Clark Reid Tech Report

Elon Musk’s X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, has sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate, according to Bloomberg. The Musk company had sent a threatening letter to the nonprofit on July 20th, after the Center published a research article in June asserting that X allowed explicitly racist and homophobic posts despite policies to the contrary, even after they’d been reported. X responded that the CCDH used poor methodology, and failed to study all 500 million posts on the service each day. It also maintained that the Center was taking funding from competitors or foreign governments as part of an “ulterior agenda,” according to The New York Times.  In a letter published earlier today, the CCDH countered Twitter’s earlier allegations. It noted that it never claimed to be conducting a comprehensive study, and documented the methodology it did use. It wrote that X didn’t provide any specific examples, and said it doesn’t accept funding from companies or governments.

Google is working on ‘supercharging’ its assistant with power from large language model tech, or LLM. This is essentially another way of saying AI. 9to5google.com reports that Google is saying it recognizes the “strong desire for assistive, conversational technology that can improve their lives” from end users. Google further says it is ‘deeply committed to Assistant, and quote  “we are optimistic about its bright future ahead.”

Samsung didn’t show its Galaxy SmartTag 2 at their recent event, but some information has been spotted at the FCC. Arstechnica.com says it isn’t a square shaped Tile clone like version one, but a flat, pill-shaped gadget with a HUGE key ring hole at the top. It looks from the diagram like a cigar cutter. How huge is the key ring hole? Nearly the size of an Apple AirTag…which makes the SmartTag 2 practically double the size of an AirTag. Just like the Galaxy SmartTag+, this device will come with UWB (ultra-wideband) tracking, which will help locate the device when it’s nearby. When it’s far away, you will rely on the device’s smartphone network. As far as a launch for the SmartTag 2, no date has been rumored or confirmed so far.

It is looking like Nintendo will be unveiling its next-gen console in the second half of 2024. Development kits are now with key partner studios, according to some sources. Videogameschronicle.com reports that details are limited, but that the next-gen console could launch with an LCD screen, not the more upscale OLED, and that it will be able to be used in portable mode. The cheaper screen is purely to keep costs down. The unit will reportedly also accept physical games via a cartridge slot. 

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

If you live in one of the top 60 metro areas, which is a lot of the population of the US, Amazon says you are getting over half your deliveries from them same-day or next day. According to geekwire.com, Amazon says it has achieved its fastest delivery speeds on record after overhauling its U.S. operations to put more items closer to customers. Amazon also makes the claim that it was able to hit the new delivery milestone while improving safety. That bit hasn’t been independently verified. The company says that they really didn’t get the better delivery times by making workers work faster…it really was positioning the items closer to customers that did the trick. 

Just as a lot of Apple watchers are getting excited about the upcoming iPhone 15’s getting smaller bezels around the screens, and the Pro models getting titanium for lighter weight, comes this. Macrumors.com reports that Apple also plans to reduce iPad bezel sizes. Apple is using a process first used on Apple watches called LIPO…NO, not liposuction…it stands for Low-injection pressure-over molding. With that kind of a tongue twister, you can see why they call it LIPO. So far, no word if the thinner bezels will make it to iPads yet this year, or in 2024. 

In good news for consumers…or at least less bad news, the Securities and Exchange Commission has issued new rules that require public companies to report data breaches within 2 days. Mashable.com says that SEC ruling goes on to say that the four-day rule can be delayed if the U.S. Attorney General decides that sharing the cybersecurity incident “would pose a substantial risk to national security or public safety.” In Europe, companies now have 3 days to report breaches.

A growing problem has been fake photos and videos…so-called ‘deep fakes.’ Now researchers at MIT have come up with a way to make deepfakes harder. Bgr.com reports its software called PhotoGuard. It changes certain pixels in an image, making it impossible for the AI to see them. The pic won’t change for us humans. Let’s hope that Android and Apple’s iOS adapt this to protect people. Here’s a link to the video that shows how it works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTC59Q6ZDNM&t=2s

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

We have heard rumors for months that Apple will probably bump up the price of the iPhone Pro models when the 15 comes out. Macrumors.com reports that an analyst at Barclays Bank in Britain thinks he has the numbers after talking to supply chain companies in Asia. Tim Long says look for the iPhone Pro Max to be $1299 up from $1099, and the 15 Pro to go up a hundred from $999 to $1099. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will not have price boosts, so should be $799 and $899 respectively. The Pro Max is expected to have a periscope telephoto zoom lens that will give it 5-6 power optical zoom without the blur you get from electronic zoom. The materials for the periscope lens alone is adding $50 to the cost of the phone. Of course, Apple could surprise us, and eat part of the cost, so the phone would only go up $100. We’ll know in mid September at any rate.

