Category: Technology

Major streaming services have upped their game in 2022 with the launch of ad-supported tiers, new live sports deals, hugely successful original series and more. As the streaming wars continue to heat up, media companies have no choice but to raise the stakes. From the HBO Max/Discovery+ merged streaming service to Netflix’s password-sharing offering, here’s what SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) streaming services have planned for next year and beyond.

What HBO Max/Discovery+ is planning for 2023

Earlier this year, Discovery acquired WarnerMedia to form Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), becoming one of the biggest media companies in the United States.

As TechCrunch has reported many times, HBO Max and Discovery+ are combining in 2023. This spring, WBD will launch a merged streaming service that pairs HBO originals and Warner Bros. films with Discovery+’s content library of unscripted shows, documentaries and more. In total, subscribers will have access to nearly 200,000 hours of programming and over 100 brands, such as CNN, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Food Network, TLC, HGTV, ID, Animal Planet and many others.

The streaming service will reportedly be called just “Max,” and will make its debut in the U.S. before launching in Latin America and then in Europe in 2024. While there will be an ad-free and ad-supported option, its ad-free offering will likely cost more than what subscribers pay now for HBO Max’s premium plan, which is $14.99/month.

“Max,” or whatever the company decides to call it, will be a major contender in the streaming wars. HBO, HBO Max and Discovery+ ended Q3 2022 with a combined total of 94.9 million global subscribers.

WBD is also busy planning a free ad-supported streaming (FAST) service to keep up with competitors in the FAST market, including Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi and Amazon Freevee, among others.

Recently, the company pulled over a dozen HBO originals from HBO Max that will soon move to third-party streaming services. This includes “Westworld,” “The Nevers,” “Raised by Wolves,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” “Love Life,” “Made for Love,” “Minx,” “Finding Magic Mike,” “Head of the Class,” “FBOY Island,” “Legendary,” “Gordita Chronicles” and “The Garcias.”

We predict that once WBD launches its FAST offering, it will offer these titles.

What Netflix is planning for 2023

Netflix had an eventful 2022. The company launched its $6.99/month ad-supported tier, giving consumers the ability to save a few bucks on their streaming habits. The move validates a common trend in the industry right now — ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) is in. In 2023, Netflix’s “Basic with Ads” plan is predicted to have 7.5 million domestic subscribers, according to J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth.

Netflix’s subscriber base also rebounded in Q3 2022 after increasing by 2.41 million subscribers, bringing the total to 223.09 million. The company previously experienced two bleak quarters, losing a total of 1.2 million global subscribers.

As far as we know, the streamer has three notable projects in the works for 2023 and beyond.

In early 2023, Netflix will launch an “Extra Members” feature to monetize password sharing. The feature will prompt account members to pay an extra fee to add a sub-account for people sharing the streaming service.

The company has already launched a “Profile Transfer” feature, which lets a member on an existing account transfer their profile to a brand-new account and a “Manage Access and Devices” feature, which allows account owners to remotely log out of devices they don’t want to be signed in to the account.

Also coming to the streaming service next year is a livestreaming capability, with Chris Rock to be the first to test the offering for his upcoming comedy special. Live content could help the streamer attract new subs.

Unfortunately, Netflix is not planning to launch a live sports offering. During the UBS Global TMT Conference, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said, “We’ve not seen a profit path to renting big sports.”

Beyond next year, the company is continuing its investment into gaming. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2022, Netflix VP of Gaming Mike Verdu revealed that a cloud gaming offering is on the horizon. This is a smart move for Netflix as the global cloud gaming market had $1.6 billion in revenue in 2021.

Similarly, there’s a possibility that Netflix will get into PC gaming since it’s looking to hire a game director who’ll be in charge of launching a AAA PC game.

Netflix’s mobile gaming library continues to expand. Entering 2023, Netflix will have launched 50 mobile games so far.

What Disney+ is planning for 2023

Looking back on 2022, Disney+ experienced a lot of major changes, including the launch of its ad-supported tier as well as the unexpected return of Bob Iger as CEO.

The “Disney+ Basic” plan is $7.99/month and was launched in order to give Disney+ more subscribers. The company wants to reach 230-260 million Disney+ subscribers by 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2022, Disney+ reported 164.2 million global subscribers in total.

However, there is one major issue with the ad launch: Disney+ Basic is unavailable on Roku devices. TechCrunch estimates that Disney and Roku will reach an agreement to change that sometime in late 2023 — but that’s just a guess.

Alongside Disney+’s new subscription plan, the streamer introduced changes to the Disney Bundle as well as a price hike to its ad-free plan.

In November 2022, Bob Chapek stepped down as CEO of Disney and was replaced by Bob Iger, the former CEO, who had only vacated the spot in 2021. Hopefully, Iger can help the company achieve profitability by its fiscal 2024. In Q4 2022, when Chapek was still CEO, Disney’s direct-to-consumer division lost $1.5 billion in revenue.

In 2023, Disney+ is planning an international expansion to 30 additional countries, which would bring the total to over 160 countries. Over the summer, the streamer launched in 42 countries and 11 territories.

Also, beginning next year, Disney+ will be the exclusive international home for new “Doctor Who” episodes.

One significant feature coming to the streaming service is an exclusive shopping experience for Disney+ subscribers. The online shop, which is currently in the testing phase, offers users merchandise from Disney-owned brands, such as Star Wars, Marvel, Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. The company is also reportedly exploring the idea of a membership program similar to Amazon Prime. There are no official launch dates for either feature.

What Hulu is planning for 2023

Not much happened for the Disney-owned streaming service Hulu this year, apart from annoying price increases and losing titles to rival Peacock. The streamer did however reach a milestone of 58 Emmy nominations. Hulu is also beginning 2023 with 47.2 million subscribers.

If you’ve been following the Disney/Comcast spectacle, then you know that Disney is expected to buy Comcast’s stake in Hulu by the end of 2024. Comcast owns 33%, whereas Disney owns 66%. However, when Chapek was still CEO, he alluded in a Variety interview that Disney could buy the rights sooner than that — perhaps in 2023. This depends on if Comcast “is willing to have discussions that would bring that to fruition earlier,” Chapek said.

Whenever Disney ends up buying Comcast’s stake in Hulu — either by 2023 or 2024 — the company may be planning on merging Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+. “You know the term soft bundle and hard bundle, right? Soft bundle is, hey, buy all three services for the low price of X. The hard bundle is when things become seamless and without friction. Right now, if you want to go from Hulu to ESPN+ to Disney+, you have to go out of one app to another app. In the future, we may have less friction,” Chapek told Variety.

If Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ were to live inside one platform, many subscribers who already have the Disney Bundle would be overjoyed. While it most likely won’t be a full integration like HBO Max and Discovery+, it will still be an amalgamation of epic proportions. Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ have a combined total of 235.7 million subscribers.

What Amazon Prime Video is planning for 2023

Prime Video had a successful 2022, becoming the exclusive home of the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football,” which had its first game watched by 15.3 million viewers, and its “The Lord of the Rings” spinoff was the most-watched series with over 100 million viewers worldwide. “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is confirmed for a second season.

It’s fair to say that Amazon is heavily investing in content and will continue doing so for the next few years. For instance, the streaming service keeps putting money toward live sports. In 2023, the company will be the home of an exclusive NFL Black Friday game, the first Black Friday game for the league.

Amazon may also take a gamble with theatrical movies, according to Bloomberg. The publication wrote that Amazon might begin spending more than $1 billion a year to produce 12 to 15 films that will premiere in theaters before they make their debut on the streaming service. This would be a notable yet expensive gamble for the company, as it has yet to invest this much into original movies.

The streamer has various original series in the pipeline, including the greenlit limited series “Blade Runner 2099,” a “God of War” live-action series and even at least one “Warhammer 40,000” title that will have “Man of Steel” actor Henry Cavill as the lead.

Speaking of DC actors, Amazon is in the process of closing a deal with Warner Bros. to develop animated DC series for Prime Video. At the Content London conference, the Chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group, Channing Dungey, said, “We are in the process of closing a big deal with Amazon that’s going to feature some of our DC branded content in animation.” For HBO Max to share IP, especially DC content, is extremely notable and will likely boost subscription growth for Prime Video.

