DTNS WEEKLY TECH UPDATE 10/11/18
Added 2018-10-11 18:43:11 +0000 UTCThis is the weekly newsletter companion to Daily Tech News Show at
You can get this newsletter by backing DTNS for $5 a month or more at
Good Day Internet! Sarah here. How about that Presidential Emergency text, huh? Just kidding. So last week. We’re gonna go ahead and ignore that whole thing.
Some of you who listen to Good Day Internet probably heard that I’m moving soon. In fact, I signed my new lease just a few days ago, it’s official! The good news is that the ethernet hookup is already exactly where I think my desk is going to go. Score! Now, let’s hope the wifi connection works beautifully, because everything I watch goes through my Apple TV, which will be on the other side of the apartment.
Ah, moving. I also have a cool yard outside with (weirdly) several power outlets around the perimeter, so I’m already researching wifi extender options so that I can host DTNS from my future picnic table every so often. Otis is very into this idea.
I’d like to personally thank Fintech for making renting a new apartment easier than ever, btw. Back in my day, we had to write out 1st/last/security on a paper check, with a pen! Can you imagine? However, some limitations remain. Zelle, Venmo, Square, and other digital payment services have weekly limits (sometimes monthly limits). Without getting too specific about what I had to pay, I had to get creative using a combination of a few of these services to secure my new apartment. So, it works, but it’s still a little janky. Baby steps.
I will say that Zelle is my payment option of choice because it’s instantaneous between accounts, where PayPal and the others take a couple days to clear.
THIS WEEK’S NEWS:
All I want is for Google Maps to catch up to my driving. Half the time the directions tell me to turn on streets I’ve just passed! Google is adding a commute tab to Google Maps that highlights congestion and disruption on your route. In 80 regions, it will show your bus or train in real time on the map. In Sydney, Australia it will show passenger capacity as well. Maps is also adding playback controls for Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play Music. The updates are rolling out worldwide to Android and iOS this week.
Pour out a little liquor for Google+:
Google announced plans to shut down the consumer version of Google+ after a previously undisclosed security flaw was reported by the Wall Street Journal. Google's Project Strobe discovered in March that a flaw in Google Plus's API dating back to 2015 could allow a developer to see profile data marked private, --that's names, email addresses, birth dates, gender, profile photos, places lived, occupation, and relationship status -- for up to 496,951Google+ users. Google had no evidence that anyone else knew of the flaw or had exploited it, though the company destroys most Google+ logs after two weeks in order to protect privacy. Google says it chose not to go public with the information because it didn't meet the threshholds of being able to accurately identify affected users, show evidence of misuse, or recommend actions that developers or users could take. Bloomberg reports Johannes Caspar, data protection commissioner in Hamburg, Germany, said his agency has started investigating the matter and Ireland's Privacy Authority says it will as well.
Science continues to surprise and delight:
Scientists at the University of Washington have developed a way for 3d-printed plastic objects to transmit data without using batteries or electronics. The team has created antennas that can reflect ambient WiFi to say indicate a pill bottle has been opened or closed. For situations without WiFi they developed a spring and ratchet that can be released when WiFi is present again to transmit through the antennas. The team wants to make the system smaller so it can be embedded in pill bottles, prosthetics and insulin pens. They will present their work this month at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology.
Essentially:
Bloomberg's sources say Andy Rubin's Essential is working on a phone that can book appointments and respond to emails and texts on behalf of its users. The company has canceled a smartphone and paused development on a smart speaker to focus on this new feature. It would run on a phone with a small screen that is meant to be controlled by voice.
But seriously, where’s the original content?
Sources tell CNBC that Apple is readying a new digital video service. Owners of Apple devices would reportedly get the content through the pre-installed “TV” application, which would include Apple-owned content alongside subscription “channels.” Users would be able to sign up for online-only services inside the TV app.
https://www.cnet.com/news/facebooks-instagram-promotes-from-within-for-its-new-leader/
