Tech News Roundup for April 26, 2022
Yes, I’m going to talk about Elon Musk buying Twitter. Like it or not that was the biggest story over the past few days. But there are other things too! Including the Google Play and Apple App Stores, new Sennheiser headphones, and drone delivery in Rwanda.
Elon Musk Is Buying Twitter
I’m a bit surprised by this one, but Twitter’s Board has agreed to sell the company to Elon Musk for $44 Billion USD. The deal is expected to take about 6 months to close, after which Twitter will become a private company.
Short term, I don’t think this is doomsday for Twitter, nor do I think it will magically become a significantly better company and social network. I think a lot of the people who think that Musk will “save” Twitter are in for a bit of a surprise when Musk realizes that Twitter still has to operate within the laws of the various countries it operates in. That’s something that Musk says the company will continue to do, but his views on what “free speech” means shows that he doesn’t really understand it.
Good or bad, Twitter will become a much more interesting company to follow.
Google Play Store Launches Data Safety Section
Following Apple’s suit in 2020, Google is launching what it calls the “Data Safety” section in app listing in the Play Store for Android apps. Similar to Apple’s system, Google is requiring developers to disclose what data they collect from users in their apps. However, Google is taking the system one step further and also requiring developers to disclose what that data will be used for.
The Data Safety Section begins rolling out this week, and should be fully up and running within a couple of months.
Google Launches Android 13 Beta 1
The first beta release of Android 13 is now available for supported Pixel Phones. Android 13 looks like it will focus mostly in privacy and security features, with more granular permission models, both user facing and on the application side. It might not sound very exciting, but is an important piece of what has become the most important computer for most people. Other changes include improvements for tablet and foldable devices, building upon what was released in Android 12L earlier this year.
Android 13 will go through several betas, and will likely be released in August or September.
https://www.androidpolice.com/android-13-beta-1/
Sennheiser Momentum 3 Earbuds Announced
Sennheiser has announced its newest high end earbuds, the Momentum 3’s. The Momentum 3’s include a new design that looks similar to the lower priced CX earbuds released a few months ago. For features, the earbuds will have improved noise cancellation and sound, and support for Bluetooth 5.2. The earbuds will get up to 7 hours of battery life, with the case adding another 21 hours to the total. Charging is done via USB-C or qi wireless charging, the latter feature was something missing from 2020’s Momentum 2’s. The Momentum 3’s will also have the ability to use each earbud independently, something that was also missing from the previous model.
Sennheiser earbuds are known to have some of the better earbuds in the market, but sadly they come in a shape that doesn’t usually fit my ears, so I’ll have to live vicariously through those that will enjoy these headphones.
The Sennheiser Momentum 3’s will be available for pre-order on May 10 for $250 USD. Similarly priced earbuds in USD usually end up being around $330 in Canada.
https://www.engadget.com/sennheiser-momentum-true-wireless-3-earbuds-announced-220016884.html
Apple Warns Developers That It Will Begin Removing Old Apps From The App Store
Last week developers started posting about Apple sending them emails that some of their apps may be removed from the App Store because they haven’t been updated in a long time. This does not appear to be a new policy from Apple, as this policy dates back to 2016, but it appears that Apple is stepping up enforcement of this App Store rule. The rule in question is that the company can remove apps that have not been updated in 2 years or longer, and do not target more recent versions of iOS.
This is an attempt to combat abandoned apps from the store, and keep apps that might not have a good experience on devices out. On the other hand, some apps don’t require frequent updates, so this could cause some still functional apps to be removed from the store.
https://www.engadget.com/apple-app-store-improvement-policy-210207155.html
New e-ink Display Technology Brings Colour Screens That Might Be Useful
E-ink screens have been around for over 15 years now, but have been limited to black and white. The company behind the technology has been working on colour e-ink for several years, and might finally have a colour e-ink display that is usable and practical. The refresh rate and colour accuracy won’t be mathing an OLED display anytime soon, but this display is much more usable. It remains to be seen if this display technology can scale to consumer devices, especially in price, but hopefully we see this come in the future.
Drone Delivery Finds Practical, and Life Saving, use In Rwanda
Delivering goods quickly has become a huge industry, with several companies investing in research into using drones for delivery. We can all fantasize about getting that midnight burrito delivered via drone, but in Rwanda, there is a slightly more practical application for the technology. In that African nation where 80% of the population lives outside of cities, keeping stock of time sensitive medical supplies, specifically blood, has long been a challenge. Zipline, a company developing drone delivery systems, now has two drone delivery hubs for blood in Rwanda, and can make up to 500 blood deliveries per day in the country. There is data to show that this both reduces waste with fewer units of blood going bad, but also saves lives. A fascinating use of a new technology halfway around the world.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/04/drones-have-transformed-blood-delivery-in-rwanda/