Meta reported a good quarter, with 11% growth in revenue at $32 billion, and a 16% increase in net income for a $7.8 billion haul. That’s all great, but the company hit a really huge milestone with Facebook…passing 3 billion users for the first time…and for the first time for any social media app. The monthly user base has bee flat at Facebook for some time, but showed a 3% growth. Meta’s other apps grew by more…Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger all grew by 6% year over year. The Threads app just came out so it isn’t included in the numbers as yet. 

Waymo is rolling back its driverless trucking efforts, in a move to focus on ride hailing. Engadget.com says Waymo s claiming ‘significant’ growth for demand for its robot axis in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. The Alphabet-owned brand still plans to work with Daimler on self-driving semi trucks, which they started testing on in 2017.

The California Attorney General’s office is investigating Tesla. CNBC reports that the government is seeking information from customers and former employees about Autopilot safety issues and false advertising complaints. The California Department of Motor Vehicles has been investigating Tesla’s driver assistance systems for years and has formally accused the company of deceptive practices in marketing its Autopilot and FSD technology. The AG’s office declined comment, noting that they don’t discuss current investigations. 

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

Samsung’s Unpacked happened early today US time live from Korea. Of note, androidpolice.com reports that the reservation offer has returned. Sign up today and get $50 off any purchase. You don’t even have to put money down…just input your email. When you do preorder later this month, you get the $50 off. Easy. What about the phones and the rest? Well, ask expected the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 were rolled out. The biggest news is both got a bump in specifications, but more noticeable to everyone is the new ‘double rail Flex Hinge system. The new hinge design folds flat without a gap when closed. Also due to the new hinge, the screen doesn’t get crushed into a hard crease that shows up when you use it. The Fold is still a hefty phone…something like double the weight and thickness of a normal phone. It will still set you back $1799 before the $50 discount. 

The Z Flip 5 is a normal sized phone when open, and a smaller square when closed. This year, though, the outside screen is more useful, with the ability to use widgets, and even apps with the so-called ‘lab’ feature…which can run tiny square versions of six apps. They are Google Messages, Samsung Messages, WhatsApp, Google Maps, Netflix, and YouTube. It is possible to pull up a keyboard, but only the Samsung keyboard. The phone does have a pretty small battery to run that 6.7 inch inner display. It’s $999. 

Both phones are available for preorder and ship August 11th. 

The Galaxy Watch 6 isn’t a dramatic upgrade from the 5, but does sport a cleaner design. The screen now lies flus with the lugs, and the screen is 20% larger than the former model, due to a smaller bezel. The panels are sharper and brighter than on the 5, and you can adjust the brightness of the always on display. Engadget.com says the Watch 6 has an updated processor and bigger battery. Samsung says you can get 8 hours of use on an 8 minute fast charge. 

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

With chaos at what used to be Twitter, and is now being called ‘X’…at least by Elon Musk…TikTok has announced a new text-based format for posts. According to Mashable, the text posting option will be in addition to formats for posting photos, videos. and live streams. On the camera page, you can choose text ask an option, type it, then customize with sound, stickers, backgrounds, and more. It appears to allow up to 1,000 characters.

Not to be outdone, Meta’s Threads app is rolling out a ‘following’ feed…one of the most requested features. According to TechCrunch.com, it is a gradual roll-out, so even if you update the app, you may not see it right away. I updated earlier today, and still don’t have the ‘following’ feed, but some accounts I follow already have it. Mark Zuckerberg said Threads is adding translations, too…and posted ‘More to come’ on his Instagram channel. 

ChatGPT is now available on Android. Engadget.com says that like the iOS version, you can talk to the generative AI to get advice, answers, and other responses. ChatGPT subscribers can also switch between the standard….or GPT 3.5 to the GPT-4 language model at will. You need to be running at least Android 6.0 to use the ChatGPT app. 

Apple has been hit with a billion dollar class action suit on behalf of some 1500 developers in the United Kingdom over App Store fees. Macrumors.com reports that the suit accuses Apple of abusing a dominant position by charging a 15% to 30% fee on in-app sales in the ‌App Store‌, a policy that has been criticized by antitrust regulators in other countries. It also argues UK consumers are missing out because developers are being deprived of money that could be spent on research and development to help drive app innovation. It is an opt out suit, so developers in the UK don’t have to register to be included.

