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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.
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T-Mobile has started beta test sign ups for its Starlink satellite cell service. Engadget.com reports that the companies got FCC approval for the project last month. The first beta test is planned for 2025, and it will focus on text messaging initially. Voice and data are planned at a later date. Availability is limited, and T-Mobile is prioritizing first responder agencies and individuals for the program.
The Federal Trade Commission announced a new rule yesterday that will prohibit ticket sellers, hotels, and vacation rental services from hiding total prices and burying junk fees during the checkout process. The Junk Fees Rule helps ensure that consumers know exactly what the full price will be before they buy event tickets or book short-term lodging. According to bgr.com, the rule has been in development since 2022. Businesses will now have to disclose the true price including all mandatory fees, AND will have to display the total price more prominently than most other pricing information. This may not get rid of ‘resort fees’ from hotels that aren’t even close to a resort, and are for amenities that may be dubious, but at least you will know you are being hosed upfront. A favorite of mine was at a motel that just had a small workout room and indoor pool…and the pool was out of service!
Threads, the social net offshoot of Meta’s Instagram, is road testing a post scheduling feature. Techcrunch.com says user who get to test the feature won’t be able to schedule replies, however. You can check the 3 dot menus in the composer to see if you have the beta feature. Posts show up in the drafts folder, and from there you can edit or delete them, as well as change the time when they will be posted. Instagram has already started letting people schedule their direct messages. IG has let users schedule posts for the main feed for some time now.
A study from researchers at several universities, including University of Pittsburgh and Baylor has found that return to office mandates cause companies to lose some of their best workers. Arstechnica.com notes that the study tracked over 3 million workers at 54 ‘high tech and financial’ firms from the S&P 500 index. The researchers only looked at companies with data available for at least 2 quarters before and after they issued RTO mandates. They did conclude that the average turnover rates at firms that instituted RTO mandates increased by 14%. Potentially alarming for employers is the study finding that senior and skilled employees were more likely to leave following RTO mandates. This aligns with a study from University of Chicago and University of Michigan researchers published in May that found that Apple and Microsoft saw senior-level employee bases decrease by 5 percentage points and SpaceX a decrease of 5 percentage points.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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We are really just still hearing word about the reported iPhone ‘Air,’ but now it turns out Samsung is hard at work on their own slim smartphone that may launch a few months after the rollout of the Galaxy S25 phones…which should hit the market late January or early February. Mashable.com reports that Korea’s ET News spotted the new model in a database. The iPhone is reportedly going to have a 6.5 inch or 6.6 inch display with a much thinner profile than present iPhones. Back in 2014, Samsung did make a much thinner phone called the Galaxy Alpha with a 4.7 inch display. At that time, it wasn’t a great seller. Don’t expect either Samsung or Apple to mess with their great-selling flagship phones for these slim models…they will be additions. Neither tech titan wants to harm their golden goose!
ChatGPT search has been open to paid subscribers since this Fall…now, OpenAI says it won’t be long before anyone can use it, with no Plus or Pro membership needed. According to engadget.com, you will still need to make an OpenAI account…hey, for a freebie service, did you think they wouldn’t want some of your info to re-sell? At any rate, once you’re logged in, and if your query calls for it, ChatGPT will automatically search the web for the latest information to answer your question. You can also force it to search the web, thanks to a handy new icon located right in the prompt bar. OpenAI has also added the option to make ChatGPT Search your browser’s default search engine.
This is not good…brand new Teslas are having self-driving computer failures. It’s happening to enough cars that it is apparently overwhelming their service. Electrek.co says that the problem seems to come from a low voltage battery short-circuiting the computer during a camera calibration process. Tesla is going to try to push out a temporary software fix, but ultimately may have to just replace the computers. Tesla hasn’t issued a service bulletin and has told service downplay the problem as they race to deliver enough cars at the end of the quarter to avoid their first down year in deliveries in 10 years.
The clock is ticking for TikTok to sell the app or face a US ban. Now, ByteDance has asked the US Supreme Court to consider blocking the sell-or-ban law passed earlier this year by January 6. This would give American app stores and internet hosting providers just a few weeks to prepare for January 19, the deadline when the U.S. could force them to block TikTok. Techcrunch.com reports that the TikTok CEO also met with president-elect Trump on Monday, asking for help. Trump told reporters he has a ‘warm spot in my heart for TikTok.’ That’s a 180 degree turn from when he was trying to ban it himself with an executive order when he was in office before.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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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.
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Google has announced Gemini 2.0, its latest, greatest AI model. 9to5google.com reports that the first model is Gemini 2.0 Flash, which they say “outperforms 1.5 Pro on key benchmarks” — across code, factuality, math, reasoning, and more — at twice the speed. The model is available today in AI Studio and Vertex AI for developers…it will be open to the general public next month. Google says the new model results in an “even more helpful Gemini assistant.” Both Gemini and Gemini Advanced users will be able to use a chat-optimized version of 2.0 Flash experimental in gemini.google.com this week. Go to the model dropdown menu in the top-left corner. Access is “soon” coming to the mobile app. With all these helpful AI assistants, does anyone else have flashbacks to Microsoft’s ‘Clippie?’ Just wondering.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was a big snooze, while the latest version of the Watch…10…was a huge update. Now, according to macrumors.com, we will see a pretty cool update when the Ultra 3 comes out next year. It will have satellite connectivity for off-grid texting like the iPhones 14, 15, and 16…but in a WATCH! Like with the latest iPhones, you will not only be able to send emergency texts, but will be able to send texts to anyone. Now, you can text your friend from your surfboard out riding a wave if you are so inclined! Presumably, if a satellite was overhead, you could even send one while scuba diving. Right now, we don’t know if the Watch Ultra 3 will get 5G though…Watches have continued to use 4G LTE, even though the iPhones moved to 5G several years ago.
