Tech Brew Ride Home - Thu. 01/05 – CES Roundup Part 1

Starting point is 00:00:00 On April 4th, 2023, around 2 in the morning, a man was found stabbed multiple times on a sidewalk in downtown San Francisco. Hey, who did this to you? What happened next turned the story into a political firestorm. Reports have identified the victim as Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App. From Bloomberg podcasts, this is Foundering, the Killing of Bob Lee, beginning April 16. Welcome to the Tech Meme. home for Thursday, January 5th, 2023. I'm Brian McCullough today. Amazon's layoffs are bigger than we thought. Meta's new finds in Europe could be a way, way bigger deal than you might think. Apple is bringing

Starting point is 00:00:47 AI narrators to audiobooks and a roundup of cool CES stuff. Sony and Honda have a new electric car brand, the first truly wireless TV, and a solar-powered watchband means you might never need to charge it. Here's what you miss today in the world of tech. What I want to do today and tomorrow is, segment out a portion of the show each day to do a roundup of cool things announced at CES. In order to do that, let's get some of the newsy headlines out of the way and get to the CES stuff. First of all, Amazon plans to lay off more than 18,000 employees, which would be more than its initial announced layoff number of around 10,000 announced back in November. The majority, apparently, of the redundancies will be coming from Amazon's retail and

Starting point is 00:01:37 recruiting department. quoting the journal. The layoffs are concentrated in the company's corporate ranks and represent roughly 5% of that element of its workforce, and just 1.2% of its overall tally of 1.5 million employees as of September. On Wednesday, after the journal broke the news about the size of Amazon's layoffs, chief executive Andy Jassy addressed the cuts in a blog post, quote, Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so, said Mr. Jesse. He added that the majority of the cuts are on the retail and recruiting areas of Amazon. The blog post said the company would alert affected employees later this month, end quote.

Starting point is 00:02:20 Irish regulators have fined meta, $390 million over GDPR breaches related to its ad and data handling practices, giving the company three months to comply. Meta plans to appeal the ruling. Okay, Brian, aren't there fines announced for tech companies basically every day now? Yes, there are. and for that reason, I tend not to cover every one of them. But this one might be different. This might be a big deal. Quoting Politico, according to Mehta's lead regulatory authority in Ireland,

Starting point is 00:02:52 META has three months to legalize its data targeting model after European Union regulators found that the current legal basis for advertising that Facebook and Instagram use is invalid. The orders heap yet more pressure on meta's revenue streams, just as the EU is finalizing a new rulebook that tightens the screws even further on internet advertising. Austrian privacy campaigner Max Schrems welcomed the decision and disputed META's claim that it is not inevitable that the company needs consent to use data for ads. Quote, this is a huge blow to META's profits in the EU. People now need to be asked if they want their data to be used for ads or not, he said. They must have a yes or no option and can change their mind at any time. The decision also ensures a level playing field

Starting point is 00:03:37 with other advertisers that also need to get opt-in consent, end quote. The decisions rebuke Meta's claim that it could hoover up users' data as part of a contract to provide them with personalized ads and leaves the tech giant scratching around for another legal route to target people with advertising. The 210 million euro and 180 million euros fines for Facebook and Instagram, respectively, could also have ramifications far beyond meta. Many internet giants are grappling with how to maintain vital sources of targeted advertising revenue without falling a foul of the law. Video sharing platform TikTok got into hot water last year when it tried to switch from relying on users' consent to the legitimate interest legal basis for its ad targeting.

