AI Coming to Google Search Soon; Elon Must Plays Both Sides-Founds New AI Co; Sega Close to Buying Angry Birds Maker; Apple Launches High Yield Apple Savings Account
Posted: April 17, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentAfter Microsoft added artificial intelligence to its Bing search engine, Google went into high gear. 9to5google.com reports that the Alphabet owned search giant was already well into developing their own AI, called Magi, and now will be releasing the first stage of their AI search features ‘imminently.’ As if to show how nervous Google is about getting left behind…their CEO Sundar Pichai did a long interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes last night. Magi will allow Search to “answer questions about software coding and write code based on a user’s request,” which Google has the technology for with PaLM. Users will have the ability to ask follow-up questions, while it would feature ads under generated results. Google presently has a team of 160 working full time on the AI project. Look for the first wave of features in May, with another by fall.
After joining in with other tech leaders calling for putting the brakes on artificial intelligence until some guard rails are set up, we find out that Elon Musk has started a new company called X.AI. According to theverge.com it was just incorporated last month in Nevada. There had been rumors that Musk was planning to get into generative AI…strengthened when he recently bought thousands of graphic processing units. So while Elon has been openly opposed to OpenAI, a company he co-founded in 2015 but left in 2018, he’s apparently gearing up to be a competitor.
Game maker Sega is apparently close to closing a deal to by Rovio Entertainment, the makers of the Angry Birds mobile games for a billion dollars. Reuters.com says the deal could be finalized this week. Sega has outbid an Israeli game company that had tried to purchase Rovio for $750 million. Talks with that company, Playtika, ended in January.
It was announced with some fanfare last year, and now Apple has gone live with its so-called high-yield savings account…called, shockingly, Apple Savings. The account is available to Apple Card users, who can route Daily Cash rewards from using the Apple Card into a 4.15% savings account. Apple says that the 4.15% APY rate is “more than 10 times the national average.” The company also says that Apple Savings has “no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements.” The savings account is administered by Goldman Sachs, the same firm as the Apple Card.
I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Spotify Bows iPhone Lock Screen Widget; No Apple AR Glasses Until 2026 or ’27; Amazon Responsible for Over Half Serious US Warehouse Injuries; Hypersonic Hydrogen Jet in the Works
Posted: April 13, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentFor those of you who use Spotify…and that’s a heck of a lot of you…here’s a handy new feature. Spotify has announced that they are rolling out a new iPhone Lock Screen widget for phones running iOS16 or later. TechCrunch.com reports that the widget will allow opening the Spotify app right from the Lock Screen, saving some time and hassle. This should be particularly helpful when you are on the go…. in the car or hiking, cycling. Spotify is also now supporting Apple Live Activities, which puts music controls at the bottom of your Lock Screen when you are actively using the app.
While we all wait for the reveal of the Apple Mixed Reality headset soon…very probably at WWDC in June…it looks like the Apple Glasses have been pushed back a bit more. Now, according to appleinsider.com, it will be 2026 or ’27. That’s the latest from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. A key is so-called ‘metalens’ technology. The tech uses nanostructure to focus light. The glasses rocking the tech would display content over the real world. In other words, as you walk down the street, and look at a restaurant, you could see the menu hovering in front of you while still seeing the real world as well. An earlier report had mixed reality contacts coming out in 2030, but it looks like that has been pushed further out or shelved for now.
We all love us those Amazon boxes that land on our porch or at our door. Everyone knows Amazon has a giant workforce in warehouses all over the country (and world, for that matter), so it’s not exactly a surprise that over half the ‘serious’ US warehouse accidents happen at Amazon facilities. Engadget.com says the number was 53% last year, based on data collected by OSHA. This is after Jeff Bezos said 2 years ago the company would spend some $300 million to improve workplace safety. Actually, they have improved….down to 6.9 injuries per 100 workers in 2022 from 7.9 the previous year and 9 per 100 the year before that. They still have a ways to go. Racking up over half the injuries when Amazon has 36% of all warehouse workers.
