UK based smart home firm Hive has quietly brought HomeKit support to its Active Plug, Heating, and Hive Lighting products.
How Sundar Pichai is Managing Google Through a Pandemic
Top tech CEOs are not exactly renowned for giving long, insightful, interviews. But hey, we live in strange times, so Google boss Sundar Pichai has sat down with The Verge‘s Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn and discussed guiding his company through a pandemic.
I think the irony of the Google Meet team working remotely to make and iterate the product to get it to where they wanted it to be was very interesting to see. Javier has a very, very long commute, and one of his biggest concerns was the commute when he was joining. He’s doing it all virtually now. But it is an important moment. Many schools, many organizations already use Google Meet. So we are doubling down. Obviously, COVID has blurred the lines between consumer and enterprise, and people are using products in all kinds of contexts. And so definitely, we are using it as an opportunity to make Google Meet and Google Chat, scale it up and make it more available.
Bluetooth ‘BIAS’ Attack Affects Some Apple Devices
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group reported today an update to the Bluetooth Core Specification to stop Bluetooth BIAS attacks.
Reports Says Apple Building Catalog of Older Video Content
A report today claims that Apple is trying to build a back catalog of video content to compete better with Netflix and Disney+.
Apple Watch For Kids May be on The Way
The Apple Watch is hugely successful, but where will the product go next? Wired thinks the evidence is mounting that a child-focussed variation of the wearable could be on the way.
Evidence that Apple is trying to make its Watch a more child-friendly piece of hardware has surfaced in recent months in the same way that many future features seem to be uncovered ahead of Apple unveiling them; from people digging into software code. Some delving into an iOS software update has revealed that multiple Apple Watches will soon be able to be paired and controlled from a single iPhone, letting a parent be in charge of setting up additional smartwatches from their phone. In the process they could manage access to certain contacts or even restrict access to what music the watch can play.
Code Break to Feature Ex-Apple Exec Scott Forstall
Former Apple executive Scott Forstall is set to speak at this week’s code.org Code Break session alongside rapper Macklemore.
Ubisoft Sues Apple Over ‘Rainbow Six: Siege’ Copyright
Ubisoft is suing Apple and Google over a Chinese game it calls “a near carbon copy” of its game Rainbow Six: Siege.’
It says it has raised the issue with both Apple and Google, which both take a cut of sales on their respective app stores.
“But rather than take any measures to stop or curtail the infringement… Google and Apple instead decided that it would be more profitable to collect their revenue share from AF2 and continue their unlawful distribution,” Ubisoft says in its court filing.
Do they expect the App Store review team to be able to spot copyright infringement related to a company that is definitely not their own company, Apple?
Disney+ Boss Leave to Become CEO of TikTok
Kevin Mayer, the Disney veteran who led the launch of the Disney+ streaming service, has left the company, Variety reported. He will become CEO of short-form mobile video network TikTok and COO of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. He will be succeeded as Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer, by Rebecca Campbell.
Mayer, prior to his most recent role leading Disney’s DTCI organization, served as the company’s chief strategy officer and was instrumental in wrangling a number of strategic acquisitions, including the deals for 21st Century Fox and BAMTech. “Kevin has had an extraordinary impact on our company over the years, most recently as head of our direct-to-consumer business,” Chapek said in a statement. “He has done a masterful job of overseeing and growing our portfolio of streaming services while bringing together the creative and technological assets required to launch the hugely successful Disney Plus globally.”
TMO Contributor Kelly Guimont (#11) - TMO BGM Interview
Kelly Guimont is a long-time podcaster, Contributing Editor for The Mac Observer, the host of the Mac Observer’s Daily Observations podcast, and a tech support guru.
In her 11th appearance, Kelly and I chat about our favorite TV shows of the 1980s as well as some of our favorite, recent movies. I open segment #1 with a fond recollection by both us us for Miami Vice (Starz), then similar feelings about Hill Street Blues (Hulu). A Kelly favorite along with me was: Magnum P.I. (Amazon). In segment #2 we critiqued Knives Out (iTunes), Onward (Disney+), Saving Mr. Banks (Netflix) and superb scifi The Lost Room (Amazon). Join us as we explore together what’s great about these shows.
The Complete Content Creator Bundle for YouTube: $39.99
We have a deal on the Complete Content Creator Bundle for YouTube. This 10-course tutorial features 465 lessons and 59 hours of content covering topics like video editing, linking, growing your channel, advertising, and more. It’s $39.99 through our deal.