Sonos 'legacy' device plan makes smart homes look silly

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Play  |  iHeart Radio It's Wednesday, January 22, 2020. Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. The more connected devices you put in your house, the more you’re counting down to the day they’re eventually obsolete. Just yesterday, we learned about Under Armour pulling the smart plug on some fitness devices it used to sell, but the big news is Sonos and its decision to put the “legacy” tag on a slew of older devices.  If you’re a Sonos fan from way back, then you probably have an older Play:5, Bridge or Zone player laying around, and now the company is telling you that it won’t get any more updates -- ever. Even worse, simply continuing to use one of them could hold back your entire setup, new devices included, from receiving future updates. While the company says it’s working on a way to segment older hardware and avoid that situation, there’s enough bad news and uncertainty going around to make the situation real uncomfortable. However things shake out for Sonos, I’m just looking around the room at various TV boxes, speakers and wristbands, trying to figure out how much time they have left. -- Richard (View in browser.) Calling all Photoshop experts. Is this the back of the Xbox Series X? Now we’ve seen the next Xbox from the front, everyone is wondering what’s hiding on the other side. Pictures posted to gaming forum NeoGAF appear to show an Xbox Series X development kit in the wild, complete with a back plate lacking the Xbox One’s HDMI-passthrough setup. We’ll see if this alleged prototype holds up when the real hardware ships later this year, but for now all we have are rumors and speculation. It will reportedly launch in March. Bloomberg: Apple will start making a smaller, cheaper iPhone in February Apple might launch a new low-cost iPhone very, very soon. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant's suppliers will start assembling a more affordable iPhone model, the first since the iPhone SE, as soon as February. Apple will reportedly unveil the cheaper-than-an-iPhone 11 device in March. Sources expect it to look like the iPhone 8, with a 4.7-inch screen and a current generation A13 chip, like 2019’s iPhones. Expect a return of the home button, and no Face ID. Netflix and HBO Max will give more people access to deep-cut Ghibli classics. Studio Ghibli has embraced streaming, and the world is better for it After years of resistance, Studio Ghibli is bringing its works to streaming services. In the US, it will launch in HBO’s Max service, while Netflix will stream the Japanese animations everywhere else, except Japan. Nick Summers explains why this is good news for all. Sponsored Content by Yahoo Finance Stream free coverage of the most exclusive conversations at the World Economic Forum One app creates a printable envelope to put your phone in. Google's experimental apps shame you into taming phone addiction Activity Bubbles, Screen Stopwatch and Envelope are all part of the latest push from Google to get you to put your phone down (after you finish reading this, of course). The first two add on-screen reminders of how much time you’ve spent staring at a screen, while Envelope creates some physical separation. Do the apps go too far? Do they not go far enough? I can’t stay off my phone for long enough to check. Up to five times as much as the usual price set by Uber. Uber experiment lets California drivers set their own fares Uber is testing another new feature in what is presumably a bid to help mitigate the restrictions of Assembly Bill 5, which requires the company to treat its drivers as employees, not independent contractors. Some drivers in California will now have the ability to set their own fares. Starting Tuesday morning, drivers operating around airports in Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and Sacramento can take part in a bidding system that allows them to increase fares in 10 percent increments, up to a maximum of five times the usual Uber price. When a ride is requested, Uber will match the rider with the driver with the lowest price. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, a person familiar with the new feature says that Uber is trialling it in smaller cities in a bid to limit potential damage to its business. What if other rideshare options are cheaper? Two years ago... Apple reportedly dropped iCloud encryption plans amid FBI pressure Apple may encrypt your iOS device's locally stored data, but it doesn't fully encrypt iCloud backups. According to Reuters sources, Apple dropped end-to-end encryption plans for iCloud, fearing another FBI confrontation. (This was following the debate over unlocking Syed Farook’s iPhone after the San Bernardino shooting.) One former Apple worker said the company might have ditched the plan over concerns customers could be locked out of their data more often.  That doesn’t mean your iCloud backup is open to all -- anything in your Keychain, including passwords, as well as health data and payment information are all end-to-end encrypted. But wait, there's more... 1. Jeff Bezos reportedly had his phone hacked by malware sent via WhatsApp 2. A Lego version of the International Space Station is coming February 1st 3. Cruise Origin is a self-driving electric shuttle made for ridesharing 4. Verizon promo gives gigabit Fios customers free Google Stadia bundles 5. Boeing doesn't expect the 737 Max to resume flying before mid-2020 6. Radeon RX 5600 XT review: Your best option for 1080p performance under $300 7. Sci-fi series 'Altered Carbon' returns to Netflix on February 27th 8. The Hayden Planetarium's new show celebrates unmanned space probes 9. Brazil charges journalist Glenn Greenwald for colluding with hackers 10. YouTube TV arrives on PS4 ahead of PlayStation Vue shut down 11. Netflix's new method for counting views helps pump up 'The Witcher'

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe. Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Play  |  iHeart Radio Craving even more? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? Send us a note.

