Adrian Weckler, tech editor at the Irish and Sunday Independent, joins Charlotte to discuss new legislation that could see Apple TV+ kicked off European screens.
Charlotte Henry
Charlotte is a media junkie, covering how Apple is not just a revolutionary tech firm, but a revolutionary media firm for TMO. She is based in London, and writes and broadcasts for various outlets.
Articles by Charlotte Henry
FTC Launches Major Investigation into Tech Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a huge investigation into privacy and data collection practices at major tech firms on Monday. Axios had the scoop.
The big picture: The move comes amid broader scrutiny for the industry and appears to be a wide-reaching inquiry into everything major tech companies know about their users and what they do with that data, as well as their broader business plans. Details: The FTC is asking for a large trove of information and documents from the above platforms, plus Discord, Reddit and Snap. The agency wants much of the usage and engagement data the platforms collect on their users, the metrics they use for measuring such things and short- and long-term business strategies, among many other areas of inquiry.
watchOS 7.2 Brings Apple Fitness+ Support and More
Apple released watchOS 7.2 alongside other software updates, principally to support the new Fitness+ service.
Violence Breaks Out iPhone Manufacturing Plant
Violence broke out at an iPhone manufacturing plant on Saturday, with staff alleging that they had not been paid as expected.
Google Services Start to Return After Major Outage
Google services, including Gmail, Google Drive, and YouTube, and the search engine itself, suffered a major outage on Monday morning.
How to Use The Reading List Feature in Safari
Safari 14 in macOS 11 Big Sur has the Reading List feature that lets you save articles you may want to return to at a later point.
Disney+ Now Has a Staggering 86.8 Million Paid Subs
As of December 2, Disney+ had 86.8 million paid subscribers Variety reported. Originally it had expected to be at 90 million in year four. The company also announced a host of new content, including from Star Wars and Marvel, was on the way. However, the streaming service also plans to up its prices in 2021.
With the strong momentum at Disney Plus’ back, the company now expects the streamer to have between 230 million and 260 million total paid subscribers by the end of fiscal year 2024, CFO Christine McCarthy said at the company’s investor day Thursday, along with other projections. The forecast includes Star subscribers, Disney’s forthcoming international general-entertainment service mimicking Hulu, which are substantially expected to be bundled in with Disney Plus.
Julia Roberts to Star in Forthcoming Apple TV+ Series 'The Last Thing He Told Me'
Julia Roberts will team-up with Reese Witherspoon for a limited series adaptation of the book ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ for Apple TV+.
Most Apple Employees to Work From Home Until June 2021
Tim Cook confirmed that most of his employees will work from home until June 2021, but he ultimatley wants people back at the office.
Tim Cook to Address UN Climate Ambition Summit
Tim Cook will speak at the UN Climate Ambition Summit on December 12, marking the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate change agreement.
Apple TV+ Could be Shut Down Across Europe
The Irish Government published legislation that could see Apple TV+ shut down across Europe unless 30 percent of its content is made there.
'Dark Matter' Series For Apple TV+ Being Worked on
Apple is working with producer Matt Tomach and Blake Crouch on an adaption of the author’s bestselling novel ‘Dark Matter’ for Apple TV+.
Google Launching New Health Research App
Google announced on Wednesday the launch of a new research app, The Verge reported. Called Google Health Studies, it seems pretty similar to Apple’s equivalent. The app will allow anyone with an Android phone to take part in medical studies. No surprise, the first still will look at respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.
Participants in the study will use the app to report any respiratory symptoms, the precautions they’re taking to prevent disease, and whether they’ve been tested for COVID-19 or the flu. The app will collect demographic data, like age, gender, and race as well. “Researchers in this study can examine trends to understand the link between mobility (such as the number of daily trips a person makes outside the home) and the spread of COVID-19,” Google wrote in a press release. The app will send data to researchers using a technique called federated learning, which will batch aggregated trends from multiple devices, rather than pull information from each participant individually.
Apple Has Been Working on AirPods Max Since 2016
While it’s hardly a revelation that new products do not appear overnight, Apple has apparently been working on the recently unveiled AirPods Max since the first generation of AirPods shipped in 2016. That’s according to a now-deleted tweet from an ex-Apple designer, caught by Cult of Mac.
