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Mark Zuckerberg: CEO, billionaire, troll
We imagine the scene at Facebook right now is like Kim Jong-il's funeral. Employees weeping in hallways, dripping anguished snot onto keyboards, beating their chests with unsold Facebook phones in an orgy of anguish at the injustice of media coverage regarding Mark Zuckerberg's unprompted defense this week of giving Holocaust deniers a voice on the platform. But I think we've finally figured out what's going on at Facebook after all.
MSNBC's interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook airs tonight at 8PM ET
Last week, details from Tim Cook's interview with MSNBC and Recode's Kara Swisher emerged ahead of its airing, and boy, did he have some choice words for Facebook. When asked about the social network's mess with Cambridge Analytica, the Apple CEO said: "We've never believed that these detailed profiles of people, that have incredibly deep personal information that is patched together from several sources, should exist." The cable news network will broadcast the full talk tonight at 8PM ET.
How artificial intelligence can be corrupted to repress free speech
The internet was supposed to become an overwhelming democratizing force against illiberal administrations. It didn't. It was supposed to open repressed citizens' eyes, expose them to new democratic ideals and help them rise up against their authoritarian governments in declaring their basic human rights. It hasn't. It was supposed to be inherently resistant to centralized control. It isn't.
Intel and Lady Gaga team up to 'Hack Harassment'
Hack Harassment is exactly what it sounds like -- a tech-driven initiative to curb online harassment and find solutions to issues with hate speech and threats on the web. The program, which Intel teased during its CES conference this week, is spearheaded by Intel, Vox Media, Re/code and Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation. Hack Harassment's first move will be a series of hackathons, held both online and in-person, with the goal of advancing anti-harassment technology.
Twitter is thinking of expanding tweets to 10,000 characters (updated)
According to a report from Re/Code, Twitter's top brass is considering dropping its 140-character limit in lieu of a 10,000-character cap. The so-called "Beyond 140" project, as Re/Code's sources call it, would allow people tweet with the same freedom as their Direct Messages. As the sources describe it, tweets would still only display 140 characters in your timeline but then expand to display the additional text once the user clicks on it. This functionality is currently in testing, though there's no word on release date yet and there's no guarantee that the final character limit could change before it debuts.
Twitter's goal for the next year is to be simpler and easier to use
With the introduction of curated Moments, it's clear that Twitter is trying very hard to not only keep its existing userbase, but also to make its product easier to use, especially for newcomers. At the Code/Mobile event in Half Moon Bay, Twitter's SVP of Product Kevin Weil confirmed that vision by saying that the next 12 months will be about making the product simpler for casual users. This, he says, won't be good for just new folks, but will also improve the utility and functionality of Twitter for everyone. One potential way for Twitter to do that would be to increase the 140 character limit in tweets, which was a rumor floating around last week. While Weil wouldn't comment on it, he did say "We're not shy about changing something that's at the core of Twitter."
Verizon and AT&T are opening mini-stores in 250 Best Buys
Best Buy announced a pair of independent agreements on Tuesday with both Verizon and AT&T, according to Re/Code. The deal will reportedly see both brands receive dedicated floor space within 250 of the electronics chain's locations by the end of the year. In many cases, both AT&T and Verizon outlets will be located in the same Best Buy. Each mini-store will range from 90 to 180 square feet and be staffed by Best Buy Associates specifically trained in each brand's products and services. These agreements follow similar pacts struck with Apple, Samsung and Microsoft (not to mention Best Buy and Macy's), all of whom are angling to reach consumers without having to invest in independent storefronts of their own. Best Buy has not released financial details regarding the agreements. [Image Credit: Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press]
Apple's Greg Joswiak talks about iOS 8.0.1 glitch, Apple Pay and more
Speaking with Walt Mossberg and Ina Fried, Apple VP of iPhone, iPod, and iOS Product marketing Greg Joswiak talked about Apple Pay, the new Apple SIM and the company's botched rollout of iOS 8.0.1. Joswiak was on stage as part of Re/code's Code/Mobile conference. Joswiak said the issue with iOS 8.0.1 that disabled cellular connectivity and Touch ID on select iPhones was a software distribution error and not a problem with the software itself. "It had to do with the way the software was being sent over servers. It was the way software was being distributed," Joswiak said. "Whenever you're pushing software and doing some very advanced things, you're going to have some mistakes. What we try to do is very quickly fix them." The executive noted that Apple responded very quickly to the problem -- pulling the software within one hour following the discovery of the glitch. In the interview published on Re/Code's site, Joswiak also discusses other pertinent topics including the iPad's new universal SIM card and the competitive marketplace surrounding Apple Pay. Your browser does not support iframes.
Full video of Eddy Cue and Jimmy Iovine's Code Conference interview now available
Just hours after Apple announced its $3 billion acquisition of Beats Electronics, Eddy Cue and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine sat down with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the inaugural Code Conference to discuss a wide range of topics, though the conversation naturally focused on music. The full interview lasts about an hour and is well worth checking out, if only because it's not too often we get to see Apple employees talk so freely and candidly. What's more, the Code Conference was the first time we've seen Eddy Cue really step up in the public spotlight in an arena outside of an official Apple media event. Check it out below. Your browser does not support iframes.
Microsoft Office apps for iPad gain printing abilities and other news from April 29, 2014
Microsoft's Office for iPad apps have received an update that adds the ability to print to an AirPrint printer, PowerPoint smart guides, auto fitting in Excel and more. It's a funny thing, going more into debt in order to raise cash. But that's what Apple is planning to do to prevent having to bring some of its off-shore funds back into the United States. We took a look at the Kinsa smart thermometer a couple months ago, and now it's available for purchase. The Kickstarter for Lunecase went live today. Lunecase uses electromagnetic energy from the iPhone to provide call and text notifications on the back of the case without needing a battery. Re/code's Code Conference has added Apple's Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi to its all-star roster. They will be the keynote of the second night of the May 27–29 conference. While the conference itself is sold out, there is a waitlist.
