New Smart Glasses at CES-Project Screen Not on Lenses; Open AI Moving to ‘Superintellegence’; Samsung Galaxy S25 Leak; United-Tests Starlink on Flights Starting in Feb.

Posted: January 6, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Most smart glasses or goggles display on the lenses. Now, a startup at CES is showing something a bit different. Halliday is planning to start shipping their new smart glasses by the end of the first quarter of 2025. These glasses actually project a 3.5 inch ‘screen into the wearer’s upper right field of view.’ Bgr.com reports that there is a tiny projector in the frame. This allows viewing the screen with minimal interference and without needing specific lenses. The system works for people with or without prescription lenses, and is allegedly visible even in bright sunlight. The glasses feature Halliday’s built in AI. You control them with voice commands or buttons built into the frame. They also plan to ship a ring-like track pad you can wear on your finger to control them. They will launch on Kickstarter, and the glasses will retail for $489.

Open AI CEO Sam Altman has posted to his personal blog that he believes OpenAI “know[s] how to build [artificial general intelligence]” as it has traditionally understood it — and is beginning to turn its aim to “superintelligence.” According to techcrunch.com, Altman continued with “We love our current products, but we are here for the glorious future,” Altman wrote in the post, which was published late Sunday evening. “Superintelligent tools could massively accelerate scientific discovery and innovation well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own, and in turn massively increase abundance and prosperity.” That all sounds amazing, but a lot of us would love to see actual artificial intelligence, not the artificial stupidity we get in answers a lot of the time from these products. You have to give it to Sam, though…he doesn’t lack for confidence in himself or in OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Samsung has never been known for its tight grip on information when it comes to products in the works, and now we have a couple more leaks describing the upcoming Galaxy S25…which should bow later this month. Androidpolice.com says that like the Google Pixel 9 Pro, the Galaxy S25 series will include a free Gemini Advanced subscription. The handsets will also have new blue colors and some MagSafe-type case options. The colors are reportedly ‘Icy Blue’ for the Galaxy S25 Plus and ‘Titanium Blue’ for the S25 Ultra. The latter is a lighter shade of blue. As for the wireless charging, the case images show a MagSafe-line ring, but word is the Galaxy S25 won’t natively support Qi2 charging, but will rely on external accessories to do so. This is also true with other Android lines…they rely on cases for the charging abilities. 

United is going to start testing out Starlink satellite connectivity on flights next month. Engadget.com notes that UA announced a partnership with SpaceX back in September. If the testing goes as expected, United plans to have the first commercial flight with Starlink to be in place by later this spring. It will start out on an Embraer E-175. The rest of the airlines ‘two-cabin regional fleet’ should have Starlink installed through 2025, with the first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air before the end of 2025. Starlink will be free to all members of United’s Mileage Plus program. 

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

Chinese Government Hackers Hit US Treasury Office; Meta-Plans to Flood Social Media with AI Generated Users and Content; Tesla Deliveries Drop-First in a Decade; Samsung A16 Launches in US for $199

Posted: January 2, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Over the holiday, we found out that Chinese government hackers targeted the very sensitive sanctions office for the US Treasury. Techcrunch.com reports that the hackers were able to access employee workstations and unclassified documents. The situation, which happened in December, was called ‘a major cybersecurity incident’ by the Treasury. A third party software provider called Beyond Trust, that provides identity management tools, tipped off Treasury about the attacks. The US Treasury Department has had no further comment so far. 

From the ‘whoever thought this was a good idea’ department…Meta plans to flood Facebook and other social media platforms with AI powered user profiles. According to Siliconangle.com, Connor Hayes, VP of product of Generative AI said in an interview with Financial Times “We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do. They’ll have bios and profile pictures and they’ll be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform. That’s where we see all of this going.” Hey, they want to see some return on the billions they are pumping into AI…so brace yourself.

Tesla had its first drop in yearly deliveries in a decade. Yahoo.com says that the EV maker got 495,570 vehicles to customers in the last quarter, missing estimates of 503,269 which meant a 1.1% drop year over year. This all according to 15 analysts polled by LSEG. The stock is down over 100 from a high of 486 December 17th to 379.70 as of this report on January 2nd. 