Starting point is 00:04:23 The question for many will be whether meta and others must give users a clear option to reject personalized advertising without cutting off their access to their services. Campaigners like Shrems have argued that the current setup on many platforms forces users to accept ads to get access to the services, end quote. So that's why this might be a big, big deal, as it basically threatens Metas, but also a lot of other tech platform's entire business model, at least in Europe. Basically, Europe just told Meta, you can't force all Facebook and Instagram users to accept data collection for personalized ads by making it a requirement in the terms of service. Meta seemingly telegraphed that it knew this might be coming down the pike,

Starting point is 00:05:07 when in its recent annual SEC report, the company repeated its warning that it might be forced to shut down significant services in Europe if the EU adopts new data transfer rules. If Facebook and Instagram have to start giving Europeans, or maybe eventually everyone, the choice to reject personalized ad targeting, who would say yes? And note that this would also explicitly include even first-party data, not just third-party data. quoting Jason Kint on Twitter. It's existential risk at Facebook's core business model. Think iOS-ATT, but instead up to 100% penetration in the EU. That's their risk. California is next, end quote. Apple has quietly launched a catalog of books narrated by artificial intelligence on its books app in a move that publishers, authors, and agents warn may upend the entire audiobook market. quoting the Guardian. On the company's books app, searching for AI narration reveals the catalog of works included in the scheme, which are described as being narrated by digital voice

Starting point is 00:06:19 based on a human narrator. In recent months, Apple approached independent publishers as potential partners, including some in the Canadian market, but not all agreed to participate. Authors were told that Apple, which at the time was not named as the company behind the technology, would shoulder the cost of production and writers would receive royalties from sales. Publishers, authors, and literary agents who spoke to The Guardian said the strategy, if successful, could have significant implications for the market. While there is potential for backlash by professional voice actors, authors themselves are increasingly being asked to narrate their own books. There is a financial incentive for the writers, both in the upfront payments and the expanded availability of their work. But producing an audiobook with a human voice can take weeks and can cost publishers thousands of dollars.

Starting point is 00:07:05 The lure of AI promises to significantly cut those costs, end quote. And leaving this here because it's just interesting. A U.S. judge has ruled that the crypto deposits in bankrupt crypto lender Celsius network's yield-bearing accounts belong to Celsius. Do not belong to the individual depositors of that crypto. Quoting Axios. Judge Martin Glenn, in his decision, said the issue of ownership is a contract law issue. The court finds that there was a valid contract between Celsius account holders and Celsius,

Starting point is 00:07:46 and that the contract terms unambiguously transferred all right and title of digital assets to Celsius. The decision reads, account holders who previously objected in the Celsius case argued that changed language in the terms of use, such as loan and lending, made the contract ambiguous. The judge says such terms don't contradict the transfer of ownership of crypto assets to Celsius, end quote. Celsius, by the way, had 600,000 accounts in its earn program when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy mid-2020, which collectively held roughly $4.2 billion in assets as of July 2022. So now all those assets belong to Celsius, or at least, I guess, eventually to the bankruptcy court to liquidate. Quoting Dar Obasanjo on Twitter, Not your keys, not your coins. Now has legal precedent. The judge in Celsius's bankruptcy hearing

Starting point is 00:08:43 ruled that the deposits in yield-bearing-earn accounts belong to Celsius, not the individual holders of those accounts. Won't this cause a run on exchanges? End quote. Now for the CES stuff. Sony and Honda have teamed up to announce a new electric car brand, Afila, which I'm not alone in saying I'm not a feeling that name, exactly, but whatever. Quoting the Verge, Much is still unknown about the new brand, but Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide, Mizuno, said the car would leverage Sony's experience with AI, entertainment, virtual reality, and augmented reality

Starting point is 00:09:23 to present a unique EV. Over 40 sensors, including cameras, radar, ultrasonic, and LiDAR will be embedded all over the exterior of the vehicle, enhancing its ability to detect objects and drive autonomously. According to Mizuno, Afila will attempt to embody three main themes, including autonomy, augmentation, and affinity. The prototype unveiled on stage looked little like the concept first revealed by Sony at CES three years ago. Instead, this was a

Starting point is 00:09:51 sedan with a light bar across the front, a closed-off grill, and a high-gloss black roof. Black hubcaps and a light accent above the wheel wells were some of the more interesting exterior features. Several observers commented that the Aphila prototype looked like a mashup between a Porsche 9-11 and the Lucid Air. The new EV will be priced to compete with other premium automakers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo, and Audi. Sony has said it expects its software to offer subscription services, so vehicle owners will likely have to pay a monthly fee in order to access certain features, end quote. I'm going to try to shoehorn this in here real quick because it's car tech, but also this was

