Thursday 31 October 2019

Editor's Pick: Are You Suffering From Technophobia?

Sam Bocetta
Oct 31, 2019 4:00 AM PT

The fear of technology has been around for as long as technology itself, and like technology itself, it is always changing. There is evidence of "technophobia" -- the technical name for this affliction -- in every age and in every part of the world. However, it is perhaps reaching a peak in modern society. Americans are more afraid of technology than death, suggests research conducted in 2019. [More...]

More Picks:

Facebook Employees Blast Company's Political Ads Policy
At least 250 Facebook employees signed a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg criticizing the company's hands-off policy against fact-checking political ads. "We strongly object to this policy as it stands," says the letter. "It doesn't protect voices, but instead allows politicians to weaponize our platform by targeting people who believe that content posted by political figures is trustworthy." [More...]

5 Things Retailers Can Do Now to Avoid a Cyber Monday Disaster
We may just be turning the calendar to November, but if you're like most retailers, you're already deep into planning for the gift-giving season. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are circled and starred as you anticipate, with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, the spike in sales and massive increase in traffic to your website and mobile app -- with good reason. [More...]

Do Your Customer Journeys Have Dead Ends or Dead Spots?
It's easy to take things you see every day for granted. We take the sun rising and setting for granted, for instance, and that's a good thing, because it helps us organize our lives. However, in business taking things for granted is a hazard. Change is everything these days, and that means the concepts you take as constants may not be as constant as they seem. [More...]

Bob Stutz, CRM Nomad
Bob Stutz is a great guy. I have interacted with him occasionally over the years in his various senior postings throughout the CRM industry and always found him to be kind, generous and thoughtful. Last week he announced he was leaving his position as head of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, which he's been at for four years, and taking a job as President of SAP's CX effort. [More...]

Linux Inside Azure Sphere on the Horizon
Azure Sphere will be generally available in Feb 2020, Microsoft has announced. Its scheduled arrival highlights Microsoft's readiness to fulfill its promise for better IoT device security at scale. Microsoft first introduced Azure Sphere in 2018, opting to use its own version of a Linux operating system instead of Windows 10 to drive its new Azure Sphere OS to securely connect IoT devices. [More...]

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This palm-sized drone can fly for 30 minutes

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It's Thursday, October 31, 2019.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Happy Halloween! LG put a dual-screen costume on its latest flagship phone, and the Nintendo Switch is battling the ghost of the SNES -- we’ll explain. Also, we have everything you need to know about the TeamTrees project and a review of the new Amazon Echo.

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More screens aren't always better.

LG G8X ThinQ review

Foldable phones aren’t quite ready for primetime, so LG did the next best thing: It added a case with a second screen. The only problem is that this doesn’t quite work either. As Chris Velazco explains, “the G8X and its second screen generally act like two smartphones attached at the proverbial hip.” Still, its funky setup isn’t so bad that it’s completely useless, and if you find a good deal on one it might be worth a try.

Things are going well.

Nintendo Switch sales should pass the SNES next quarter

Nintendo sold 4.8 million Switch consoles last quarter, bringing lifetime sales to 41.67 million. That's a 50 percent increase on the 3.19 million Switch consoles sold during the same period last year and includes nearly two million units of the new Switch Lite sold in just the last ten days of the reporting period. The company also told investors that its mobile efforts are currently focused its existing mobile apps, like Dr. Mario and Mario Kart Tour, as opposed to releasing new ones in the next year.

In-car systems will have a new look soon.

Ford's Sync 4 system will add wireless CarPlay and Android Auto support

When Sync 4 arrives in select Ford vehicles starting in 2020, it'll include wireless support for both CarPlay and Android Auto. Some Sync 4 vehicles will include wireless charging, so you'll be able to take one less cable with you when you go for a drive in one of the company's new cars. The interface is also tuned for multitasking and has support for larger 15-inch screens.

Ford’s other announcement is that, around the same time, it will have new models ready to receive over-the-air updates.

10 helpful everyday apps you need to know about.

The game launches on PS4 November 8th.

