Tawainese manufacturer Foxconn will begin producing the iPhone X at its160-acre factory near Chennai from July 2019.
New Feature Prevents Accidental Subscription Purchases
Apple added a new feature that helps prevent users from purchasing accidental subscriptions to apps. Now there is an extra confirmation step.
Tree-Planting Drones Shoot the Forest Back
Startup Biocarbon Engineering use tree-planting drones that shoot the forest back in Myanmar and other places around the world.
The drones first fly over an area to map it, collecting data about the topography and soil condition that can be combined with satellite data and analyzed to determine the best locations to plant each seed. Then the drone fires biodegradable pods—filled with a germinated seed and nutrients—into the ground.
Netflix and Apple TV+ Challenger Disney+ Launches
Disney officially unveiled its streaming service, a direct challenger to Netflix and Amazon Prime, as well as Apple TV+.
Nancy Pelosi Warns Tech Firms: 'It's a New Era'
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that it is “new era” for tech regulation in a recent interview, noting developments in the UK.
Amazon's Alexa is Listening to You - More Than You Might Know
Bloomberg reports:
Tens of millions of people use smart speakers and their voice software to play games, find music or trawl for trivia. Millions more are reluctant to invite the devices and their powerful microphones into their homes out of concern that someone might be listening.
Sometimes, someone is.
The article goes on to explain how Amazon employs thousands of people around the world to listen, transcribe and annotate conversations with Alexa. All in an effort to improve Alexa’s ability to understand human speech. Of course, Amazon has strict policies and the user identities are anonymized. But still… Seriously?
Oprah, Prince Harry, and JJ Abrams on Apple TV+, Ming-Chi Kuo's Mac Predictions, with Charlotte Henry - ACM 509
Queen Oprah and the UK’s Prince Harry are doing a docu-series on mental health for Apple TV+, and Bryan Chaffin is joined by Charlotte Henry to talk about what that says about Apple’s video efforts. Charlotte also brings some across-the-pond context about Prince Harry and the royal family and how this news was greeted in England. They also talk about JJ Abrams saying that working on Apple TV+ was like the Wild West. They cap the show by discussing Ming-Chi Kuo’s most recent Mac predictions.
France Accuses Internet Archive of Hosting Terrorist Content
The French Internet Referral Unit sent 550 takedown demands to the Internet Archive claiming that it hosts “terrorist propaganda.”
Humm.ly Music Therapy App 1-Year Subscription: $19.99
We have a deal on Humm.ly, a musical therapy app designed to upgrade your mindfulness practice and boost well-being. All content is designed by certified music therapists and music producers, and it will serve up music calibrated to your desired goal. Read more about the app in the deal listing. You can get one year subscription to the service for $19.99 through our deal.
Foxconn is Confusing People in Wisconsin
People in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin may have initially been happy when they heard Foxconn was coming. The company promised 13,000 jobs would be created. But, according to the Verge, things have all got a little confusing.
Mount Pleasant residents engage in Kremlinology based on overheard conversations at local bars and which contractors are seen coming and going from the site, which is heavily patrolled by private security. Even then, appearances can be misleading. Most of the construction that was visible from the roads in Mount Pleasant this winter wasn’t being done by Foxconn, but by government contractors building roads and utilities. As for the innovation centers announced across the state, Foxconn has bought property, but beyond that, much is unclear, including what an “innovation center” actually is.