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Editor's Pick: The CEO of the Decade

The CEO of the Decade

Rob Enderle Jan 20, 2020 10:14 AM PT
	Who is most deserving of the title "CEO of the Decade"? Historically the focus in choosing CEO of the decade has been on their financial accomplishments, but that approach has left us in a world lacking diversity and empathy in positions of power -- particularly noticeable in the tech industry -- and one where global climate change may end the human race. [More...]

More Picks:

Televerde's Michelle Cirocco: 'Invest in Disempowered Populations' The prison workforce development program run by Televerde delivers significant economic and cultural value, concludes a study recently conducted at Arizona State University's Seidman Research Institute. Televerde trains and employs incarcerated women, and it offers many of them employment when they leave prison. Televerde CSRO Michelle Cirocco spoke about the study and about the long-term benefits of Televerde's program. [More...]

The Million Dollar Hidden Opportunity for E-Commerce SMBs Every successful, long-term business has a common denominator in training as it relates to online sales customer contacts. Notice I said "long-term." A great product or unique marketing effort can fall short when a customer contacts an employee who is ill-equipped to respond. Some 72 percent of online shoppers will return up to 10 percent of their purchases, according to the UPS Pulse study. [More...]

TROMjaro Updates Deliver Lighter, Better Manjaro The current version of TROMjaro is as close as it gets to being a Manjaro clone. However, a much different philosophy gives users something more than the Manjaro distro itself offers. The latest ISO release, version 11.11.2019, is based on Manjaro 18.1.2 "Juhraya." As such, TROMjaro is part of the Arch Linux family. TROMJaro offers a new twist on open source freedom in Linux. [More...]

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Even more video game delays

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Play  |  iHeart Radio It's Tuesday, January 21, 2020. Hey, good morning! Disney+ might be making an early appearance in Europe, but why is your most hyped game of 2020 most likely delayed? Maybe it’s the Final Fantasy VII Remake, the ambitious refresh of a decades-old RPG. Perhaps it’s Cyberpunk 2077, with CD Projekt Red once again attempting to reinvent story-based open-world gaming. Or today’s addition, Dying Light 2 -- even if it doesn’t quite have the same spotlight shining on it. It’s another game from publisher Square Enix. It’s having a rough 2020, judging by delays to Marvel’s Avengers, the aforementioned FFVIIR and now this zombie battler sequel. The rough part is that DL2 is delayed indefinitely -- developer Techland doesn’t know when it’ll be finished. Like Kotaku’s Jason Schreier wrote a few years ago, it’s actually hard to find a video game that wasn’t delayed in one way or another.  If you’re looking for reasons, you could look to the well-documented cases of burnout and ‘crunch’ from games makers over the last few years, with programmers and creators ground down by working a lot of overtime, unravelling bugs and polishing a game so that it doesn’t arrive in players’ hands in need of substantial launch day patch.  The word ‘polish’ is repeated in the delay announcements of several game companies, but there’s another event looming this year: the arrival of next-gen consoles from both Microsoft and Sony. Would new flagship games like these help or hinder the sales of the PlayStation 5 or XBox Series X? Conversely, will brand new consoles help sell new games?  -Mat Pricing will be £5.99 or €6.99 per month, or £59.99/€69.99 for the year.   Disney+ is coming to Europe a week sooner than expected   If you live in Europe and you've been patiently waiting to (legally) get stuck into The Mandalorian, we have some good news. The Walt Disney Company has confirmed it’s bringing the European launch date of Disney+ forward by a week, opening its doors in select countries from March 24th. Pricing has been set £5.99/€6.99 per month, or £59.99/€69.99 for a yearly subscription -- but no word on any tempting early discounts. Yet.   It claims this is a plot by short sellers to undermine the company.   Tesla says unintended acceleration claims are 'completely false'   Tesla just rejected any notion that its cars are prone to unintended acceleration. In a blog post, the EV maker claimed that a petition describing unexpected acceleration was "completely false" and the product of those hoping to make a quick buck on Tesla investments. Every case where the company had a car's data showed that the car worked as intended, it said in the post.  Moreover, Tesla claimed its system was designed to avoid these problems. All its models have two pedal position sensors, and "any error" defaults to shutting off motor torque. It even uses the Autopilot sensors to catch potential pedal misuse and cut torque to prevent accidents. The firm added that it was "transparent" with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and regularly shared complaints of unintended acceleration with the agency. It shared the "majority" of the complaints from the petition and found no faults.   The studio needs more time, but how much it needs isn't clear.   'Dying Light 2' is delayed indefinitely   Yet another Square Enix-published game is facing a delay, and this might not be a short wait. Techland has delayed its zombie title Dying Light 2 indefinitely to allow "more development time to fulfill our vision." It didn't say what led to the company missing its spring 2020 target. And you'll have to wait a while to know when the game will be ready -- the studio is only promising to share more info in the "coming months." There are several potential factors behind such a non-specific delay. The widened scope of DL2 could play a key role. The environment and gameplay can change radically based on your actions, and that's likely no small challenge to implement. Sponsored Content by Stack Commerce This best-selling electric toothbrush is just $35 today. You'll have to pay at least $849 for the more colorful model.   Google's Pixelbook Go is finally available in 'Not Pink'   It took three months, but Google is finally offering its Not Pink version of the Pixelbook Go -- the Chromebook is now available through its official store, Best Buy and other channels. It's functionally the same as the black laptop, of course, but decidedly less drab. Just be ready to pay extra for the more vibrant shade. Not Pink isn't available for the base Core m3 system -- you're looking at a minimum $849 for a Core i5 model. The Pixelbook Go isn't the most exciting Chromebook on the market (not after CES), but it checks the right boxes with solid performance, healthy battery life and a quality keyboard. The biggest complaint, which this new model exacerbates, is the cost.   In other words, they're meant for most of the world.   Qualcomm's new mobile chipsets pack more features for the non-5G crowd   Qualcomm has announced a new selection of smartphone processors -- just don’t mention next-gen networks. The company announced the new Snapdragon 720G, 662 and 460 at a press event in New Delhi this morning, and all three share certain characteristics -- think support for WiFi 6 and India's NavIC satellite positioning system. While it's easy enough to read these announcements as an overture to an incredibly valuable country, Qualcomm insists these new processors will make their way to the US and other mature markets, too.   But wait, there's more... 1. GDPR has led to $126 million in fines over data privacy 2. What we're listening to: Big|Brave and Beloved 3. Save $65 on an 8TB Western Digital Elements external drive

