Tag: meta

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

November 13th, 2024

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.
Disney & Hulu-No More Signups via Apple; Meta Bringing Back Facial Recognition; WhatsApp Rolling Out Direct Contract Storage; AT&T and T-Mobile Oppose Unlocking Rule

October 22nd, 2024

When Mel Brooks teased Spaceballs Two, he subtitled it ‘the search for more money,’ in a poke at Star Trek, the Search for Spock. Now, it looks like Disney is cutting some ties with Apple for…you guessed it…more money. Apple, as you no doubt know, gets a 15-30% cut of all money that comes from sales via their App Store. Macrumors.com reports that by not allowing new sign ups through the App Store, and pushing customers to their website, Disney will cut out those subscription fees for in-app purchases. Disney is already raising prices a couple bucks for Hulu and Disney +, and it looks like they intend to keep all of it! Netflix quit letting subscribers buy over the iOS app several years ago.

If at first you don’t succeed…Meta is bringing back facial recognition, they say with new safeguards. Engadget.com notes that this comes some 3 years after they first tried it, but backed off after a huge backlash. Meta claims the facial recognition will first be used to detect scam ads that use the faces of celebrities or other public figures. If they confirm it as a scam ad, they will block it. Celebrities will be able to opt out of this use. Meta is also testing facial recognition as a method of account recovery. This time around, users will upload a video selfie…a short clip of themselves, and Meta will match that to their profile photo if the user gets locked out of their account. This should work for all personal accounts, but won’t work on a business page at this point…as they don’t include a profile pic of a person. Some privacy advocates are still skeptical, given the last time around. Meta paid out over lawsuits in Texas and Illinois from that last go around…some $650 million in Illinois and $1.4 billion in Texas.

WhatsApp has been relying on your phones contact book to sync contacts for the platform. Now, techcrunch.com says WhatsApp will allow users to save contacts within the app, where they will live on cloud servers. That way, if you lose a phone or link a new one to your WhatsApp primary number, you will see all your contacts. Also…it gives WhatsApp possession of the data about all your contacts. They won’t mind, right? WhatsApp claims they have a new encrypted storage system for secure contact saving. In addition, they are saying that the storage feature will make it possible to save contacts by usernames. That way, you won’t need to share your phone number when messaging them. Signal and Telegram both already offer a way to share usernames without sharing contact details.

In the shock of the century, T-Mobile and AT&T have come out in opposition to a proposed plan by the Federal Communications Commission to require the unlocking of phones within 60 days of activation. Arstechnica.com reports that the carriers are claiming that locking phones to a carrier’s network makes it possible to provide cheaper handsets to consumers. “If the Commission mandates a uniform unlocking policy, it is consumers—not providers—who stand to lose the most,” T-Mobile alleged in an October 17 filing with the Federal Communications Commission. The rule has broad support from consumer advocates, who say it will give consumers more choice and lower costs. The carriers have traditionally said that the locking helped them subsidize providing phones at lower costs. It seems more likely that we the consumers are subsidizing our own discounts. Verizon already unlocks phones after 60 days, due to requirements imposed on spectrum licenses it holds.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Apple-Smart Glasses & Air Pod Cams Coming; Samsung Smart TVs Get First One UI Update; Meta Partners on Ray Bans with Be My Eyes; Internet Archive-Back After Hack- Read Only

October 14th, 2024

Some interesting Apple rumors from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. 9to5mac.com reports that the analyst sees Apple working on some smart glasses, similar to Meta’s Ray-Bans, and also on AirPods with cameras….shades of the old Google Glass and the so-called ‘glassholes,’ perhaps. The glasses won’t be full AR glasses with displays, but rather smart glasses with built in cameras, speakers, and mics – similar to Meta’s Ray Ban glasses, which have become pretty popular. Meta sells those glasses for as low as $299, although there are more expensive frames you can pick. Besides these two- possibly in 2027-Apple also may roll out Cheaper Vision Headsets with lower quality than the Vision Pro for around $2000 in 2025. An update to the $3500 Vision Pro, dubbed the Vision Pro 2 may bow in 2026.

Samsung is starting to roll out and One UI update for its smart TVs, which is intended to unify the software experience across devices. According to androidpolice.com, features include home screen tabs, Watch Later, and the ability to used other devices as a keyboard and mouse…which as anyone who has used the TVs can tell you, is a feature badly needed. Trying to key in passwords on the TV remote is a huge hassle. Samsung is saying they will have 7 years of OS updates for TVs getting One UI, but they haven’t specified which TV models this will apply to. The One UI will be a welcome improvement from the less-than-great Tizan system.