One thing Samsung does well that Apple can’t or won’t master is maintaining a line of cheap Android phones in addition to their more state-of-the art and therefore pricy phones. 9to5google.com reports that Samsung has started 2025 with the US launch of its budget Galaxy A16 phone…for $199! The phone is no dog…it has a 6.7 inch screen and runs an Exynos 1330 system. The A16 also rocks a big 5,000 mAh battery. Where it does lack is in memory…only 4 gigs. It does have a 50MP rear cam and a 5 MP ultra wide, as well as a 2 MP macro cam. The Selfie cam is 13 MP, so you aren’t going to get top notch photos with this…but hey, $199! It comes with 6 major Android updates too. You can get it in black or blue starting January 9th from Samsung.com and many retailers and carriers.

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

Bluesky Tests Trending Topics; Galaxy Ring 2 May Bow Soon; Why Apple Won’t Build a Search Engine; Next Gen Meta Ray-Bans May Get Small In-Lens Screen

Posted: December 26, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

As they press forward in building out an app strikingly similar to the old Twitter, Bluesky is now testing out a trending topics feature. Techcrunch.com reports that the feature showed up in beta on Christmas Day. It is available on both the desktop and mobile versions of the platform. Look for it on the right sidebar on the desktop, and on mobile, you can tap the search button to look for them. Threads rolled out trending to US users on March, and now is in Japan, but the Bluesky beta is available worldwide.

We may be seeing a Galaxy Ring 2 at Samsung’s January Unpacked event, in addition to the Galaxy S25 phones and perhaps new AR glasses. According to androidpolice.com, some ring improvements may include more size options, better sensors, smarter AI, and better battery life. If the Ring 2 does make an appearance, don’t expect it to be immediately available…the OG ring took several months to hit stores after being unveiled. If the Ring 2 gets a couple extra sizes, say 14 and 15… it would match ring leader Oura. 

One thing Apple has always relied on others for is a search engine…notably Google, which has paid a ton of money to be the default one on Apple devices…some $20 billion a year as revealed in legal actions. Why hasn’t Apple rolled their own? 9to5mac.com says Apples Eddy Cue has given 3 reasons why Cupertino won’t do that. Cue says first off, Apple is focused on other growth areas…he notes it would cost billions and take many years. Second, Cue points out the ongoing movement in AI, and says it would be economically risky to divert cash from that into a search engine. Finally, he says that to have a viable search engine, you have to build a platform to sell targeted advertising, which he notes isn’t a core business of Apple….and would go against Apples longstanding privacy commitments. 

The next iteration of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses may have a couple of nice adds…a ‘small in-lens’ screen and a wristband controller. Zdnet.com reports that the display would introduce an AR component to the glasses with a holographic interface while capturing your surroundings with a pass-through display that may be controllable with a wristband sensor. It’s a sensible step up from the current smart glasses model, which only allows for audio-based interactions and photo and video-taking. Right now, it looks like the earliest we may see these added features is 2027, but Meta has said that these are two of the most requested features. 

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

Apple Planning Face ID Doorbell; Google Objects to DOJ’ s Interventionist Antitrust Remedies; X Jacks Up Premium Subscriptions; Honda & Nissan Look to Merge in 2026

Posted: December 23, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Many times over the years, Apple has been late to the party, but has gone on to dominate categories of tech gadgets. The iPhone, of course, is the classic example. Now, 9to5mac.com reports that Cupertino is working on a Face ID compatible smart home doorbell cam, shades of the Ring. The device would offer “advanced facial recognition”, and integrate wirelessly with smart home locks. As a user of both Apple HomeKit and Ring, I have to say it would be cool to have my door cam integrated into HomeKit, but right now, it’s hard to imagine how an Apple device would really do a better job than the Ring does. The door lock thing is cool…unlock your door by scanning your face…but I don’t have an electronic door lock. I have a neighbor who does, but that is one area I just haven’t ‘technified.’ A lock can be picked, but the thief has to be right there…not a ways away like with a hack. Apple may have the thing on the market by the end of next year.