Imagine flying from New York to London in 90 minutes! A Swiss startup called Destinus is working on it. Thenextweb.com reports they are developing a prototype hydrogen-powered aircraft that can fly at over 3700 miles per hour! the craft would use hydrogen fueled air-breathing turbojet engines for takeoff and landing, and a separate ramjet engine to make the hypersonic speeds. This has been experimented with by the military for years…often called a ‘scramjet.’ The first model will carry 25 passengers, and be ready by the end of the decade. After that, Destinus plans a 100 passenger model. Liquid hydrogen is 4 times lighter than jet fuel, but cost much more. The cool thing is that the thrust coming out of the engines is water vapor…much more environmentally friendly than even jet fuel. A small plane has already flown, we may hear about the 25 passenger model in the next year.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Tecnhified’ for now.
Twitter “No Longer Exists”; Google Pixel Fold; iPhone 15 Won’t Get Solid State Buttons; GM Spends $50 Million on Lithium
Posted: April 12, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentThe name may still show up on the app, but Twitter as a company no longer exists, as Elon Musk has merged it into his X Corporation. Arstechnica.com notes that the word really got out when employees…those still working at the platform…got notice that they would be eligible for stock in X Corp, not Twitter. Neither Musk nor his attorney had comments, but Elon did Tweet out simply ‘X’ after word leaked out. Musk wants to make a so-called ‘everything’ app rather like China’s WeChat, where people can send payments, shop, message each other, all on one platform. Musk still claims Twitter…or X…or whatever it becomes, will be worth $250 billion. It looks like Musk will be trying to bring all his companies….Twitter, Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company under the X Corp holding company…not unlike what Alphabet is to Google and the rest, or Meta is to Facebook, Instagram, & WhatsApp.
There are breadcrumbs that seem to point to Google cooking up a Pixel Fold phone, which could complement the Pixel 7. According to androidpolice.com, details are sketchy, but we do know there have been several experimental models, with code names ranging from Passport to Logbook, to Jumbojack. One rumor has Google wanting to differentiate their device from Samsung’s Fold and Flip by branding it something like Pixel Notepad. What we do know is the form factor seems to be similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. It seems unlikely right now that it will be out in the next 6 months.
It may be a letdown, or might be a ‘so what’ for you, but it looks like Apple has shelved their plans for solid state buttons on the upcoming iPhone 15 models. Macrumors.com reports that Cupertino has apparently run into what are being termed ‘unresolved technical issues. I’m sure you are as crushed as I am not to be getting solid state buttons that work with haptic feedback, but we will all manage to pull through somehow! Apple may go to a single long rocker switch instead of two separate volume buttons at this point, since that’s the setup they had for the solid state buttons, and many manufacturers are already making cases, and the like for the new models.
General Motors is leading a $50 million investment into lithium extraction and refining at startup Energy X. Techcrunch.com says the General is set on locking in all the lithium it will need to build battery packs for the increasing number of electric vehicles it will be making in the next several years. EnergyX mining operations are in North and South America, so GM avoids any issues with China shutting off or throttling lithium supplies. GM will not be getting 100% of EnergyX lithium, but the amount…as well as other investors…haven’t been released yet. EnergyX is based in Austin, Texas and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Substack Launches Twitter-Like Notes; Carbon Robotics Laser Weed Zapper; 15 Inch MacBook Air May Drop Soon; Google Beefing Up Pixel Call Screen with AI
Posted: April 11, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentTwitter has been doing what it can to block people promoting Substack on their platform, but has eased a bit after a big outcry. Now, Substack strikes back with its Twitter-like Notes just days after Twitter first throttled Substack links. Theverge.com reports that Notes may become a worthy Twitter alternative for some…particularly for Substack writers who have already built an audience on that platform and are angling for a new place to post after Twitter marked Substack links as unsafe. Notes will appear in their own separate tab, so will be separate from the full newsletters you can read in the Inbox tab or the threads you can read in the Chat tab. There is no character limit on Notes, and each post can have up to 6 images, but so far no video. Some writers are already moving from regular Substack publication to the Notes feature, but now that Twitter has backed off the throttling, expect most to still cross-promote on Twitter.