As more SVOD streaming services shift to AVOD, we wouldn’t be surprised if Prime Video considers launching a cheaper ad-supported tier. It’s possible that such an offering would pay off big for Amazon. It’s estimated that Netflix will see $600 million in advertising sales in 2023 alone.

The move makes sense for Amazon as it already has an ad-supported service, Freevee. Amazon Prime Video is also testing an ad format called virtual product placement, which the company announced in May.

What Apple TV+ is planning for 2023

Apple TV+ announced its first foray into live sports this year. We suspect Apple TV+ will keep up with the trend in 2023.

In March 2022, Apple TV+ closed its first live sports deal with Major League Baseball, bringing fans “Friday Night Baseball” games as well as a live show “MLB Big Inning.” The company is launching its subscription service for Major League Soccer fans, “MLS Season Pass” in February 2023.

Like Amazon, rival Apple TV+ would benefit greatly from an ad-supported tier. Apple TV+ recently increased its subscription price to $6.99/month or $69/year.

What Paramount+ is planning for 2023

Paramount+ is ending 2022 with 46 million global subscribers, which was mainly driven by the new partnership with Walmart+, which has a reported 16 million subscribers, as well as offering its premium subscription on The Roku Channel and YouTube. More recently, Paramount+ reported a record number of subscriber sign-ups in November when it premiered its latest hit series “Tulsa King,” starring Sylvester Stallone.

Looking ahead, Paramount+ plans to reach 100 million subs by 2024 and increase streaming content spending to $6 billion, up from $2 billion in 2022. It also has plans to expand international growth, which includes 150 international original titles by 2025.

With the release of high-budget films like “Top Gun: Maverick” and Paramount+ continuing to rely on popular IP, the streamer will likely achieve substantial subscriber growth in 2023. Plus, Paramount+ recently launched an in-app Showtime bundle, giving subscribers access to more content.

That being said, a merger between Paramount+ and Showtime is likely imminent. During Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia + Technology Conference, CEO of Paramount Global, Bob Bakish, confirmed that talks of a merger had taken place internally. While a decision hasn’t been made yet, integrating Showtime into Paramount+ would be the best move for the company.

A price increase is also in the future plans for Paramount+. During the company’s third-quarter earnings call, Paramount Global Executive Vice President and CFO, Naveen Chopra, said that “opportunities to increase price on Paramount+” is to be expected.

What Peacock is planning for 2023

Peacock had a big win in 2022 as it doubled its number of paid subscribers to 18 million this year alone. This was mainly thanks to NBC and Bravo next-day episodes that it pulled from Hulu earlier this year. Peacock was also the Spanish-language streaming home for all World Cup games.

In terms of other content coming to the streaming service in 2023, Peacock will premiere the “John Wick” prequel series, “The Continental,” as well as original series like “Poker Face,” starring “Russian Doll” star Natasha Lyonne. The streamer also recently announced its first original adult animation series, “In the Know,” which will feature “Beavis and Butt-Head” creator Mike Judge and “Silicon Valley” actor Zach Woods.

Beginning in 2023, Peacock will be the exclusive streaming partner of JetBlue, marking a notable deal that will broaden its service to more subscribers.

While things are looking up for Peacock next year, some non-paying subscribers might be very disappointed in the next 12 months or later. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell stated that “at some point” the company wants to convert Xfinity users to paid subscribers of Peacock. This means customers of Comcast’s Xfinity cable and internet services might not be able to get the streaming service as a free perk anymore. However, this move would make sense for Peacock since 30 million monthly active users can access the streaming service at no additional cost.

This wasn’t Mark Warner’s first CES rodeo. The senior senator from Virginia was on board with this whole tech thing well before being elected the state’s governor back in 2002. His time at Columbia Capital found him knee-deep in the mobile world during its formative years, including his early support of one-time telecom giant, Nextel.

After years away, the CTA invited Warner back to appear on a panel alongside fellow senators Jacky Rosen of Nevada and New Mexico’s Ben Ray Luján. The program was part of a broader, on-going initiate to bring lawmakers to CES, as technology grows ever more central in our lives and the policies that govern them.

Warner has, fittingly, made tech a centerpiece of much of the work he’s done in Congress’ upper chamber, from social media accountability to the long-standing technological cold war between the U.S. and China. He also serves as the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and was a strong proponent of the CHIPS act.

We sat down with the senator in a Las Vegas Convention Center meeting room, to discuss some of the day’s most important technology concerns, from cybersecurity and TikTok/Huawei to Elon Musk’s Twitter roller coaster and the rise of killer robots.

But first, because it’s all anyone was speaking about this week, Kevin McCarthy’s propensity for stepping on rakes on the way to becoming House Speaker. (Note: McCarthy won on the 15th vote, roughly six hours after our conversation.)

(Editor’s note: This interview has been edited lightly for length and clarity.)

What are your thoughts generally on the McCarthy situation?

I don’t know how he gets out of this. I know him, because I’ve dealt with him as part of the Gang of Eight, and frankly, my interactions with him have been fine. [ … ] I’m a little surprised that he’s made all of these concessions he said he wouldn’t make, and he’s not had more push back from the moderates.

By the 10th or 11th vote, you start making more concessions.

People, I understand, can be critical of Nancy Pelosi on things, but you could have never have envisioned this kind of scenario happening to her.

Everyone seems to be following this.

And the fact that it was the two-year anniversary of January 6. The idea that they’re coming in at 10 p.m. on a Friday night.

How did you make the jump into politics?

I started with the interest in politics. I graduated from college, I had no money, and I had done fundraising as a young guy for the Democratic National Committee and Jimmy Carter’s campaign. I remember somebody who went into $300,000 debt after he lost in a race. I couldn’t imagine that. The idea was that, if I’m ever going to have [a political career] as a possibility, I’m going to go and get a financial base first. I failed miserably at two businesses. The third was cell phones, and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

You have a technology background, but I think there’s a lack of tech knowledge in leaders generally, and in the government more broadly. Given how much tech touches every piece of legislation, what can we do to catch congress up to speed?

I think people are trying. The good news is that most of the technology issues don’t fall on a liberal-conservative continuum. My tired phrase is, “it’s more future-past than left-right.” I think that makes it easier at times to find coalitions. With Huawei and the semi-conductor – I’ve been up to my eyes in both of them – that technology competition is national security. If we have a conflict with China, I don’t believe it’s going to be who has the most aircraft carriers and airplanes. It’s going to be who dominates satellites; can you turn off the power?

You may never need to get to conflict if you have a communications medium operated by the China Communist Party that has 100 million kids on it, called TikTok. I think people are getting that, and there is a willing bipartisan concern about China and national security. Both make members more willing to learn about technology and realize it’s something that we have to focus on. But it’s been an evolution.

You mentioned Huawei. I, perhaps naively, thought that when Trump left office, there would be a rolling back of the entity list and other issues. These things have remained firmly in place.

Huawei’s a national security threat. Huawei scared me, being a wireless guy. I grew up in a world with Motorola and AT&T and Nortel, Erickson, Nokia, Samsung. You turn around, and all of the North American companies are gone. You suddenly not only have a Chinese company, but you have the Chinese setting the ground rules for the international telecommunications union and all of these standard-setting bodies, which we used to dominate, and then they flooded the zone. We’re starting to tell other countries Huawei’s a challenge. But we didn’t have any alternatives.

You’re talking about infrastructure.

Yeah. Huawei’s cheap and it’s a soup to nuts solution setup. But one of the things that I think is very positive is that even the European companies that went down the Huawei path are doing some version of rip and replace. I think the awareness that these Chinese companies come with national security risks has grown beyond America.

Is it time to start having a serious discussion about legislation around police and killer robots?

Truthfully, I have probably not thought about it enough. Using technology without some guardrails — I think we make a mistake with the notion of “go out and innovate, break things.”

Move fast, break things.

I think that’s created some real issues. It’s one of the issues I’ve made the pitch that we need to be involved in the standard-setting entities around the world. You build your values of transparency or privacy protection. I do think that if you combine technology with AI, you sometimes take the human being out of the decision-making. That scares the dickens out of me. How will you go about legislating those guardrails on the front end? We’re not very good at it. We usually legislate after the fact, and it blows my mind that we still haven’t done a single thing on social media.

That’s a subject I wanted to broach with the recent Twitter news.

I’m a big supporter of Elon Musk, especially with SpaceX.

As a technological innovator.

