Facebook Announces Libra Cryptocurrency
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| Facebook Announces Libra Cryptocurrency | |
| Number | 867 |
| Broadcast Date | JUNE 18, 2019 |
| Episode Length | 4:23 |
| Hosts | Sarah Lane |
Palm opens pre-orders on unlocked tiny phone, iOS 13 beta 2 prompts unsubscribe option when apps are uninstalled, Twitch acquires Bebo.
Headlines
- Facebook unveiled Libra on Tuesday, a cryptocurrency-based financial system that it's been developing for more than a year. 27 partners are always on board like Mastercard and Uber, and Facebook hopes to launch Libra next year with 100 partners. David Marcus, head of Facebook’s blockchain technology research and former PayPal president, said in an interview that “It feels like it is time for a better system...this is something that could be a profound change for the entire world.” The Libra digital token will be directly backed by government currencies and will not fluctuate in value any more than real-world money.
- Facebook also announced Calibra, a new subsidiary that will build financial services and software on top of the Libra blockchain and work as a cryptocurrency wallet within WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram as well as Facebook itself. Calibra will become a member of the nonprofit Libra Association and have equal voting power as Facebook and its 27 current partners.
- Counterpoint Research estimates the smartphone market in the Africa and Middle East region in Q1 increased by 6% year over year while feature phones declined 6%. More than 70% of smartphones sold in the region were priced below $150. China's Transsion leads the market with 19% share under its TECNO, itel and Infinix brands. It also offers digital media services like the music platform Boomplay. Huawei was the fastest growing brand up 27% year over year.
- Instagram is testing new features to help account owners regain access after their accounts have been hacked. Users will now be prompted to enter the email address or phone number linked to their account, or the ones they used when they initially signed up for the platform, after which Instagram sends a six-digit code that’ll allow them to regain access. An Instagram spokesperson tells Motherboard that if a hacker has access to that information too: “When you re-gain access to your account, we will take additional measures to ensure a hacker cannot use codes sent to your email address [or] phone number to access your account from a different device.”
- Twitch has acquired the social network Bebo for an undisclosed amount, although sources tell TechCrunch the deal was than $25 million. Bebo launched back in 2005 and was acquired for about $850 million by AOL in 2008. Two years later, AOL sold Bebo to Criterion Capital for $25 million. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Bebo's original founders, Michael and Xochi Birch, bought it back in 2013 for $1 million and pledged to reinvent it. Now at Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, the Bebo team will be working on Twitch Rivals, which focuses on esports, and may tie into the rumors Amazon is working on its own game streaming service.
- Palm has opened pre-orders for an unlocked version of its tiny Android device that will work on on most major US carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile and the prepaid Metro brand. The phone was previously limited to Verizon's network. The 3.2 inch phone was originally meant as a "secondary" phone with a Snapdragon 435 chip, limited cameras and shorter battery life. The unlocked model costs $350 and shipping is expected within six to eight weeks.
- Apple has added a prompt in iOS 13 beta 2 when you uninstall an app with an active subscription to either keep or dismiss that subscription. This should help cut down on “free” apps that end up using subscription tactics with unclear terms that may continue to rack up a user's money even after an app gets uninstalled.
- Amazon announced it's expanding its air cargo network to 70 planes by 2021. The company signed a deal with GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) to lease 15 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Amazon Prime Air started with 40 Boeing 767 freighter aircraft, and added 10 Boeing 767-300 aircraft to the fleet back in December, and five Boeing 737-800s in March. Amazon dropped the “Prime” name from the cargo service name back in 2017, but operates a separate Amazon Prime Air brand covering its conceptual drone delivery service.
Links
| Preceded by: "Huawei Cuts 2019 Earnings Guidance by $25 Billion" |
Facebook Announces Libra Cryptocurrency |
Followed by: "Apple May Move Production Out of China" |