Today at CES mophie announced a new power bank called the powerstation go, and it’s powerful enough to jump start your car.
Andrew Orr
Since 2015 Andrew has been writing about Apple, privacy, security, and at one point even Android. You can find him most places online under the username @andrewornot.
Articles by Andrew Orr
Wi-Fi 6 Will Get 6 GHz Capabilities Under Name ‘Wi-Fi 6E’
The Wi-Fi Alliance is extending Wi-Fi 6 into the 6 GHz band for faster performance, faster data rates, and lower latency. It’s called Wi-Fi 6E.
Wi-Fi 6E devices are expected to become available quickly following 6 GHz regulatory approvals, utilizing this additional spectrum capacity to deliver continuous Wi-Fi innovation and valuable contributions to consumers, businesses and economies.
Wi-Fi Alliance: “We’re moving away from 802.11.xx because that’s too confusing.”
Also Wi-Fi Alliance: “Welcome to Wi-Fi 6E.”
The Anki Vector Robot is Coming Back
Anki built little companion robots like Vector and Cosmo. But in early 2019 the company ran out of money and shut down. But the CEO of Digital Dream Labs announced it had purchased Anki’s assets and will continue to develop the Anki Vector robot.
1) We will develop an “Escape Pod”. This will, safely, expose settings and allow the user to move and set endpoints, and by doing so, remove the need for the cloud server.
2) We will develop a “Dev Vector”. Many users have asked us for open source and the ability to do more with their Vector even to the point of hosting him on their own servers. With this feature, developers will be able to customize their robot through a bootloader we will develop.
A DNA Computer Just Computed Square Root of 900
Researchers at the University of Rochester created a computer that uses 32 DNA strands to store and process information. It can calculate the square root of square numbers 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 and so on up to 900.
To start, the team encodes a number onto the DNA using a combination of ten building blocks. Each combination represents a different number up to 900, and is attached to a fluorescence marker.
The team then controls hybridisation in such a way that it changes the overall fluorescent signal so that it corresponds to the square root of the original number. The number can then be deduced from the colour.
Over 90% of Postpaid Phones Sold are Apple and Samsung
Over 90% of the postpaid phones sold at the Big Four carrier stores in the U.S. are either iPhones or Samsung phones.
Apple and Samsung together sold 94 percent of phones at Verizon stores, 95 percent at AT&T stores, 94 percent at Sprint stores, and 91 percent at T-Mobile stores, according to the report. The most popular phone at all four carriers in December was the iPhone 11, the firm says. The top-selling Samsung Phone was the Galaxy S10.
I’d say it’s probably because the price of most iPhones and Samsungs are high enough to where the stores can make money off them.
Apple Now Lets You Engrave AirPods With Emojis
Apple has long given customers the ability to engrave their products with text. Now for the first time you can engrave AirPods with emojis.
App Store Spending Reached $193 Million on Christmas
On Christmas Day Apple customers spent a total of US$193 million in the App Store, and Tinder was the top app.
IKEA Tradfri Smart Blinds Add HomeKit Support
IKEA is now rolling out HomeKit support for its line of Tradfri smart blinds as a firmware update, after a delay into 2019.
Inside Big Tech’s Manipulation of AI Ethics Research
It’s a long read, but Rodrigo Ochigame, former AI researcher at MIT’s Media Lab, examined Big Tech’s negative role in AI ethics research.
MIT lent credibility to the idea that big tech could police its own use of artificial intelligence at a time when the industry faced increasing criticism and calls for legal regulation…Meanwhile, corporations have tried to shift the discussion to focus on voluntary “ethical principles,” “responsible practices,” and technical adjustments or “safeguards” framed in terms of “bias” and “fairness” (e.g., requiring or encouraging police to adopt “unbiased” or “fair” facial recognition).
Techno Artist Curtis Wallen Created a ‘Clandestine Communication Network’
Curtis Wallen’s latest project, called Proposition For An On Demand Clandestine Communication Network, tells people how to avoid surveillance and make a secret phone call.
This is not easy, of course. In fact, it’s really, comically hard. “If the CIA can’t even keep from getting betrayed by their cell phones, what chance do we have?” he says. Still, Wallen believes PropCom could theoretically keep users’ activities hidden. It’s hard, he emphasizes, but not impossible.
He basically uses a prepaid burner phone, a Faraday bag, and an encrypted phone number. I hope he bought the phone from a place that doesn’t use cameras or facial recognition, because that could help trace him.
Richard Plepler’s Eden Productions to Make Apple TV+ Content
Richard Plepler left HBO as its CEO to form his own company called Eden Productions. He just signed a five-year deal with Apple.