Hydrogen is a great, clean way to power vehicles and systems, but getting it is not so clean…it mostly comes from natural gas. Now, bgr.com says some scientists have figured out a way create green hydrogen using some tech from batteries and solar panels. Apparently by using a 2-step process with a couple different photocatalysts, they can create hydrogen from sunlight. So far, the process is just a proof of concept that was published in Frontiers in Science, but if they are able to scale it up…and build big enough battery systems to store the power at night…since you can’t derive anything from sunlight at night, it could be a real leap forward in completely clean hydrogen for fuel.
General Motors has taken the old No Cruising signs that have graced certain California streets to heart…well, kind of. The General has announced that it is killing off the Cruise robotaxi experiment after dropping a fortune into it. Engadget.com reports that they will fold Cruise into GM’s in-house technical team, where the engineers will focus on developing advanced driver assistance programs, and work towards fully autonomous personal vehicles. After seeing the little cars around San Francisco, as well as in Arizona and Texas, the fleet will be no more. The incident where one hit and dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco probably did the most to take the program down.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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There are everything stores and then there are everything stores. Costco has everything, including caskets. Now, Amazon is adding cars! Yep, you can add a car to your cart…specifically, a Hyundai. Wired.com reports that Amazon had announced that cars could be coming in 2024, and now you can buy one with a click. Amazon has announced that it will ‘roll out’…ok sorry about that…services with other dealerships and manufacturers in 2025. Right now, go to Amazon Autos, and search for the make and model you want, then you can find matching vehicles at nearby dealerships that have them. You can also get an estimate of your trade in value. Amazon says is is working with an ‘independent third party’ to determine trade values. At check out, you can pay in full (like many Hyundai buyers do that) or get help getting financing. Most paperwork can be e-signed on Amazon. After that, just schedule a pickup at the Hyundai dealer. Yeah, sorry…no next day delivery…or shipping at all!
Instagram has launched a new feature for video creators. Now, you can publish a ‘trial reel’ for non-followers to see, and test it out before revealing the video to followers. According to engadget.com, the feature is in direct response to feedback from creators who “feel nervous” about posting videos that may not perform well. Meta said the new feature is meant to make it easier for creators to experiment with different genres and “easily get a gut check on how your content might perform.” After 24 hours, creators can revisit the video and see how the metrics look before releasing it to followers or not.
It looks like Samsung will be adding Qi2 charging to the Galaxy S25 phones. 9to5google.com notes that the standard has been out for a couple years, but only one Android phone has gotten it so far, and that’s the little-known HMD Skyline. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhones have the faster charging via their magnetic ring connection. There had been a rumor that Google’s Pixel 9 phones would get it, but nope. A reliable Samsung leaker says the Galaxy S25’s will have it though. We won’t have long to wait to see if that turns out to be true…they’re due out in January.
OpenAI has launched Sora video generation publicly. Arstechnica.com reports that Sora Turbo text-to-video generation is available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers via a dedicated website. The model can create videos of up to 20 seconds long with resolutions up to 1080 pixels from a text or image prompt. Right now, it is available in the US and much of the world, but not in Europe yet. OpenAI is limiting generation of videos of people for the time being to prevent deepfakes. The company notes that there are limitations as it is an early version. The model reportedly struggles with physics simulations and complex actions over extended durations.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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Google has just revealed its latest quantum computing chip…Willow. Gizmodo.com reports that Google claims the new chip can perform calculations in five minutes that would take the world’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years. For reference, the universe isn’t even 14 billion years old—a fraction of a fraction of that timescale. Quantum computers operate and calculate in a manner that is fundamentally different from regular or so-called classical supercomputers. They won’t be a desktop or portable item any time soon or ever though….quantum computing requires a lab environment with temperatures near absolute zero to work! Google sees some commercial applications for their quantum computing as being within the next 3 to 5 years now instead of decades away.
Apple has some interesting things in the works, according to 9to5mac.com, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. One is that they are planning to support VR game controllers, and have approached Sony about supporting PlayStation games on the headset. You would still need third party controllers, although th field of view in the Vision Pro would be amazing. Apple is also looking at bring cellular to the Mac for the first time. As they move to their now modems and away from Qualcomm, the Mac might join iPhones and iPads, as well as Watches with their own cellular connection. This could reportedly happen by 2026.
British scientists have successfully created the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery…which could run low energy devices like satellite communication equipment for over 5,000 years. Thenextweb.com notes that the battery is made of the radioactive isotope carbon-14, encased in a thin layer of synthetic diamond. As the carbon-14 decays it emits electrons. The diamond acts like a semiconductor, converting these electrons into electricity. Since carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,700 years, scientists expect the battery to last for millennia. Besides satellites, the diamond batteries could power pacemakers, hearing aids, watches, computer chips — any low-power device in environments where frequent battery replacement isn’t feasible. Shortwave radiation from the decaying carbon-14 doesn’t pose a risk — it is fully absorbed by the diamond casing, the researchers said. The battery can also be recycled at the end of its life — if anyone is still around by then!
TikTok and parent company ByteDance have filed an emergency motion with a federal appeals court asking it to temporarily block the law that would ban the app in the US unless the social network divests from Chinese ownership by January 19. The companies are asking for the hold in order to give the Supreme Court a chance to assess the case. Techcrunch.com reports that more than 170 million people in the US are on the app monthly or more. As a back up, TikTok is also appealing to president-elect Trump, who had promised voters he would save the app if elected.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Clark Reid Tech Report
Clark Reid Tech Report 