UK Government Releases NHS COVID Contracts With Private Companies

Faced with pressure, the UK government has released its contracts with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Faculty, Palantir, and others.

The contracts show that companies involved in the NHS datastore project, including Faculty and Palantir, were originally granted intellectual property rights (including the creation of databases), and were allowed to train their models and profit off their unprecedented access to NHS data.

The REAL reason why they wanted to avoid Apple and Google’s privacy solution.

Apple Streams ‘Just Mercy’ Film Starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx

Apple is making “Just Mercy” available to stream free for customers. Based on a true story, it stars Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx.

The Warner Bros. film is based on a true-story of a young lawyer who decides to use his Harvard law degree in Alabama to fight against racial inequality in the context of those wrongly convicted of crimes (free streaming for “Just Mercy” may just be in the US).

A good film recommendation for the weekend.

Alexis Ohanian Quits Reddit Board, Asks For Seat to be Filled by Black Candidate

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has resigned from the company’s board and asked for his seat to be filled by black candidate. In a blog post, Mr. Ohanian, who is married to tennis superstar Serena Williams, also said he would use any future gains from Reddit stock to serve black community and racial equality organizations.

I’m writing this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: “What did you do?” I have resigned as a member of the reddit board, I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate, and I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp. I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership from people in power right now. To everyone fighting to fix our broken nation: do not stop.

‘CamTag’ is a set of Reusable Privacy Camera Stickers

CamTag is a set of reusable privacy camera stickers for your devices. These stickers are a way to make sure that you aren’t being spied upon by malicious third parties. These stickers are glue-free so you can reuse them on your iPhone, iPad, and Macs. They come in different designs and you can customize it with your own design or branding. It’s a Kickstarter campaign and it’s been fully funded. Estimated delivery is October 2020. Pledge US$9 or more to get the first reward tier, which gives you 25 privacy stickers in 5 sizes.

How Apple Learned Humans Beat Automation

The Information has a great deep dive into how Apple learned that humans can actually surpass automation. There is also a good write-up over on AppleInsider.

Since Apple redesigns its major hardware in at least some way every year, it would also have to redesign the automated factory lines. Compared to that, training workers on new designs is vastly easier and quicker. Plus, one reason both Foxconn and Apple were interested in automation is that as well as being dependent on workers, that dependency fluctuates greatly. Foxconn was having problems recruiting enough staff for the peak periods just after, say, an iPhone launch. Automation would theoretically reduce that problem, but Apple already has a way of removing it. When it needs to, Apple is currently able to switch production to other companies. If there’s a problem or if more production is needed, it has alternative sources it can leverage.

New Series ‘Dear’ Lands on Apple TV+

Along with the third episode of Central Park, a new series landed on Apple TV+ on Friday.  Dear tells stories the tale of ten superstars and some of the people whose lives they have touched. Those profiled include Spike Lee, Lin Manuel Miranda, and Oprah Winfrey. All episodes Of Dear are available to stream now with an Apple TV+ subsription.