While not new, you can also get a discount on two pre-order bundles. For $170, instead of $220, you can buy the Echo Show 8 and 5 together. Alternatively, you can purchase the Echo Show 8 and Ring Indoor Camera for $160, instead of $190.
The Echo Show 8 features an 8-inch screen and borrows elements from both of Amazon’s past smart displays. It features the same display and sound capabilities as the original Echo Show, and adds the camera shutter and form factor of the Echo Show 5. While we haven’t had a chance to review the Echo Show 8 yet, we did like its smaller sibling a lot, giving it an 85 when we put it through the paces.
If you pre-ordered the Echo Show 8 when Amazon first announced it back at the end of September, we’ve reached out to the company to confirm you’ll get it for $100, instead of $130.
Podcasts have been booming over the last few years — Stitcher, Apple, Spotify and plenty of others have been building out their services while Pandora seemed to struggle. The company hopes to differentiate itself with the Podcast Genome Project, which uses a mix of algorithms and manual curation to suggest both shows and individual episodes to listen to. Pandora also offers some exclusive shows from SiriusXM hosts like Kevin Hart and Hoda Kotb, and upcoming scripted series based on Marvel superheroes.
With Pandora having played second fiddle to Spotify for years now, the company may need more impressive features to attract users and retain existing ones. That said, selection and convenience are two of the more important elements for streaming services to cover, and Pandora seems to be putting more effort into both those fronts.
Facebook is unsurprisingly aware of the potential security and privacy issues, although its statements won’t be completely reassurance. You can require either a PIN code or biometrics for purchases, while all data is both encrypted and monitored for fraud. Your shopping history won’t be shared outside of the app, and bank and card account numbers won’t be used to personalize the experience. However, Facebook Pay purchases can influence ads — be warned if you hate seeing pitches for products just because you once bought something vaguely related.
This will be separate from the Calibra wallet used to handle Libra cryptocurrency, Facebook added.
This isn’t a radical departure if you’re used to services like Venmo or Apple Pay. The difference, of course, is convenience within Facebook’s ecosystem. The question is whether or not people will trust the option. Regulators still have doubts about Facebook’s privacy policies, including for financial services like Libra. Facebook Pay doesn’t appear to have glaring issues on the surface, but it won’t reassure officials. There’s also the matter of public trust. Many people are already wary of feeding sensitive data to Facebook, and payment info is some of the most sensitive info you can get.
The Ignite platform is invitation-only for now and free to join, but Amazon will take a 30 percent cut of sales and for items costing $2.99 or less, it’ll shave off a 30-cent transaction fee. Once you’ve uploaded your original resources, Amazon will review them to “to help protect the rights of creators and ensure the best experience for our customers.” They should hit Amazon’s storefront within two business days.
If you’re looking to buy resources, you can search for them by grade level, topic, resource type and other factors across areas such as math, social studies, technology, science and language arts. Amazon will offer previews of materials with its “look inside” feature, along with recommendations and customer reviews.
The materials could be a boon for teachers who’ve been looking to save time instead of having to forge their own educational resources. For those who craft the materials, Amazon suggests it’s a way for them to “earn money for work you’re already doing.”
Of course, it isn’t the only place educators can find lesson plans, worksheets, games and other materials online, but perhaps Amazon’s hoping they’ll pick up some other items from its colossal store at the same time (while, at the very least, making sure it gets a cut of resource sales). Meanwhile, the Amazon Inspire service, which debuted in 2016 to help educators find and share materials for free, is still active.
To take advantage of the change, make sure the Sonos app is updated. Under Settings, select Services and Add a Service under Music & Content. You’ll then be able to stream through the Sonos or Spotify apps, or you can start a playlist with Google Assistant on voice-enabled devices. Alexa does not yet work with Spotify Free.
This is undoubtedly a pre-holiday push to make Sonos speakers more appealing to the millions of people who use Spotify Free. Given how many users stream for free, it’s honestly surprising that Sonos did not support this before.
Speaking to Gizmodo, a Netflix spokesperson said the issue was that these older devices run Windows Media DRM, a digital right management service which has since been replaced by Microsoft PlayReady. Netflix has used PlayReady since 2010, as it is easier to get content from movie studios and other providers in that format. From December 2nd, these older devices which aren’t able to upgrade to PlayReady will be locked out.
The devices affected include the Roku SD (N1050), Roku HD-XR (N1101), Roku HD (N1100, 2000C) and Roku XD (2050X, 2050N, 2100X, 2100N), in addition to certain Samsung Smart TV models from 2010 and 2011 and some Vizio Smart TVs with VIZIO Internet Apps. Most of these devices are coming up to a decade old, so it’s inevitable that software support for them would eventually end.
