Clark Reid Tech Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A new Spotify subscription tier is planned for later this year, but it now looks like it will be available outside the US first. Gizmodo.com reports that Individual Premium subscribers who already pay $9.99 a month for ad-free music and unlimited song and podcast downloads will be dinged for even more if they want what is being called the Superpremium tier. Bloomberg says that name probably isn’t the final name of the new hi-fi tier. In addition to hi-fi, the top tier could also give expanded access to audiobooks…which kind of negates the need for hi-fi when you are just listening to a person speak. Both Apple and Amazon have goosed their prices up to $10.99. Apple’s best audio stream sounds pretty amazing…it’s super clean and open sounding. 

Apple has now expanded their self-service repair program to cover the iPhone 14 line and a number of MacBook Pros and the 13 inch MacBook Air. According to macrumors.com, the Air with the M2 chip, and 14 and 16 inch MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and Max chips will be included starting tomorrow. First launched in April 2022, Apple’s program provides customers with access to parts, manuals, and tools to repair select devices. Apple says the program is designed for anyone with “experience repairing electronic devices,” but says the “vast majority” of customers are better off visiting an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. Pro tip: having replaced batteries and memory in a couple Mac laptops…unless you are pretty savvy and skilled at this, take your rig to a shop! It’s still a good deal that Apple is doing this, as those parts, manuals, and tools will now be accessible to more local shops that will charge notably less than Apple. 

Tesla stock has been climbing nicely the last few weeks, but took a 4% jump today, as EV makers continue to want access to the company’s Supercharger network. Electrek.co says that with both Ford and GM inking deals with Tesla to start using their chargers and charging plug, things are picking up. Tesla stock is up 50% in the last month. Morgan Stanley recently estimated that the charging network could be worth more than $100 billion by 2030. Tesla currently has about 2,000 stations in North America. The bipartisan law passed last summer includes money to build thousands of charging stations, but so far is off to a slow start seeing actual construction of them. 

The FCC is looking at investigating broadband providers over their use of data caps on consumers. Cnet.com reports that the Commission is asking the public  to come forward with their own accounts of how data caps have affected them, via a consumer complaint form. https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/16136257875348-Data-Caps-Experience-Form. As the FCC Chair noted, “internet access is no longer nice-to-have, but need-to-have for everyone, everywhere. As we emerge from the pandemic, there are many lessons to learn about what worked and what didn’t work, especially around what it takes to keep us all connected.” Multiple internet service providers continue to impose data caps, even when smaller competing providers say that such caps aren’t necessary. Comcast Xfinity, Cox, AT&T and others continue to impose data caps with added charges for going over set limits. Other providers like Google Fiber, CenturyLink and Spectrum don’t have data caps. Interestingly, AT&T Fiber is unlimited.

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

Apple’s iPhone 15 series will apparently get an upgraded ultra wideband chip…mainly to help with Vision Pro Headset integration when that comes out early next year. According to macrumors.com, the tip comes from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo goes on to say that the upgraded U1 chip is part of Apple’s plan to “aggressively upgrade hardware specifications to build a more competitive ecosystem for Vision Pro.” In addition, next year’s iPhone 16 will support Wi-Fi 7, and is expect to provide speeds of ‘at least 30’ gigabits per second. 

A new leak via a render from mysmartprice that was picked up by theverge.com shows the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 5 with a bigger cover display. The screen covers most of the front of the folder when it is flipped closed. No dimensions were given, but it is notably larger than the 1.9 inch screen on the Z Flip 4. Samsung will show the Z Flip 5 and latest Fold at their Unpacked event coming up next month. 

Another day, another hack…this one threatens to release some 80 gigs of confidential data stolen from Reddit. Techcrunch.com reports that the BlackCat ransomware gang posted a demand on the dark web. A Reddit spokesperson had no comment, but confirmed that BlackCat’s claims flow from a cyber incident Reddit says happened on February 9th. As many users, the hackers are mad about Reddit’s new API pricing plan. they are apparently demanding $4.5 million in exchange for deleting the stolen data and for Reddit to withdraw its API price hike.

Ah, GPS, how we’ve loved ye. Now, a new kid on the block (which is actually an ancient one) may be coming that will make GPS obsolete. Arstechnica.com says Scientists in Japan have developed an alternative wireless navigation system that relies on cosmic rays, or muons, instead of radio waves, according to a new paper published in the journal iScience. The team has conducted its first successful test, and the system could one day be used by search and rescue teams, for example, to guide robots underwater or to help autonomous vehicles navigate underground. You heard right…the muon based system will work under water and at reasonable depths underground! Right now, they are working on getting their system to work to within 1 meter accuracy…and of course to shrink it down into at least a hand held device.