Google has come out blazing as they have floated their own proposal in the antitrust case from the US Department of Justice that argues that Google must sell off its Chrome Browser. According to techcrunch.com, Google says the DOJ proposal reflects an ‘interventionist agenda’ that “goes far beyond what the Court’s decision is actually about.” As an alternative, Google proposes that it still be allowed to make search deals with companies like Apple and Mozilla, but they should have the option to set different defaults on different platforms (for example, iPhone vs. iPad) and in different browsing modes.

In a move that is certain to vastly increase his user base, Elon Musk is raising prices for ad-free Premium Plus on X from $16 to $22 a month. If this was a Tom Swiftie, that would have ‘he said sarcastically’ after it! At any rate, engadget.com reports that the 37.5% price hike will kick in by January 20th, and will be for the US, Europe, the UK, Canada, and Australia. X has lost an estimated 2.7 million active users in the past 2 months, while new rival Bluesky has doubled in size in that same time period. This does not seem to be the move of a business genius…but I could be wrong.

In a move that would create the world’s third largest car maker, Honda and Nissan plan to merge in 2026. Arstechnica.com reports that Honda would take the lead in the deal. The two firms already had a strategic partnership for software and electrification. Nissan has been in an alliance with France’s Renault and Japan’s Mitsubishi. Both are taking a wait and see attitude on the Honda-Nissan deal. If approved, the deal should be finalized by this coming June, with the new company formed by August 2026.

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

Gemini Contractors Forced To Rate AI Responses Outside Their Expertise; TikTok Gets SCOTUS Hearing; Apple Drops iPhone Hardware Subscription Plan; FAA Bans Drones in Parts of NJ

Posted: December 19, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

As if there isn’t enough of a problem with artificial intelligence ‘hallucinations…or in plain language…lying…now we find that Google has been making Gemini contractors to rate AI responses outside their areas of expertise. Techcrunch.com reports that these people behind the proverbial curtain…sometimes called ‘prompt engineers’ and analysts, have been pushed to evaluate AI responses outside their area. Google has been using some contractors from GlobalLogic, an outsourcing firm owned by Hitachi. Until recently, they were able to ’skip’ certain prompts, and opt out of evaluating various AI-written responses to those prompts, if the prompt was way outside their domain expertise. For example, a contractor could skip a prompt that was asking a niche question about cardiology because the contractor had no scientific background. Well, as of last week, they won’t be allowed to skip prompts, even if they have no clue about the area being queried about. Contractors can now only skip prompts in two cases: if they’re “completely missing information” like the full prompt or response, or if they contain harmful content that requires special consent forms to evaluate, the new guidelines show. So far, Google hasn’t commented about this. 

It’s not a total reprieve, but now TikTok will get its day in court…in the Supreme Court…to argue why it should not be banned in the US. According to gizmodo.com, the Supremes will hear arguments on January 10th, only 9 days before the ban on TikTok is set to go into place. Most court watchers expect the Supreme Court to make a decision before the January 19th ban date. ByteDance already lost in the DC Court Of Appeals, where the Court said that the First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States, and the ban represents the government acting “solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.”

Apple has dropped plans to offer a hardware subscription service for iPhones. Macrumors.com says that Cupertino had considered a service that would let users ‘subscribe’ to get a new iPhone every year…something that had been in the works since 2022. It appears that Apple has decided that such a plan is not feasible due to regulatory concerns, software bugs, and other issues. You can still buy an iPhone from them with a 12 or 24 month payment plan at zero interest, which really isn’t much different from the subscription idea.

Although there have been sightings/issues elsewhere, New Jersey has seemed to be the hub of late for freakouts over drone activity. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration has stepped in. Bloomberg.com reports that the FAA has prohibited drone flights over parts of the Garden State as public hysteria over sightings has continued. The FAA just published 22 temporary flight restrictions over critical infrastructure in the state. The agency said  it was instituting the ban “at the request of federal security partners.”

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

Temu-Most Downloaded App; Foldable iPad in Works; Musk Wants to Challenge Gmail; Meta Bows Tool to Watermark AI Videos

Posted: December 16, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Temu, the Chinese shopping app that has been dinged for shoddy products by some, is again the most downloaded free app on the US Apple App Store. TechCrunch.com reports that the shopping app took the #1 slot last year, displacing TikTok, which is still #3, behind Meta’s Threads app at #2. The 4th most downloaded is ChatGPT, while Google’s Search App is 5th. In 6th place is Instagram, with the #7 slot being held by WhatsApp. After that comes CapCut (which is owned by TikTok maker ByteDance), then YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Shein, and Facebook at lucky (or not) 13. What about the rest of the top 20? Look for Telegram, Snapchat, Cash App, Spotify, Max, McDonald’s, and Amazon.