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

Apple is apparently thinking of bumping the prices of the iPhone 15 Pros…but not the iPhone 15s. Bloomberg.com reports that Apple has ordered about 85 million new iPhone 15s, which is nearly as many as last year…so their expectation is that demand will be strong. Most think they will bump the phones by $100 to $1099 and $1199 respectively. The Pro models are expected to have titanium frames for lighter weight, smaller bezels, and the Pro Max is allegedly getting a periscope telephoto lens for a better optical zoom.

It’s been rumored, and happened this morning….Elon Musk has killed off the bird and changed Twitter to ‘X,’ complete with an X logo. No word if we are going to have to start calling Tweets exes now! According to techcrunch.com, x.com redirects now to twitter.com. Musk said the company will eventually “bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.” Musk the super genius apparently never got the memo on rebranding, and doesn’t remember ‘New Coke’ or Crystal Pepsi. A number of long time users with big followings on Twitter are thinking of jumping ship now instead of waiting a bit longer. 

Spotify is going to bump up the price of its Premium subscription plan in the US. Theverge.com notes that the price is likely to go up by a dollar, meaning it will cost $10.99 a month when the change goes into effect…most likely this week. Premium has been $9.99 since it launched in the US 12 years ago. 

TSMC won’t be starting to produce chips in Arizona quite as soon as previously promised. Engadget.com says the company doesn’t have enough skilled workers to complete construction right now and they have pushed back production from 2024 to 2025. The firm intends to make the 4-nanometer chips in Phoenix when the plant is done. Apparently, TSMC is thinking about loaning technicians from its home country of Taiwan to help complete the project. TSMC is the major chip supplier for Apple. Future iPhones with 4-nanometer and 3-nanometer chips will be supplied by the Arizona plant.

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

Apple says it will pull services including FaceTime and iMessage in the UK if plans to amend surveillance legislation that would require tech companies to make major security and privacy changes go ahead. Macrumors.com picked up a story from BBC that the UK government would force technology companies to disable security features like end-to-end encryption without telling the public, as well as store internet browsing records and do bulk collection of personal data in the UK. Apple, WhatsApp, and Signal also oppose a clause in the UK’s proposed Online Safety Bill that would allow its communications regulator to require companies to install technology to scan for child sex abuse material in encrypted messaging apps and other services. 

Microsoft is getting ready to send an improved version its military version of the HoloLens to the US military. According to engadget.com, the new headsets are “slimmer, lighter and more balanced” than the previous model. The army will get the first 20 prototype sets in late August. Some testers complained last year of nausea, headaches and eye strain, while others weren’t happy with the bulk, narrow field of view and a display glow that could give away a soldier’s presence at night. Key features also failed relatively frequently. If this new test is successful, the army will do another field study next year, and could award a contract by April 2025, with deployment coming a few months after that. It could be worth up to $21.9 billion for 121,000 units over a 10 year period.

Tesla notched a revenue win in the 2nd quarter, pulling in $25 billion in revenue. That’s the good news. The not so good news? For the 2nd time this year, the auto maker’s gross margins decreased…this time from 25% to 18.2%. Elon Musk said they might have to cut margins again to stay competitive. 

The Tesla CEO also reportedly said in regards to its self-driving tech, “We’re not trying to keep this to ourselves. We’re more than happy to license it to others.” The company is apparently thinking of doing so to pull in yet more revenue…much like they are doing by opening up the SuperCharger network to non-Tesla EVs.

More teases about Samsung’s Unpacked event coming up in less than a week. TM Roh has confirmed that both the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 will be thinner and lighter than the current models. Both phones are expected to adopt a new hinge design that enable them to remove the ‘hinge gap’ that has been notable on earlier phones, and at the same time it will cut down on weight. In fact, the Z fold 5 is expected to be just slightly heavier than the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Unpacked will be July 26th in Seoul South Korea…the first Unpacked to be held in Samsung’s home country.

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

Netflix has dropped its $10 basic plan in the US. Mashable.com reports that people who are presently on the plan can keep it, as long as they don’t change their plan or cancel their account. For new sign ups or returning customers, the only way now you can get Netflix for under $10 bucks is to take the $6.99 ad supported plan, or step up to the $14.99 ‘Standard’ subscription. The Standard plan does allow users to add one extra device for simultaneous viewing and to share the account with one person outside the account holder’s household.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have extended their merger agreement to October 18th. According to theverge.com, this will let negotiations continue with UK regulators. The deal has been approved here in the US and in 40 other countries. Microsoft had originally planned to close on the deal July 18th.  in an internal memo to Xbox employees, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer says he’s “optimistic” about the acquisition still being finalized.

