I didn’t become an Apple fanboy until I began programming for the platform. Apple has a knack for crafting beautiful products while making things that just…work. The internals are just as beautifully designed as the externals, and this week’s Apple event won’t disappoint fans.

Cruise on down to your local Internet and plug in to listen to me, Mark Starling, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s hot and fresh tech news: Apple watches, Apple phones, and China. You can listen to me and Mark Starling point and laugh at all things tech every Thursday at 643 am ET live on the radio or the iHeartRadio app.

Today’s Top Tech News is a distillation of yesterday’s biggest news. Apple went big on the Watch at yesterday’s event while reserving some time for the iPhone 14. Anncouncements for a new SE model at a $30 less price point, new applications, and new Apple Watch Ultra.

APPLE PUSHES IN PREMIUM WATCH TERRITORY WITH ULTRA

Apple introduces the Apple Watch Ultra. The Ultra has a more rugged case design featuring titanium and sports a sapphire crystal which is normally used for higher end, diving watches. The device also features a new Action button which can be tied to a special feature like compass tracking, workouts, backtracking, or way-finding. The screen is larger at 49mm and brighter at 2,000 nits. All Ultra watches come with cellular capability and can last a whopping 36 hours on a single charge. Apple says the watch will have enough charge for athletes to complete a triathlon, 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a full 26.2 mile marathon. For real, for real. I love my Apple Watch even though I wear a chronometer. At $799 it’s a bit pricey for an electronic watch, but I can’t see I don’t want one.

Apple has also announced a new SE model that clocks in at $249 a $30 reduction which is great during these inflationary times. The SE is 20% faster and can be paired with a parent’s iPhone for those who have children.

The new Apple Watch Series 8 features a temperature sensor, and an improved period and ovulation tracking app. The new app gains more accuracy from using the new temperature sensors on the device. This works because the body’s temperature changes throughout the menstrual cycle. Additionally, the new software tracks abnormal changes in a woman’s cycle which could be a signal for fibroids or polycystic ovary syndrome.

APPLE ANNOUNCES NEW 14 LINEUP

Yesterday also saw upgrades to the iPhone. Apple announced the iPhone 14, 14 Pro, and 14 Max. The iPhone 14 looks a lot like the iPhone 12 with a notch. The notch houses the front facing camera and sensors used for facial unlock. The iPhone 14 Pro will come with 6.1 and 6.7 inch screens and has replaced the notch with a pill design that exposes the front facing camera and facial unlock sensors. The proximity sensor has moved behind the display itself now, and Apple has purposed screen real estate beside the pill for notifications and small alerts. iPhone 14 Pro and Max will also feature always on screens with a dimming mode during low battery.

The iPhone 14 will NOT ship with Apple’s latest and faster mobile processor. The iPhone 14 Pro and Max will get Apple’s A16 chip. The chip shortage has been cited as a factor.

Oh. The camera bulge is still there.

Pre order starts on the 9th. Available on September 16th. $999 for the Pro, $1,099 for the Pro Max.

CAN’T BUILD BIG TECH IN CHINA USING US MONEY

If there was ever a policy I was for and against at the same time, it’s this one. It’s a bit of a head scratcher. The US is banning big tech firms from building factories in China if they’ve received US government money. The legislation is part of the newly forged CHIP Act used for reinvigorating stateside innovation and lowering reliance on China. The US and China are locked in a fight for the future when it comes to technology. The two countries are competing for the top spots in Quantum and Super computing, most smart devices are built in China, and most silicon (chips) are manufactured in China. In a very real sense, US technology companies helped Chinese technology infrastructure by virtue of being there. The Chinese government has been a long proponent of IP theft and seldom holds up claims when Chinese companies steal a US technology. Many US companies hold their design shops over here and use China to make cheap stuff. The Chip Act was designed to bring a lot of that back to the United States by encouraging new semiconductor manufacturing (not just design) in the US. Why am I hesitant? For a number of reasons. We’re an expensive economy. There’s a reason why Big Tech companies reap huge profits. It’s cheap as Hell to make iPhones in China. Also, semiconductor manufacturing is a very harmful process to the environment. The waters in Chinese territory located near these factories are nasty. Purple clams and oysters are a known thing over there.

Stay Tuned!

The Cloud Podcast’s next episode will be on STEM education. We’re going to explore the latest trend in pushing STEM on students and if that’s a good long term strategy. Subscribe and listen in.

When I was 15 I was starting to get into girls, and dreamed of driving when I got in those 8 months. I have a story that will make you wonder about your own teenage years. Click on your local Internet an listen to me,  Mark Starling, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s hot and fresh tech news: a Ukrainian teen becomes a war hero, Big Tech brings big economics to the US, and scientists create their first replicant. You can listen to me and Mark Starling point and laugh at all things tech every Thursday at 643 am ET live on the radio or the iHeartRadio app.