It won’t be for a while, yet, but Apple is working son a king-sized folding iPad that opens up to the size of a couple iPad Pros side by side. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says we should expect it around 2028. The folder will sport a 20 inch display. Apple’s biggest issue…as is every maker’s with folding devices…is to avoid the crease down the middle of the screen when the device is open. Samsung has been trying to minimize the crease since their first folding phone in 2019…it’s a tough nut to crack. Apple is aiming for the folding iPad to look like ‘a single, uninterrupted piece of glass.’ Reports are that the crease is close to invisible now, but close might not be good enough for Apple. It is unclear if it will run some version of iPad OS or if it will be robust enough to run the MacOS.

From the ‘good luck with that’ department, Elon Musk is apparently planning to take on Google’s Gmail with an X Mail affiliated with his X platform. According to androidpolice.com, Musk replied to a user asking about an email format of yourname@x.com, Elon replied ‘Yeah. On the list of things to do.’ As for dethroning Gmail…that will be a mountain to climb for Musk…Gmail presently has over 1.8 billion active users, and Gmail is pretty deeply integrated into the Google ecosystem. Musk is apparently aiming for something more like a DM style interface, but it’s doubtful that such will work for most folks…who are used to the advanced search, seamless integration with Google Workspace, and strong security features found in Gmail. 

This is an especially timely move by Meta, with all the activity around deepfakes. CBS did a segment on 60 Minutes about so-called ‘nudity’ sites like Clothoff, (which I purposely left the suffix off of) that use AI to produce very realistic pictures of people with their clothing removed to make nude photos and videos. Well, Meta has rolled out a tool for watermarking AI-generated videos. TechCrunch.com reports that since 2023 there has been a 4 times increase in deepfakes worldwide. The tool, called Meta Video Seal, is available in open source and designed to be integrated into existing software. The tool joins Meta’s other watermarking tools, Watermark Anything (re-released today under a permissive license) and Audio Seal. DeepMind also has a tool called SynthID that can watermark videos, and Microsoft has its own video watermarking techniques. In addition to a watermark, Video Seal can add a hidden message to videos that can later be uncovered to determine their origins. Meta claims that Video Seal is resilient against common edits like blurring and cropping, as well as popular compression algorithms.

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

Sony-Making Handheld Console; Amazon-Another $4 Billion to Anthropic; Power Phone Off Once a Week-NSA; Researchers Find Way to Grow Plants Without Light

Posted: November 25, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Sony is working on a handheld gaming console that will let users play PS 5 games anywhere. Theverge.com reports that this will put Sony into the fray with Nintendo, Microsoft, and The Valve Steam Deck. That’s all well and good, but the reporting has the portable ‘years away from launch.’ Not so good for Sony. While Sony fiddles, Nintendo will have a next gen successor to its very popular Switch console next year. Microsoft is developing its own Xbox prototype…but that also may be a few years out, as with Sony. This doesn’t leave the market entirely to Nintendo…Valve has already put out a second generation Steam Deck that plays its games. 

Amazon has pumped another $4 billion into AI maker Anthropic, the people that make the Claude large language model that is the biggest competitor for OpenAI’s ChatGPT. According to arstechnica.com, this will bring Amazon’s stake to $8 billion…but they do remain in a minority investor position at that level. One key behind the deal…chips. While Nvidia currently dominates the AI chip market with customers that include most major tech companies, some cloud providers like Amazon have begun developing their own AI-specific processors. Under the agreement, Anthropic will train and deploy its foundation models using Amazon’s custom-built Trainium (for training AI models) and its Inferentia chips (for AI inference, the term for running trained models). The company will also work with Amazon’s Annapurna Labs division to advance processor development for AI applications.