The 'Death Stranding' launch trailer is here, and it's eight minutes long

Sony has shared an eight-minute launch trailer for Hideo Kojima's next opus. Don't go into the trailer with the expectation to get a better sense of the game's story; more likely, you'll come out the other side with more questions than answers. It wouldn't be a Kojima game otherwise.

The only real problem is that there are so many other speakers to choose from.

Amazon Echo review (2019): Low-priced, but not low-end

The latest Echo does just about everything right: It sounds great, it’s pretty cheap at $99 and it handles voice commands like a charm.

He's made a big donation to a YouTuber-led project to combat climate change.

Why did Elon Musk just buy a million trees?

Last night, Elon Musk bought a million trees for a cool $1 million, and it wasn't some mad luxury purchase you might expect. Instead, it’s all based on the power of a handful of YouTubers starting a project that'll do a little bit to combat climate change. TeamTrees is a project aimed at raising $20 million by the end of 2019 to bankroll the planting of 20 million new trees by the end of 2022. Spearheading TeamTrees is Jimmy Donaldson. Better known online as MrBeast, Donaldson made a name for himself doing stunts, while also uploading philanthropic antics, using money he’s made from his channel.

So light it doesn’t need to be registered with the FAA.

DJI's palm-sized Mavic Mini can fly for up to 30 minutes

This foldable Mavic Mini weighs in at just 249 grams and comes with a bunch of features designed to make drone flying and aerial photography fun and accessible to everyone, without skimping on quality. The standard Mavic Mini package with remote controller, one battery, extra propellers and all necessary tools and wires is available for pre-order for $399 and will start shipping on November 11th.

The social network believes the ads are too prone to manipulation.

Twitter will put a stop to political ads on November 22nd

Twitter has wrestled with the issue of questionable political ads and decided just to get rid of them entirely. Jack Dorsey announced that the social network is stopping all political ads outside of non-partisan exceptions (such as voter registration), whether they come from candidates or interest groups. It'll provide the finished policy on November 15th and will start enforcing it on November 22nd.

Dorsey said the decision stemmed from both principles and practical realities. A political message on Twitter should earn its reach when people follow or share accounts and "should not be compromised by money," the CEO said. Meanwhile, over at Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is staying the course.

But wait, there's more...

1. Apple's wearables and services businesses keep on growing

2. Sonos offers its early adopters a 30 percent trade-in offer on new speakers

3. Apple Card users will be able to get zero-percent financing for iPhone purchases

4. Juul stands accused of shipping a million contaminated vape pods

5. Australia wants to verify porn users by scanning their faces

6. HBO Max nets 'South Park' exclusivity for a reported $500 million

7. AT&T's new unlimited phone plans drop WatchTV for HBO Max

8. Netflix renews 'Another Life' for a second season despite lousy reviews

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Wednesday 30 October 2019

ECT News Network Weekly Newsletter

ECT News Network Weekly Newsletter: Wednesday -- October 30, 2019

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This Week's Top News Headlines From the E-Commerce Times

Facebook Employees Blast Company's Political Ads Policy
(Posted 30-Oct-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86328.html

5 Things Retailers Can Do Now to Avoid a Cyber Monday Disaster
(Posted 29-Oct-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86325.html

The Ultimate E-Commerce Guide to Black Friday
(Posted 28-Oct-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86323.html

Harnessing Visual AI to Boost E-Commerce Sales
(Posted 26-Oct-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86322.html

E-Gurus: Online Guides to Personal Growth
(Posted 25-Oct-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86321.html

Microsoft Takes Another Stab at Wireless
(Posted 24-Oct-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86317.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From TechNewsWorld

Active Noise Cancellation a Big Draw in New Apple AirPods
(Posted 30-Oct-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86327.html

Nvidia's New Shield TV Models Add Dolby Vision, Atmos
(Posted 29-Oct-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86324.html

Getting Sustainability Right
(Posted 28-Oct-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86320.html

EA Rewards Battlefield V Fans With Expansive Pacific Chapter
(Posted 25-Oct-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86319.html

Threat From Above: How to Stop Hostile Drones
(Posted 24-Oct-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86316.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From CRM Buyer

Do Your Customer Journeys Have Dead Ends or Dead Spots?
(Posted 29-Oct-19)
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/86326.html

Bob Stutz, CRM Nomad
(Posted 24-Oct-19)
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/86314.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From LinuxInsider

Dragora Linux Is Anything But Simple
(Posted 25-Oct-19)
http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/86318.html

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HBO Max

Engadget Email Newsletter

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It's Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Are you ready for yet another streaming service? HBO Max is ready to join the fight in a few months, and it’s bringing some big names along for the ride. Also, our first impressions of Apple’s AirPods Pro are in, and we took a spin in BMW’s newest convertible.