This interesting tidbit comes from a (now deleted) tweet from Dinesh Dave, currently a product designer at Facebook, but previously a Senior Interactive Designer at Apple. While no-one expects hit products to be created overnight, it gives a sense of how far out Apple’s working in its product roadmap. In a tweet Wednesday, Dave posted a picture of the AirPods Max. He noted that this was the last (previously unreleased) product he worked on at Apple covered by an NDA (non-disclosure agreement.) These standard issue forms effectively stop him from talking about products being worked on. Since the tweet was deleted, it may be safe to say that talking about them after they’ve been released is also questionable terrain.
Uber Connect Delivery Service Gets Major U.S. Expansion
Uber has announced an expansion of its Connect delivery service in the run-up to Christmas, Reuters reported. It follows the company offloading its flying taxi unit, Uber Elevate, and self-driving unit Advanced Technologies Group.
Uber Connect, will now be available in more than 2,400 new cities and towns in the United States. Uber Connect, launched in April for sending packages, has added new features, including one that allows users to also request for pickups, the company said. The expansion could help Uber, which is focusing on ride-hailing and delivery to turn profitable on an adjusted basis by the end of 2021.
A Son Designed an Apple Watch App To Help His Dad With PTSD Nightmares
Iraq veteran Patrick Skluzacek had seen his life ruined by PTSD nightmares so bad that he feared closing his eyes. NPR has the tale of how his son, Tyler, developed an Apple Watch app to help break this cycle. Called NightWare, it was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Tyler was a senior at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., in 2015 when he heard about a computer hackathon being held in Washington, D.C. Developers come together over an intense few days to build prototypes to tackle a specific problem. This particular hackathon focused on developing mobile applications to help people with PTSD. Tyler scraped together his on-campus job earnings and bought a ticket to Washington. During the hackathon, he put together a team to program a smartwatch to detect the onset of night terrors based on the wearer’s heart rate and movement.. The idea, Tyler says, was to use technology to imitate something service dogs were already doing — recognizing a traumatic nightmare and then nudging or licking the person to disrupt the bad dream. He thought the smartwatch could do this with a gentle vibration.
Carol Burnett Biopic Could be Heading to Apple TV+
An adaption of Carol Burnett’s bestselling memoir, written and directed by Tara Miele, looks like it’s headed to Apple TV+.
Your AirPods Max Probably Won't Arrive Time For Christmas
Even if you’re willing to spend the money, many of those who want to order the new AirPods Max will not get them in time for Christmas.
![[Updated December 9] All The Devices That Get You Apple TV+ Free for a Year](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Apple-TV-Free-offer.jpg)
[Updated December 9] All The Devices That Get You Apple TV+ Free for a Year
Apple offers a year free of Apple TV+ with the purchase of a new iPhone, iPad, Macs, Apple TV or iPod Touch.
Wonder Woman 1984 and the Changing Movie Business With Jeff Gamet - Media+
Jeff Gamet joins Charlotte Henry to unpack the release of Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max and the wider impact of this on the movie industry. They also discuss Amazon’s apparently imminent purchase of Wondery.
Apple Might Block Apps That do Not Comply With New Privacy Feature
Apple could block apps from the App Store if they fail to meet comply with its new privacy requirements, Craig Federighi has warned.
Apple 'Uniquely Positioned' to Launch 360-Degree Bundle
Apple could create a “360-degree bundle” encompassing both hardware and software, according to analysis by investors.
Amtrak App And Website Now Supports Apple Pay
Amtrak customers can now use Apple Pay, as well as Google Pay and PayPal, to purchase tickets on its mobile app and website.
EU Lays Out New Search Ranking Guidelines For Google And Other Tech Firms
Google, Microsoft, and other tech firms will have to provide more transparency about how they rank online search results. Reuters reported on new EU guidelines forcing the change that were released on Monday.
The guidelines, which take immediate effect, will be followed up next week by the publication of draft rules that could eventually impose further restrictions on the tech sector… The Commission said the guidelines require online platforms to identify the algorithmic parameters that determine ranking and to share them with companies. “These guidelines set the standard for algorithmic ranking transparency and will increase fairness in the online platform economy, which drives innovation and welfare for millions of Europeans,” European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.