CAMBRIDGE SCIENTISTS GROW BRAIN AND BEATING HEART

More akin to replicants than hosts, University of Cambridge scientists have grown a brain and a beating heartbeat without using eggs or sperm. The scientists used mouse stem cells for the experiment. Stem cells are nature’s master cells, and are capable of becoming any other cell. The scientistists, led by Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, figured out how to make the stem cells talk to each other to grow a brain, and got them to grow a heart in an embryo featuring a mouse yolk sac. I’m fascinated and alarmed at the same time. As a scientist, I’m always curious about how things work, as futurist I’m an optimist and always looking into the future. But, I believe there are some things that should remain mysteries.

BIG TECH BRINGS BIG JOBS STATESIDE

I normally don’t get into economic news, but there’s some really positive news coming to our shores. Honda, LG, and the auto companies have announced plans to build new battery factories in Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Indiana. The news is huge because it demonstrates the automakers are making a big bet on electric vehicles. Micron, Qualcomm, and Intel announced plans to invest over $140 billion in chip manufacturing plants in Ohio, New York, an of course Silicon Valley. Corning, that Corning, is building a new factory in Arizona to manufacture fiber optic cable. The news is actually big news as the CHIP Act is starting to kick in to bring microprocessor manufacturing back to the US. There hasn’t ben this much unified technology investment since the big fiber rollout in the early 2000s.

KID USES DRONE IN FIGHT AGAINST RUSSIANS

Last week, Andrii Pokrasa, aka ‘Drone Boy’, became a Ukrainian hero. Pokrasa and his father sent the Ukrainian military coordinates of Russian forces during the first days of the war. Pokrasa posted a notice of him having a drone and knowing how to use it in their village group. A man from the Ukrainian civil defense force responded, and put him to work monitoring Russian forces in Makariv, a suburb of Kyiv. He spotted tanks, troop carriers, and armored vehicles. Marked the drone’s location on a map and sent the coordinates to his contact in Ukrainian security. The Ukrainians wiped out the armored column based on his information. I know what I was doing when I was 15. This wasn’t it.

Don’t forget to click over to the right and subscribe to the Top Tech News of the week. If you prefer listening to a deep dive on future technologies, check out our new podcast, The Cloud. This month’s listen explores STEM topics. Be sure to catch up on past episodes.

Have a great, safe, and Happy Labor Day weekend!

I’m telling you, this Twitter deal is filled with drama and intrigue. It has everything we need for a Lifetime Network drama. Bots, billionaires, and money. Let’s get into it for this week’s top tech stories. Make sure you open up your local Internet an listen to me,  Mark Starling, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s hot and fresh tech news: a new zero day threatens iOS and macOS devices weeks from their new device event, an AI got signed then dropped from a major record label, and Musk, whistleblowers, and bots converge in the drama that’s the Twitter deal. You can listen to me and Mark Starling point and laugh at all things tech every Thursday at 643 am ET live on the radio or the iHeartRadio app.

CAPITOL RECORDS FIRST TO SIGN AI RAPPER, THEN DROPS HIM, THEM, OR IT

Yesterday, Capital Records dropped the AI rapper, FN Meka, after first signing them to a deal after a controversy ensued regarding FN Meka obnoxiously appropriating black culture. Last weekend, Capitol Records was the first music label to sign an Artificially Intelligent music artist. FN Meka has a huge TikTok following with over 10 million followers and 1 billion views. FN Meka just recently released their first song, Florida Water, with Gunna, professional FortNite player Clix, and Young Thug. It sounds like every other new age rap song. smh. FN Meka is voiced by, as far as we know, a real life human, but their music is AI generated. Capitol Records said it was an evolution of their 80-year old company and a sign of what’s to come. Yeah, the same ending predicted by this season’s WestWorld. Yesterday, is a new day however, and Capitol dropped him, removed his music from streaming services, and is working to forget about the affair.

TWITTER DRAMA ESCALATES AS MUSK SUES FOUNDER

Twitter news has heated up over the last 24 hours. Former Twitter security chief, Peiter Zatko, has stated Twitter had underestimated the number of bots and fake accounts on the platform and claims the company misled US regulators on its security policies. Twitter is retorting that Zatko is mad because he was fired for ineffective leadership and poor performance, and his claims are bogus. In regard to the number of fake accounts and bots, he said deliberate ignorance was the policy and Twitter executives made no effort to truly come up with an accurate count. This news comes just ahead of Elon Musk subpoenaing Twitter’s founder, Jack Dorsey, to testify on Musk’s behalf that Twitter’s numbers are fake. You may remember, Jack Dorsey stepped down as Twitter’s CEO and supported an Elon Musk takeover.