Yeah. My concern with him on Twitter is not about putting Trump back on Twitter; it’s because his real source of wealth is Tesla, whether he’s going to be dependent so much on the Communist Party of China in terms of the source of all of his batteries. If you look at the comments he’s made about the regulatory structure in China, it’s all been positive. And the comments he’s made about infrastructure in Europe or America are generally negative. I worry about undo influence.

So the worry is him using this as a platform to promote these ideas?

I would be concerned that suddenly Twitter prohibits negative comments about the Communist Party in China.

There was an argument [prior to Musk purchasing Twitter] about “free speech” and how it applies to a platform run by a private sector company. If it’s a company he owns, it’s his purview.

I think you can put some restraints on Section 230. I’m not where a lot of the tech community might be. I support free speech. I think you don’t have the right to necessarily have it amplified eight billion times.

Should the FTC be more aggressive with regard to acquisitions and potential monopolies?

Yes. There are some that argue we don’t need additional legislation; they just need a stronger review. I do think that some of the transactions that were allowed could have been precluded. I think, in the long run, it would have made sense. You made the comment that tech companies are virtual utilities. I am of the view — and I’m not an antitrust expert by any means — that consumer price being the only thing.

Purely capitalistic motives.

Yeah, but also, how do you measure price? People say “Facebook is free; Google’s free.” It’s not free. I’m not saying it’s morally bad they take our data and monetize it.

I’ll say that.

I’m more squishy than that. But people ought to know what it’s worth.

And they ought to know what data they’re giving up.

Right, right. It’s crazy to me that we’ve still never had a data privacy law in this country.

With so many different models and sizes, it can be difficult to choose the right tablet for you. Every tablet can serve a different purpose depending on your needs, so we’ve come up with a list of the pros and cons of each variation to help you make an informed decision.

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What are the tablet sizes?

The size of a tablet will depend on the company that’s behind it and the model you’re getting. Some of the biggest companies that create these tablets are Apple, Samsung, Amazon, Microsoft and Lenovo. These companies offer multiple different sizes for their tablets, and most of them offer small, standard and large.

A small size is typically a tablet that is under 10 inches, a standard typically falls between 10 and 11 inches, and a large one is considered to be 12 inches or bigger.

With different sizes come different perks. It all depends on what you need your tablet for, so here are the pros and cons of every tablet size:

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Pros of a small-sized tablet (under 10″)

• Lightweight and portable, so you can take it with you anywhere
• Longer battery life
• Perfect for simple tasks like surfing the web or reading E-books

Pros of a standard-sized tablet (10″-11″)

• Still portable and easy to carry – yet has larger screens for better viewing
• Perfect for completing tasks like school or job assignments
• Often can be used with keyboard attachments for easier typing

Pros of a large-sized tablet (12″ or more)

• Can be used as alternatives to laptops, making them the best for working and productivity
• Great for watching shows or playing games
• Thin and lightweight, making it easier to carry than a laptop

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Cons of a small-sized tablet (under 10″)

• Often have slower network processors and less storage space due to their small size
• Not ideal for work or school-related assignments

Cons of a standard-sized tablet (10″-11″)

• Not quite as portable as the small-sized tablet (it may not fit in a purse or small bag)
• Heavier weight may tire out your hands faster if you don’t have a keyboard attachment

Cons of a large-sized tablet (12″ or more)

• Not easily portable
• Tends to be more expensive than the smaller models

WILD INNOVATIONS COMING IN 2023 DESPITE DOWNTURN IN ECONOMY

What are the best tablet options?

We’ve done the research and have chosen what we think are the best tablet models

1. Apple iPad Pro 12.9″ 6th Generation – Kurt’s Choice

The Apple iPad Pro 12.9″ sixth-generation model is an excellent tablet choice. It’s faster and more capable than any other iPad model to date. It contains all-day battery life as well as a brilliantly clear screen display and a super high-end camera. It’s also compatible with Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Keyboard, which can make the tablet feel more like a laptop, so there are various ways to get the most use out of it. The only con to this product is that it’s a bit on the heavier side, so it’s not super easy to carry around with you as a smaller-sized tablet would be. However, if you’d rather the larger screen display, this is a great option for you.

Get the Apple iPad Pro 12.9″ 6th Generation

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is another great choice for those looking for a larger-sized tablet. This model is a whopping 14.6″ and gives the user plenty of room to work on their assignments. It comes with an ultra-wide camera and a long-lasting battery and is compatible with the S pen for those who want to draw and write notes. It also has a WiFi speed that is three times faster than previous Samsung tablet models.

Get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

The Amazon Fire 7 tablet is a great pick for those who would rather have something in a smaller size. At 7″, it’s super easy to transport and has a battery life that lasts up to 10 hours. It has apps for all kinds of social media and streaming apps, and it even comes with the Alexa feature so that you can make lists, set reminders, and more. Since it’s smaller in size, it’s also smaller in price, so this is also an economically great option. And one of the best parts is that it’s being sold at an amazing price for only $59.99.

Get the Amazon Fire 7 Tablet

4. Microsoft Surface Go 3

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is our standard-sized tablet option and is super versatile. It can be used as both a laptop and a tablet and has all-day battery life. Perfect for everyday tasks, assignments and leisure time, it’s also optimized for digital pen and touchscreen, and it even comes with a kickstand so you can view your screen in a comfortable position.

Get the Microsoft Surface Go 3

5. Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 is our final tablet pick, and it’s perfect for anyone who lives by Google services and products. It has a detachable keyboard, so you can choose to use it as a touchscreen or in a laptop style. You can access all Chrome apps and even download Android apps directly from the Google Play Store. It also has excellent battery life, lasting up to 12 hours on one charge and is 13.3″ wide, giving you a crystal clear screen for easy viewing.

Get the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5

Which tablet is your favorite? We’d love to know the one you chose and why?

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For more of my tips, head over to CyberGuy.com and be sure to subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the “Free newsletter” link at the top of my website.

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For older Americans, a hearing aid can be super expensive. The average cost of a doctor-prescribed pair can range from a whopping $2,000 to $7,000. 

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The National Council on Aging recently revealed that only 20% of people needing a hearing aid use them, almost entirely because they can’t afford them. However, a new study concludes that Apple AirPods Pro, which cost $249, are almost as good as hearing aids and a fraction of the cost. 

Apple AirPods Pro vs. traditional hearing aid

In a recent study at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 21 people suffering from mild to moderate hearing loss were tested using a basic hearing aid, a premium hearing aid, Apple AirPods 2nd Gen, and Apple AirPods Pro. 

It was shown that using the Live Listen feature with Apple AirPods Pro proved to be as effective as basic hearing aids in a quiet environment and only slightly less effective than premium hearing aids. Live Listen with Apple AirPods Pro proved more effective than premium hearing aids when the noise came from the sides. 

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The most astonishing discovery from the study was that AirPods Pro met four out of five ANSI/CTA-2051 standards, the electro-acoustic criteria for all hearing aids.

With all this in mind, should people in need of hearing aids invest in a pair of Apple AirPods Pro? Here’s a side-by-side comparison of some stats:

• Hearing aids are placed in the ear canal, sometimes invisible to the eye vs. AirPods Pro are earphones that are not only visible yet easily knocked out and vulnerable to the elements
• A good hearing aid has a battery life of about 30 hours vs. AirPods Pro usually last around 6 hours before needing to be charged
• Hearing aids usually come with a full warranty of 2 to 3 years vs. AirPods Pro come with a limited one-year warranty

Can AirPods Pro be used instead of hearing aids?

The fact that AirPods Pro performed so well in comparison to hearing aids likely proves an enticing prospect to the hearing-impaired community. However, you should always listen to what your doctor has to say first and foremost.

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No doctors currently prescribe the Apple Airpods Pro as an alternative to hearing aids, nor does Apple advertise AirPods as a solution for hearing loss in any way.

Still, if you have a pair of Apple Airpods Pro and are just having trouble hearing in a loud, crowded space, know that there is at least a temporary alternative to being able to hear just a little bit better using the Live Listen feature.

How does Live Listen work?

Live Listen serves as a microphone of sorts, allowing you to hear the person or people you are talking to at an increased volume. It should be noted that Live Listen isn’t available on all models of the iPhone and is currently only available for products that use iOS 14.3 or later. Live Listen also doesn’t come automatically enabled on all devices.

