Friday, December 29, 2017

Apple issues a rare apology. It's The Daily Crunch.

THE DAILY CRUNCH
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29 2017 By Darrell Etherington

Apple's very sorry (but probably more so about its reputation), Christmas Day sees a lot of app sales and it's the end of an era for the Android tablet. All that and more in The Daily Crunch for December 29, 2017.

1. Apple says sorry for slowing down older iPhones

Whatever you think about Apple's strategy of slowing processor clock speeds on iPhones with older batteries, there's no question that it's going to be tough to erase the impact in terms of conversations with relatives who "heard Apple really does slow down old iPhones to make you buy new ones" etc.

Which is why Apple is doing damage control, with material peace offerings including discounted battery replacement for all of 2018. It's still probably not enough to totally recover their rep long-term.

2. Holiday app shopping grows to $200 million

The general consensus seems to be that people are using fewer and fewer apps, but holidays are still a boom time for mobile software. Consumers spent around $200 million on apps on Christmas Day alone this year, for example. That figure includes in-app purchases, however.

3. Google puts the Pixel C to rest

Google is retiring its Pixel C Android tablet, and there's no clear successor beyond the latest Pixelbook Chromebook, which can run Android apps and comes in a convertible form factor.

4. Trump's website unironically chides Obama for golfing too much in error code

Yes, the same Trump who's been golfing every day this week after saying he'd be right back to work after Christmas, has an error code in case of internal server error that criticizes Obama for golfing too much.

5. Living tissues may provide the best programmable 3D printing material

This sounds somewhat monstrous. I'm sure it's all above board, but hacking living tissues to form bowls and boxes is still some sci-fi weirdness.

6. Netflix's Bright has a strong opening despite critics

Critics haven't been kind to Netflix's Bright, the Will Smith-led blockbuster action flick. But audiences are still loving it, having watched it 11 million times in its first three days of availability alone. Now it makes perfect sense why they already bet on a sequel.

7. Podcast day

Equity's all-new with a roundup of the IPOs of 2017, and a look forward at who's most likely to go public next year.

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Thursday, December 28, 2017

Instagram starts getting pushy. It's The Daily Crunch.

THE DAILY CRUNCH
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 2017 By Darrell Etherington

Instagram gets pushy about recos, anti-ad blocking is everywhere, and some connected speakers are vulnerable to hijacking. All that and more in The Daily Crunch for December 28, 2017.

1. Instagram will now show stuff from accounts you don't follow

Instagram has begun showing users "Recommended" posts from accounts they don't follow, but that the social network thinks you might like. Spam, in other words.

This is a necessary coming-of-age garbage feature every social network eventually gets, so enjoy Instagram while it isn't too terrible for the next little while, before it becomes fully Facebook-level bad.

2. More websites than you think take action against ad-blockers

Fully a third of the top websites on the internet have some kind of anti-ad blocking mechanism in place, even if they're not painfully obvious, like those huge takeover alert dialogs. There's a reckoning coming in the online ad space for sure.

3. Sonos and Bose speakers vulnerable to remote hack

Some connected speakers from top device makers Bose and Sonos are vulnerable to remote access, allowing intruders to play sounds on the speakers. Sounds not that bad as far as vulnerabilities go, tbh.

4. LG is working with HERE on autonomous car tech

The great self-driving car collaboration dance continues, with the latest partners being LG and HERE. Everyone wants to work with everyone basically, at this stage. Eventually, that'll change as someone gets an edge.

5. LG has a smart speaker with Google Assistant on board

Eventually, you won't be able to buy a connected speaker that DOESN'T include one of the various smart assistants out there.

6. South Korea is clamping down on crypto

Good; more governments should.

Get more stories at techcrunch.com 

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