HUGE VULNERABILITY FOR MACOS AND IOS DEVICES

Apple announced a new patch for a huge iOS and macOS vulnerability. Exploits can take advantage of a bug in WebKit, the software used to render webpages in Safari and other browsers, to take control over your device. This a zero day exploit that can cover its tracks after taking data off your machine, please update your software.

On macOS

1. Open System Preferences
2. Navigate to Software Update
3. Click Upgrade Now
4. There may be a link highlighting Another update is available… click that and install the latest version of Safari

On iOS

1. Open System Preferences
2. Navigate to General
3. Tap Software Update
4. Tap Download and Install

Read about more Apple updates here.

NEW iOS MORE DEVICES PREVIEWED FOR SEPTEMBER FRUIT EVENT

Apple has confirmed the iPhone 14 will be unleashed upon the world at their September 7th event. The new phone is rumored to have the ‘notch’ removed in favor of a hole sized front camera, good riddance. A new Apple Watch series 8 device is also expected in the announcement. Tune into to your local Apple stream for details.

Hello, hello, hello and it’s another Thursday! Guys, I have to thank you so much for your support of this weekly blog and for your ears. The Cloud has consistently provided an uptick in listens across these first three months, and has caught the attention of a major blog platform. Thanks! We’ll see what happens next.

Tune into me,  Mark Starling, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s hot and fresh tech news: TikTok rival: Triller fails to pay up for Verzuz purchase, Chinese tech companies hand over algo info, and VPNs safe unless you’re on iOS. You can listen to me and Mark Starling point and laugh at all things tech every Thursday at 643 am ET live on the radio or the iHeartRadio app.

And just because you know you can’t get enough of him, Elon Musk has now claimed he wants to buy Manchester United. Yes, that Manchester United. If he was joking about buying Twitter, he may be joking about buying ManU.

TRILLER FAILS TO PAY HIP-HOP DUO FOR VERZUZ SERIES

COVID-19 provided a huge source of innovation for online content. From prolific DJs hosting nightly, online (and quarantined) remix parties, to a news anchor and his tech analyst hosting weekly happy hour segments, to Timbaland and Swizz Beats pitting R&B, rap, and soul legends against each other, online streaming acts were a big hit. Producers Timbaland and Swizz Beats created the Verzuz series pitting musical acts one-on-one in a hit-song-by-hit-song competition. Triller, a TikTok competitor, purchased the series from the producers for a reported $50 million deal in cash and stock but hasn’t paid the full amount. The producers sued for a remaining $28 million due, but Triller disputes this. This particular deal isn’t the only one Triller has been accused of welching on. For their part, Timbaland and Swizz Beats allocated 46 percent of Verzuz’s equity for the artists participating in the series.

CHINESE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES HAND ALGO INFO TO CHINESE GOVERNMENT

Everyone has an algorithm story. Usually the kind where an ad is sent to someone that doesn’t make sense. When have I ever been interested in corn cob holders? Yesterday, the Cyberspace Administration of China has published over 30 algorithms used by some of the Chinese technology sector’s companies. Alibaba, Tencent (Chinese Facebook), and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, have published information relating to algorithms that recommend, suggest, and influence user behavior. Alibaba and TikTok (ByteDance) are heavily used in the United States. We all know our data is being given to someone, but usually it’s to a commercial company only caring about profit, versus a government. Here, companies like Google, Facebook, and others have successfully argued that these details are trade secrets. In China, it’s not so. Browse carefully.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: IOS VPNS HAVE BEEN LEAKING DATA FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS

Security researcher, Michael Horowitz has reported iOS users who are using a virtual private network (VPN) to privately route their traffic may have been inadvertently leaking their data for at least 2 years. VPNs are used to create encrypted, secure, private communications on the Internet. A phone or computer connects to a VPN using a special piece of software called a VPN client. Government agencies and companies require some remote workers to use a VPN to securely connect to company information. Others use VPNs for private communications or watching Netflix in a foreign country. Horowitz discovered that iOS keeps already existing connections open while a phone is connected via VPN and can even sniff device traffic using special router logging. This hole was found on iOS 13 and above. This report is coming just before Apple’s annual September event where we’re expecting new updates to iOS and macOS from the fruit company. Again, browse carefully, and don’t simply assume your nefarious communiques are guarded.

Thanks for another week of reading Top Tech News. Please look to the right and use the subscribe option to get these stories and more in your inbox. And check out The Cloud. My monthly podcast that explores into the depths of high tech and figures out if something is hype or the real deal. This month’s episode is about cryptocurrencies.