Electronics gadgets: Apple Makes It Easier to Buy Their Stuff (How Nice of Them)

viernes, 31 de julio de 2020

Apple Makes It Easier to Buy Their Stuff (How Nice of Them)

JULY 31, 2020

Everything worth knowing in tech today, July 31, 2020. You're just a few minutes away from being the smartest one in the room Zoom tomorrow.

⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds

Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to):

65 Articles, 4 Podcasts, 26 Press Releases, 522 Tweets, & 3.5 YouTube videos

1. Apple Adds a New Tab to Find and Buy For Your Devices

Look, we know you like Apple gear—who doesn't? Apple definitely wants to sell you more of it, too, since they make most of their money from hardware (see below). Now, a new tab will make it much easier to see what you own (and funnel you to more stuff to go with your stuff). Yay?

2. WhatsApp Looks at 'Mute Always' for Messages

It's totally possible (ok, likely) that you've got a group chat or three that you just don't pay much attention to in WhatsApp. We're not gonna judge. It seems as if the developer knows this, though, and is looking at implementing a way to just ignore chats you don't want to deal with, via a "Mute Always" option.

3. CBS All Access Gets Huge Content Boost

The new service seems like it's poised to seriously compete with the likes of Disney, Netflix, and even HBO. CBS All Access just added 3,500 episodes of TV shows from BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and more along with more films (adding to the 150 the service already streams). Binge time!

🎱 By the Numbers

Apple is still a hardware company, ok?

Data: Apple

No matter how much Apple focuses on the services side of its business, it's still a company that makes most of its massive amounts of cash on hardware. iPhones, iPads, AirPods—you name it—Apple counts on you buying more of their stuff than their iCloud storage or Apple Music plans.

🤓 Nerd Out

"Careful, you birds!" -Kyree Leary, Associate Editor

Birds have all the openness of the skies at their disposal, but still hit buildings. Why? Graduate student Jared Elmore believes migratory birds are after insects drawn to building lights. Understanding migratory bird species can help building managers modify lighting and design to reduce bird-on-window collisions (Yikes). (Share on Twitter)

💎 You Know You Want It

Playin' it cool

Image: Sony

August is typically the hottest month (in the Northern Hemisphere at least). That means Sony may have something here—a tiny little personal air conditioner that fits in a similarly small pocket in your undershirt. It might not cool your entire body down like indoor AC, but it could help a... little.

🎥 Behind the Scenes

This is the (new) way

Disney Plus' The Mandalorian scored tons of awards for writing, sound editing, and visual effects. A new documentary about making this hot new Star Wars property shows just how much tech innovation the production required, from pre-visualization techniques borrowed from animation to a never-before-seen, massive virtual set screen called "The Volume."