As cool as the Apple glasses may be, they will still be pricy, and not here for at least a year. What about now? Well, Meta is now, and partnering with Be My Eyes on an accessible upgrade to the Ray-Ban Smart Glasses. Mashable.com notes that Be My Eyes provides free human and AI support for users who are blind or have low vision, pairing them with sighted volunteer helpers who can describe a visual field or object, read text, navigate a space, or answer questions in real time. With this new integration, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses owners can now use the Be My Eyes “Call a Volunteer” experience entirely using voice commands. All they need to do is say out loud, “Hey Meta, Call a Volunteer on Be My Eyes” to be paired with multilingual audio or video support. I have a friend who uses Be My Eyes, and also has the Meta Smart Ray-Bans, and will be interested to know how this works out in the real world. I have no doubt he will give his unvarnished opinion of this partnership!

After a major data breech last week, the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine is back up and running…albeit in read-only mode. Mashable.com says a post from the founder of Internet Archive, Brewster Kahle, claims that it is “Safe to resume but might need further maintenance, in which case it will be suspended again. Please be gentle.” For now, the site will not reinstate its ‘Save Page Now’ feature, which archives the page as it currently appears and generates a permanent URL.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Meta Connect 2024 Highlights

September 25th, 2024

So today was the first of 2 days of Meta Connect. As expected, we got new, less pricy Quest 3S, which I will get to, new AI features for Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, an update to the Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, and a tease for Orion, which Mark Zuckerberg calls ‘the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen.’ Starting off with the Ray-Bans, some new features will be out later this year. Techcrunch.com reports that we can look for real-time AI video processing and live language translation. In addition to that, QR code scanning, reminders, and integration with iHeart Radio and Audible. As for the real time AV, that means you can ask Ray-Ban Meta glasses questions about what you are seeing in front of you, and the Meta AI will answer you verbally in real time. Pretty cool!

Zuck also teased Orion, which he called…as described above…’the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen.’ The glasses are noticeably smaller than Snap’s recently announced Spectacles 5, and they are true AR. The glasses are true AR. Apparently, Meta has been working on these for some 10 years. According to TechCrunch.com, they really are still in something of an embryonic stage. They will be controlled by regular voice prompts…AND a so-called ‘neural interface.’ Zuck sees these as the future, eventually replacing smartphones. That seems to be a view shared by the folks over at Apple.

We already reported about this…as the leaks have pretty much amounted to a flood…but Meta announced the Quest 3S VR headset. As expected, it is $299.99, and kind of blurs in as a blend of the Quest 2 and Quest 3. The good thing, as noted by theverge.com, is that the specs are a lot closer to the Quest 3 for nearly half the price. The Quest 3S offers the same mixed reality features and performance as the Quest 3 — it even has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip — meaning you can play all of the same games and experiences on either device. The Quest 3S uses the same Touch Plus controllers as the Quest 3. And the Quest 3S is actually rated for a higher battery life than the Quest 3: Meta says the 3S gets 2.5 hours of average use versus 2.2 hours for the Quest 3. The Quest 3S does look cooler than the 3…the 3 vertical pill apertures over each eye on the outside did look creepy, but the 3S replaces those with 3 round sensors in a triangle pattern over each eye…much like the camera cluster on Apple’s top smartphones. The 3S does not have as high res displays as the 3, and has a narrower field of view.

Ok, that’s all great, but what about something we don’t have to wear on your face. Glad you asked, Meta says. According to techcrunch.com, Meta AI’s Imaging features, which use generative AI to turn text prompts into images, are now being expanded across Facebook and Instagram. With the update, users will be able to use prompts to generate AI photos directly in their feed, Stories, and for their Facebook profile pictures. The AI can also suggest captions for Stories on Facebook and Instagram, as a part of this update. You may have already noticed the little rainbow circle on Facebook. Zuck is shooting for Meta having the most used AI by the end of the year. They can’t wait to suck us in to use their AI. If that floats your boat, go for it!

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Instagram Moves Teens into Private, Restrictive Accounts; Meta Bans Russian Media RT; Amazon-Back to Office 5 Days; Google Plan to Reveal AI Images

September 17th, 2024

Instagram has started putting all users….both current and new ones that are age 18 or under…into new ‘Teen Accounts.’ Theverge.com reports that the move will affect how tens of millions of teens are able to interact with Instagram. The new account type automatically applies a set of protections to young users, and only users 16 years of age and older can loosen some of these settings. The most notable thing for the teen accounts is that all the minors will have private accounts by default, and will prevent strangers from direct messaging them. Also on the way will be a Sleep Mode that silences interactions between 10 PM and 7 AM. Instagram is also updating parental controls. Parents that want to supervise their kids on the app will be able to see who the child has messaged in the past 7 days (but not the contents of the messages.) They can also view what topics their teens have looked at most often. The Teen accounts are rolling out to users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. They will show up in the EU later this year.

