Technology

A new report citing an internal letter to Amazon’s human resources department alleges mistreatment of women within Amazon’s Prime membership division, including but not limited to harassment and disproportionate growth opportunities for men versus women at the company. Citing a letter to a former head of diversity and inclusion, as well as accounts from 11 former and current workers within the Prime unit, Insider reported Monday that the Prime team had been anonymously accused in March of being “institutionally biased against women.” The memo’s author — whose identity Insider says it independently verified but did not name in its report — described a culture in which women were often overlooked for promotions, demeaned and condescended to, and “more likely to be performance managed.” Insid...

During the privacy segment of WWDC, Apple talked about moving Siri’s processing from the cloud onto your device, using the “Neural Engine” built into Apple silicon. While having the voice processing happen on your phone instead of one of Apple’s servers is obviously better for privacy, it can also help speed up performance and reliability, as Apple showed off in its demo. The power of on-device learning. Now let’s see how fast it is when I try it. Compared to my demo, Apple’s is decidedly more snappy — partially because I don’t have to deactivate Airplane Mode each time I turn it on. (My phone still requires an internet connection for the requests that come after, but the on-device model doesn’t.) Full disclosure: my demo took a few takes, and the first few times the phone did warn me that...

Apple Music has flipped the switch on its previously announced lossless-quality streaming and spatial audio features. Starting now, if you’ve got the latest iOS, iPadOS, and macOS updates installed, you’ll be able to stream select tracks both in standard lossless/CD-quality audio and high-resolution lossless (if you have an external DAC for the latter). Apple said both features would arrive “today” during the WWDC keynote, but it took many hours after the event concluded before customers started seeing them appear in the app. You still might not if the rollout hasn’t reached you yet. The update is server-side on Apple’s part. Be aware that lossless audio files take up considerably more storage when downloaded and also burn through more data when streamed. You can dig into all of the techni...

Apple has announced the next version of macOS at its WWDC keynote, after showing off iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. It’s calling it Monterey, in keeping the California location-based theme it’s had since 2013. The company is promising even more interoperability with iOS, including the ability to share a keyboard and mouse between a Mac and an iPad. The feature is similar to the one found on Logitech keyboards and mice, letting you seamlessly move your cursor and files between a Mac and iPad. The jaw-dropping drag-and-drop demo. Macs are also getting the ability to act as an AirPlay target, allowing you to use your Mac’s screen and speakers to play content from your iPhone and iPad, or even another Mac if you’re feeling spicy. Apple has also announced that Macs will be getting the Shortcuts auto...

Apple will let people share the data from their Health app with family members or others, the company announced. It’s one of a new slate of health features for iPhone. With permission, someone can share access to their overall heart rate and movement data. They’ll also be able to share access to alerts, which will ping authorized users when the feature notices things like a high heart rate or change in mobility. The person they’re sharing the data with can message them directly about any changes. “Many people around the world are caring for someone, and we want to provide a secure and private way for users to have a trusted partner on their health journey,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a statement. The feature could be useful to caregivers who may be keeping tabs...

FuboTV, one of the best over-the-top services for sports enthusiasts, is finally arriving on newer LG Smart TVs. While the app was already available on many set-top boxes like the Apple TV or Chromecast, it’s now available on LG’s native webOS platform on 2018–2021 Smart TV models (including LG’s fantastic OLEDs). That’ll give any consumers with newer LG models the ability to access the service’s 100-plus sports and entertainment channels directly from their sets, rather than having to rely on a third-party device for access. “Over 90 percent of FuboTV’s viewership is on the big screen and today’s launch on LG Smart TVs expands FuboTV to even more smart and connected TV platforms,” Mike Berkley, FuboTV’s chief product officer, told The Verge. Starting at $65 per month, FuboTV offers one of...

Apple has just updated its App Store Guidelinesd, the document that tells iPhone and iPa that tell iPhone and iPad developers what kind of behavior the company will tolerate and where it’s likely to reject apps or crackdown after the fact — and as TechCrunch reports, many of today’s changes are aimed directly at scammers and fraudsters who prey on Apple users. But not all of them. I just put the entire thing through a diff checker to show you exactly what’s changed. Check out all the differences here for yourself, or read on for the highlights. Apple is warning fraudsters it’s coming for their entire accounts Apple already had a section titled “5.6 Developer Code of Conduct” that warned devs not to “prey on users or attempt to rip off customers” among a laundry list of other bad behavior. ...

Siri is finally coming to third-party devices. Apple announced at its WWDC keynote that HomeKit accessory makers will be able to integrate Siri voice control into their products starting later this year. The voice assistant will be routed through a HomePod if the devices are connected to your network. Apple hasn’t released a comprehensive list of devices and brands that will support Siri. The company demoed it on an Ecobee thermostat during its WWDC keynote presentation. It also announced support for Matter — a new interoperability standard that has big players like Amazon, Google, and Samsung on board — will come with iOS 15. Apple also revealed a number of smaller smart home features. Home Keys, which allow you to remotely lock and unlock doors by tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch, are ...

Apple just wrapped up its WWDC 2021 keynote, and it was jam-packed with news and announcements, including our first looks at iOS 15, the new macOS Monterey, big improvements to FaceTime, and more. Our live blog has moment-by-moment commentary on what Apple announced from Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn. But if you just want to know the big-ticket items from the show, we’ve got you covered right here. Apple announced iOS 15, which brings improvements to FaceTime such as spatial audio, a new “SharePlay” feature that lets you share media with people on FaceTime virtually, updates to Messages, a new look for notifications, the ability to set different “Focus” statuses, updates to Memories in Photos, a redesign to the weather app, and much more. Apple’s new SharePlay feature will let you watch or l...

On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission charged the executives of the long-defunct MoviePass app over allegations that they fraudulently blocked customers from using the service as advertised while failing to protect their data privacy. The FTC also announced that it had reached a settlement with MoviePass and its executives as a result of the investigation. Under the proposed settlement, MoviePass, its parent company Helios and Matheson Analytics, its CEO Mitch Lowe, and chairman Ted Farnsworth are forbidden from falsely representing their business and data security practices to customers. Any businesses controlled by these entities are also required to roll out comprehensive information security programs to protect consumers. “MoviePass and its executives went to great lengths to deny co...

Apple announced iOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8, and iPadOS 15 software at WWDC 2021. The public beta period will begin in July, and whether you’re curious to download them then, or just waiting for the final release, you’ll need to have the right hardware to do it. Apple usually eliminates support for a few devices each year as it leaps ahead with major software releases, so you’ll want to check below to see if your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or computer makes the cut. For iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, Apple is extending support for all iPhone models that currently have iOS 14, along with the seventh-generation iPod Touch. Here’s the list of supported devices for iOS 15: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone XS, iPhone XS ...

We’ve had curved displays for a while now, but what about stretchy ones? Samsung says it’s making progress building screens “that can be stretched in all directions like rubber bands,” and that the first applications for this material could be in building flexible health tech. The company’s researchers recently created an OLED display that can be stretched by up to 30 percent while operating as normal. As a proof of concept, engineers integrated this display into a stretchable heart rate monitor that can be stuck onto the skin like a Band-Aid. “The strength of this technology is that it allows you to measure your biometric data for a longer period without having to remove the solution when you sleep or exercise, since the patch feels like part of your skin,” Samsung’s Youngjun Yun said of ...