Do You Have an iPhone and a Dell Laptop? Soon You Can Mirror it
Computer manufacturer Dell will soon release software that will enable iPhone screen mirroring on Dell laptops.
Brydge Announces iPad Pro Keyboard With Trackpad
Brydge announced the Pro+ keyboard today for the iPad Pro. It’s different than previous products because this one has a trackpad built in.
Media From 1924 and Earlier Enters Public Domain in 2020
Everything that was published in 1924 or earlier is now available in the public domain, meaning that it’s no longer protected by copyright.
Movies, books, music, and more from 1924 are all entering the public domain today, meaning that you’re free to download, upload, and share these titles however you see fit. And it’s completely legal.
Jimmy Iovine Worries About the Future of the Music Industry
In a new interview Jimmy Iovine talks about the music industry, it’s future, and how it relates to tech companies. And he’s worried.
The IRS Can Now Create its Own Online Free Tax Filing System
On Monday the IRS announced changes to its deal with the tax filing industry. For years the agency was prohibited from creating its own free tax filing system, like other countries do. In exchange for not competing, the tax industry promised to make free versions of its software if you make below a certain amount of income. But companies like Intuit and H&R Block added code to their web pages to make it harder for their free products to appear on Google. But now it all changes.
“The improved process will make Free File stronger and give taxpayers another reason to consider this valuable software option,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement. The agency hopes the changes will make the free option more accessible for taxpayers in the 2020 filing season, he said.
Lawmakers Sign TRACED Act Into Law to Fine Robocallers
Lawmakers officially signed the TRACED Act into law, which imposes fines up to US$10,000 per call for robocallers. Here are features:
- Extends FCC’s statute of limitations on robocall offenses and increases potential fines
- Requires an FCC rulemaking helping protect consumers from spam calls and texts (this is already underway)
- Requires annual FCC report on robocall enforcement and allows for it to formally recommend legislation
- Requires adoption on a reasonable timeline of the STIR/SHAKEN framework for preventing call spoofing
Uber and Postmates Rush to Block California Freelancer Law
Assembly Bill 5, known as the California Freelancer Law, goes into effect January 1, 2020. The law says that workers must be classified as employees instead of contractors, under certain conditions. Companies like Uber and Postmates are rushing to block the law.
As employees, drivers would be protected by minimum wage and overtime rules and would be eligible for workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. The companies would have to pay half of their payroll taxes for Medicare and Social Security.
Postmates said it was seeking to delay the law from taking effect to gain time to figure out a compromise so that its workers would not be classified as full-time employees.
Drivers aren’t the only people affected. Freelance journalists in California are being laid off because the law says they can only maintain their status as independent contractors if they submit no more than 35 pieces per year.
Judge Sides With Big Cable, Puts Maine Cable Law on Hold
A bunch of cable companies including Comcast sued the state of Maine to block a law that would require an a la carte offering of cable.
ProtonMail Launches ProtonCalendar Beta
ProtonMail, a Swiss company that provides an end-to-end encryption email service, today announced the beta launch of ProtonCalendar.
There’s a New Apple Health Website Dedicated to Research and Care
Apple has a new health website dedicated to ResearchKit and CareKit. It’s not a sub domain of Apple.com, but a separate website.
Dr. Joseph Wiesel Sues Apple Over Heartbeat-Monitoring
Cardiologist Joseph Wiesel from New York University is suing Apple, claiming the company used his patented heartbeat-monitoring technology.
Wyze Leaks Data of 2.4 Million Security Camera Customers
Wyze makes cheap security cameras for people, cheap in terms of price and now apparently security (ironically). A database of its user data was found exposed on the internet, unsecured.
This included a staggering array of personal information including email addresses, a list of cameras in the house, WiFi SSIDs and even health information including height, weight, gender, bone density and more.
“We are confirming that some Wyze user data was not properly secured and left exposed from December 4th to December 26th,” the company said. It denied that it had leaked bone density information, for example, but confirmed it had leaked “body metrics” for a small number of beta testers.
I’m still trying to figure out why a security camera company would have health information.
‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Arrives Fall 2020
Fans of Disney’s The Mandalorian will be pleased to know that show runner Jon Favreau confirmed that it’s been approved for season 2, which will arrive fall 2020.
We already knew ‘The Mandalorian’ would be returning for a second season, after Favreau revealed in November that he’d begun filming on the second instalment of episodes. But now we have a better idea of exactly how long we’ll have to wait to find out what happens next in the streaming original, which is arguably the best new Star Wars universe content since the original series of films (yes, I really believe that).