Meta has banned Russian media outlet RT, and other Russian state media outlets from all its platforms. According to 9to5mac.com, that includes Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. The reason? Meta says ‘foreign interference activity’ in the US presidential election. in a statement, Meta said “After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity.” Just a few days ago, the US Department of Justice announced charges against two employees for allegedly funneling almost $10 million to a Tennessee-based shell company that was providing controversial and misleading online content.

You may have heard that after getting non-warehouse workers back in the office 3 days a week, that Amazon will now require staff to be in the office 5 days a week beginning the first of the year. Geekwire.com says that the company is planning to flatten management layers, and that they actually expect the return to office mandate to get staff to self-separate. Sounds like a neat way to do a layoff without having to get hit for an increase in your unemployment insurance contributions, actually. Amazon is really swimming against the tide on this return full time to the office….time will tell if it works for them, or if they lose top talent who will flee to the open arms of startups and other tech companies that are still doing partial or total work from home.

Google (as well as Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI) has been working on tech to watermark AI created images or modified content. Engadget.com reports that Google is touting its latest version of Content Credentials as more secure and tamperproof. They claim it should soon be easier to tell if an image was created or modified using generative AI tools in your Google search results. If an image pops up that has C2PA metadata…C2PA is the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity…you should be able to find out what GAI has been used on it and how much with Google’s ‘About this Image’ tool. It will also be available in Google Images, Lens, and Circle to Search. They are working on how to use C2PA to tell YouTube viewers when footage was captured with a camera. Expect more on that later this year.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Meta Will Pay $1.4 Billion to Texas Over Facial Recognition; Auto Makers Still Selling Driver Data; Twitch Gets TikTok-Like Refresh; Instagram Creators Can Make Own AI Chatbots

July 30th, 2024

Meta has settled with Texas over the use of facial recognition on Facebook…to the tune of $1.4 billion. Reuters.com reports that the huge fine resolves a lawsuit dating from 2022 that claimed that the “Tag Suggestions” feature on photos uploaded to Facebook violated the state’s Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. It’s the largest settlement ever resulting from an action brought by a single state, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Meta admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement.

Automakers continue to sell your driving data, and some Congressmen have complained to the Federal Trade Commission about the practice. According to mashable.com, Senators Ron Wyden and Ed Markey sent a letter to the FTC, asking the commission to investigate the continued practice of car manufacturers collecting and then selling the driving data of its customers — which includes information like the exact time, distance, speed, and braking behavior of every auto trip. This data is then offered to insurance companies. So if your insurance mysteriously went up with no tickets or accidents, this could be why. the Senators said in their letter that “Companies should not be selling Americans’ data without their consent, period. But it is particularly insulting for automakers that are selling cars for tens of thousands of dollars to then squeeze out a few additional pennies of profit with consumers’ private data,”

Twitch is getting a new look that looks a lot like TikTok. Theverge.com says the new app is rolling out on Android and iOS. The main change is that it will now open on a feed of content you might like, instead of on the ‘Following’ tab. This is also what Threads and others have done to try to drive people to their algorithm based feeds. More than 50% of Twitch users ‘primarily’ watch on their phones. The app is supposed to make it quote “easy to find streamers that you already love while also exploring and discovering new streamers.”

Soon, if you send a direct message to a big Instagram creator, you may hear back from an AI bot they have made. Engadget.com reports that Meta is rolling out its AI Studio, and the tool box will allow Instagram creators to make an AI persona that can answer questions and chat with their followers and fans on their behalf. Meta says the new creator AIs are meant to address a long-running issue for Instagram users with large followings: it can be nearly impossible for the service’s most popular users to keep up with the flood of messages they receive every day. Meta claims that the creators’ AI will function as ‘an extension of themselves.’

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
After a Year,Threads Has 175 Million Users; Noplace-New Twitter/MySpace-Like Platform for Gen Z; Tesla EVs Finally getting YouTube Music; Michigan Building first US Smart Highway

July 3rd, 2024

In just a year, Threads…the Meta answer to X, has reached 175 million monthly active users. CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement today. Theverge.com reports that although that is a strong number, Threads has yet to report its daily numbers. This may mean they are still getting a lot of traffic from users than haven’t yet become regulars. On the other hand, X hasn’t shared comparable metrics since he took over Twitter and…changed it, to put it nicely. It may be pie in the sky CEO hype, but Zuckerberg claims that Threads may become Meta’s next billion dollar app. Right now, it runs at a loss, though. Apparently, they are thinking about starting ads next year.

