The Times writes: «The African grey parrot has become so adept at giving orders to Amazon’s smart speaker system while his owner is out that he uses it to play songs, tell him jokes and even order treats.» I wonder if the parrot instructs Alexa to open the smart home door so Amazon can bring the food to the cage.
Heads Up Gamers: Civilization VI Expansions Packs are Free
Aspyr is giving gamers a fantastic deal for the holidays. The Civilization VI expansion packs will be free for the rest of December. There will only be a free pack every 48 hours though. This is only for the iOS app. Here’s the schedule:
- Dec. 20-22: Poland Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
- Dec. 22-24: Vikings Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
- Dec. 24-26: Australia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
- Dec. 26-28: Persia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$8.99)
- Dec. 28-30: Nubia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
- Dec. 30 – Jan. 1: Khmer and Indonesia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$8.99)
Apple Cloud Services, Password Management, Apple Leadership, with Peter Cohen - ACM 493
Bryan Chaffin is joined by guest-host Peter Cohen to discuss Apple’s cloud services, including the ones they do really well and the ones that suck. They also talk about password management and practices, and look at Apple’s leadership team 8 years after Steve Jobs’s passing.
Facebook Data Breach Redux, 5G Rollout – TMO Daily Observations 2018-12-19
Dave Hamilton and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to talk about Facebook’s latest data breach (yes again) and new 5G hardware rollouts.
Flexiroam Data Roaming Microchip with 2 GB Starter Pack: $41.65
Our deal of the day is an interesting one: the Flexiroam Data Roaming Microchip, an ultra-thin microchip sticker for your SIM card that lets you access data roaming in over 140 countries. Our deal includes 2GB of data, and you can manage your data from a companion app. It’s $49 through us, but coupon code MERRY15 at checkout brings it down to $41.65.
The AR Cloud Could Be as Revolutionary as the Internet
I’m a firm believer in the future of AR and I think it has the potential to be as revolutionary as the internet. Amir Bozorgzadeh writes along similar lines about the ‘AR Cloud.’
The AR Cloud allows the real, physical, world and all of the otherwise mundane objects scattered throughout it to animate seamlessly with meaning and imagination, and AR itself becomes the interface that allows us to intuitively navigate the new layers of reality.
This is why I think Apple should release an augmented reality headset. If you want AR to be a casual tool, then do what you’re already doing and keep it confined to the iPhone. But if you want AR to be a second layer of reality, it needs glasses. No one wants to constantly hold a phone in front of their face.
Twitch Streamers are Damaging their Health
For many of us, being paid to play video games is the ultimate dream job. However, a new piece in Wired showed its not all it is cracked up to be. Professional gamers on Twitch play and stream for hours without a break to try and keep fans happy and the money coming in. And it has caused health issues, including serious back pain.
Professional streamers (and gamers more generally) tend to get the same health issues as office workers, who are also desk-bound for eight hours at a time. But they also share some problems with rock climbers and musicians, who put plenty of strain on their hands and wrists through repetitive motion.
How ISPs Will Start to Be More Anti-Competitive
Karl Bode writes how AT&T and other ISPs can bully their way into domination. This anti-competitive behavior is bad for everyone but the carriers.
The first tool in telecom’s arsenal is zero-rating, which lets preferred services get a break on network-level data charges. Wireless users may find that AT&T’s DirecTV Now service doesn’t count against their monthly usage limit, an arrangement that was still allowed under Wheeler’s FCC but was increasingly frowned upon.
Mr. Bode doesn’t mention 5G but I think we’re going to see more anti-competitive behavior with this faster network. AT&T already revealed special 5G plans that are more expensive than 4G plans.
I Don't Think It's Likely Apple Will Buy Sony Pictures
Variety is welcoming in the new year by predicting that Apple will acquire Sony Pictures. They don’t offer a reason other than Apple has a lot of money so why not?
Buying Sony gives Apple access to a library that includes “Men in Black,” “Breaking Bad” and “Jumanji,” as well as the right to make more “Spider-Man” movies. That’s a web Apple would be lucky to spin. Also, buying a studio is basically a rounding error for a company worth $1 trillion.
I don’t think Apple needs to buy Sony Pictures because it’s already poaching top Sony executives. Why waste money on IP when you can just buy the talent? And the Sony IP (movies) won’t add more value to Apple because they’re already on iTunes.
The iPad Pro Needs the Split Keyboard
The iPad Pro has a lot to recommend it. However, it is missing one key feature, according to Jon Gruber on Daring Fireball – split keyboard mode. Mr. Gruber said that the larger the iPad, the more helpful split keyboard mode is and he does not understand why the biggest iPad in the range does not have this feature.
I want to type with my thumbs, iPhone-style, and can’t, because my iPad is too big. And I have relatively large hands and I’m using the 11-inch iPad Pro, not the 13-inch one. I’m not even sure Craig “Fleshy Palms” Hockenberry could thumb-type on a 13-inch iPad Pro.The bottom line is that because I want to thumb-type, I type better on-screen with my iPhone than I do my iPad, and I can type better on an old iPad than my new one that cost $1,000. This is just baffling to me.