It’s something everyone with land lusts for…an AI powered, industrial laser to zap weeds…eliminating poisons and weed-pulling. According to geekwire.com, Carbon Robotics just raised $30 million dollars to expand their production of weed-zapping machines powered by artificial intelligence and computer vision tech. If this sounds too pricy for your yard, you’re right…but farmers love them. The device is pulled behind a tractor, and so far has been used to kill some 500 million weeds that have poked up amongst some 40 different crops. Carbon plans deliveries of the weed zapper to 17 US states, and 3 Canadian provinces…and with the fresh cash, plans to expand to Europe. The LaserWeeder uses 30 industrial lasers with tracking cameras to kill up to 200,000 weeds an hour. Being able to grow clean crops without plastering on expensive and unhealthy herbicide (which is often heard as HERBicide in some rural areas) should be a boon to agriculture. Also…think of when they shrink it down to fit in a lawnmower or weed whacker!
The MacBook Air may be about to get a bigger, 15 inch screen model…and soon. Appleinsider.com says that display analyst Ross Young claims we may see the bigger MacBook Air by the end of this month or in early May. He says that production for the screens began in February. The screen size is specifically 15.5 inches…right in-between the 14 inch MacBook Pro and the 15 inch MacBook Pro. It is expected to have the same design as the M2 MacBook Air, but its unclear what chip will power it. Probably an M2, since the M3 chip isn’t expected to be in production until later this year. It is entirely possible that the bigger Air announcement could slip into June and get announced at WWDC.
One of the biggest irritants of the modern, always-on world…unwanted calls. Texts, too, but this is about calls. 9to5google.com reports that Google is working on adding AI to its Pixel Call Screen. In a podcast with group product manager Jonathan Eccles, he said Google wants to “solve bigger and more important problems” around “unwanted calls,” from spam to robocalling. The goal is a “future where you should never ever, ever be annoyed at the thought of your phone ringing. The search giant may even be ready to add such a feature with the launch of the Pixel 8 this fall. If so, let’s hope it is something that can be quickly added or cloned by every Android maker and Apple for the iPhone too. If enough junk calls can be screened out, maybe ring tones will become a thing again….or not!
I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Samsung Top Galaxy Leads Sales; Mac Sales Down More Than PCs; Tesla Will Build Giant Battery Factory in China; Walmart to Install Thousands of EV Charging Stations
Posted: April 10, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentSmartphone sales took a pretty hard hit the last quarter of 2022, with none hit harder than Samsung, shipping 16% fewer phones than in 2021. A bright spot for Samsung, though…the Galaxy S23 phones are outselling the S22 lineup by a substantial margin. Androidpolice.com reports that the Galaxy S23 is outselling the previous model by 1.7 times in Latin America, and 1.5 times in Europe. India and the Mid-East sales are also about 1 and a half times that of the S22 models. Sales are roughly flat in South Korea, and figures aren’t in yet for the US. Interestingly, the top of the line Galaxy S23 Ultra is getting 60% of Galaxy sales.
Global PC sales were down first quarter, dropping some 29% to 56.9 million computers. According to apple insider.com, citing IDC, Apple took a particularly hard hit, with Mac sales down 40% first quarter. Apple managed to get through the holidays without a drop off experienced by other PC makers, but took the bigger hit early this year. Market Leader Lenovo was off 30.3%. Apple still managed to be the #4 seller of computers 1st quarter…with HP in 2nd place, and Dell third.
Tesla is ready to break ground on a factory in Shanghai, China that will make 10,000 of its energy storage units dubbed Megapacks a year. The New York Times says Tesla expects to have the plant producing by the 2nd quarter of 2024. Although Tesla generates most of its money from its electric-car business, but Mr. Musk has committed to expanding its solar energy and battery business to roughly the same size as its car business. The EV maker already has a factory for its Megapacks in Lathrop, Calif., where it can manufacture 10,000 units annually.
Walmart has announced they will install thousands of fast charging stations for EVs at locations around the country. Rawstory.com reports that the big box king will quadruple the company’s network of stations, currently available at over 280 Walmart and Sam’s stores nationwide. Walmart says they have a Walmart or Sam’s within 10 miles of 90% of the population of the country. This boost in charging stations should go a long way in easing charging and range anxiety for buyers of electric cars.