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe. Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Play  |  iHeart Radio Craving even more? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? Send us a note.

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Tech News Flash

---

Tech News Flash: Monday -- January 20, 2020

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
https://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
The CEO of the Decade
Cybersecurity 2020: A Perilous Landscape
TROMjaro Updates Deliver Lighter, Better Manjaro
Business/Customer Sweet Spots: ECT News Roundtable, Episode 2
Apple, DoJ Grapple Over Cracking Terrorist's iPhones

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Today's Story Highlights

The CEO of the Decade
Who is most deserving of the title "CEO of the Decade"? Historically the
focus in choosing CEO of the decade has been on their financial
accomplishments, but that approach has left us in a world lacking
diversity and empathy in positions of power -- particularly noticeable
in the tech industry -- and one where global climate change may end the
human race.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86460.html

Cybersecurity 2020: A Perilous Landscape
Cybersecurity is a very serious issue for 2020 -- and the risks stretch
far beyond the alarming spike in ransomware. In addition to the daily
concerns of malware, stolen data and the cost of recovering from a
business network intrusion, there is the very real danger of nefarious
actors using cyberattacks to influence or directly impact the outcome of
the 2020 U.S. general election.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86461.html

TROMjaro Updates Deliver Lighter, Better Manjaro
The current version of TROMjaro is as close as it gets to being a
Manjaro clone. However, a much different philosophy gives users
something more than the Manjaro distro itself offers. The latest ISO
release, version 11.11.2019, is based on Manjaro 18.1.2 "Juhraya." As
such, TROMjaro is part of the Arch Linux family. TROMJaro offers a new
twist on open source freedom in Linux.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86459.html

Business/Customer Sweet Spots: ECT News Roundtable, Episode 2
If you're a small business owner or a key member of an enterprise
executive team, you want your firm to succeed. If you're a customer, you
want to be treated well. Those goals are not diametrically opposed, but
very often it seems that companies and customers are at cross-purposes.
ECT News Network recently gathered together five technology experts who
did some hard thinking on the subject.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86457.html

Apple, DoJ Grapple Over Cracking Terrorist's iPhones
Apple and the U.S. Justice Department are at it again. This time it's
over cracking a brace of iPhones owned by the Saudi Air Force cadet who
killed three sailors in a shooting spree last month at the naval air
station in Pensacola, Florida. At a news conference on the findings of
an investigation into the incident, U.S. Attorney General William Barr
called out Apple for refusing to help the FBI.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86454.html

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