Yes, it’s yet another social media platform…and one which claims to ‘bring the social back to social media.’ According to techcrunch.com, the new app is called noplace, and it is aimed at Gen Z. It has rocketed to the top of the Apple App Store. What’s the draw? The platform is something of a mashup of Twitter and MySpace. The idea is for users to be able to connect with friends or with people who have shared interest. It is colorful, customizable profiles that allow people to share everything from relationship status, to what they’re listening to or watching, what they’re reading or doing, and more.Although aimed at Gen Z and younger users, noplace (no capitalization…that kind of says younger generations right there) will add extra moderation to users under 18. The platform has built their own internal dashboard for just that purpose. It doesn’t use algorithms, they claim, but leverages AI to drive suggestions and curation. Time will tell if the notoriously fickle Gen Z crowd will continue to embrace noplace.

Tesla is adding YouTube Music and Amazon Music as native apps by a software update. Androidpolice.com says the update is 2024.26, and it should start rolling out soon to Models S, 3, X, & Y. Some cars have both Apple’s Car Play, and Android Auto…I have one of those…but lately, some manufacturers are doing a one or the other thing. Meanwhile, always dancing to a different drummer…or maybe a drum machine…Elon Musk won’t use either one, opting from the start for the home brew Tesla OS. Tesla vehicles already support Spotify, Apple Music, Slacker, Tidal, and TuneIn.

Michigan is making a 3 mile section of I-94 into the first US smart highway. Engadget.com reports that an Alphabet backed startup has started building it out. It will use cams and sensors to talk to connected cars…any autonomous or semi-autonomous car…really, most any with built in guidance systems. The state will get data, and divers will get traffic updates, weather, and stranded vehicle info…as well as other congestion advisories. The pilot program roadway is between Ann Arbor and Detroit. The plan is to extend it to 40 miles in the future.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Meta Spars With EU over Pay or OK Model; Google-August 13th Pixel Event; YouTube Lets You Remove AI Generated Simulation of Your Face or Voice; Apple May Announce Google Gemini Deal This Fall.

July 1st, 2024

Last fall, Meta launched a model to try to get around the Digital Markets Act…called ‘pay or consent,’ users have a choice to either pay to access Facebook and Instagram, or agree to let them collect data to send you targeted ads. Now, arstechnica.com reports that the EU doesn’t find the Meta model to comply with the DMA. If that ends up as the final finding, and Meta doesn’t change, it means the EU could fine Meta up to 10% of their worldwide turnover…PLUS up to 20% for continued infringement if Meta continues to violate the DMA.

Google will hold their Pixel event on August 13th. According to 9to5google.com, we’ll get the see the Pixel 9 and Pixel Watch 3. The event will be in Mountain View this time, instead of New York City. It will start at 10 AM Pacific time. Besides the Pixel 9, there should be a couple sizes of Pixel 9 Pro phones, and also a Pixel fold.

YouTube has rolled out a policy quietly that will allow people to request takedown of AI generated or other synthetic content that simulates their face or voice. Techcrunch.com reports that instead of requesting the content be taken down for being misleading, like a deepfake, YouTube wants the affected parties to request the content’s removal directly as a privacy violation. According to YouTube’s recently updated Help documentation on the topic, it requires first-party claims outside a handful of exceptions, like when the affected individual is a minor, doesn’t have access to a computer, is deceased, or other such exceptions. Be aware that even if you make a request, YouTube will make their own judgment…so the takedown isn’t guaranteed.

If you aren’t a fan of ChatGPT, but you’re an Apple user who wants to try AI, you may be in luck. Theverge.com says that Apple will announce ‘at least’ one other AI deal this fall, and it looks like the one most likely to be added is Google Gemini. Anthropic is also possible, but it looks like Apple won’t be doing a deal with Meta for a while…Cupertino has decided Meta’s Llama just isn’t good enough. Of course this will all be in addition to Apple’s own Apple Intelligence..which we should at least see in beta this fall.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
TikTok Unveils New App Whee; Threads Launches API for Developers; Apple Watch 10-Thinner with Bigger Screen; US Sues Adobe Over Fees

June 18th, 2024

Without fanfare, TikTok has dropped Whee, its new Instagram-like app. Androidpolice.com reports that although the app resembles Instagram, it has a bit more of a personal touch…for sharing photos with friends and family only. It is only out in select countries on Android at the moment, but worldwide release may be coming. The app has a simple interface, with just tabs for camera, feed, and messages. With ByteDance already having the Notes app out…which is also Instagram-like, it’s not clear if Whee will stay as is, or eventually be rolled into Notes as a function for keeping pictures friends and family only.

