⚡️ The Weekly Download #35: Your Mobile Provider is Selling Your Data

Welcome to KnowTechie’s Weekly Download. Life gets busy, so we compile the most important tech stories you may have missed this week. If this is your first time here, feel free to subscribe here – it’s free. Missed an issue? Here's an archive of past newsletters. Alright, let’s get started.

Here’s what you can expect from today’s newsletter

• ⏩ The Quick Rundown

• ❓ Did you know?

• 📰 This Week in Tech

• 😎 Notable Mentions

• 🎧 Notable Product Launches

• 📕 Good Reads

• 🤯 Weekly Freebie

• ⚒️ Tools

❓Do you know how much money Google pays Apple to put their search engine on every iPhone? 

Hint: it’s a lot.

In 2022, Google shelled out $20 billion to Apple to secure its spot as the default search engine on Safari; back in 2020, these payments accounted for a significant 17.5% of Apple’s operating income.

📰 This week in tech 📰

^{_{GREAT, MORE iPADS}}
Apple Event – May 7 – here’s what to expect

Apple is scheduled to host a product announcement event on May 7 at 9 am ET, named "Let loose". What are they launching? – Bloomberg

• 📱 Focus on iPads: The event will primarily feature new iPads and accessories.

• 🛠️ Product Speculations: Rumors and leaks suggest that the new iPad Pro models (11-inch and 12.9-inch) might feature OLED displays, improving contrast and color richness.

• 🔄 Unusual Timing: Hosting this event just before the WWDC is unusual for Apple, so hopefully, it’s something big.

QuickTechie:
Apple's "Let Loose" event seems less about loosening up and more about tightening its grip on the market, potentially overshadowing Microsoft's AI ambitions with flashy new iPads. 🍏💼👀

^{_{YOU LOVE TO SEE IT}}
FCC fines T-Mobile $80M, AT&T $57M, and Verizon $47M for allegedly illegally sharing customers' data

The FCC has fined AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon nearly $200 million collectively for illegally sharing customers' location data - The Verge

• 🚫 Unauthorized Data Access: Carriers sold access to customer location data to "aggregators," who then sold it to third-party location-based service providers without customer consent.

• 📢 Carrier Responses: AT&T and Verizon plan to appeal based on incorrect facts and legal grounds. T-Mobile did not comment on record.

• 📜 Legal Actions: Both AT&T and Verizon claimed that they took immediate actions when data misuse was discovered.

QuickTechie:
Is the FCC's $200 million slap on the wrist for playing fast and loose with location data the wake-up call the industry needs? Probably not, but it’s a good place to start.

^{_{DON’T SLEEP ON THESE}}
Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses are a simple, reliable, and smartly priced AI gadget

There’s been quite a buzz surrounding AI gadgets. Never one to shy away from a good fight, The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern pits them together in one review: WSJ

• 📱 Devices tested include Humane AI Pin ($699), Rabbit R1 ($199), and Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses ($299).

• 🤖 The AI assistants use cameras, microphones, and large language models to assist, but are still error-prone and slow.

• 🗣️ Humane pin offered live Mandarin translation, but Rabbit was slow and Meta glasses only translate text, not speech.

• 😎 Meta Ray-Bans stand out for reliable AI, hands-free photo/video capture, and breaking smartphone screen addiction.

QuickTechie: AI gadgets promise to kick smartphones to the curb, but who's ready to replace screen addiction with yelling at a high-tech brooch

NOTABLE MENTIONS

• AI firms are creating "digital twins" from real people for roles like fashion models and trial participants. What could go wrong?

• Elon Musk wants Grok to generate news summaries from X posts only, promising better citations soon.

• X updated its block feature to allow users to see replies from those who've blocked them, aiming to tackle "bad content."

• The NHTSA is probing Ford's BlueCruise system after it was involved in fatal crashes in Texas and Pennsylvania

• NBCUniversal is set to increase Peacock subscription prices again by $2 starting July 18.

• Akamai reports that phishing sites mimicking the US Post Office received more DNS queries than the official site during the 2023 holiday weeks.

GOOD READS

Money Machine Newsletter
Market Beating Stocks in 5 min. Elite traders narrow down the universe of stocks to their best ideas, delivered weekly to your inbox pre-market. Subscribe today for a 7-day free trial.

Above the Fold: Monthly Copywriting TipsThis monthly newsletter is for small business owners, content creators, and marketers who want quick, easy-to-implement tips for their websites, emails, and beyond.
Subscribe Today.

FryAi: A really fun AI newsletter that I read regularly every day. It contains humor, news, and general stuff you need to know to stay ahead of the curve.

🤯 Freebie
^{_{PUT IT IN MY VEINS}}

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⚙️ Tools

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^{_{PARTNER TOOLS}}

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