I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
ChatGPT Made Up Sex Harassment Scandal; Tesla Employees Shared Sensitive Videos Recorded by Customer Cars; Google Rolls Out Account Deletion; Apple iOS 17 Control Center Makeover
Posted: April 6, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentWith all the hoopla over ChatGPT, and its prowess…like passing a general bar exam, writing college themes, and such…comes the dark side people have been concerned about. According to the Washington Post, law professor Jonathan Turley got a troubling email. As part of a research study, a fellow lawyer in California had asked the AI chatbot ChatGPT to generate a list of legal scholars who had sexually harassed someone. Turley’s name was on the list. The chatbot, created by OpenAI, said Turley had made sexually suggestive comments and attempted to touch a student while on a class trip to Alaska, citing a March 2018 article in The Washington Post as the source of the information. The problem: No such article existed. There had never been a class trip to Alaska. And Turley said he’d never been accused of harassing a student. In other words, the chatbot made the whole thing up! THIS is why a number of tech leaders have sent a letter to OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT to put the brakes on more updates to the chatbot until this sort of thing can be eliminated. There have been wrongful accusations of behavior in the past, but having a computer program make one is a whole new world…and a dystopian one at that.
Although Tesla has assured millions of customers that their systems in the cars are “designed from the ground up to protect your privacy,” some groups of Tesla employees privately shared via an internal messaging system sometimes highly invasive videos and images recorded by customers’ car cameras, according to interviews by Reuters with nine former employees. Some of the recordings caught Tesla customers in embarrassing situations. One ex-employee described a video of a man approaching a vehicle completely naked. Also shared: crashes and road-rage incidents. Note to Musk: This is one of the reasons you have a public relations department. Ignoring the issue or putting out a Tweet isn’t going to cut it. The FTC is investigating.
Google has made a move similar to what Apple has for their apps since last summer. Android apps have a new deletion policy. Techcrunch.com says any apps that have an account creation must also offer an easy way to delete that account as well. Google will start enforcing the policy early next year. The company said that it will ask developers to answer questions regarding their app’s data deletion in the Data Safety form by December 7. The search giant said that apps must provide “an option to initiate account and data deletion from within the app and online” and the feature should be easily discoverable. Plus, the policy also requires developers to delete the user data from their servers on account deletion.
Apparently the Apple Watch operating system isn’t the only one getting a makeover. Now, 9to5mac.com reports that iOS 17 will get a redesigned control center. We should see both previewed at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in June. The iOS Control Center has been virtually unchanged since iPhone 10, so it’s probably about time!
I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Apple Continues Moving Assembly from China; Expedia’s AI Assisted Travel Planning; Best Buy Expands Recycling Program; Tesla Worker Takes Reduced Racism Payout
Posted: April 5, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized 2 CommentsApple is continuing to try to cut reliance on China, and as part of that quest, Cupertino is expected to triple iPhone production in India this year…with some iPhone 15 models possibly being built there for export around the world by the end of the year. Appleinsider.com reports that Apple is shooting for 25% of all iPhone production to come from their facilities in India. Last year, Apple made more than 6.5 million phones in India. Right now, it looks like the Pro models will continue to be made in China…partly due to raw material availability. Stainless steel frames for the Pro models, aluminum ones for the regular iPhone 15 models built in India. Apple is also working on moving Apple Watch and iPad production to India.
Everyone wants to get on the ChatGPT bandwagon. Now, Expedia is adding a ChatGPT planning tool. According to geekwire.com, Expedia claims that it will offer a new “travel planning experience.” One of the ways Expedia is trying to differentiate its ChatGPT implementation is by automatically saving hotels discussed during a chat session to a “trip” in the app to make it easier to book a stay. This capability will expand later to other forms of reservations, including flights and rental cars. Hold tight…this could either turn out great, or be a disaster. One tech reporter gave it a try, and the feature didn’t save his preferred hotel, but another one. That could really suck on booking flights!
Best Buy has been running an electronics recycling program in store for a while now. The big box store has announced they are adding a mail-in option. Engadget.com says now, Best Buy will sell you a box. They come in 2 sizes….it’s $23 for a small 9x5x3 inch box and up to 6 pounds, or $30 for a medium box…that’s 18/14/4 inches and up to 15 pounds of recycled devices. Best Buy says you can either drop off at a UPS store or schedule a pick up. the big box store claims to be the US’ “largest retail collector of e-waste.” You can also schedule a home pickup up…that runs $200…but is really of home theaters and other heavy appliances. Your best bet? Drop the e-waste off at one of the stores for free.