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

Microsoft is starting to sell replacement components for its Surface devices. The software giant now supplies , allowing Surface owners to replace their displays, batteries, SSDs, and more. Theverge.com reports that Microsoft says “When purchasing a replacement component, you will receive the part and relevant collateral components (such as screws if applicable).” Tools are available separately and separately priced by iFixit, which Redmond has partnered with since 2021 to make Surface repair tools available. iFixit also makes tools for getting into Apple products. I have used them in the past to replace batteries and upgrade memory…something that is near impossible now, with Apple’s present devices. Replacement and repair components…are you listening, Apple? Samsung? Every device maker should make these available. People often keep their gear for 3,4, or 5 years, and they should be serviceable just like your car…even if you have to take it to a shop and don’t feel like a do-it-yourself repair job. It is way past time. I will now get off my soapbox, back on my meds, and continue with this report. 

Google has put the Bard AI introduction in the European Union on ice, as the Irish Data Protection Commission has stepped in. According to engadget.com, the agency claims not to have received a ‘detailed’ privacy briefing, a data impact statement, and supporting info. Here’s an interesting wrinkle if you are all excited about AI chatbots: According to a new report from Reuters, Google’s parent company Alphabet has warned employees about using AI chatbots, including Bard. Google employees were specifically advised against submitting any confidential information to Bard or any other AI chatbot. If you are using or love chatbots, fine, but be warned…Google’s parent doesn’t think their own proprietary information is safe once it gets into the chatbot world. 

We reported on this earlier, and now it’s available…’Hey Disney’ is out for most Echo devices. Techcrunch.com says the custom assistant is named, in typical Disney marketing language the ‘Disney Magical Companion.’ Over 20 Disney characters are featured, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Olaf, Moana, Dory, Mater, Chewbacca, R2-D2, Fozzie Bear and more. There are thousands of custom interactions that will issue forth from your Echo device with the magic of Disney…including some ‘Easter Eggs’ that they say will ‘surprise and delight’ customers. By the way, you can’t always choose the character you interact with. The feature is a $5.99 a year subscription at the Alexa Skills Store, or comes with a subscription to Amazon Kids Plus…which is $4.99 a month. It doesn’t work on Fire Tablets or Fire TVs or very old Echos, so be warned. 

Comcast filed with the FCC last week, whining about having to disclose all their fees to customers. In fact, 5 major telecom and cable industry trade groups had previously filed with the Federal Communications Commission about them. Arstechnica.com notes that Comcast and the others want to simply the rules so they don’t have to provide broadband customers with labels displaying exact prices and other information about Internet service plans. These firms have tacked on page after page of ridiculous fees, and been called out for sometimes lying to customers that the fees are mandated by the government. The new FCC rule will require that “providers must list all recurring monthly fees,” including “all charges that providers impose at their discretion, i.e., charges not mandated by a government.” Or horrors…Comcast will have to admit that a lot of the fees are just extra price gouging on their part. 

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

Meta has announced that it is expanding its bonus program that pays creators for Facebook posts. According to engadget.com, the company hopes to lure more creators to Facebook with new monetization features. Meta had previously cut payouts from a bonus program that paid creators for engagement with Reels, but this program is for feed posts, not Reels or Stories. Meta notes that “most successful creators in this program post regularly, typically every day,” with a combination of text and photo posts. According to Meta, the updates are meant to help creators “earn steady streams of income on Facebook.” But the changes also seem designed to boost creator engagement with Facebook as the platform struggles to hold the interest of younger users, who are more interested in TikTok and Instagram.

There has been an ongoing battle between Reddit and a large number of Reddit communities after changes to the platforms API-including charges for it- were announced that will potentially shut down many third party apps. Techcrunch.com reports that Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said in an internal memo “Like all blowups on Reddit, this one will pass as well”. He also says that so far, there hasn’t been a significant impact on Reddit’s revenue. There are over 300 subreddits dark right now, and more are expected to join them…maybe up to 5,000. The site briefly was taken down a couple days ago. Reddit is looking for more revenue as they plan to go public later this year. Right now, they have laid off 5% of staff and slowed hiring due to the protest. 

The European Commission has and a formal antitrust complaint against Google and its ad business. Theverge.com says it is a preliminary opinion, but the Commission has found that Google has abused its dominant position in the digital ad market, and that selling off parts of its business may be the only remedy. The Commission has already fined Google over three prior antitrust cases. Expect Google to fight this tooth and nail, as its ad business is the heart of its ability to make money. 