Owners of these particular models have had problems with other services as well. Last year, Hulu announced it would end support for both VIZIO Smart TVs with VIZIO Internet Apps and older Roku models. Older Roku devices can still access videos from the Hulu streaming library, but cannot access features like premium add-ons or live TV.
The outcry against the Apple Card began when Basecamp founder and Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson accused the bank of sexism after he was offered twenty times the credit limit that his wife was, even though they file joint tax returns.
In response to the controversy, Goldman posted a statement on Twitter which said, in part, “We have not and never will make decisions based on factors like gender… Together with a third party, we reviewed our credit decisioning process to guard against unintended biases and outcomes.”
In addition, the bank said it would re-evaluate its credit decisions if users made the request: “If you believe that your credit line does not adequately reflect your credit history because you may be in a similar situation, we want to hear from you. Based on additional information that we may request, we will re-evaluate your credit line.”
Following the initial Twitter thread, Jamie Heinemeier Hansson wrote a statement explaining why she decided to make the issue public. “It matters for the woman struggling to start a business in a world that still seems to think women can’t be as successful or creditworthy as men,” Mrs Hansson said. “It matters to the wife trying to get out of an abusive relationship. It matters to minorities harmed by institutional biases. It matters to so many. And so it matters to me.”
Goldman Sachs’ response wasn’t enough for Mr Hansson, however. In another thread on Twitter, he characterized the response as “patronizing” and pointed out the updates to the process that would be required to achieve fairness.
Then hear this: 1) Applicants must have full visibility of the inputs to your algorithm, 2) The weight of each input must be disclosed, 3) They must be able to correct faulty data, 4) Your reps must be able to explain the algorithm. No more damage-control PR, just results please.
Hansson received support over the weekend from a prominent source: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who experienced a similar discrepancy in credit lines with his wife and placed the blame not only on Goldman but also on Apple for giving its name to the program.
I’m a current Apple employee and founder of the company and the same thing happened to us (10x) despite not having any separate assets or accounts. Some say the blame is on Goldman Sachs but the way Apple is attached, they should share responsibility.
Staring in Brazil, Instagram has begun testing a new format called Reels. TechCrunch reports that Reels lets you create “15-second video video clips set to music and share them as Stories,” which then have the ability to be shared wider via a new “Top Reels” section on the Explore page. Users can set their videos to music, selecting tracks from Instagram’s huge music catalog or by using the audio from a publicly shared Reels video. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that is one of the core features of TikTok.
Unlike TikTok, however, Reels will benefit from Instagram’s direct messaging features. Not everything needs to be shared publicly, as TechCrunch reports that users can post Reels to a Close Friends group or via a Direct Message. The new feature sits alongside the Boomerang and Super-Zoom selectors inside Stories. It also includes a ghost tool that makes it easy to line up shots and a countdown that helps users get their timing right.
According to Instagram’s Director of product management Robby Stein, the feature is making its debut on iOS and Android in Brazil as users are already very familiar with sharing videos set to music. There are currently no plans to launch it in other countries.
That said, Instagram is reportedly working on very similar feature that provides in-app video editing. It’s called Scenes, and will provide tools for remixing music and videos into Stories. Users can adjust the speed of video clips and also add AR effects, and the finished Scenes can then be remixed in turn by others if they are posted publicly. It’s appears to be a lot like Reels but with added effects.
Facebook has previously attempted to compete with TikTok through its Lasso video sharing app, but persuading users to download a whole new app is a challenge, even though they could log in using their Facebook or Instagram accounts. Integrating similar features into an existing app will likely have more success, especially when factoring in easily Reels or Scenes can potentially be shared.
In spite of TikTok’s popularity, not everyone is on board with the app. US senators have called for an assessment of whether the Chinese-owned app and others like it could be a national security risk.
The new trailer — which has received an outpouring of relieved gratitude from fans — features an altogether less unsettling Sonic, with a properly-styled body, friendlier eyes and an absolutely normal mouth. The trailer is crammed full of highlights, showcasing what the movie has in store, and — crucially — it uses the OG Sonic music. If it’s Paramount’s attempt at an apology, then all is forgiven. The movie arrives in theaters on February 14th next year.
Apple has lost one its streaming service’s top personnel, just a couple of weeks after TV+ went live. According to Deadline, Kim Rozenfeld, the head of current scripted programming and unscripted content for Apple TV+, has stepped down from his position. Deadline’s report didn’t expound on the circumstances behind Rozenfeld’s departure, but it did say that he signed a first-look deal with Apple for his production company, Half Full Studios. His LinkedIn page also says he left Apple this month, and that he has a “development, producing and consultant deal with Apple TV+ for scripted and documentary series” under his company.