5 NEW APPLE PRODUCTS POSSIBLY COMING IN 2023

To activate Live Listen on your iPhone

• Go to Settings
• Tap Control Center
• Scroll down to More Controls
• Tap the plus sign icon next to the Hearing tab

To use live listen

• Make sure your AirPods are connected
• Swipe down from the top right to open the control center
• Tap the hearing button
• Turn on Live Listen

Place your iPhone in front of the person you are talking to, and their voice will be amplified to you through your AirPods. You will also be able to adjust your volume accordingly in the controls.

Get the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) here

IPHONE ACCESSORIES: HERE ARE 5 OF THE BEST FOR 2023

Let us know if you are using Apple’s Airpods Pro as an alternative to expensive hearing aids. We’d love to hear from you and find out what your experience has been like.

For more of my tips, head over to CyberGuy.com and be sure to subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the “Free newsletter” link at the top of my website.

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The Series 8 is the newest iteration of the Apple Watch that initially came out in 2015, replacing the prior-generation Apple Watch Series 7. 

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The latest version has cool features like crash detection and a temperature sensor. However, the big question Donna from Lake Charles, Louisiana, wrote to me asking is:

“Our daughter who is 30, found out at the age of 24 that she was a Type 1 Diabetic. We would like to purchase a new apple watch for her but are unsure about the technology. Is there a big enough difference between Series 7 & 8 that she would notice?”

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What is the difference between Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8?

First of all, it’s important to note that following the launch of the Apple Watch Series 8, the company discontinued the Apple Watch Series 7.

As a result, you would need to purchase the Series 7 from a reseller.

This introduces one immediate difference: the price, which will likely only continue to go down. However, will the discounted price be worth missing out on the additions and improvements to the Series 8? Or are these changes substantial enough to even give it a second thought? With this in mind, I want to provide you with a side-by-side comparison.

Display

The Series 7 display was a notable improvement over the Series 6, but the display of the Series 8 doesn’t feature significant differences, as both models have:

• A face measuring between 41 and 45mm
• A dust-resistant screen

The only notable change is the choice of colors available, with aluminum models in Series 8 available in:

• Midnight
• Starlight silver
• Product Red

And stainless steel Series 8 models available in:

There is no blue and red option for the stainless steel Series 8 as there was for the stainless steel Series 7.

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Battery life and Storage

Some highlights:

• Battery Life
  Promoted as one of the best attributes of the Series 8 watch is its 36-hour battery life when in low-power mode
  However, owners of the Series 7 who download the WatchOS 9 software will also have an extended battery life.
  When not in low-power mode, which limits certain features, the Series 7 and 8 have an estimated 18 hours of battery life.
• Promoted as one of the best attributes of the Series 8 watch is its 36-hour battery life when in low-power mode
• However, owners of the Series 7 who download the WatchOS 9 software will also have an extended battery life.
• When not in low-power mode, which limits certain features, the Series 7 and 8 have an estimated 18 hours of battery life.
• StorageSeries 7 and Series 8 have 32GB of storage.
• Series 7 and Series 8 have 32GB of storage.

Health and Safety Features

With the health and safety of her daughter in mind, Donna, who wrote to me, was most concerned with the difference in the health and safety features of the newer and older models. Regarding diabetes management both Series 7 and Series 8 have features which would be helpful to people living with diabetes including the ability to track daily activity levels and set reminders to take medications.

Additional health and safety features to be aware of include:

• Both Series 7 and Series 8 currently have fall detection, emergency SOS and a gyroscope.
• Found on Series 8 and not Series 7, however, are blood oxygen sensors, as well as two new body temperature sensors, one located close to the skin and the other inside the display.
• In addition to monitoring one’s body temperature 24 hours a day, the body temperature sensors are also able to help women track their menstrual cycles, sending alerts should any irregularities be detected.
• Another new feature currently unique to the Series 8 is a car crash detector, which can not only detect a vehicle accident the moment it happens – it is also able to alert emergency services as well as your emergency contacts should you be unresponsive after 10 seconds.

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Worth the upgrade

All in all, the changes between Series 7 and Series 8 are relatively minor.

Those of you who currently own a Series 7 Apple Watch might want to hold off on an upgrade until a newer model, with more new features and advancements, hits the market. 

Get an Apple Watch Series 7

Although for, first-time Apple Watch buyers and those particularly concerned with their health and safety may consider paying a little extra for a new Series 8 model, which without GPS features, currently sells for around $399. 

Get an Apple Watch Series 8

However, suppose those few additions make little difference to you. In that case, you may want to consider saving the money and going for Series 7, which lacks very few of the things found in Series 8.

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For more Apple tips, head over to CyberGuy.com and search “Apple” by clicking the magnifying glass at the top of my website.  And be sure to subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the “Free newsletter” link at the top of my website.

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This year’s Consumer Electronics Show debuted tons of state-of-the-art technology, and people are already going nuts over it. 

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There’s a lot to be excited about, and a bit weirded out about – too, from bird feeders with cameras to pillows that breathe and even a self-driving stroller. Not sure that is mom approved. However, we’re highlighting 5 of the strangest new tech.

5. Bird Buddy

This just might be the coolest bird feeder around. The AI-powered hummingbird feeder comes with a camera that can capture photos and videos of over 350 different hummingbird species. It has a motion sensor that will trigger the camera to take pictures once the bird approaches, and it can even catch wing speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Once the picture is taken, it will automatically send it to the smartphone device connected to the feeder via the Bird Buddy app. It’s a great invention, especially for bird lovers.

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4. Glüxkind’s self-driving stroller

Parents’ lives may have just gotten a whole lot easier thanks to tech company Glüxkind. They invented the Ella self-driving stroller, a hands-free motorized buggy with built-in sensors that can detect incoming obstacles to ensure the baby’s safety. It can even drive itself without a baby strapped in, so it can follow parents along if the parents decide they’d rather carry their child. It will stop automatically if any obstacles get in the way, as it has cameras built in that are designed to track moving objects like people, bikes, and much more. It also has built-in sounds and flashing lights, so it can alert parents when a potential danger is present. I think many new parents out there will want to get their hands on one of these.

3. Withings Urine Detector

You’re probably thinking, why would I want to analyze my pee at home? Well, your pee contains all sorts of clues about your health. So that’s where the U-SCAN comes in.  It’s the first at-home automatic urine analyzer, and it hygienically sits inside your toilet and can unlock important health information daily about your urine. The urine is detected through a thermal sensor, which activates a pump that will send the urine to a test pod. Inside the test pod, a chemical reaction is read to get all the health information it needs. You can then get your results through the Withings app. This will allow people to be more proactive and informed about their health. 

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2. Yukai Engineering’s breathing pillow

The Japanese robotics firm Yukai Engineering has invented an incredible pillow that feels like it’s breathing when you hold it. It does this by expanding and contracting slowly and subtly as you’re holding it, which helps train your body to do the same. It is meant to help those with anxiety and high-stress levels calm and feel at ease when needed. I’m sure this will be a super popular invention for people around the world in the new year. 

1. OVR Technology’s ION

What exactly is the metaverse? It’s a non-physical world that people can react with, usually by using digital technology such as a virtual reality headset. These VR headsets are not new. However, OVR Technology has upped the stakes by creating a brand new set that produces smells while you’re in the metaverse, making your virtual reality experience much more enriching. 

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With OVR’s new wearable scent technology, ION, your digital experiences can be more immersive, emotional, and effective than ever. It is designed to copy the human smell sense by linking scent to what the person will see in the VR world, like producing the smell of a flower seen on the ground. It’s an insanely cool invention. 

However, I’ve got an idea. Put down the VR headset, walk into nature and take in a deep breath of the real outside yourself. No headset or smell tech is required.

I’d like to know your thoughts on this strange new tech. Love it or hate it? Drop me an email and let me know.

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Welcome to The Interchange! If you received this in your inbox, thank you for signing up and your vote of confidence. If you’re reading this as a post on our site, sign up here so you can receive it directly in the future. Every week, I’ll take a look at the hottest fintech news of the previous week. This will include everything from funding rounds to trends to an analysis of a particular space to hot takes on a particular company or phenomenon. There’s a lot of fintech news out there and it’s my job to stay on top of it — and make sense of it — so you can stay in the know. — Mary Ann

Helloooo and Happy New Year! Feels like it’s been a while since I sat down to write this newsletter. I’ve missed it!