An unlikely bipartisan pair of senators have introduced a bill to exclude generative AI from legal immunity under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley are backing the bill. According to axios.com, the bill will try to set in law the fact that AI generated work will not be covered by the law that largely shields platforms from lawsuits over third party content. Some legal experts think the section does cover generative AI. Senator Blumenthal is one of the most knowledgable people in Congress about tech and the internet, so this bill might move forward and have real teeth. 

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

YouTube has announced that it will ease getting into monetization a bit. It still takes a lot, but every little bit helps. Techcrunch.com reports that the new conditions of the YouTube Partner Program include having 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3000 watch hours in the past year, or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. This is a bit less of a hill to climb than before. Previously you had to have at least 1000 subscribers, and 4000 watch hours the past year or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. If you make the grade you can apply to get tipping tools like  Super Thanks, Super Chat, and Super Stickers, subscription tools like channel memberships, and the ability to promote merch with YouTube Shopping.

Newly minted Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino has sent her first employee memo, called “Building Twitter 2.0 Together,” in which she echos her boss Elon Musk’s stated goal for the company to be the “global town square.” Theverge.com notes that she goes on to say “From space exploration to electric vehicles, Elon knew these industries needed transformation, so he did it,” she wrote. “More recently it has become increasingly clear that the global town square needs transformation—to drive civilization forward through the unfiltered exchange of information and open dialogue about the things that matter most to us.” In fact, it is the ‘unfiltered’ part that has sent over half the advertisers running for the exits, along with a substantial chunk of the user base. Always good to brownnose the owner, but it will be a tough turn around for Twitter.

Toyota, which was an early pioneer of the hybrid market, has announced that they are developing new tech that will allow a range for EVs of 621 miles. Engadget.com says According to Toyota, it will achieve this goal through the “integration of next-generation batteries and sonic technology” and plans to launch a full EV lineup by 2026.  It already offers the bZ4X all-electric SUV, which can go about 270 miles on one charge and starts at $42,000. Plus, it plans to release a “next-generation” EV for Lexus, its luxury brand, in the same timeframe. Meanwhile, Toyota continues to work on hydrogen vehicles, as is the case with a number of other makers…but the challenges are a bit greater right now than with EVs.

The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Geekwire.com reports that previously, the UK had issued a final decision to block the deal, saying it would give Microsoft unfair dominance in the still-developing cloud market. Microsoft is appealing that, and will fight the FTC injunction over here as well. 

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

Running counter to what you would have thought was going to happen, Netflix says that after cracking down on password sharing, they got the largest number of new account sign ups in two days since April and May 2020 during the pandemic. Mashable.com reports they got over 100,000 daily sign ups on both May 26th and 27th. It’s too early to tell if this is a solid trend, but it sure flies in the face of what most people…including this reporter…expected to happen.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg says Apple is working on a ‘more affordable’ mixed reality headset to come out in 2025. This comes on the heels of the reveal of the Vision Pro last week at WWDC for an eye-watering $3500. Gurman thinks the cheaper version will be called just Apple Vision or Apple Vision One. He speculates that with less powerful chips, lower quality screens, and less cameras and sensors…and maybe the removal of the spatial audio speakers that Cupertino could shave several hundred dollars off the price. He doesn’t believe that Apple will compromise quality much more than that. Since we are speculating on vapor ware, here’s my two cents: unless Apple can come out with a headset for more like $1500, they will never have mass market level sales that can replace the iPhone line. Not with other headsets…admittedly not near as good…going for $400 to $800. Apple’s rolling out a cheaper model for $3000 won’t move the needle. A number of tech reporters also think 2025 is super optimistic as far as the time line goes. 

New details have leaked about Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and they include big camera upgrades. 9to5google.com says that the primary sensor for both phones will be a 50 megapixel one. There will also be more support for 8K video recording. Both phones will get an upgraded ultra wide cam, too…going to 64 megapixels…a hell of a jump from the 12MP ultra wide they have now. The telephoto and selfie cams will stay the same, according to the leak which was first picked up by Android Authority.

It had been rumored and we reported earlier that Mercedes-Benz had been the first car maker to ask for California’s permission to put Level 3 self-driving tech on the roads. Now, California has granted that permit. Level 3 is hands off and eyes off. According to engadget.com, the Mercedes Drive Pilot lets drivers to takes their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel, then do other non-driving activities like watching videos and texting. If the rules for use are followed, Mercedes (and not the driver) will be legally responsible for any accident that happens. The Mercedes cars are still not using the advanced systems of Waymo and Cruise vehicles, which are being allowed full self driving with no human driver aboard…but Stuttgart leapfrogs Tesla and their so-called ‘Full Self Driving’ system, which is still just Level 2. Elon Musk has said Tesla will skip Level 3 and go right to Level 4…but he has made wild promises for years, that have yet to materialize.

