Microsoft Switching It Up

Microsoft Switching It Up
Number	3476
Broadcast Date	FEBRUARY 26, 2019
Episode Length	33:45
Hosts	Tom Merritt, Roger Chang
Guests	Patrick Beja

Microsoft is rumored to be bringing Xbox One games to Nintendo Switch. Are these rumors true and if so, what does it mean for the home console video game market?

Guest

• Patrick Beja
  • Patrick's Patreon

Quick Hits

• Apple Watch may finally gain sleep-tracking abilities in 2020

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says his sources say Apple has been testing a sleep tracking feature on Apple Watch for the past several months, with plans to bring it to the device by 2020. Apple sells an under-mattress sleep tracking sensor from Finland's Beddit which Apple acquired in 2017. The Health app on iOS supports sleep tracking based on alarms and third party integrations.

• Google’s Flutter toolkit will get web-based dev tooling

Google launched version 1.2 of its cross-platform UI framework called Flutter. It now supports Android App Bundles and instant apps and lays the groundwork for helping devs accept in-app payments. Flutter 1.2 also includes new keyboard events and mouse hover support in preparation for eventual desktop app support.

• Supermicro hardware weaknesses let researchers backdoor an IBM cloud server

Researchers at security firm Eclypsium are publishing a paper describing how five-year-old vulnerabilities in baseboard management controllers or BMCs can compromise IBM's bare-metal cloud computing service. The BMC vulnerability can allow a customer to leave a backdoor on a cloud machine that will remain even after the server is wiped clean. IBM will now re-flash factory firmware on all BMCs before re-provisioning. However there are ways to subvert re-flashing.

• Google Docs' AI grammar checker rolls out to G Suite users

Google Docs' AI-generated grammar suggestions is now rolling out to all G Suite users. Google has not announced when it will come to all Google Doc users.

Top Stories

• You can soon buy a more useful version of the HTC blockchain phone for cash

HTC added 20 new decentralized apps for its blockchain smartphone, the Exodus 1. This includes a Numbers app, that lets users exchange personal information for cryptocurrency, giving users control over what is shared, while providing transparency in how that data is used. HTC also partnered with Opera to allow for Ethereum micropayments on supporting websites, with support for Bitcoin and Litecoin coming in a few months. HTC will also now sell the Exodus 1 for fiat currency, available for $699 in March. Previously it could only be purchased with cryptocurrency.

• New FTC task force will take on tech monopolies

The United States Federal Trade Commission will launch a task force to monitor competition among technology companies. It will include current members of the FTC's Bureau of Competition as well as 17 staff attorneys. While investigating current practices it will also examine previous mergers and could recommend companies be spun out. Meanwhile, the US Justice Department lost an appeal to reverse the merger of AT&T and Time Warner for failing to demonstrate anticompetitive behavior. It is unclear if the DoJ will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

• More than 50% of people use voice assistants to ‘ask fun questions.’ Here’s what else they do

A survey conducted by Adobe estimates 53 million people in the US own at least one voice-activated smart speaker. 74% of people use them to play music. 66% check weather. 58% ask "fun questions." Setting alarms, checking news and searching are all popular as well. Shopping was mentioned by 26% down from 30% in August 2018's survey. The survey also found that people would like their TV, car and thermostat to have voice control but not their oven, refrigerator or washing machines.

• Apple Music Integration Possibly Coming to Google Home Devices

Google updated the Google Home iOS app to list Apple Music as an integrated service for Home speakers, although it can't be linked to a Google Home device at the moment. Apple Music was previously listed in the Google Home app in a separate "limited availability" section, as only available on iOS devices.

• This 18,000mAh battery has a phone in it

France's Avenir Telecom, which licenses the Energizer brand, is showing off an 18,000 mAh battery that's 18mm thick and is also a 6.2-inch Android phone. It has 6GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and a popup module with two selfie cameras. The Verge's Vlad Savov says it is 3.5 iPhones thick. The battery lasts for a week or 48 hours of continuous video playback. The Energizer Power Max P18K Pop comes out this summer.

Discussion

• Microsoft rumored to bring Xbox One games to Nintendo Switch
• Rumor: Microsoft Bringing Game Pass And Published Titles To Switch

Thing of the Day

• Tech's Message

Nate Lanxon from Tech's Message give us a first hand experience with some of the products at Mobile World Congress including the new Holo Lens!

Mailbag

Unreal Engine has also powered several Architect rendering software to visualise homes during the design stage, all the way back to Unreal Engine 2.0.

Sent by Thinus

I'm an EMT Field Training Officer ... while $3,500 (plus software licensing fees) may sound expensive, this is orders of magnitude more affordable than our current solutions with sim manikins.

Sent by Andy in Milwaukee

Links

• This episode on dailytechnewsshow.com
• Support DTNS on Patreon
• DTNS subreddit
• DTNS Facebook Group

Preceded by: "MWC2019: Tech News Tapas"

Microsoft Switching It Up

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