Link

iOS 14 Features Could Hurt Facebook Ad Targeting

Andrew Orr ·

iOS 14 features like “ask to track” could hurt Facebook’s ad targeting business, said Chief Financial Officer David Wehner.

With the update to its mobile devices, Apple will ask users if they want to let app developers track their activity across other apps and websites […] The change is expected to start impacting Facebook’s advertising in the third quarter but it will have a more pronounced effect in the fourth quarter, Wehner said.

I’m sure Facebook will find other ways to track people.

Link

‘Military Grade’ is Hardly More Than a Marketing Term

Andrew Orr ·

In early 2020 I wrote an article explaining what it means when companies use phrases like “military grade encryption” or “bank level security.” I wrote “they might seem like marketing buzzwords” but I should’ve said, “they totally are buzzwords.” This usage isn’t limited to discussions around encryption. Mel Magazine says it refers to MIL-STD-810 and it’s not the tough, high quality standard we think it is.

Commercially, Hollings adds, “there’s no governing body that says, ‘Okay, you met the requirements for MIL-STD-A-10.’ So effectively anyone can say their product is military standard.” This obviously isn’t great for civilian consumers, while ex-military like Hollings just scoff at the designation […]

Link

Who is Apple iPhone Display-Maker BOE?

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple is set to utilize a new display-maker in the next generation of iPhone – BOE. Wired provides a good insight into the relatively unknown firm.

The company, which was founded in Bejing in 1993 and acquired SK Hynix’s STN-LCD and OLED businesses back in 2001, is ranked second in the world when it comes to flexible OLED shipments, holding a market share of 11 per cent during the first quarter of this year. It, naturally, is still a long way behind market leader Samsung, which owned 81 per cent market share of the OLED market in the same quarter. Still, with a sizable chunk of the OLED market already under its belt, it perhaps won’t come as too much of a surprise – now, at least – that the firm already has some big-name allies. BOE’s display technology is currently being utilised in Huawei’s most popular smartphone models, including the high-end P and Mate series, and it reportedly will manufacturer the palm-stretching screen set to appear on this year’s Huawei Mate 40.

Link

Standalone 5K Monitors no Longer Available From Apple

Charlotte Henry ·

Standalone 5K monitors are currently unavailable via Apple in various countries. 9to5 Mac noticed this and offered some explanations why.

We have verified Apple’s website from different countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, and in all of these, the LG UltraFine 5K Display is not available. Apple doesn’t clarify whether the unavailability is temporary due to a new model arriving or supply constraints. The same thing happened last year, with LG UltraFine 5K disappearing from Apple Stores in May. Two months later, LG announced a new generation of the monitor — which is the model that was being sold until now. Now with Pro Display XDR, Apple could simply remove the LG monitor from its stores. But since the LG UltraFine 5K Display is still listed in the Apple Online Store, that’s less likely. However, it’s hard to imagine that Apple will continue to work with LG to launch a new monitor.