There’s a photo editor on the App Store called Carbon for black and white photo editing. And the developers are lying about a sale.
Libra, Facebook's Cryptocurrency, Coming 2020
Facebook provided a first look at its forthcoming cryptocurrency, Libra, Tuesday. It said the service could be with users as early as 2020. The Guardian posted on a rundown of the announcement.
Libra is being touted as a means to connect people who do not have access to traditional banking platforms. With close to 2.4 billion people using Facebook each month, Libra could be a financial game changer, but will face close scrutiny as Facebook continues to reel from a series of privacy scandals. It could also be a welcome lift to Facebook’s profits: analysts are suggesting Libra could be a huge moneymaker for Facebook, arriving as its growth slows. Technology to make transactions with Libra will be available as a standalone app – as well as on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger platforms – as early as 2020. It will allow consumers to send money to each other as well as potentially pay for goods and services using the Facebook-backed digital currency instead of their local currency.
RCS Launching For UK and French Android Users This Month
Google will bring RCS messaging directly to Android users but, unlike iMessage, the service is not yet end-to-end encrypted.
Screen Time Caused Apple to Kill Similar App, Entrepreneur Claims
An entrepreneur claimed that Apple killed her app time-tracker as it prepared to launch Screen Time in September 2018.
J.J. Abrams to Sign Partnership With WarnerMedia Not Apple
WarnerMedia appears to have beaten out Apple and is set to agree a $500 million partnership deal with J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production firm.
YouTube Kids Rejected by...Kids
Four years ago, YouTube released a kids-only version. The idea was to keep those under 13-years-old off the main site. The problem, Bloomberg News, found, is that lots of kids don’t want to use it.
Not many kids use YouTube Kids, and those who do don’t stick around. Several of the most popular channels on the main site, which has more than 2 billion monthly users, specialize in programming designed for young kids, but that doesn’t mean they are free of advertising or screened for safety. One, Cocomelon, a channel of nursery rhymes, has more than 50 million subscribers. That’s double the weekly audience for all of YouTube Kids, which is used by more than 20 million people a week, according to a company spokesperson. (Much of the audience for a channel like Cocomelon could be parents trying to keep up with popular rhymes, a spokesperson said.) Children who do watch YouTube Kids tend to shift over to YouTube’s main site before they hit thirteen, according to multiple people at YouTube familiar with the internal data. One person who works on the app said the departures typically happen around age seven.
Whispering Sweet Nothings at The A-Lady – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 766
Some folks with Catalina on the brain want to know how to prepare. Some folks want to prepare to reinstall Mojave. Joe has advice for future-proofing your home, and the A-Lady wants you to whisper sweet nothings at her. It’s that kind of week here and John and Dave are your stalwart guides. Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!
A Sorry Tale of the Nest Thermostat Gone Wrong
Over at Inc.com,
Estonia’s Government AI Starts in Healthcare Next
Ott Veslberg, Estonia’s chief data officer, wants a government AI to work in every aspect of the country’s public services, and healthcare is next.
Former Apple Senior Director Michael Gartenberg (#6) - Background Mode Interview
Michael Gartenberg spent three years as Apple’s Senior Director of Product Marketing, reporting directly to Senior VP Phil Schiller. In his sixth encore appearance on Background Mode, Michael and I analyze Apple’s 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
We started with a discussion of the new 2019 Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR. We also pondered why Apple SVP of Product Marketing, Phil Schiller, was noticeably absent from the stage. As an aside, Michael tells a hilarious story about SVP Schiller that happened back at WWDC 2013. Then we turned to Apple’s Catalyst system and some of the nuances of building and running iOS apps on a Mac. We also touched on iPad OS. Michael is well versed in Apple marketing strategies and is always a delight to have on the show.
