Tech Brew Ride Home - Wed. 12/14 – Apple To Allow Third-Party App Stores

Starting point is 00:00:03 Welcome to the Tech meme right home for Wednesday, December 14th, 2022. I'm Brian McCullough today. Apple is going to allow third-party app stores, but only in Europe for now. Your Tesla is now a full-fledged gaming rig. Instagram is testing a full-fledged Be Real clone, has Twitter stopped paying its bills, and there is now actual U.S. legislation to ban TikTok. Here's what you miss today in the world of tech. sources have told Mark German that Apple plans to allow third-party app stores on iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 in the EU due to EU requirements coming in 2024. Quote, Apple is preparing to allow alternative app stores on its iPhones and iPads, part of a sweeping overhaul aimed at complying with strict European Union requirements coming in 2024. Software engineering and services employees are engaged in a major push to. open up key elements of Apple's platforms, according to people familiar with the efforts. As part of the changes, customers could ultimately download third-party software to their iPhones and iPads without using the company's app store, sidestepping Apple's restrictions, and the up to 30% commission it imposes on payments. The moves, a reversal of long-held policies

Starting point is 00:01:24 are a response to EU laws aimed at leveling the playing field for third-party developers and improving the digital lives of consumers. For years, regulators and software makers have complained that Apple and Google, which run the two biggest mobile app stores, wield too much power as gatekeepers. If similar laws are passed in additional countries, Apple's project could lay the groundwork for other regions, according to the people who ask not to be identified because the work is private. But the company's changes are designed initially to just go into effect in Europe. The main new European law dubbed the Digital Markets Act takes effect in the coming months, but companies aren't required to comply with all of the rules until 2024.

Starting point is 00:02:01 government officials in the U.S. and other countries have pushed for similar laws but haven't gotten as far as the EU yet. The Act requires technology companies to allow the installation of third-party apps and let users more easily change default settings. The rules demand that messaging services work together and that outside developers get equal access to core features within apps and services. Apple is applying a significant amount of resources to the company-wide endeavor. It hasn't been a popular initiative within Apple, considering that the company has spent years decrying the needs. for sideloding, the process of installing software without using the official app store. In lobbying against the new European laws, Apple has argued that sideloading could put unsafe apps on consumers' devices and undermine privacy. Some engineers working on the plan also see it as a distraction from

Starting point is 00:02:46 typical day-to-day development of future features, according to the people. The company is aiming for the changes to be ready as part of an update to next year's iOS 17, which would be in line with requirements, end quote. So as with that recent aboutface to suddenly double down on the bits of privacy that Apple had previously shied away from, are you getting the sense that there was some sort of a big strategy meeting in Cupertino recently, and maybe Apple has agreed on a big new five-year plan going forward? Tesla has rolled out an update, adding support for Steam on 2022 Model S and X vehicles or newer vehicles with 16 gigabytes of RAM. Also, Apple Music, light, show and a bunch more have come to Tesla's. I didn't see Apple Podcasts in the list. Let me know

Starting point is 00:03:38 listeners if Apple Podcasts made it so that Tesla owners don't have to complain to me about only being able to listen to the show on Spotify in their cars anymore. But the bottom line here is Tesla is officially a gaming rig now. Quoting the Verge. Tesla's new holiday update adds a few long-awaited new features, including the ability to play games from Steam in your car and support for Apple Music. Tesla already offers a bunch of games for owners like Cuphead and Stardue Valley and the official edition of Steam doesn't come as a total surprise, as CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company was, quote, making progress with a Steam integration in July. But now that Steam for Tesla is finally here, owners could have a lot more games available to them. Tesla says Steam will be available

Starting point is 00:04:22 on new Model S and X vehicles, and Tesla has reportedly clarified that in release notes to mean S and X cars for model year 2022 or newer with 16 gigabytes of RAM. The company says that Steam brings thousands of games to its cars, and while we'll have to wait and see which ones work best, Tesla's promotional video heavily features Cyberpunk 2077. It's not the first time Tesla has used Cyberpunk 27 as part of its marketing. Steam isn't the only major app coming to Tesla's. The company's cars are finally getting Apple music as well. The app had reportedly appeared in a Model S in a museum exhibit last month, and now it's officially rolling out as part of an official Tesla release. The holiday update includes a lot of other features, too. An upgraded light show mode lets you schedule

Starting point is 00:05:06 a show that will appear across multiple vehicles at the same time. You'll also be able to make zoom calls from the cabin camera and view the inside of the car from the Tesla app while in dog mode or century mode. The update officially numbered 22.44.25 is rolling out now, end quote. But back to the never-ending stories. That was for my 80s kids out there. Sources say Twitter has stopped paying rent on offices it occupies and is considering not paying severance packages in order to cut costs. Also, its top lawyer, Alex Spiro, is leaving the company.