A former Tesla worker turned down a $15 million payout in a racial discrimination suit. That hasn’t worked out well. Now, after a trial, Owen Diaz has been awarded $3 million in punitive damages and $175,000 in compensatory damages. Arstechnica.com notes that in the first trial, the award was $137 million, which a judge cut to $15 million last April. Diaz went for a new trial, and came up short. Diaz, who is black, ran a freight elevator at Tesla’s Fremont factory. Sometimes, you just need to take the money and run.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Android Share for Windows Here; Google Guarantees Some Flight Prices; Ford’s EV Business on a Roll; Developers at Bay’s TI Claim to Prevent Climate-Related Flooding
Posted: April 4, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentApple has had Air Drop for some time now, which lets people in the Apple ecosystem transfer to nearby devices. For example, I can send a picture or document from my iPhone over to my MacBook Pro seamlessly. Some Android users have lusted for this feature, and now it’s here. Androidpolice.com reports that Google’s Nearby Share, introduced in 2020, has finally made its way to Windows PCs. Google announced the feature expansion in a blog post. It will now be easier for Android users to move images, videos, and other content between Android phones and Windows PCs with the new Nearby Share Beta for Windows app. You can get the app at the Android website, and it will work with PCs running the 64-bit version of Windows 10 and up, so long as they’re not powered by ARM processors. Additionally, devices should be within 16 feet (5 meters) of each other for the transfer to succeed.
Speaking of Google, they are bringing some help to the hassle and expense of trip planning via Google Flights. According to zdnet.com, an update to Flights will lock you in to the best price on selected airline flights. Plane ticket prices depend on several factors, like the day of the week, your destination, and upcoming holidays. Some people like buying plane tickets months in advance to take advantage of lower prices, while others want to wait until a better deal comes up. Google Flights now has price guarantees for flights in the U.S. If a flight has a guaranteed price badge next to its price, that means Google believes the price will stay the same until the flight is scheduled to take off. If the flight’s price does decrease before you’re scheduled to leave, Google will reimburse you the difference via Google Pay. This feature is only available for Book on Google itineraries that depart from the U.S.
Ford is yet to make money on EV sales so far…in fact, the company projects a $3 billion loss on electrics this year, but as sales grow, they will be moving into the black, and that day may not be terribly far off. Sales are growing, too…Theverge.com says Ford’s EV business grew 41% this quarter with 10,866 units out the doors. Ford says it is on track to sell about 150,000 EVs this year, counting Lightning trucks, E-transit delivery vans, and Mustang Mach-E models.
Sea level increases worldwide will become more and more of a problem, driven by climate change. Now, San Francisco Public Press reports that builders claim them can protect communities with flood risk using cutting-edge civil engineering. It’s a bold claim when it comes to Treasure Island, a land fill built in the last century to host an exhibition that is flat and barely above sea level. there, developers have poured the foundation for a 22-story tower, and there are 5 other high-rise buildings on the drawing board. The challenge lies in making things safe out beyond the year 2100…not that far away when it comes to structures. By then, models show a chance of 4 feet, 11 inches of sea level rise. A surge added to tides could make water levels rise to more than a foot above the lowest ground floors planned for Treasure Island housing. Check out sfpublicpress.org for a lot deeper dive…and sorry about the pun.
I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Twitter April Foolishness; YouTube Will Stream Coachella Stages; Apple’s WatchOS 10- Not Minor Update; GM Dumps CarPlay & Android Auto for Custom Google Interface
Posted: April 3, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentYouTube announced that they will stream all 6 stages at Coachella this year. The festival kicks off April 14th at 4PM Pacific. According to engadget.com, in the past you had to get by with three streams. Replays will be available until the next day kicks off. YouTube Premium subscribers will have access to backstage ‘pre-parties’ and other perks. Headliners this year include Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean. YouTube will offer special merchandise during the streams, too…but mainly are looking to get lots of new eyeball time and signups for Premium.
The Twitter mess continues. As promised, on April 1st, they started taking away blue checkmarks from legacy verified accounts. Elon Musk said any account that has said or Tweeted they won’t pay $8 will lose the check right away, instead of getting a couple weeks of grace period. Theverge.com reports that even the main account of the New York Times lost theirs. Here’s something to try. Search for ‘Eight Dollars’ in Twitter. A developer has built a plug in that works on different browsers (we’ve tried on both Safari and Chrome) to show which are paid Blue accounts—they show up with a dollar sign, and which are legacy actual verified ones. It’s a free download, and works for now. Who knows if Twitter will try to block it, but it helps for now.
