Here are a few of the tech stories that caught my eye over the weekend.
Roku Announces a Slew of New Hardware and Software
On Monday Morning Roku announced a bunch of new stuff, getting ready for the 2020 holiday season. The company updated it’s Roku Ultra set top box that features Dolby Vision Support and improved Wifi Performance.
Next up is the Roku Streambar. This one is interesting because it is a $190 soundbar with Roku’s streaming platform built in. This will allow someone with an older TV an inexpensive option to get both improved sound as well as a streaming media platform. I have a Roku TV and its interface is not my favorite, but nevertheless this is a good option.
Lastly, Roku announced that it is bringing support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit services to “many” of its streaming devices and Roku TV’s later this year.
Dell Updates XPS 13 Laptops
Dell has announced updates for the XPS 13 laptop line to include Intel’s new 11th generation “Tiger Lake” processor. For the standard XPS 13, this is a fairly minor upgrade with no physical changes, but for the XPS 13 2 in 1, the design is finally being update to match the updated XPS aesthetics introduced earlier this year. The XPS 13 is Dell’s most premium laptop, so these will be expensive. The cheapest configuration will likely start around $1300, with prices going up quickly from there. These are universally regarded among the best Windows laptops out there, but you have to be willing to pay the premium
Google Says Using Third Party App Stores Will Be Easier on Android 12
In a move that I’m sure has nothing at all to do with the Epic Games Lawsuit against Google, the company now says that as of Android 12, installing and using third party app stores will be easier. The company says it will make this easier “without compromising the security” of Android. Details are light, and Android 12 isn’t due to be released for almost a year, so it will likely be quite some time until we see exactly what Google means here. I’m sure this is all just a coincidence.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/28/21472139/google-android-12-app-store-installation-payment-fees
US Judge Issues Temporary Injunction on Tik Tok Ban
Just a few hours before the Trump Administration’s ban on Tik Tok downloads in the US was due to take effect, a US Federal Judge issues a temporary injunction blocking the ban. The order is under seal so we do not know the exact reasoning behind the ruling. But the judge did say during the hearing that it was “likely” that the Trump Administration was overstepping its legal authority.
As you can imagine, Tik Tok is happy, and the Trump Administration is not.