Before I dive into the news, I wanted to say that I hope you all had a restful and fun holiday. Ours was super low-key but that’s not a bad thing. Still, I will admit it has taken a bit for my brain to switch back to work mode this week…so bear with me.

On Friday, I published an article on Doorstead’s $21.5 million Series B raise. The story was among the most read on the site that day, further evidence that people are really interested in technology that relates to the property rental market, specifically when it comes to investing. For its part, Doorstead says it’s more than a full-service property management company, in that it guarantees the homeowners it works with a minimum amount in rent. If it can’t get the amount that it promises, it will cough up the difference. If it gets more, well, the owner gets the extra — not the company. Doorstead says it intentionally opted to only make money by charging an 8% management fee so that its incentives are aligned with that of the homeowners it works with. By being willing to pay the difference, the company says that it’s able to reduce the amount of time rental properties sit vacant. So, homeowners are not only getting a guaranteed rental income, but they are also having their properties rented out faster and making more money that way, the company’s founders, Ryan Waliany and Jennifer Bronzo, say. Notably, Doorstead also announced that it picked up the Boston assets of another venture-backed proptech, Knox Financial, whose raise I had covered in 2021. I don’t have details as to what led to the latter company winding down its operations, but I suspect we’ll be seeing more of this sort of thing in 2023. And by “sort of thing” I mean startups acquiring assets from other startups. To hear the Equity Podcast crew’s thoughts on Doorstead’s model, head here.

Over the break, we published an interview that I had conducted with GGV Capital’s Hans Tung and Robin Li during the fourth quarter. For the unacquainted, GGV is a venture firm with $9.2 billion in assets under management that invests in startups from seed to growth stages across a variety of sectors, including consumer, internet, enterprise/cloud and fintech. Some highlights of the interview include Tung’s views on down rounds not being the end of the world. He told me that he’d rather see a startup raise a down round than shut down, and that what matters in the end is the outcome. Refreshing! He also shared some of the advice he’s giving to his own portfolio companies, among other things. Meanwhile, Li provided her thoughts on why embedded fintech will remain hot.

While I’m sure there were already many down rounds in 2022, Tung expects we’ll see even more in 2023 as startups that had raised in 2021 began to get low on cash. I agree with his view that there’s no shame in raising a down round. Valuations were overinflated and any down rounds that are announced this year are in most cases reflecting valuations that are more realistic and easier to defend.

Weekly News

On January 6, self-described family fintech Greenlight launched Greenlight Level Up, an interactive, curriculum-based financial literacy game. Clearly the company is trying to appeal to the younger generation’s love of playing games digitally, although one has to wonder what took it so long to include a game in its offering. Via email a spokesperson told me: “Kids can earn virtual coins, experience points, and engage with real-life money lessons through dynamic graphics, story-driven gameplay, and animations on their cell phones or tablets — taking the principles of gamification and applying them to one of the essential skills they’ll need for their entire lives.” Of course, the gamification of finances is not a new concept. Last year, I wrote about Truist, one of the nation’s largest financial institutions, acquiring fintech startup Long Game in its efforts to appeal to a younger clientele.

BaaS startup Synctera said it is teaming up with Wahed (meaning “One” in Arabic), a digital Islamic investment platform that describes itself as the world’s first halal investment app. Synctera says it is providing the infrastructure for Wahed to make its services available to the 3.5 million residents of Muslim faith in the U.S. Presently, Wahed has more than 200,000 clients in the U.K. and Malaysia and is using Synctera’s offering to build bank account products and roll out a debit card program linked to its app for Muslim Americans. Specifically, a Synctera spokesperson told TechCrunch that “Wahed currently offers halal investments, structured in accordance with established Islamic principles and standards, to US customers. With Synctera, Wahed will be able to provide their customers with bank accounts (making funds transfer easier and smoother) and debit cards (for convenient access to funds).” Synctera CEO/founder Peter Hazlehurst wrote via email: “We’re really excited to help Wahed launch banking products for their U.S. customers….We expect to see a wave of mission-driven companies like Wahed embrace embedded banking to help people brighten their financial futures.” In recent years, we’ve seen more and more fintechs shaping their offerings to cater to very specific demographics such as Hispanics, Blacks, Asian Americans and immigrants generally. Only time will tell if that sort of niche focus will pay off.

In that vein, Boston-based Mendoza Ventures — which describes itself as “a female and Latinx-founded fintech, AI, and cybersecurity venture capital firm” — announced that it has achieved a first close on its $100 million fund — its third. Unfortunately, the firm would not share how much it has raised so far but did say in a press release that the fund “will prioritize investing in early growth stage startups with a focus on diverse founding teams.” Hey, we’re always here for any initiatives aimed at elevating diverse founding teams, especially in light of headlines such as this one. Notably, Bank of America led the initial close, which included participation from Grasshopper Bank and other undisclosed investors.

To kick off the year, Felicis Ventures‘ managing director Victoria Treyger penned a guest post for TechCrunch, offering up her predictions and where she sees opportunities in the fintech space. Meanwhile, Bessemer Venture Partners Charles Birnbaum told us via email that he believes that “With FedNow finally slated to launch more broadly in mid-2023, all eyes will be on opportunities around faster payments. While adoption of the Clearing House’s RTP scheme has been moderate to date, we expect FedNow’s use of the existing FedLine network to accelerate faster payment adoption beginning in 2023. There will be a lot of opportunity to build the enabling modern infrastructure for use-cases like payroll, insurance disbursements, supplier payments and more and at the application layer for more seamless b2b and consumer payments experiences.” He’s also still bullish on the continued institutional adoption of blockchain technology in some large areas of financial services. For example, he predicts that  SWIFT “will continue to experiment with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) while more banks will join the USDF Consortium to facilitate compliant transfer of value over blockchains via bank-minted tokenized deposit stablecoins.”

Speaking of blockchain, Mercuryo, a crypto-focused startup that has built a cross-border payments network, has now launched a BaaS solution, which it claims “unlocks a unique feature — the ability to manage banking and crypto accounts within a single platform.” A spokesperson for the company told me via email the goal is to make it easier for traditional banks to open crypto accounts for their users and to give crypto platforms a way to open bank accounts that would allow their clients to store, transfer and pay in fiat/crypto. I covered the company’s raise in June of 2021.

It was cool to see a startup whose raise I covered last year be named a Time Best Invention of 2022. Altro raised $18 million last May to grow its offering, which aims to help people build credit through recurring payment forms such as digital subscriptions to Netflix, Spotify and Hulu. Personally, I am a fan of the startup’s inclusive credit-building efforts, which challenge the antiquated credit score model here in the U.S.

Last week, Darrell Etherington and Becca Szkutak were joined by Brex co-founder and co-CEO Henrique Dubugras to chat about what made him and his co-founder, Pedro Franceschi, decide to launch the corporate card company and why the friends, who met online as teenagers, decided to be co-CEOs, among other things.

According to pay transparency tracker Comprehensive.io, Stripe is not exactly so transparent about its pay. The fintech giant does not include salary ranges in its CA or NYC job posts. The tracker also found that a strategic account executive at fintech startup Bolt can make — you ready for this? — $374,000 to $462,000 OTE/year. (If you could see me, I’m making the Kevin in “Home Alone” shocked face right now).

As reported by Manish Singh: “Suhail Sameer, the chief executive of BharatPe, will leave the top role later this week as the Indian fintech startup scrambles to steer the ship after kicking out its founder last year for allegedly misusing company funds.” More here.

Fundings and M&A

While we’re not seeing many megarounds in the fintech space here in the U.S., TechCrunch’s Manish Singh reports that India saw two significant raises in the world of fintech in recent weeks:

Indian fintech Money View valued at $900 million in new funding

Indian fintech Kreditbee nears $700 million valuation in new funding

Meanwhile, in South Korea, fintech Toss bumped its valuation up to a staggering $7 billion:

South Korean financial super app Toss closes $405M Series G as valuation rises 7%

Other funding deals reported on the TC site include:

Gynger launches out of stealth to loan companies cash for software

Fintech Vint hopes to turn wine and spirits into a mainstream asset class

Early-stage Mexico fintech Aviva is making loans as easy as a video call

And elsewhere:

Saudi start-up Manafa raises $28 million to fund expansion

And, that’s a wrap. I’m not typically one for resolutions but I can say that I am trying to start this year off on a more upbeat note. Last year was challenging in a lot of ways, but it doesn’t help to be negative or doom and gloom. There is still so much good news and things to be grateful for. So, my wish for 2023 is more resilience and optimism for us all because while we can’t always control what happens, we can control how we react. Thanks again for reading, and for your support. I’m always here for your feedback! Until next week…xoxoxo Mary Ann

CNN
 — 

Salesforce said Wednesday that it will cut approximately 10% of its workforce and reduce its real estate footprint, making it the latest tech company to slash expenses as broader economic uncertainty continues to hit Silicon Valley particularly hard.