Starting point is 00:10:34 something that I was reminded about when I rented a Tesla over the holiday week in Miami. You know how when you've got your cell phone charging in the car, it tends to over. overheat, and thus the charging shuts down. Well, quoting Apple Insider, announced at CES 2023, the new I-Odi Velox Elite MagSafe car charger uses active cooling to help ensure your iPhone will never overheat while driving again. One of the most common problems with in-car chargers is that phones can quickly overheat. It's common because navigating and other tasks can tax your phone, especially while dealing with the sun. I-Odi aims to solve this issue with an actively cooled mag-safe module. A fan sits directly behind the module to circulate cool air.

Starting point is 00:11:19 A USBC cable connects to the front bottom of the charger, and the whole charger attaches via a suction cup to your vehicle's dash. In testing, IOTI says that its charger is 20% faster at 73 degrees, and if the temperature rises to 80, it is 50% faster than other chargers. Unlike others on the market, IOTI's Velox Elite is fully MagSafe certified by Apple. Pricing and availability are yet to be available, end quote. If you've ever been to CES, you know it's all about the walls and walls and walls of TVs, lots of new gimmicks for screens, lots of new tech. But LG's latest signature brand OLED TV has something unique.

Starting point is 00:12:05 Quoting the Verge. With the all-new signature OLED M, LG isn't so much concentrating on the panel itself. It's a beautiful, bright, enormous 97-inch 4K screen, sure. But what else would you expect from LG? Instead, the gimmick is what's outside the TV. The OLED M receives all of its video and audio wirelessly from a zero-connect box that can be positioned up to 30 feet away. All of the processing happens in the box. The TV is just a panel and speakers. LG touts the OLED M as the world's first wireless OLED TV. It obviously goes a few steps beyond your typical wireless

Starting point is 00:12:41 its HTML transmitter. There are three HDMI ports on the box, all of them capable of 4K at 120 hertz, along with USB and antenna inputs. You can plug in the usual array of gadgets, a cable box, game console, 4K Blu-ray player, etc. And that source content gets beamed over to the giant OLED display. There's a little pill-shaped antenna on top that you're supposed to spin around so that it's pointing in the direction of the

Starting point is 00:13:05 TV for the best wireless performance. Wondering how all of this works. It's thanks to proprietary LG technologies and algorithms, of course, to ensure the seamless transfer of data from the box to the TV the company developed an algorithm that instantly identifies the optimal transmission path, LG wrote in its press release. The algorithm also helps to minimize transmission errors or disruptions as it can recognize changes in the immediate environment, such as people or pets moving around the room and switch paths accordingly, end quote. Some people might be curious as to why something like this even exists. It doesn't have the same wow factor that a TV that rolls down and disappears into a stand does. Even so, LG sees the

Starting point is 00:13:43 OLED M as giving customers a new level of freedom in choosing where they put the TV, and it greatly simplifies cable management, since all you're running to the TV is power. Maybe you want to put your huge OLED TV above a fireplace where it's not easy to route multiple cables for different components. In other regions, people have to contend with concrete walls. It's scenarios like this, where LG believes the OLED M can offer a unique answer that won't require a hiding cables or leaving them in plain sight. Put the TV where you want it, and the box can go someplace else in the room. Seems like a very pricey solution, end quote. Would you be surprised if I told you that watch and wearable technology is still innovating? Like this new watch band,

Starting point is 00:14:28 that can turn any analog watch into a smart watch slash fitness tracker, and also, you don't need to charge it because it has solar and body heat powered capabilities. Quoting Tech Radar. Behardt. Behardt unveiled its solar and human activity-powered B-Heart Smart Band at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. It caught my eye because it attaches to virtually any classic watch using what is known as Lugs, basically the pins that connect a typical watch band to the watch body. The band, which comes in silver and gold, is attractive enough, but it's also packed with technology. In addition to activity and health tracking sensors on the inside of the band, including a PPG sensor for measuring heart rate, this may be the first fully self-powered