Meta has finally launched its long-due API for Threads, so that developers can build around it. According to techcrunch.com, Mark Zuckerberg posted that “The Threads API is now widely available and coming to more of you soon.” With the new API, developers can publish posts, fetch their own content, and build reply management tools. Meta will also allow developers to tap into analytics, with measurements like the number of views, likes, replies, reposts, and posts.

Just yesterday, we reported on Apple going for making everything from iPhones and MacBooks thinner…again. Watches were also in their sights for a reducing plan. Now, macrumors.com finds that analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the Apple Watch 10 will not only be thinner, but will also get a bigger screen. Kuo says the smaller watch will go from 41 mm to 45mm…the size of the current larger watch. The bigger watch will get its screen increased from 45mm to 49mm. As for the Apple Watch Ultra, it will stay ‘roughly the same’ size this year…but may get a new dark or black case color option. As we reported months ago, Apple may be changing to a magnetic band attachment system…which will not only allow for the thinness and bigger screen, but also a bigger battery. It’s unclear if the new band system will be out this fall…we’ll just have to wait and see about that.

The Department of Justice has sued Adobe, saying in a complaint that it has been hiding expensive fees and that it makes it difficult to cancel a subscription. Theverge.com reports that the DOJ filing says Adobe “has harmed consumers by enrolling them in its default, most lucrative subscription plan without clearly disclosing important plan terms.” The suit alleges Adobe “hides” the terms of its annual, paid monthly plan in the “fine print and behind optional textboxes and hyperlinks.” The DOJ goes on to say that in doing so, the company fails to properly disclose the early termination fee incurred upon cancellation “that can amount to hundreds of dollars.” Recall just recently we reported the popup about changes to Adobe’s terms of service, where you couldn’t get rid of the box without checking yes…even to delete the app!

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Northern Lights Cool, But Not for Farm GPS; Apple’s Vision Pro Set to Go International after WWDC; Meta Quest Getting Travel Mode for Flying; US To Hit Chinese EVs with 100% Tariffs

May 13th, 2024

As everyone saw social media filled with amazing pictures of the Northern lights, or aurora borealis, one group of people was having a heck of a time due to the solar flares that cause the visual phenomenon. You may have already heard that the flares disrupt GPS and communications systems, but this has particularly affected farmers. Many modern tractors from John Deere and other brands use GPS navigation to guide them. This has allowed farmers to plant more efficiently in super tight, straight lines the last few years. Now, however, they have had to pause that for the solar storm. The GPS systems from Deere have actually allowed precision planting down to the centimeter level. Deere has warned not to plant until things normalize, or it might make a mess of harvesting…since the Auto Path in the tractors won’t find rows where it expects to find them. It is not a good time, as this is peak planting season for corn. Some farmers are rolling the dice and planting without the GPS, but others are parking the high tech tractors until the sun quiets down. Fortunately, the solar storm surge maximums are only for a few days.

Apple is expected to start selling the Vision Pro headsets worldwide after WWDC in June. According to bgr.com, analyst Mark Gurman says Apple has been “holding training sessions in recent days and has flown hundreds of employees from its international stores to its Cupertino headquarters to learn how to demonstrate the device for customers.” So far, employees have been brought in from Germany, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and China. Although as we have noted here, the Vision Pro is catching on with the medical community, it has yet to get much traction with the general public…mainly due to its high price.

Meta has just put a travel mode into beta that will make the Meta Quest 2 and 3 headsets work better in moving vehicles…including airplanes. 9to5google.com says the new mode is optimized for airplanes, making sure the motion of the aircraft doesn’t affect your use of the headsets. Again it is in beta right now, but 9to5google.com says if you want to try it out, check the ‘Experimental features’ menu in the Settings app. Meta is also working with Lufthansa to enable using Quest headsets for fliers in the airline’s Allegris Business Class Suite to watch in flight entertainment.

The US government is about to hit Chinese EVs with 100% tariffs this week. There have been growing calls for this from auto makers, unions, and a bipartisan group in Congress. Arstechnica.com notes that the demands are driven by the Chinese government’s heavy subsidies to their own EV makers and other green industries in order to grab market share in the US and Europe. Interestingly, the Chinese government has been restricting US EVs sold there…especially Tesla…down to places they can be driven…with the government considering them a threat to China’s own security. The European Union is expected to drop heavy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in the next few weeks.

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