In a letter to employees announcing the job cuts, Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s chair and co-CEO, admitted to growing headcount too much earlier in the pandemic and said most of the job cuts will take place over the coming weeks.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about how we came to this moment,” Benioff wrote. “As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn we’re now facing, and I take responsibility for that.”

As of January 2022, Salesforce reported a headcount of 73,541 global employees. As of October 2022, the company reported a headcount of 79,824.

The tech sector, which was initially buoyed by a sudden and intense pandemic-fueled shift to online services, has since had to confront consumers returning to their offline lives. At the same time, the industry has been pummeled by a seemingly perfect storm of economic factors over the past year, including rising interest rates, looming recession fears and consumers and businesses rethinking expenses.

Also on Wednesday, video-sharing platform Vimeo said in a regulatory filing that it would cut approximately 11% of its workforce.

Like Benioff, a number of other tech founders and CEOs have since admitted they failed to accurately gauge pandemic demand. As a result, tech firms including Amazon and Meta have announced company-wide layoffs.

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, wrote in investor note Wednesday that the cloud-computing giant “clearly is seeing headwinds in the field and thus is trying to quickly adjust to a softening demand environment.” The analyst added that the company “clearly overbuilt out its organization over the past few years along with the rest of the tech sector.”

Shares of Salesforce

(CRM) were up more than 3% in early trading Wednesday following the announcement.

Like other tech companies, Salesforce’s stock suffered steep declines last year. Against that backdrop, Salesforce made a significant change to its C-Suite: co-CEO and Vice Chair Bret Taylor said he would step down from his roles at the company at the end of January.

In his letter Wednesday, Benioff said impacted employees in the United States will “receive a minimum of nearly five months of pay, health insurance, career resources, and other benefits to help with their transition.” Those outside the United States “will receive a similar level of support,” Benioff wrote.

“The employees being affected aren’t just colleagues,” Benioff said. “They’re friends. They’re family. Please reach out to them. Offer the compassion and love they and their families deserve and need now more than ever. And most of all, please lean on your leadership, including me, as we work through this difficult time together.”

You wait for years for a urine analysis company, then all of them hit their flow all at once. One of the notable trends at CES in Las Vegas this year was that the quantified-self movement is going deeper. No longer content with just measuring your heart rate, number of steps, and EKG on your wrist, a new generation of startups is inching towards full-on medical-grade analysis of its users.

Here are a few to keep an eye on:

Withings

Health hardware company Withings this week released the U-Scan in Europe, and announced it is working with the FDA to secure an U.S. launch as well. The product uses a hands-free system that can take up to three months worth of measurements with a single cartridge.

Olive

Israeli startup Olive recently raised a $10 million round of funding, and promises to use optics-only to analyze urine. The company uses a a special toilet seat, no strips or additional accessories required. It is initially aiming at care homes and vulnerable populations, but is hoping to find a user base across a number of healthcare sectors.

Vivoo

Vivoo has been making at-home urine test strips for a long time, and it showed off the next iteration of its business, with a smart toilet. It’s aimed at residential carie, elderly, and healthcare markets. It gives a convenient alternative for users who may struggle to perform urine testing with hand-held urine strips.

We can only imagine it was feeling a little awkward about its “world first” marketing messaging at its booth. Especially given that the Vivoo booth was right next to Withing’s, where it was showing off how it had beaten the ‘world first’ to market.

The product is a prototype, with a broader roll-out in the not-too-distant future. The company raised a $6 million Series A fundraise in June 2021. The round was led by Draper Associates.

Special Zone Master

Don’t worry, it wasn’t all urine at CES this year. We also found SZM – Special Zone Master – which promises to do ‘visual analysis’ of your other favorite bodily waste – poop. The company promises to analyze stool shapes and color, record the time and frequency of your bowel movements, and detect the presence of blood as well.

“Just by taking a closer look at the stool, we can find the first signs of a health problem and take action before it is too late,” the company said in its marketing materials. We were curious to learn more, but the company’s founders where nowhere to be found – presumably, they were taking a well-deserved restroom break. It wasn’t entirely clear how far along the Korean startup was in its journey toward bringing its tech to a toilet seat near you.

As we were roaming the halls of CES in Las Vegas, one product category stood out across the board; there’s a lot of focus on portable (and less portable) power storage. These are more than your average charge-your-phone-once-or-twice battery packs, ranging from simple small power packs, to sophisticated power stations that can connect to portable or rooftop solar, and the biggest versions can power your whole home for weeks at the time.

The smallest portable power stations usually come with a few 110v sockets and some USB sockets, and maybe a 12V car cigarette lighter port for small peripherals. From there, it can get pretty advanced; solid-state batteries, 240V power, wireless charging ports, the ability to plug in additional batteries and the option to be powered from a number of power sources, including mains power, solar, car chargers, and even the high-end rapid chargers designed for electric vehicles.

It would be a complete fool’s errand to try to capture everything we saw at CES, but here are a few of the highlights:

 

EcoFlow’s travel-forward innovations

EcoFlow came out of nowhere a few years ago, and has established itself as a very serious player in the portable power space. At CES, the company launched a battery powered fridge with ice maker, a portable, an updated version of its battery-powered air conditioning unit, and a number of other innovations. The biggest news this year, however, is that it is rolling out systems for full-house battery backup systems later this year.

Yoshino’s solid-state batteries

Yoshino‘s portable power stations are built around a new solid electrolyte, replacing the bulky and flammable liquid electrolyte found in most lithium batteries. The company told me that improves performance, offering higher energy density. In other words: the same amount of power fits into a smaller, lighter package compared to traditional lithium batteries. A representative for the company claimed you could shoot the battery pack with a gun without it catching fire. We didn’t have a gun with us to verify the claim.

The company also suggests that the new batteries offer faster charging than the old chemistries, going up to 80% capacity in under an hour, and it claims up to twice the power per pound of traditional lithium batteries. Definitely one to keep an eye on. The power stations have oodles of ports, and the wireless charging pads on top of the power stations are a very nice touch.

Bluetti powers your whole house

The biggest news from Bluetti was its full-house power in the form of the B300S and matching inverter series. In normal use, the mains power (or a solar array) keeps the batteries topped up. When the power goes out, the battery packs jump in, like an uninterruptible power supply for your whole house. You can either keep power to everything, or design two separate circuits; one with essential power circuits (your fridge, cooking, and heating/cooling, for example), and one with less essential circuits (say, your washing machine and EV).

Zendure’s cooler-sized celebration of overkill

Zendure’s Superbase V really stretches the definition of what can be considered ‘portable’ Clocking in at a hefty 100 lbs of weight (46kg), at least it has a pull-out handle and motorized wheels to help you move it around. Once it’s in position, however, it can do just about everything – it has 6.4kWh built in. However, it also supports additional battery modules, for a maximum of 64kWh worth of storage available. Fully loaded out, that’s more than an entry-level Tesla Model 3 battery pack, and the company claims that’s enough to power a typical household for a week.

Packing both 120V and 240V voltage, it can power both small appliances like a fridge, and larger home goods like induction cooktops and electric clothes dryers. Hell, with up to 12,000W of power, you can charge two electric cars with it at the same time, should you need to. The price starts at $3,100. Fully maxed out with four external batteries, you’re looking at a price tag north of $15,000.

Geneverse drives the prices down

Geneverse has broad distribution in the US, being available at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, Sam’s Club, and online. It’s easy to see why: The company launched two new power stations. The HomePower One has 1,210Wh of capacity, 1,200W of rated power and 2,400W of surge power, while its bigger brother, the HomePower Two packs 2,419Wh of capacity, 2,200W of rated power and 4,400W of surge power. Both have three 120V outlets, two 100W USB-C outputs, and two USB-A quickcharge sockets.

