It has been about twenty years since I sent my last newsletter, which I sent way back on Friday, March 13th. Since then, the coronavirus pandemic and various governmental responses to it got very real and this week it’s likely going to get more intense. As always, you can find our coverage on this page.
But as the global economy has a look in the mirror and tries to decide if it’s going to shut down or what, tech companies are moving forward with announcements they would have otherwise made at their big tech conferences and/or press briefings.
The clearest example of that is Microsoft, which has revealed significant new details about the Xbox Series X’s specs and how it will support 1TB expansion cards yesterday. Tom Warren has all the details in this post, but the one that stands out to me is how easy it will be to add storage expansion.
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The Xbox Series X will allow for removable storage, but only with proprietary cards. At first I bristled at the idea of proprietary removable storage. Actually, I’m still bristling, but not as much as you might expect. That’s because Microsoft at least has a good reason — to get load times and gaming performance up to where it wants on the Series X, it needs to ensure storage meets the spec. Seagate has the exclusive, which is fine but also I would like to see other companies involved if only to make me feel better that this won’t be overpriced over time. In the meantime, standard USB 3.1 drives will be compatible for older games.
A lot of what the Xbox Series X is promising is beyond the capabilities of your television: 8K and variable refresh rates are definitely things you’ll be looking for the next time you want to buy a high-end set. So beyond “our graphics, they’ll be fancy,” Microsoft needs something else to lure new customers in.
Which leaves load times. Microsoft has a demo showing them to be radically faster than on the Xbox One X — though to me it’s more of an indictment of how games are designed to force you to wait through them. Anyway, it’s a boring demo because half of it is just watching a loading screen, but that’s kind of the point.
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I’m also interested in the Quick Resume feature, which as I’ve mentioned before allows multiple games to be resumed instantly, even after a restart. I like to bounce between a few different games in a given week, and so this would be important to me. Here’s how it works:
Microsoft simply caches whatever is used in RAM by a game straight to the SSD, allowing the console to resume titles instantly. Microsoft isn’t saying exactly how many games will be able to Quick Resume in total, but a minimum of three will be supported. As each game has different RAM requirements, the actual number could vary depending on how much space the Quick Resume feature takes up.
Microsoft has assured Xbox fans that the Series X is, in fact, smaller than a fridge. I don’t trust the image, could be photoshopped. Gotta see it for myself in person. More importantly, I want to know how hot this thing runs in its box, how effectively airflow moves through it from the bottom up through the vent on the top, and how loud it all gets.
Basically, I hope that Microsoft has carefully thought through the thermals for all of this. The original “VCR” Xbox One X was a loud, hot, gigantic box. A big-ass fan may be able to move a lot of heat out the top, but I hope it doesn’t do so at the expense of noise.
This all sounds great, but it also sounds not all that differentiated from what Sony has promised for the PlayStation 5 — notably when it comes to load times. So as with a lot of consumer tech these days, the real answer to what you’ll get when you buy an Xbox isn’t going to be about the hardware, it’ll be about this: Microsoft’s ecosystem of services.
We’re expecting to hear more about Microsoft’s future Office 365 plans, including some new apps and services that are focused on productivity. This will likely involve consumer subscriptions for Microsoft 365, under a potential “Life” branding. Microsoft has been working on a “for life” version of Microsoft Teams, which includes features like sending locations, shared family calendars, and document sharing. Previous rumors have also suggested the subscription may include a password manager and Office.
┏ Microsoft hits its goal of 1 billion devices running Windows 10. This took way longer than I expected, another sign (if you needed one) that so much of the action is on phones. I do wonder what percentage of this number is Xbox consoles. Also Microsoft’s Insider program — essentially an ongoing beta testing program — is low-key one of Microsoft’s best assets.
This number includes PCs, laptops, Xbox One consoles, and HoloLens devices running Microsoft’s latest operating system. It means Microsoft has now hit its original goal of a billion devices running Windows 10, albeit two years later than it originally expected. Microsoft is also revealing that it now has 17.8 million Windows Insider testers.
┏ Apple is reportedly making a 5.5-inch entry-level iPhone. Color me surprised Apple is making a Plus model of the rumored iPhone 9/SE2/whatever it’ll be called. There is a large market for big yet inexpensive phones, but I would have assumed that some version of the iPhone XR or 11 would fill that gap.
French authorities say that Apple is guilty of a series of anti-competitive practices. First, Apple and two of its wholesalers agreed to not compete with each other. Second, it stopped its premium resellers from being able to lower their prices, meaning that pricing was identical across almost half of the Apple retail market. Finally, Apple is accused of unfairly treating its premium resellers, in some cases limiting their supply compared to its own stores. These practices are said to have applied to products like the iPad, while the iPhone was unaffected.
Product launches and near-launches
┏ Beats Powerbeats review: reliable wire. Good review from Chris Welch. Not gonna lie: this made me break out my old BeatsX neckbuds. Since I’m working from home, it’s awfully convenient to have headphones at the ready at all times — and since I’m at home nobody cares how silly I look with them dangling around my neck. Well, one person cares but she accepts me for the nerd that I am. Of course, they mysteriously stopped working, which is the fate of all BeatsX headphones.
┏ AMD announces Ryzen 9 4900H and 4900HS mobile chips. AMD going hard at Intel on laptops this year. These chips are gaming laptop-focused and we need to see if these results are really real, but this fight is one to keep an eye on.
┏ Motorola Edge’s curved display shown off in leaked images. Yeah, I don’t think the lack of a curved display is what people have been waiting on there, Motorola. It’s camera and build quality. Hopefully those are just as fancy and advanced as this screen.
┏ Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a chill, charming life sim that puts you in control. There’s been a half-jokey movement to ask Nintendo to release this game a week early now that so many people are on lockdown. Okay maybe quarter-jokey. Okay I am so serious Nintendo release this game now I cannot wait to be in hock to Tom Nook the evil capitalist mastermind of Animal Crossing who is actually maybe beneficent because he never seems to actually do anything about your loans.
Stuff to do when you’re sheltered in place
A few services are offering free or reduced access to their content. Movie studios are rushing to change their plans with regard to when you can stream their films. Here’s a small sample:
┏ There is hope for Westworld, but you’re going to have to stick it out. I hated season two. I sort of felt like I was hate-watching much of season one, if I’m perfectly honest. There’s just something self-congratulatory about shows that are complicated and mysterious for the sake of being complicated and mysterious that I find completely off-putting. I’m sure I’ll hate-watch season three anyway: this HBO subscription ain’t gonna justify itself.
I spent much of the weekend trying to untangle just what kind of website Verily was making (and getting attacked for it alongside other journalists) — we know now and it’s starting out as something relatively modest. Last night literally as I was writing this paragraph I had to pause to write the story that Google is delaying the launch of its informational website.
I have very little desire to rehash it all again other than to say that if anybody is promising a quick, easy fix for this situation, they’re surely lying. I’m glad big tech is working to engage the problem but, as my colleague Casey Newton wrote in his newsletter, “None of it is a replacement for a competent government, and the hardest days are surely ahead.”
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