Starting point is 00:05:48 Quoting the New York Times. Elon Musk appears to be gearing up for legal battles at Twitter, which he purchased in October for $44 billion. dollars, according to seven people familiar with internal conversations. He and his team have revamped Twitter's legal department and pushed out one of his closest advisors in the process. They have also instructed employees not to pay vendors in anticipation of potential litigation, the people said. To cut costs, Twitter has not paid rent for its San Francisco headquarters or any of its global offices for weeks. Three people close to the company said. Twitter has also refused to pay a $197,725 bill

Starting point is 00:06:22 for private charter flights made the week of Mr. Musk's takeover, according to a copy of a lawsuit, filed in New Hampshire District Court and obtained by the New York Times. Twitter's leaders have also discussed the consequences of denying severance payments to thousands of people who have been laid off since the takeover to people familiar with the talk said, and Mr. Musk has threatened employees with lawsuits if they talk to the media and, quote, act in a manner contrary to the company's interests, end quote, according to an internal email sent last Friday. As he has transitioned into the role of Twitter's new leader, Mr. Musk has had a cast of rotating legal professionals by his side. In October, he fired both Twitter's chief legal officer and general counsel for cause within hours of closing his acquisition and installed his personal lawyer, Alex Spiro, to head up legal and policy matters at the company.

Starting point is 00:07:10 Mr. Spiro is no longer working at Twitter, according to six people familiar with the decision. Those people said that Mr. Musk has been unhappy with some of the decisions made by Mr. Spiro, a noted criminal defense. defense lawyer who successfully defended the billionaire in a high-profile defamation case in late 2019 and worked his way into the Twitter owner's inner circle, end quote. At the same time, other sources say Twitter is considering forcing all users to opt in to personalize ads and share their location data, but may allow Twitter Blue users to opt out of personalized ads. Quoting Insider, Twitter is working on plans to force some users to agree to data sharing or lose access to the app in a bid to save its ad business, according to Platformer. Elon Musk's platform, like Google and Facebook,

Starting point is 00:07:55 currently allows users to opt out of personalized ads, but this option could soon disappear. Many users never turn this feature off in the first place, but the company is considering forcing users to share more data, which can then be sold to advertisers, Platformers' Report said. This includes sharing user locations and phone numbers for targeted ads, even though the latter is necessary for two-factor authentication. Twitter would implement the new rules by presenting a full-screen notification, which can't be dismissed until users agree to share their data and there would be no chance to opt out, Platformer said. People familiar with the plans told Platformer that it would be rolled out to about

Starting point is 00:08:29 1% of American users to see their reactions before expanding it to all Twitter accounts. The plan could hit a snag in Europe because EU rules say that users have the legal right to withdraw data sharing permissions at any time. Under one plan being considered, users could only opt out if they subscribe to Twitter Blue, which costs at least $8 a month. But that would breach Apple's rules, outlaw apps from forcing a choice between payment and advertiser tracking. Last year, Apple introduced a feature which prevents apps from tracking users across different apps and build detailed customer profiles for advertisers. This cost meta $10 billion in revenue, while multiple sources told Platformer that less than 35% of Twitter users opted in. Platformer reports that Twitter

Starting point is 00:09:10 is working on the feature because Twitter Blue could actually lose the company money. The $8 monthly subscription allows users to see half as many ads, which is estimated to cost Twitter, $6 in revenue. On Tuesday, Musk tweeted that the company would later introduce a higher tier with no ads, end quote. And in a memo, Chang Peng Zhao has told Binet staff to expect a bumpy several months, but the exchange in his words will survive any crypto winter. This follows, well, the massive withdrawals I told you about yesterday, quoting Bloomberg. In a memo sent to staff, CZ as the founder of the world's largest crypto exchange is known, said the industry for digital assets is going through a historic moment, and that Binance is in a strong financial position and, quote, will survive any