None of these stats really move the needle – but the price point does. The smaller power station costs $1,500, and the bigger one is $2,500. You can add two or four solar panels to the power stations, respectively, bringing the price tag to $2,600 or $4,800. With prices like that, at-home backup power is starting to come into range for most home owners. The company didn’t skimp on the batteries either, opting for the ultra-high efficiency LFP/ LiFePO4 (Lithium iron phosphate) battery tech. These are very safe indeed, and provide a lifespan of around 3,000 charge cycles.

Schneider signals that battery storage is here to stay

We’ve seen a number of startups in the smart home panel space for a while. What’s new, is that the big boys are joining the fun.

Energy giant Schneider Electric entering the frey shows that battery power storage for the home is really starting to hit mainstream. Why is this a big deal? Around 40% of all homes already rely on the brand for its main breaker panels and other key components for the home electric.

App-controllable, the company launched a brand new energy management solution for home batteries, including a high-power solar inverter, smart electrical panels, EV chargers, along with a slew of additional features. It even picked up a CES Innovation Award for its troubles along the way. Seeing more large power-supply companies entering the market with fully integrated solutions means that the whole industry is well and truly off to the races. Not exactly the sort of thing you can install yourself, but a harbinger of things to come in the near and medium future.

If you have recently lost a friend or family member, you may be looking to gain access to their phone, computer or tablet to get their personal data. 

Whether you’re looking for photos, passwords or other information, it’s frustrating when you don’t know their passcode to simply access it. 

We’ve gathered the steps you should follow to unlock an Android device and Windows PC if the owner dies.  

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How to unlock an Android or PC if the owner dies 

Similar to Apple’s iCloud, Android and PC computer users often connect their devices to a Google account. If you know the email address and password associated with the user’s Google account, you may be able to reset their password using that. 

HOW TO TELL IF SOMEONE IS SNOOPING ON YOUR ANDROID

Using a Google account to access data 

• If the owner of the device had a Google account associated, this may be an option while logging in
• If you try and log in to an Android five times incorrectly, you may be prompted to reset the passcode for the phone using a Google account
• If you have that login information, reset the passcode via instructions sent to the email address associated with the Google account   

Using a Samsung account to access data 

• If the owner of the device had a Samsung phone, they may have set up a Samsung account that gives access to reset the device’s passcode
• If you have that login information, go to Samsung’s Find My service and follow the instructions
• You’ll be able to reset and unlock the phone in seconds

Using a Microsoft account to access data

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If the owner of the device was a Microsoft user and had an email address ending in Outlook.com, Live.com, Hotmail.com or MSN.com, and you do not have their Microsoft login information, you can request it through a subpoena or court order. You’ll most likely be required to provide: 

• A copy of a death certificate
• A copy of the deceased person’s ID or passport
• A copy of a certificate of inheritance or other documentation from a court that proves sole heirship or names and addresses of all heirs and consent that you are entitled to act on their behalf
• A copy of the requestor’s ID or passport or a signed power of attorney

Removing an SD memory card 

• Some devices may have a memory card built in
• If the device has a memory card, take out the SD card and connect it to another device, like a computer, using an SD card reader
• You should have access to photos and other data stored on that memory card

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How to ensure loved ones can access your data 

In case of an emergency or death, you want to be sure your loved ones can still access your data. Make sure one trusted loved one has your login information and/or passwords written down in a safe, protected location. That way they can still access your photos and other phone apps without having to go through a court order or complicated reset process. 

If your phone provider offers a legacy contact option, set that up now. 

If you use social media, platforms like Facebook offer an option to name someone as your legacy contact. 

If you have recently lost a friend or family member, you may be looking to gain access to the loved one’s phone, computer or tablet to get personal data left behind. Whether you’re looking for photos, passwords or other information, it’s frustrating when you don’t know a passcode to simply access it. 

I’ve gathered the steps you should follow to unlock an Apple device if its owner dies. 

How to unlock an iPhone, iPad or Mac without the passcode 

HOW TO CLEAR CACHE ON YOUR IPHONE TO SPEED UP YOUR DEVICE

This first step will only work if the device’s late owner backed up data to iCloud. While it’s easy to turn on automatic backups, sometimes Apple users forget to do this and photos and data may only live on a phone, tablet or computer. 

If you don’t know the owner’s passcode or password, check to see if you have their iCloud login. An iCloud login uses email, so try common passwords or see if they left a list of passwords. 

If you have access to an iCloud login, and they backed up their information, you may be able to access a lot of data, including photos, via iCloud.com. Check if any of the owner’s devices log in to iCloud automatically, and, if not, follow the steps below. 

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Using iCloud.com to access data 

Go to iCloud.com on a different device. It’s best to do this on a computer

Log in using the owner’s Apple ID 

If you successfully log in, you’ll likely be able to access the user’s Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, Cloud Drive, Notes, Reminders and a few other apps if they used them 

You can download photos directly from iCloud.com 

If you don’t have access to an Apple ID but have access to the user’s email, check if their login was auto-saved on any of their devices like another computer or tablet

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Using an email to access iPhone, iPad, Mac data

Go to iCloud.com on a different device; it’s best to do this on a computer 

Click Forgotten your Apple ID or Password? 

Use the user’s iCloud email address to reset the password 

Open the user’s email account, and you should see the email with instructions on resetting an iCloud account 

Once you have the new login, use it on iCloud.com to log in and follow the steps above for using an iCloud account to access data 

Did the device’s owner have a legacy contact? 

Many Apple users may not know you can set up a legacy contact on your devices in case of unexpected death. If the device’s owner did set up a legacy contact, it should be very easy to access that data. Legacy contacts are available on iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 or macOS 12.1 or later. 

If your late loved one did set up a legacy contact, visit Apple’s digital legacy to request access. 

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Pro tip for Apple users: Set up a legacy contact if you haven’t already.   

How to request access to a device without iCloud login 

If none of the above steps worked, and you’d like to request access from Apple to have access to your deceased loved one’s iCloud login, a court order may be required. 

You’ll need to provide the following information in the court order: 

The name and Apple ID of the deceased person 

The name of the next of kin requesting access to the decedent’s account 

That the decedent was the user of all accounts associated with the Apple ID 

That the requestor is the decedent’s legal personal representative, agent or heir whose authorization constitutes “lawful consent” 

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Then, Apple is ordered by the court to assist in the provision of access to the decedent’s information from the deceased person’s accounts. The court order should be addressed to the relevant Apple entity. 

You can also try visiting an Apple Store or contact Apple Support to see alternative options.     

How to ensure loved ones can access your data 

In case of an emergency or death, you want to be sure your loved ones can still access your data. Make sure one trusted loved one has your login information and/or passwords written down in a safe, protected location. That way they can still access your photos and other phone apps without having to go through a court order or complicated reset process. 

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If your phone provider offers a legacy contact option, set that up now. 

If you use social media, platforms like Facebook offer an option to name someone as your legacy contact.   

It was the year of XR. But then, they all seem to be, these days. Strong presences from Meta, Magic Leap, Sony and HTC led the way at this year’s CES, with hundreds of startups picking up the rear. I was dazzled by a few demos, but ultimately left wondering what form a true mainstreaming of AR/VR might ultimately take – if it ever actually takes such a form at all.

There’s something about the technology that feels warm and welcoming, after a long day on your feet, gland handing your way across Las Vegas venues. Strap on a headset and feel the show floor slip away for a minute or two. I believe that most of the people who try these technologies in this context get it, but there are currently far too many barrier to getting these products on most people’s face.

Good VR is still prohibitively expensive. Content is fairly limited as well. Both of these factors are moving in the right direction, certainly, but there’s a big, open question around whether they’re doing so at a fast enough clip to hit a critical mass in this iteration of the perennial hype cycle.

HTC’s approach is still baby steps. It’s the recognition that – in spite of years of hearing otherwise — true mainstream adoption is still some ways off. In the meantime, that means focusing on a core audience. It means being okay with remaining a relative niche – a far cry from the Taiwanese manufacture’s high-flying days as a phone maker – while chipping away as those big granite boulders standing between it and the general public.

For HTC, the Vive XR Elite was the star of the show. At $1,099, it’s a few hundred dollars less expensive than Meta’s Quest Pro, but still way too expensive to see it as some kind of breakthrough for the industry at large.

