Daily Tech Headlines – February 6, 2018
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| Daily Tech Headlines – February 6, 2018 | |
| Number | 432 |
| Broadcast Date | FEBRUARY 6, 2018 |
| Episode Length | 6:58 |
| Hosts | Sarah Lane |
Apple HomePod reviews are mixed, tablet sales decline for 13th straight quarter, France cracks down on smartphones while driving.
Headlines
- The Apple HomePod review embargo has lifted, and the consensus seems to be - looks great, sounds great, but at a price of $349 with voice controls limited to Siri and only working with Apple Music with no third-party service support, Apple has its work cut out for it in this category. HomePod reviews published today shine light on upcoming features such as FullRoom, which will enable a pair of HomePods to automatically detect and balance each other to create stereo-like sound. The HomePod's multi-room audio support via AirPlay 2 will be available later this year as well.
- A Washington State man sued T-Mobile on Sunday claiming lack of security let hackers access his account last fall and stole cryptocoins worth thousands of dollars. The hackers then cancelled his number and transferred it to an AT&T account. Carlos Tapang's suit alleges T-Mobile is at fault partly because the carrier never implemented a PIN code as a security measure to Tapang’s account prior to the incident, and that T-Mobile's customer service doesn't require proper verification.
- Sources tell Variety that Viacom is acquiring web video conference VidCon. In 2017, Vidcon draw more than 30,000 attendees, many of them online video personalities. Last month Viacom acquired WhoSay, a marketing firm that targets a younger demographic online with branded content.
- Last week Telegram's app was pulled from the app store due to "inappropriate content", but no further details were given. An email exchange between a Telegram user and Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller and obtained by 9to5Mac points to child pornography being distributed via Telegram’s mobile apps as the reason for the app shutdown. Schiller writes “After verifying the existence of the illegal content, the team took the apps down from the store, alerted the developer, and notified the proper authorities, including the NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children).”
- Content delivery network Cloudflare has terminated service to several domain names of Sci-Hub, in response to a permanent injunction by the American Chemical Society obtained late last year. While Cloudflare previously objected to a similar request, it appears to be complying this time around. Following a $15 million defeat against Elsevier last June, the American Chemical Society (ACS) won a default judgment of $4.8 million in copyright damages a few months later. ACS was also granted a broad injunction, requiring some third-party services to stop providing access to the site. This includes domain registries, hosting companies and search engines.
- IDC's latest report on the tablet market shows a steady decline year over year for 13 quarters straight. The market's Q4 2017 saw a 7.9% year-over-year decline: 49.6 million units shipped worldwide, compared to 53.8 million units in the same quarter last year. Apple held the #1 spot for the quarter, but Amazon bested Samsung for second place. The top five vendors accounted for 69.6 percent of the market, up from 61.3 percent last year.
- New Jersey is the latest state to pass an executive order that requires ISPs to follow net neutrality rules if they sell Internet service to state agencies. The order says New Jersey state agencies may only buy Internet service from ISPs that adhere to net neutrality principles, and the protections will cover ordinary residents as well as government officials. The order will apply to ISPs that accept state contracts on or after July 1 of this year.
- Le Figaro reports France's high court has ruled that drivers are not allowed to touch a smartphone unless they're parked in a designated parking spot with the engine off. An exception is made for drivers who have been in an accident or had a vehicle breakdown. Violators can be fined 135 Euros.
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| Preceded by: "Daily Tech Headlines – February 5, 2018" |
Daily Tech Headlines – February 6, 2018 |
Followed by: "Daily Tech Headlines – February 7, 2018" |