Starting point is 00:10:00 crypto winter. While we expect the next several months to be bumpy, we will get past this challenging period and will be stronger for having been through it. He wrote in the memo scene by Bloomberg. He added that FTCS's recent collapse has brought with it, quote, a lot of extra scrutiny and tough questions on his firm, referring to reports this week on customer withdrawals. FDX's shock collapse has rocked investor sediment and prompted some traders to take control of their tokens causing outflows at other exchanges. Binance was one of the exchanges hit by large outflows on Tuesday, which have since started to show signs of easing. The memo and rebuttals on Twitter came on the back of a record number of net daily Bitcoin and ether token outflows

Starting point is 00:10:38 from Binance on Tuesday. Rest assured this organization was built to last, Zhao wrote in the memo, end quote. Instagram has rolled out notes. Friend focused status updates that appear atop the inbox to all users. But more interestingly, it has begun testing B-Rexam. like Candid Stories in South Africa, quoting the Wall Street Journal. Candid Stories, which Instagram is testing in South Africa starting Tuesday, gives users a daily notification to snap and share two unfiltered photos using the front and back camera lenses, not unlike the prompts sent by Be Real,

Starting point is 00:11:15 which has recently amassed millions of users. Instagram didn't say when or whether Candid Stories will roll out globally. Another new feature called Notes, friend-focused status updates that appear at the top of the inbox, We'll begin rolling out to all users Tuesday. Instagram's candid stories still prompts users once a day and includes a timestamp so friends know when you've posted. Unlike Be Real, however, users can enhance their daily posts with texts or squiggles and can opt out of the Daily Alert whenever they like. They also aren't marked tardy.

Starting point is 00:11:45 Instagram previously enabled the dual camera function, which simultaneously uses front and back lenses. Notes, the only announced feature now hitting the app, lets users share their thoughts in a 60-characterial. their text post with close friends or people who follow them back. The note appears at the top of recipients' inboxes and invites them to respond before it disappears in 24 hours. Instagram is testing other friend-minded tools. Group profiles, a new type of profile lets members share posts and stories with each other rather than all their followers. Collaborative collections allows users to share save content such as fashion, inspiration, or memes with another user and to build collections together and Add Yours, which already encourages users to share content to stories,

Starting point is 00:12:27 gets a nomination function so people can invite specific friends to participate by passing on a prompt to them. Group profiles has already begun testing in Canada, Chile, and Taiwan. Collaborative collections and Add Yours nominations will begin testing Tuesday for a limited number of users across the globe, end quote. And finally today, I don't know that this will go anywhere necessarily, but from the keeping an eye on potential TikTok bans file, U.S. lawmakers have introduced actual legislation that aims to ban TikTok or any social media company in or under the influence of China, Russia, and other U.S. adversaries, quoting CNBC. A new bill from a bipartisan group of lawmakers, if passed, would ban TikTok in the U.S. after years abroad concern across

Starting point is 00:13:17 the Trump and Biden administrations about potential Chinese government influence on the company. The new bill introduced by Senators Marco Rubio and Mike Gallagher and Rajah Krishina Muthry would ban all transactions from any social media company in or under the influence of China, Russia, and several other foreign countries of concern, according to a press release. The Anti-Social CCP Act, which stands for averting the national threat of internet surveillance, oppressive censorship, and influence, and algorithmic learning by the Chinese Communist Party explicitly names bite dance and TikTok as subject to the restrictions in the bill, quote, unless and until the date on which the president certifies to Congress that the company no

Starting point is 00:13:57 longer meets any of the conditions described, such as being subject to substantial influence by a country of concern. It is troubling that rather than encouraging the administration to conclude its national security review of TikTok, some members of Congress have decided to push for a politically motivated ban that will do nothing to advance the national security of the United States, a TikTok spokesperson said. We will continue to brief members of Congress on the plans that have been developed under the oversight of our country's top national security agencies, plans that we are well underway in implementing to further secure our platform in the United States, the company said, end quote. Nothing for you today. Talk to you tomorrow.

Tech Brew Ride Home - Wed. 12/14 – Apple To Allow Third-Party App Stores

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