think that the General won’t be a fierce competitor in the EV market and related ones. Now, bgr.com says General Motors is planning to release 3 home systems to compete with Tesla’s Powerwall home battery systems. The first is the Ultium Home V2H Bundle…which will allow people to run their house from the car’s battery pack (presuming it’s charged) in an emergency. A second system is the Ultium Home Energy Storage Bundle. This one is intended to store energy from solar panels on the house. The third system is the Ultium Home Energy System…that’s the whole 9 yards…home storage for solar panels plus the ability to run off the car battery pack. One advantage over Tesla is the vehicle to home charging…something Tesla doesn’t presently have. Elon Musk thinks people don’t want bidirectional charging. Note to Elon: yes, they do! No pricing has been released yet, but expect the GM systems to be price competitive with Powerwalls and similar systems. 

The EU has approved a scary piece of draft legislation allowing governments to spy on journalists in the name of “national security.” It is euphemistically called the European Media Freedom Act, according to thenextweb.com. Apparently France introduced an exception to the legislation putting in an exception to the ban on deploying spyware against journalists, provided it was used in the interests of national security. EU set to approve ‘disturbing’ new media surveillance law. The exemption would allow member states to hack into journalists’ phones if they suspect their sources could be talking to criminals involved in anything the state perceives to be a threat. A broad array of crimes, ranging from murder to theft and music piracy, will now be considered as legal justification for using surveillance software on reporters. If this gets final approval, don’t expect much freedom of the press in the European Union.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

More Parental Controls for Messenger & Instagram; Zillow Using AI for Virtual Home Tools; Pixel Fold Gets Home Repair Parts via iFixit; Apple Boosts iCloud Prices Overseas

Posted: June 27, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Even as we become more concerned with governments, companies, and hackers and stalkers snooping more and more into our private lives, at the same time parents actually need to stay on top of what their kids are up to. Now, according to mashable.com, Meta has introduced a suite of new features to increase parental supervision and elevate safety on Instagram and Facebook Messenger. On Messenger, parents can now see how their teen uses on the app. This means parents are allowed to view contact lists, who messages their teen, how much time is being spent on Messenger, and who can see Messenger Stories. The teen can also choose whether to allow their parents to see if they have reported someone. Parents are not able to read the messages, though. For Instagram, parents can set time limits on the teen, and track how long they are spending on the app. Also…people who don’t follow teens must send an invite to get permission to connect. Only one invite can be sent at a time and others can’t be sent until the recipient accepts said invitation. No photograph, video, or call-based invitations are permitted, making sure no unwanted messaging is made visible to teens.

AI continues to move into every nook and cranny of the net, and now it’s virtual home tours. Zillow will now combine media and immersive virtual viewing to present a home’s features and floor plan. Geekwire.com reports that Zillow is touting an ‘immersive interactive floor plan,’ the ability to seamlessly toggle between the floor plan, photos, and a virtual tour. They also feature a self-rotating high resolution photo carousel. Where the AI comes in is in choosing what Zillow calls ‘hero images.’ The AI bases the views on buyer preferences of the look and features that mater most to home shoppers. Here’s an idea…drop the photos that stretch the rooms, even if they don’t look as big. We all know there aren’t normally 10 foot wide refrigerators or bathtubs. Use a normal camera lens, guys!

Repairing a smartphone yourself seems daunting, although people are doing it…even Apple had to cave and make parts, tools, and manuals available. Now, Google has joined in, and is making parts available through iFixit…even for the Pixel Fold! 9to5google says that this may be particularly useful and a good savings with a device like the Fold. Folding screen phones have had durability problems. In fact, one journalist who had one for review said the screen died after 4 days! The reviewer thinks a tiny bit of debris got between the tight sides of the screen right at the bezel and poked a tiny hole in the plastic that protects the ‘ultra thin’ OLED screen. From there, the screen started going out. Apparently, the debris can get between the screen and the nearly flush bezels on its sides. As I have noted before, a lot of people who aren’t really skilled and technical would be best served to go to a repair shop that will now have access to the parts. If you want to stick with google, they do offer mail in and walk in repair services for phones that are out of warranty…and also sell an extended warranty with a deductible. 