“This is for an audience that wants an upgraded experience,” Shen Ye, the company’s Senior Director, Global Head of Product said in an interview with TechCrunch. “Gamers and just people who want a good headset that is comfortable.”

At this point in the evolutionary process, it might be unfair to put the bar for success at an XR headset in every home. Leap Motion’s well-publicized struggles are a decent barometer here. Even more so the fact that the company made an outright pivot into enterprise. There’s a lot of money to be made selling product to businesses – certainly more than currently appears to be kicking around for pure consumer plays.

HTC has undoubtedly made some impressive gains here. I can’t say I spent a ton of time in the XR Elite, but the headset was as comfortable and engaging as advertised. It’s a piece of the puzzle that has long felt like an afterthought for manufactures. It’s a strange thing to overlook in a piece of hardware designed to sit on your face for long stretches.

Ye compares potential buyers to gamesr who have been patiently – and frustratingly – awaiting the arrival of a pro version of Nintendo’s popular convertible console

“To this day, people still want a Switch Pro,” he tells TechCrunch. “They want something portable, but they want something better. Mobile VR is currently like that. There isn’t a decent upgrade. People who want a good experience are stuck with these products that are racing to the bottom.”

The “race to the bottom” he’s referring to here is precisely that main talking point connected to mainstream adoption: price. The market has been flooded with low-cost VR solutions for years, from Google Cardboard/Daydream to Samsung Gear VR to thousands of products and companies you’ve never heard of. One can credibly make the argument that these things ultimately did more harm than good. They did a fine job getting some version of virtual reality into a lot of hands, but when that experience isn’t a particularly good one, it’s easy to image those people writing off paying a lot more money for VR in the future.

“I do think that one day there will be much cheaper headsets,” Ye says of HTC’s efforts. “But right now, our focus is on how we better drive the market to make it better, to be more inclusive, to have better experiences.”

One thing is for certain: HTC is committed to VR on a level few are. Vive hardware and related software/metaverse technologies are the company’s primary focus, as its phone business has slowed to a trickle (remember last year’s “metaverse” phone, the Desire 22 Pro?). The company’s future hinges on its ability to push VR/XR forward. It can be a tricky line to walk, being all in on a technology, while remaining pragmatic about the speed and scope of its potential growth.

Many in the industry are anticipating validation from Apple in particular. The hope is that the company will enter the AR or XR category with guns blazing, and the buzzwill be a tide that raises all boats.

“I think the nice thing about an Apple coming in is that they’re not a social media company,” says Ye. “The giants that are really trying to disrupt are on this race to the bottom, making cheap headsets that they’re losing money. At the end of the day, what’s the cost of your personal data? We’re not a social media company. Our business model doesn’t rely on advertising revenue, so it’s not something we’re doing. We want to build good hardware.”

The New York City Department of Education has reportedly banned access to the popular artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT over fears it would harm students’ education and in order to help prevent cheating.

The controversial free writing tool can generate paragraphs of human-like text.

“”Due to concerns about negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content, access to ChatGPT is restricted on New York City Public Schools’ networks and devices,” Education Department spokesperson Jenna Lyle first told Chalkbeat. “While the tool may be able to provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and lifelong success.”

ChatGPT was launched on Nov. 30 as part of a broader set of technologies developed by the San Francisco-based startup OpenAI.

Millions of people have used it over the past month, helping it get smarter. 

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It’s part of a new generation of AI systems that can converse and produce readable text on demand and novel images and video – although not necessarily factual or logical.

“Our goal is to get external feedback in order to improve our systems and make them safer,” it says when logging in, although noting there are limitations including occasionally sharing incorrect information or “harmful instructions or biased content.”

The launch came with a promise that ChatGPT will admit when it’s wrong, challenge “incorrect premises” and reject requests meant to generate offensive answers. 

“ChatGPT is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on Twitter in December.

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“It’s a mistake to be relying on it for anything important right now,” he added, noting that there is a lot of work to do on “robustness and truthfulness.”

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“We don’t want ChatGPT to be used for misleading purposes in schools or anywhere else, so we’re already developing mitigations to help anyone identify text generated by that system,” OpenAI told The Associated Press.

Fox News Digital’s requests for comment from the New York City Department of Education and OpenAI were not immediately returned at the time of publication.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CNN
 — 

A new take on a foldable phone. A pricey toilet sensor that monitors hydration and vitamin levels. And an AI-powered oven.

The Consumer Electronics Show, now in its 56th year, kicks off this week in Las Vegas with a familiar mix of cutting edge technology and oddball gadgets. The event, which is the largest consumer tech conference of the year, is known for robots roaming the show floor; flashy presentations about next generation TVs; and quirky products such as last year’s buzzy health tracking light bulbs and dehumidifying earbuds.

But the event also fosters dealmaking among executives, manufacturers and retailers across various industries, and sets the stage for some of the biggest tech trends of the year. And this year’s event, in particular, could show how companies are thinking about products as pandemic concerns recede for some consumers but recession concerns remain.

The Consumer Technology Association, which hosts CES each year, said it is expecting about 100,000 in-person attendees this year, up significantly from the 45,000 people who attended in 2022 amid concerns of the Covid-19 Omnicron variant. (CTA is once again offering a livestream for attendees who’d rather watch the event remotely).

This year, featured speakers will include executives from traditional tech companies such as Samsung, Sony and Amazon, as well as other brands like John Deere, Delta and BMW. Although CES is traditionally a gadget show – and there will be no shortage of gizmos on display this year – about 60% of the Fortune 500 companies are participating this year, enabling more diverse product launches and discussions around all areas of tech.

“Despite a pretty tough economy, the companies we’re seeing [attending] are really strong,” Gary Shapiro, president of the CTA, which hosts the event, told CNN ahead of the event.

Some of the key themes at this year’s CES will include sustainability, artificial intelligence and foldable devices.

Among the products teased ahead of the 2023 CES is Samsung Display’s Flex Hybrid prototype, which features a foldable and slidable display (the right side slides to offer more screen space). Laptop maker Acer will show off a bicycle desk called eKinekt, allowing users to both work and pedal to generate kinetic energy that is used to help charge smartphones and laptops via the desk itself.

Health and wellness companies will once again dominate the show floors, even as pandemic concerns ease for some. Kohler already announced an aromatherapy shower system that attaches to shower heads and infuses the water stream with scents, such as lavender and eucalyptus, intended to help soothe the skin. Meanwhile, fitness wearables will be in heavy supply too.

Meanwhile, Withings $500 U-Scan device collects from your urine stream to detect vitamin deficiencies, check hydration and monitor metabolism (an additional device called the U-Scan Cycle Sync tracks periods and ovulation cycles).

Cars, trucks and boats will also get the spotlight this year. Stellantis will show off a concept version of its upcoming all-electric Ram pickup truck that will show where that brand is headed. Meanwhile, BMW will reveal an all-new user interface for its cars because, in today’s luxury car market, that matters to consumers at least as much as engine power and handling. Boating companies will also be showing off the latest in electric and autonomous watercraft tech as that market goes green, too.

“CES is getting away from being a Consumer Electronics Show and getting more and more into being a Consumer Experience Show,” said Ramon Llamas, a director at IDC Research. “We may see a new device pop up here and there, and it is easy to expect big televisions, cool cars, and gadgets galore. But the secret sauce is what the software can do.”

He believes artificial intelligence will particularly allow companies “to make sense of how a consumer behaves and set up the device experience to best serve those needs.”

But at least one hot topic from the prior year may be less of a focus now: the metaverse, or Meta’s idea of the metaverse.

In late 2021, Facebook ignited a wave of interest in the metaverse by changing its company name to Meta and announcing plans to invest heavily to continue developing virtual and augmented reality technologies that support more immersive online experiences.

Months later, at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, talk of the metaverse was everywhere. As Axios reported at the time, “many CES observers suggested a drinking game in which keynote watchers took a shot every time the metaverse was mentioned — but that would have been a recipe for alcohol poisoning.”

Now interest in the immersive virtual world appears to have simmered as Facebook has so far struggled to gain mainstream traction for its VR offerings.

Still, the topic of virtual reality products will remain a focus for some companies. HTC is expected to launch the Vive Focus 3 this week at the show, with an emphasis on the metaverse.

CES runs through Sunday, January 8.

– CNN’s Peter Valdes-Dapena contributed to this report