Starting point is 00:15:11 smartwatch band. On the outside of the band are five square solar panels which work in tandem with a heat receptor to collect energy for the tiny one-m-amp hour battery. That's apparently all the energy the band needs to track the aforementioned heart rate, activity, steps, and sleep score. Without a smartwatch screen, B. Hart won't be delivering notifications, texts, news, and emails, but that's clearly not the intention. One of the things B-heart measures is your outdoor time, which naturally it gathers through the solar panels exposure to the sun. At CES, executives quipped to me that you recharge yourself while recharging it. There does seem to be a bit of a trend here at CES to leave screens behind without losing the benefit of the information that technology behind them can

Starting point is 00:15:54 collect and analyze. Beheart does have an app that would allow me to see all these health and activity points and which suggests new habits to improve these scores. But without a screen, you're not faced with those data points on a continuous basis. For me, the band could be opportunity to reignite my love of the analog timepiece. I have so many beautiful watches gathering dust and drawers while I stare at my Apple Watch reacting to every notification and news alert. Behardt representatives told me they expect to ship in the U.S. and Europe by the end of this year, with the ban costing anywhere from $100 to $249. That's a lot to pay for a watch band, but not so much for a fitness and wellness tracker that can enhance and rejuvenate your favorite

Starting point is 00:16:32 old school watch and maybe you as well, end quote. Bath tech, shower tech, is that a category we've ever covered on this show? Quoting the Verge. Ever wish you could bring the spa home with you? Well, now you kind of can. Kohler announced a new aromatherapy shower infusion system at CES 2023. That will add a spa-like experience to your daily showers. Just get ready to add shower pods to your shopping list.

Starting point is 00:17:05 Kohler's Sprig shower infusion system consists of a gadget capable of attaching to any showerhead paired with sprig shower pods. Once the shower is on, Kolar's Sprig shower pods infuse the water stream with a combination of scents like eucalyptus, chamomile, and lavender, as well as ingredients that are supposed to be good for the skin, like hyaluronic acid and sodium. Kolar says the pods are safe to use on the entire body and should run for several minutes.

Starting point is 00:17:31 While you can use the device with any showerhead, one part of it is very color-specific. You can only insert Kolar's Sprig shower pods into the gadgets holder. These will have to be purchased separately and start at $21 for a six-pack of single-use pods or $24 for a single multi-use pod with eight uses. The shower infusion system starts at $119 and will be available to purchase during the first quarter of 2023, end quote. And finally today, foldable screens are cool, and we've seen prototypes of screens that roll or slide out, but what about if you could get you one that could do both? Quoting the verge. Samsung displays flex hybrid is a new piece.

Starting point is 00:18:13 prototype device with a display that's both foldable and slideable. The left side of the concept smart mobile device can be unfolded to reveal the display, while the right side can then slide outwards for even more screen real estate. It's being shown off at CES 2023 alongside a new 17-inch slideable display, as well as automotive panels designed for self-driving cars. Although there's no detail on specs like resolution or peak brightness, Samsung display says the flex hybrid can expand from a 10-5-inch 4-3 display to a 12.4-inch screen with a 16-by-10 aspect ratio. It's not hard to imagine the display eventually being used in a foldable smartphone, allowing the device to be unfolded for a small tablet-style experience,

Starting point is 00:18:55 and then unslid when you want to enjoy a film or game on a larger screen. The prototype builds upon concept devices that Samsung display has been showing off for years, not to mention the foldable phones that Samsung Electronics has actually released to the public. Last year we saw Samsung show off a variety of foldable and slidable concepts at the Display Week Expo in May, though none combined foldable and slidable screens in the same device quite like this. It's also worth noting that Samsung is yet to release any of these more advanced displays in a consumer-ready product, which means it might be a while until we see its flex hybrid concept reach the masses, if ever, end quote. Did I really get the year wrong on yesterday's episode?

Starting point is 00:19:43 Happens every year. By the way, I am having CES FOMO today. I'll admit it. This doubles my intention to attend CES once again next year. Talk to you tomorrow.

Tech Brew Ride Home - Thu. 01/05 – CES Roundup Part 1

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