Apple has increased prices for iCloud in the UK and some other places, apparently due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The Brits got hit with a 25% jump in pricing, according to 9to5mac.com. Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates also have similar increases. iCloud pricing in the US remains the same for now.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

$42 billion in US Broadband Funding Coming from the Feds; Military Spec AI May Be Coming to Your Work Computer; Tech Startups Look to Work From Home for Recruits; MIT Has Developed Paper Thin Solar Cells

Posted: June 26, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Remember when Congress passed and the president signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021? Well, finally…finally…the $42 billion in funding for broadband access is getting released. Engadget.com reports that Texas gets the biggest chunk at $3.3 billion. Eighteen other states will get over a billion. Every state will get at least $107 million. The plan is to get everyone in the country broadband by 2030. States are supposed to focus first on places with no access at all. The states have until year’s end to submit their proposals.

It seems like every little bit, there’s a new story about creepy stuff peeking into your life. Now, according to wired.com, companies are turning to military AI to surveil employees. There are now over a dozen companies selling what they say is military grade AI to keep tabs on employees. With these tools, your boss may be able to use advanced data analytics to identify labor organizing, internal leakers, and the company’s critics. The systems don’t just track what’s on your work computer, either. They collect and analyze publicly available data, including your social media posts.  The National Labor Relations Board announced last year that it would seek to outlaw “intrusive” and “abusive” labor surveillance, an important step. Meanwhile, just be aware that it isn’t just Big Brother watching you…it’s Big Business, too.

When we think of job perks, it’s usually the old standbys like health insurance, or in the startup world there’s been gourmet food, sports facilities, even child care. How about freedom? That is the latest carrot to be dangled by small tech companies. Vox.com says the smaller firms are jumping into something that’s being pulled back by the bigger tech companies…work from home. Many of the big guys are demanding that people return to the office…anywhere from 2 to 5 days a week. Data from Scoop Technologies, which tracks office policies shows that 81% of smaller firms…that’s less than 5,000 employees, allow remote work or even have remote only positions. Just 26% of the bigger firms offer that kind of flexibility. If you are really wanting the freedom to work remote all or most of the time…don’t be looking to Google, Facebook, or Apple. think small!

This is a biggie…or smallie, if there’s such a word. Scientists at MIT have developed paper think solar cells that can be attached to any kind of surface to convert it into a power source. Thecooldown.com reports that the cells can actually be made thinner than a human hair, and can be laminated to all sorts of surfaces…even the likes of sails on a boat to power things on board at sea! Tents could have solar panels all over the surface to power your small electronics while camping. Note that these cells can only generate half the energy per unit area compared to traditional silicon cells…BUT they can generate much more by weight. A mere 44 lbs can be laminated to a roof to crank out the same amount of power as an 8,000 watt traditional solar installation. They are working right now to bring these to market.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

The Reddit-Moderator Fight Continues; Speaking of Fights—Zuck vs Elon Cage Match; Duck Duck Go Beta Browser for Windows; OSOM Bows USB-C Anti-Juice Jacking Cable

Posted: June 22, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

In the ongoing drama between Reddit and its moderators over the API pricing Reddit has announced, the latest tactic by the mods is marking their subreddits NSFW, or Not Safe for Work. According to techcrunch.com, after Reddit started stepping in and removing mods, the mods have tried several tactics. This one has the potential to dent Reddit’s revenue, as a lot of advertisers don’t want to run in NSFW subreddits. Reddit posted in an admin account they use to talk to mods “Changing a previously SFW community to an NSFW community in order to protest Reddit policies is inappropriate for the members of your community and not acceptable overall. People subscribe to communities based on the content at the time of subscription. Communities can gradually change as they grow, but this is not what we are observing and not in the best interest of the users being subjected to that content.” Think that’s going to stop the pissed off mods…nah. Reddit had best reconsider its API pricing as this protest doesn’t seem to be cooling off at all. 

In what may be one of the silliest tech related stories I’ve done, after Elon Musk tweeted that he would be up for a cage match with Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Facebook, etc…Zuck fired back with a screenshot of Musk’s tweet with a caption ‘send me location.’ Theverge.com reports that it has been confirmed that Zuckerberg actually did respond, and Musk has replied with ‘Vegas octagon.’ Musk further tweeted “I have this great move that I call ‘The Walrus,’ where I just lie on top of my opponent and do nothing.” Musk, 51, has the upper hand on Zuckerberg in terms of sheer physical size, and he has talked about being in “real hard-core street fights” when he was growing up in South Africa. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg, 39, is an aspirational MMA fighter who is already winning Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. My question is would it be streamed live,  or would they put out a version with avatars fighting in the Metaverse? 

