Sonos revealed a new range of indoor and outdoor speakers today, called the Sonos Architectural. There is a set designed for the ceiling, but the ones that really caught my eye are the Outdoor Speaker Pair. They look slick and should provide good sound quality outside of them, which is still not something to be taken for granted. All the news speakers work with the Sonos Amp, which means they support AirPlay 2. The Outdoor Speaker Pair costs $799 and is listed as “Coming Soon” for the time being.
Lawsuit Claims Apple Forced People to Buy Chargers
A new class action lawsuit against Apple claims the company’s iOS updates in 2016 forced people to buy chargers.
Blockchain and AI Might Be a Perfect Match
Blockchain technology is sometimes presented as a cure-all – a technology that can improve everything from finance to health, and anything in between. While it may not be able to solve all the world’s ills, there is no doubt that it is a hugely powerful technology that can be used for a large amount of good. One field where the blockchain could have a profound effect is in artificial intelligence, as Yessi Bello Perez outlined on The Next Web.
Unlike cloud-based solutions, the data on a blockchain is broken up into small sections and distributed across the entire computer network. There’s no central authority or control point, and each computer, or node, holds a complete copy of the ledger – meaning that if one or two nodes are compromised, data will not be lost. All that takes place on the blockchain is encrypted and the data cannot be tampered with. Essentially, this means blockchains are the perfect storage facility for sensitive or personal data which, if processed with care with the use of AI, can help unlock valuable bespoke experiences for consumers.
AirPods Have Become One of Apple's Most Important Products
AirPods were somewhat derided when Apple first released them towards the end of 2016. They looked silly, and surely they were going to fall out of your ear? As it happens, they have been a huge success, selling millions of units. Lance Ulanoff posted his take on the accessory’s success over on Medium, and it is well worth a read. He highlights how central AirPods could be to Apple’s strategy going forward.
Then, somewhere along the way, I started noticing other people wearing AirPods. At first it was just the occasional sighting, like spotting a green parrot in Brooklyn. However, I remember the moment when I stood in a New York City subway car and noticed more than a half dozen people wearing AirPods. Apple’s oddball product had broken through.
What Phone Tethering is, And How to Use It
You might have heard of the term “phone tethering” before. In case you didn’t know what it meant, David Nield put together a guide explaining the term and how to use it.
We’re going to focus largely on wifi tethering here—creating a wifi hotspot from your phone or tablet—but you do have other options. If you’ve got a spare USB cable you can create a more stable connection between laptop and mobile device, or you can tether via Bluetooth, which is significantly slower but less taxing on battery life.
I’ll put an addendum here. Tethering depends on your carrier, and some carriers don’t allow it, like prepaid carriers. I used to use Net10 and I couldn’t use create a Wi-Fi hotspot.
BNP Paribas, HSBC Banks Support Apple Pay in France
Apple Pay in France is getting support from BNP Paribas and HSBC Banks, joining 25 other French banks.
A Spy Linked to Black Cube Was Caught
DJ Pangburn tells the story of how a spy linked to Black Cube was caught by Associated Press reporters and Citizen Lab.
Black Cube, which is based in Tel Aviv and London, has used undercover agents to approach women who had accused movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, and dispatched operatives to probe Obama national security aide Ben Rhodes and another White House staffer involved with the Iran nuclear deal.
It’s a long read but a fascinating story.
Apple Agreed to Pay Back-Taxes in France
Apple has agreed to pay back-taxes in France after a multi-year audit, with the settlement reported to be worth $571 million.
AR/VR Pioneer Avi Bar-Zeev Confirmed his Departure from Apple
AR/VR pioneer Avi Bar-Zeev confirmed his departure from Apple following media reports. He was thought to have been working on a headset.
The Ultimate Synergy: AI Might Finally Crack Nuclear Fusion
There is continuing, serious dread about the prospects of advanced artificial/augmented intelligence and the grave threat of climate change both threatening human life. But what if an unexpected synergy intervenes? What if AI techniques can be used to solve the very difficult problem of controlled nuclear fusion and provide abundant power? What if that meant we could abandon fossil fuels just in time to save the planet? The Verge investigates.