We have previously reported that iOS 18 and later updates make it harder for hackers…as well as governments…to get into your phone. Now, none other than the NSA…the National Security Agency…warns that you should turn your phone on and off at least once a week. Why? Zdnet.com says the government spy agency indicates that doing so will make it harder for hackers to steal info from your phone. The feds also say to update your apps, and update your operation system regularly. You also ought to avoid public networks…just use cellular unless you have a VPN for your phone. 

In one of the wilder stories I’ve seen, some researchers have figured out a way to grow plants without sunlight. Bgr.com reports that they are doing so through what they call electro-agriculture. Simply put, they leverage electricity to power plant growth, bypassing the need for photosynthesis. The scientists have engineered plants capable of thriving in total darkness, feeding off acetate instead of sunlight, making it possible to grow plants without sunlight. And the implications of this breakthrough are absolutely staggering. Some researchers believe that it could lower the land needed for agriculture by as much as 90 percent. Imagine freeing up vast tracts of farmland for reforestation or conservation while growing crops in vertical indoor farms closer to urban centers. Combined with the ongoing success of lab-grown meats, we could be on the verge of a food industry revolution.

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

Rumored iPhone ‘Air’ May Be Slimmest iPhone; DOJ Will Try to Break Up Google; Microsoft Makes $349 Hardware Device for Secure Cloud Connection; Door Dash App-Can Import Grocery Lists Now

Posted: November 19, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Jony Ive may be long gone, but apparently Apple’s fetish for thinness isn’t. Macrumors.com reports that Apple Analyst Jeff Pu agrees with a recent rumor saying the upcoming ‘iPhone 17 Air’ will be around 6 mm thick. If that turns out to be accurate, it will be the thinnest iPhone ever. Note that no one knows what the handset will be called, but most are dubbing it the iPhone Air. Up to now, the thinnest iPhone has been the iPhone 6 at 6.9 mm. The iPhone Air would be about 3/4 as thick as any of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models. It is expected to have a 6.6 inch display, A19 chip, and the dynamic island, but only one rear camera. 

We’ve been waiting to see what the Department of Justice had in mind as far as its antitrust action against Google. now we have a better idea. According to theverge.com, the DOJ wants Google to sell off its Chrome browser. This after the judge ruled Google had maintained an illegal search monopoly. Chrome is the world’s most widely used browser. Other DOJ requirements include Google separating Android from Search and Google Play…but they don’t intend to make them sell off Android. It remains to be seen what the incoming DOJ will do with regards to keeping or changing these demands after January 20th. 

Microsoft has announced the Windows 365 Link. The gadget  “enables desk-based users to work securely on a familiar Windows desktop in the Microsoft Cloud with responsive, high-fidelity experiences.” Engadget.com notes that the 365 Link is a small, lightweight device that Microsoft claims can immediately wake from sleep, boot up in seconds and locally process video conferencing solutions like Microsoft Teams. It doesn’t store local data or apps, has security baseline policies enabled and doesn’t allow for individuals to disable security features. Plus, logging in requires Microsoft Entra ID along with the Microsoft Authenticator app or USB security keys. The box should be available in what they are calling ‘select areas’ in April 2025 for $349. Kind of sounds like a larger, more expensive but more secure dongle to me!

Door Dash’s app is now able to import your grocery list for faster shopping. Techcrunch.com reports that you just choose a store where you want to shop and select the button Create a list or Import a list. With the create, you can copy and paste from anywhere on your phone. Import only works with Reminders on iOS at the moment, but Android support is coming. You can also now search for an item across different merchants, displaying prices and estimated delivery times all in one place. 

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

Microsoft Enters Book Biz; Samsung Making XR Glasses Similar to Meta’s Ray-Bans; Some Bluesky Tips; Trump Names Project 2025 Contributor to FCC Chair

Posted: November 18, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Microsoft is jumping into the book business with their own imprint, 8080 Books. Geekwire.com reports that Microsoft is aiming for the sweet spot between the speed of social media and the lasting impact of books…planning to bring new titles to market much faster than traditional publishing allows. In the charter for the new venture, Microsoft says the goal is “to publish original research, ideas, and insights at the intersection of science, technology, and business, and in doing so, help advance the discourse and debate.” Normally, a publishing house takes 6 to 9 months to get from manuscript to market…Redmond is shooting for 90 days. By the way, why 8080 Books? If you see the logo it’s a hint…it is a hat tip to the 8080 Intel processors that  the first Microsoft software ran on.