DuckDuckGo, which for years has championed search that doesn’t grab your data and serve you paid search results or ads, has had a browser out for Macs for about a year now. Arstechnica.com says that now you can try a public beta of their Windows browser. As part of the browser, you can use the Duck Player that shows most YouTube videos ‘without privacy invading ads,’ and that won’t feed you recommendations. There’s tracker blocking that is above and beyond other browsers…and includes third party tracker loading. The browser has forced encryption, and a ‘fire button’ that instantly closes all tabs and clears website data, as well as cookie pop-up management and email protection. Check it out at duckduckgo.com.

We reported on this several months ago…the practice of bad guys using public charging facilities like at airports to steal your data when you plug in…so-called ‘juice jacking.’ It allows them to load your device with malware. Now, 9to5google.com reports that OSOM has released a special USB-C cable with a switch that allows you to charge while blocking data transfer…effectively blocking the bad guys from uploading malware to your phone. the cable works with any USB-C device is is rated for charging up to 60 watts. It has a braided cable, too. Note that it is limited to USB 2.0 speeds, however. That’s because most public stations just have USB-A plugs…in other words, you’re going to need an adapter. That said, this safer charging cable is $30, and available right now on Amazon from OSOM.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ’Technified’ for now.

Amazon Prime Day is Looming; Future iPhones May Have Easily Replaceable Battery; Twitch Requiring New Labels for Gambling, Sexual Themes; Patreon Launches Free Membership Tier

Posted: June 21, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Amazon has announced the date for Prime Day 2023…it’s July 11th through the 12th. Zdnet.com reports that in last year’s Prime Day, customers bought some 300 million items at a savings of over $1.7 billion. The bargains will start right after midnight on July 11th, and there will be new deals every 30 minutes over the two day event. Except 2022, Prime Day has been a once-a-year event. There is no word on whether this was a one time thing, or if the online giant may try to do more than one Prime Day event again this year. 

The European Union continues to lead when it comes to consumer protection. A new regulation passed overwhelmingly by the EU Parliament requires smartphone makers to equip phones with easily replaceable batteries. According to mashable.com, don’t expect to see this happen immediately. The EU is giving manufacturers 3-1/2 years to begin complying. The regulation appears to also apply to laptops. Phone makers may whine about not being able to make them waterproof or dustproof, but since laptops have never been water resistant….let alone waterproof, no excuses. Remember being able to pop the bottom off and plug in a new battery? That may happen again…ending the no-deposit, no-return era on very expensive laptops and phones that can be used for several years after the life of a normal battery. 

Twitch is changing the way it flags mature content. TechCrunch.com says they will be replacing the existing toggle for ‘more granular’ topic-specific labels. The new set of content labels that require streamers to signal when their channels will contain sexual themes, graphic violence, “drugs, intoxication, or excessive tobacco use,” gambling or “significant” profanity or vulgarity. Those new labels roll out today to all Twitch users. The new labels are dynamic and can be added and removed throughout a stream as needed, so if only a short segment of a five-hour livestream contains sexually themed content, that label can be toggled on and then off again for that portion of the stream. Twitch says there will be a grace period while streamers learn the new labels, so won’t be locking accounts for failures to apply them for 30 days. 

Patreon is lowering their paywall, allowing fans to subscribe to their favorite creators for free. It’s an interesting turn for a platform that has billed itself as a creator-first platform where fans can financially support the writing, audio, and video they love directly, and the people making content can earn real money. Theverge.com notes that a free subscription option — which exists on other platforms like Substack — could help creators cast a wider net for their audience and bring in people who are interested in the content but not yet ready (or able) to pay. Besides adding the free tier to try to get more followers in the door, creators can now sell one-off digital products like videos, podcasts, or downloadable files. Patreon will take a 5% cut of those. Creators who offer the free subscription can turn on paid membership later, too. Patreon will take an 8% cut of those, just like they do with their Pro Plan. Creators can join the waitlist for the new features starting today, with new users getting access weekly. Full availability will be rolled out by the end of the year. 

I’m Clakr Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

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