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

Amazon is planning to launch an ad-supported tier for Prime Video, joining every other streaming service in running ads. According to cnet.com, no details have been leaked about how much a Prime Video plan with ads might cost, or what you would get with a more expensive ad free version. Up to now, Prime Video has just been a freebie included with your $139 a year Prime membership. It seems likely that Amazon will start running ads in the included plan with your Prime membership, and then charge extra for the ad-free version. Most other streamers charge between $5 and $10 a month for ad free…so it’s likely Amazon will have a fee in that range for theirs. 

Twitch announced new roles for how streamers could display ads…which caused a large and immediate uproar from streamers and content creators. Now, theverge.com reports they have rolled back those changes. Twitch apologized for the rollout, explaining that it would rewrite the rules for greater clarity. Now it seems that rewrite has turned into a full rescinding of the rules totally. The new rules would have been potentially devastating for creators, charities, esports broadcasts, and brands. Now, what seemed like another attempt to take a portion of streamer earnings has backfired.

As Apple’s WWDC continues, more new features get announced. Appleinsider.com says Apple Music will get a Collaborative Playlist feature that lets family and friends create mixtapes together. for Apple Cash, users will be able to set up regular payments. For example, parents can set a regular allowance for kids, or friends can pay one another back for regular payments like a share of the rent. A real plus in Apple Maps for electric vehicle users…Maps will be able to show “real-time charging station availability filtered by charging network, plug type, and more.”  Users will also be able to specify which charging network they prefer. Apple Maps will now be available offline. While still online, there will be an option to “easily select an area,” and then download it with a tap.

Meta has established a task force after the press and researchers found its systems in Instagram helped “connect and promote a vast network of accounts devoted to underage-sex content.” Instagram not only hosts such activities but promotes them via its algorithms. The company acknowledged enforcement problems and has taken actions including restricting its systems from recommending searches associated with sex abuse. Meta claims to have taken down 27 pedophile networks in the last 2 years, and is working to remove more. The Wall Street Journal said in an article that it is disturbing. Meta’s “former security chief Alex Stamos said That a team of three academics with limited access could find such a huge network should set off alarms at Meta.” 

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

Samsung has announced the next Unpacked event, and there is an interesting wrinkle…it will be in Seoul, capitol of their home country of South Korea for the first time. Unpacked will happen in late July, with rumors giving the date as July 26th. 9to5google.com reports that we should see updates to the Galaxy Fold and Flip, and also an updated Galaxy Tab, watch and earbuds. 

Just a day after Apple introduced its Vision Pro headset…and even though they forbid it being called that…Cupertino announced that they have acquired Mira, a startup that is building lightweight AR hardware. According to techcrunch.com, the firm was started in LA in 2016, and they make AR headsets for Universal Studios for attractions at its Nintendo World theme parks, as well as the US Air Force and Navy. As a clue regarding how Mira’s tech might fit in with the Vision Pro line, Jony Ive, former Apple design guru, was an advisor to Mira for a while.

As if we didn’t have enough scary news about artificial intelligence, now the FBI is warning about increasing use of AI-generated deepfakes in so-called ’sextortion’ cases. Arstecnhica.com says the fakes are being used to harass minors and non-consenting adults OR to coerce them into paying ransoms. In an alert posted by the Bureau, they write that “The FBI continues to receive reports from victims, including minor children and non-consenting adults, whose photos or videos were altered into explicit content,” officials wrote. “The photos or videos are then publicly circulated on social media or pornographic websites for the purpose of harassing victims or sextortion schemes.” People who have received sextortion threats should retain all evidence available, particularly any screenshots, texts, tape recordings, emails that document usernames, email addresses, websites or names of platforms used for communication, and IP addresses. They can immediately report sextortion to:

After rolling out passkey support for consumer accounts in May, Google has now opened things up to Google Workspace accounts…albeit in ‘Open Beta.’ Google is saying this will allow “more than 9 million organizations can allow their users to sign in to Google Workspace and Google Cloud accounts using passkeys instead of passwords.” Passkeys are a new password replacement, with backing from Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Instead of presenting a password text box when logging in, passkey support—which needs to be built into your browser and OS—would have your machine swap public-private keypairs with the website using the “WebAuthn” standard, and you’re logged in. I, for one, applaud the demise of passwords…modern biometrics work well, and unless someone does the sort of thing only seen in spy movies…hacks off your finger or pulls out an eyeball…it is quite secure. Face ID won’t even work with a sleeping person..let alone one who has passed away. 

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