Samsung has some new XR glasses coming out…looking at the second half of 2025 for a release date. According to 9to5google.com, they are being developed in partnership with Google, and they will share some of the specs with the popular Meta Ray-Ban glasses. OK, sorry about the specs/glasses pun! Samsung expects to sell 500,000 of the smart glasses. They will feature a 12MP camera and 155 mAh battery, about like Meta’s. What is unclear at this point is whether they will have a display or not. We do expect them to use Google’s Gemini AI, however. 

Millions have jumped to Bluesky and abandoned X. I cancelled X last week after 14 years on Twitter/X. Find me at clarkreidsf.bsky.social. The fledgling platform has ballooned from 9 to 15 million users just since the election. A lot of it looks like old Twitter…direct messages, ability to pin post and even videos up to 60 seconds. One thing I like is you can basically choose your own algorithm or moderation tools. They have a discover feed, but you can make a Following feed, a Popular with Friends one, and Mutuals…reposts by people you follow. I love the Following feed…it’s just a classic feed of accounts you follow in chronological order. What’s so hard about that, other platforms? It’s what most people want. You can also easily mute and block trolls, and there are these ‘packs’ people have built of accounts you might like to follow. You can pick those accounts a la carte, or choose them as a bundle to bulk up your Following feed quickly. Check it out.

In the parade of appointees Donald Trump has announced…most to the horror of those politically to the left and center, a new one is FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr as FCC Chairman. Engadget.com notes that Carr was the author of the FCC portion of Project 2025, and that he has previously argued in favor of punishing TV networks for political bias and regulating big tech firms like Google and Apple. The appointment doesn’t require the usual senate approval, since Carr has sat on the Commission since 2017.  The incoming president always gets to appoint a person from his party as Chairman. Here is a taste of what might be ahead from a post by Carr on X last week: “The censorship cartel must be dismantled. Broadcast media have had the privilege of using a scarce and valuable public resource — our airwaves. When the transition is complete, the FCC will enforce this public interest obligation.” It is worth pointing out out that unless Congress changes some law, the FCC can’t regulate the internet like Carr would like to.

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

Amazon Goes After Temu; Apple Plans Ring Alternative; FTC Gets Day in Court to Break Up Meta; VW and Rivian Joint Venture

Posted: November 13, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Amazon has bowed a discount store to compete with China’s Temu. Everything in the store will be under $20. Think of it as Amazon’s online Dollar store! It is called Amazon Haul, and can be reached via the Amazon mobile app. They are touting $1 eyelash curlers and oven gloves, and a $3 nail dryer. Free shipping on orders of over $25…or $3.99 shipping if less than that. Almost $4 for shipping kind of takes them out of Dollar Store territory, don’t you think? Hey, if you are of a mind to, try their self-described ‘crazy low prices!’

Apple appears to be planning to jump into competition with Amazon’s Ring cameras and others. According to Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, they are planning to release their first smart cam in 2026.  The initial models will probably be aimed more at 3rd party cams that work with Apple’s Home Kit system. Kuo says the cams will have ‘rich integration with Siri and Apple Intelligence features.’ Apple is also planning a wall mounted home display to control their internet of things devices. 

The Federal Trade Commission has gotten the go-ahead to argue for Meta’s break up in court. Engadget.com notes that US District Judge James Boasberg is allowing the FTC suit against Meta to go forward. The suit dates back to 2020, and the FTC wants to see Meta divest itself of Instagram and WhatsApp (and now presumably Threads, which is a part of Instagram.) In a slight win for Meta, the judge did make the FTC narrow its case. 

Volkswagen and Rivian have officially formed their $5.8 billion joint venture. Theverge.com report that it is called Rivian and VW Group Technology, and it will be lead by Rivian’s software chief and VW Group’s chief technology engineer. The company will be based in Palo Alto for now. As Rivian hasn’t been making money, it’s a good deal for them, but also for VW…which has been selling plug in hybrids well, but is struggling with its EVs. VW had to close at least 3 German factories and downsized the remaining plants. Buggy software has been partly to blame, according to reports.

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

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