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It's now sold more than the original PlayStation.

Sony's PS4 is the second-best-selling console of all time

The PS4 has become the second-best-selling console of all time, surpassing the original PlayStation, which sold 102.5 million units. Sony said it sold 2.8 million PS4s this quarter (including the PS4 Pro), on top of the 100 million mark it hit last quarter. That's down from last year but was enough to push it to 102.8 million, just above the original PS. It's not likely to catch the PS2, however, which sold 155 million units. The announcement came in Sony’s latest earnings report, where smartphone sales dragged down its newly formed Electronic Products & Solutions segment, which merged its mobile, camera, TV and audio lines.

With competition in streaming services incredibly fierce, the company has also announced it’s shuttering PlayStation Vue by January 2020.

10,000 hours of content with recommendations from Zac Efron.

HBO Max launches in May and will cost $15 per month

At an event for AT&T investors, we learned more details about the new HBO streaming service that will launch next spring, including its price. At $15 per month, it’s the same as HBO’s current streaming/cable offerings and includes an expanded suite of content, with a combination of exclusive originals, licensed catalog content (like Rick & Morty and the South Park library, which reportedly cost around $500 million to get) and more.

If you currently get HBO Now directly or have some combination of AT&T Premium packages/HBO, you’ll get the Max service, too, for free. However, if you currently subscribe to HBO some other way, then we’ll have to wait to see what’s in store. Either way, there is a new Game of Thrones series on the way -- the network announced a 10-episode order for House of the Dragon. It’s set 300 years prior to the events of the first show and is based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood about the Targaryen family.

This will take some getting used to.

Apple AirPods Pro hands-on: I can already hear the difference

As Apple’s most professional AirPods go on sale, you may be wondering whether they’re worth the $249 investment. Chris Velazco hasn’t had enough time to put together a full review, but so far he says the sound quality is improved. Getting used to the new capacitive controls has been an uneven experience, however, and he has some concerns about how the battery life will shake out -- especially while using Active Noise Cancellation.

Still, their ability to seal your ear canals more thoroughly (without causing a stuffy feeling, thanks to carefully placed vents) and the slightly more subtle stems are pleasant upgrades. Just don’t lose one because replacements cost $89 per bud -- $20 more than the amateur set.

Translate languages in real-time with this handheld device.

You might get to slam your phone shut at the end of a call.

Samsung teases a clamshell foldable phone concept

Samsung isn’t letting the lukewarm reception of its Galaxy Fold slow it down. At its annual, typically dry Developer Conference, it previewed a different vertically folding, clamshell-style form factor. The company only said it was "exploring" the concept as part of its overall work on foldable devices, but a short demo showed a user recording video in full screen at one moment and creating a split view with more extensive controls when folding the phone 90 degrees. It’s a similar premise to what we’ve heard about Motorola’s folding RAZR phone ambitions, which is also widely believed to be a clamshell.

A wonky CarPlay connection takes some of the fun out of it.

BMW’s Z4 M40i is a powerfully fun roadster

After a four-year hiatus, the Z4 roadster is back in BMW’s lineup, packing plenty of technology, a powerful engine and that removable roof. Roberto Baldwin said, despite some glitches, it “hits nearly all of the right notes,” even though he’d choose the cheaper engine option.

It's not coming anytime soon.

Netflix defends its controversial variable playback test

Netflix has responded to backlash over a variable playback speed feature that is currently in testing. In a blog post, VP Keela Robison said it's one of many features the company is exploring, like adding brightness controls in its video player. Netflix also seemed to be aware of the potential blowback -- mostly from purists and directors -- since it chose to test variable playback on Android phones and not bigger screens like TVs.