New Samsung models will be shown at the Unpacked event coming up on July 26th, and one of them is rumored to be a ‘Business’ model of the Galaxy Watch 6. Cnet.com says there aren’t a lot of details so far on what the business features may be…but the Watch 6 is expected to have sapphire crystal glass, a temperature sensor, and a thinner bezel. It will come in 40 mm and 44 mm sizes…with the Watch 6 Classic available in 43 mm and 47 mm sizes. 

TikTok is rolling out a new program that is designed to identify the next wave of rising artists in the music industry. TechCrunch.com reports the program is called elevate, and it is intended to help musicians create a lifelong career in the music industry, beyond being a one-hit wonder. The company did not go into detail about how it selected its batch of artists for the program, but noted that it looked at “signed and unsigned talent, to build a roster of artists that span across the globe and many genres of music.” The program will run exclusive performances from each artist in their hometowns at locations that inspired their music. TikTok has also cut a licensing deal with Warner Music Group.

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

After signing up over 100 million users in only days, the high-flying Twitter competitor from Meta called Threads has already dropped down to a more realistic level. According to engadget.com, analytics firm SimilarWeb indicates that daily active users dropped from 49 million on July 7th to 23.6 million on July 14th. This usage is based only on Androids, no iPhones were included in the data. Other data firms have also detected such a steep drop though…and it is not unusual for new apps. Twitter has a bit over 100 million daily users at this point. We already reported that Meta really started pushing to get the app out in May, but new reporting says a small team actually built the app in about 5 months. The push to get it out was because the company felt ‘the window was closing.’ A number of ask-for features are supposed to be on the way, including a web version and being able to just follow your own selected posters…something that news junkies have been begging for. 

In a rumor mainly referring to Samsung phones, a prolific Android leaker matter of factly said that not only is Samsung on track to use so-called stacked batteries in its handsets, but that quote “Apple used it on entire iP15 lineup.” Appleinsider.com reports that stacked battery tech weaves the battery elements in a zig zag instead of in a big series of concentric hoops. They use less space, and so have higher capacity. In addition, stacked batteries generate more even heat, which extends life, and they charge faster. Stacked battery systems are already in wide use in electric vehicle batteries. 

Microsoft has put a price tag on using their AI powered so-called ‘future of Office Documents.’ Theverge.com says Microsoft 365 Copilot will cost $30 a month PER USER. This will be true for Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium customers. That’s on top of the $36 a month to use the services already, nearly doubling the cost per user. About 600 companies have already been test driving Copilot through an early access program.

Tesla drivers with home solar and a Powerwall charger now have an in-app option to exclusively charge up their vehicle via excess solar energy. Techcrunch.com reports that the automaker started rolling out the setting in May. The Powerwall has always been able to take juice from solar panels and feed it to your EV, but now you can choose to use solar exclusively for the task.

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

Ford has made a major price cut to its Lightening F-150 electric pickup. Techcrunch.com reports that cuts hit every trim level. Notably, the entry level Pro work truck is now $49,995 down almost $10 grand. The XLT trims also got a nice reduction, ranging from $9479 to $8479. The Rouge EV center is temporarily closed to make some plant upgrades. when it reopens, Ford will be able to crank out 150,000 Lightning EV trucks a year, triple what they are building now.

In a non-surprise to everyone, Elon Musk said over the weekend that Twitter’s cash flow remains negative due to the almost 50% drop in ad revenue combined with a heavy debt load. Reuters.com notes that Musk had said in March that Twitter would hit positive cash flow by June. Twitter has been criticized over lax content moderation, followed by an exodus of many advertisers who did not want their ads appearing next to inappropriate content. The new CEO Musk hired, Linda Yaccarino, who was CEO at NBC Universal definitely has her work cut out for her. 

Sony has made a deal to keep Call of Duty on the PlayStation after Microsoft finishes swallowing up Activision Blizzard. Theverge.com says Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer says Sony and Microsoft have agreed to a “binding agreement” to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. It’s not immediately clear if this is a 10-year deal, like Microsoft has signed with Nintendo and other cloud providers. Sony had resisted signing a Call of Duty deal with Microsoft after the company first offered a 10-year contract in December 2022. The deal is still being held up by regulators in the UK, and Microsoft is appealing the hold on their deal. 

Ever since the Steve Jobs return era, Apple has shied away from product-centric divisions and has mainly used a ‘functional’ management structure. For example, there is no iPhone or Mac division. Now, Apple is modifying that playbook. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that the Vision Pro mixed reality headset will have its own division. The unit will continue to be run by Mike Rockwell, who has been overseeing it for several years. The division is now called the Vision Products Group, which tends to support the expectation that there will be at least another…hopefully cheaper…headset coming, as well as the fabled Apple Glasses. 

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