Up to now, Apple’s WatchOS has been pretty incremental in updates every year. That may change this time around. In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the system will be previewed at WWDC in June, along with the other Apple operating systems. Of most interest to users…the Watch interface will get what Gurman calls ‘notable changes.’ Part of the reason for the major update? At least one of the Watch models will have a micro-LED display, instead of OLED, like on all Watches so far.
In a move that won’t make customers happy, GM is going to cut Apple CarPlay and Android Auto out of using the main screen on their EVs starting with the 2024 Chevy Blazer. Gas cars will still have the access to those apps on their screens, according to appleinsider.com. GM is partnering with Google to build its own infotainment system based on Android Automotive. The General claims it will be more closely integrated with other car systems, like GM’s Super Cruise. Of course, this also gives GM better data collection on how you drive and charge your EV. GM claims they have more driver assistance features on the way, and they don’t want them dependent on someone having an iPhone or Android connecting over Bluetooth. Note that both iPhones and Androids will still connect to the main screen for phone calls, texts, and such…just not their maps or other features. GM’s system will give access to Google Maps and Google Assistant at no cost for 8 years…and will offer apps like Spotify, Audible, and other services.
I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
WWDC Dates & iPhone Button Rumor;Twitter Blue Subscribers-Few Followers; Facebook & IG Users Can Opt Out of Tracking-In EU; Folding Smartphones Will Pass 20 Million Sales
Posted: March 30, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentApple has announced that it will hold Worldwide Developers Conference starting on June 5th. According to cnet.com, we can expect to see iOS 17, the next version of Apple’s mobile software, along with a reveal of Apple’s Mixed Reality headset. The event, which will run through June 9th, is free for developers to attend online. Apple will hold an in—person event at Apple Park in Cupertino for its keynote and state of the union presentation the first day. An interesting rumor about the iPhone 15 pro chips. They will apparently keep the solid state buttons useable even when power is low or the phone is turned off. What has been the mute button may become an ‘Action’ button, one which you can program to do various functions like on the Apple Watch Ultra. This may replace tapping the back of the phone a number of times to activate different functions.
With Twitter rolling ahead with user fees in order to keep features that have been free up to now, some people have gone ahead and signed up for Twitter Blue at $8 a month. While it really only verifies that you are paying Twitter, starting in April, having a blue check is the only way to take part in polls or to show up in suggestions in the ‘For You’ feed. Allegedly instituted by Elon Musk to rid the platform of so many bots, it looks like the Blue fee is ending up just being a naked cash grab. A researcher named Travis Brown has determined that about half of the 444,435 paying Twitter Blue subscribers have less than 1,000 followers…and 78,059 Blue subscribers have less than 100 subscribers following their account. There are even 2270 paid accounts with ZERO followers….can you say bots? So far, only about .2% of Twitters 254 million daily users have gone for the $8 Twitter Blue checkmark.
Something virtually all of us would love…to opt out of tracking. Well now you can…IF you are in Europe! Bgr.com says Meta is complying with an EU demand…certainly reluctantly. Also, they aren’t making it automatic or easy. Meta will only allow users to opt out after they submit an online form expressing their objections to Meta’s tracking of in-app activity ads. Meta will then evaluate the user’s request and possibly implement the change. Most observers note that the EU will probably not be satisfied with that ‘possibly’ part! In January, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined Facebook and Instagram about $423 million for requiring users to agree to a contract that includes behavioral ads.
For a device that is still both really pricy and fragile, folding smartphones are continuing on an upswing in people willing to take a swing at them. In 2022, just 1% of smartphone shipments were folders-about 14 million. Now, 9to5google.com reports that after 4 years on the market, folding phones are on track to hit 21.4 million…a 50% growth year over year. IDC forecasts that foldable will reach 48 million units by 2027…a big number for folders, but still only 3.5% of all smartphone sales. Several makers in addition to Samsung are now making folders, and there have been good advancements in making them more sturdy…but don’t look for prices to drop anytime soon.
I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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