Researchers find flaw in Apple Pay that lets attackers make a Visa payment with a locked iPhone.
In a video, researchers showed how they make a contactless Visa payment from a locked iPhone by exploiting an Apple Pay feature called "Express Transit", which is designed to help commuters quickly pay for tickets without unlocking their phones. Apple said the matter was "a concern with a Visa system". In order to exploit the flaw the attacker needs to get close to the victim's phone so the attack might be easiest to deploy against a stolen iPhone. Link

Photo credit: Apple

Facebook launching Reels for all US mobile users, and will pay creators for well-performing videos, to take on TikTok.
Reels launched in beta last month on Facebook, after seeing quite a success on Instagram since last year. Facebook want to appeal to people who make entertaining videos so they're promising greater exposure when you post a Reel (more than TikTok or Snapchat can give) and they also announced a Reels Play bonus program that will pay selected creators when people view their Reels. The bonus program will only be open to US creators and is invite-only for now, but will eventually expand to more countries. Link

Photo credit: Facebook

Amazon announced new products including: a home robot, smart thermostat, 15" Echo Show, Amazon Glow, Halo View band, and more...
Amazon just had their annual September event and here are the highlights:

• The $60 Amazon Smart Thermostat can detect when you're home, learn your preferences, and adjust the temp accordingly.
• The $250 Echo Show 15, with a 15.6-inch 1080p display, has a wall mount, picture frame mode, picture-in-picture, and more.
• The $300 Amazon Glow, a video calling device for kids and families, with an 8" display and projector that creates a 19" touch-sensitive area in front of it (here's an Amazon Glow demo video).
• The $1,000 Amazon Astro, their long-awaited home robot. Best described as a combination between a Roomba and an Echo Show, Astro can be used for home surveillance and to bring you a beer (according to their Astro introduction video).
• Updates to Alexa to let you teach her to identify sounds, like the beep your refrigerator makes when the door is left open.
• The $80 Halo View fitness band (to take on Fitbit), with an LED screen and seven days of battery life. They also announced the Halo Fitness service that will have a series of workout videos and Halo Nutrition to help plan meals.
• Amazon also opened an invite-only program for its previously-announced Always Home Cam, a $250 home surveillance drone.

More details about all of Amazon's announcements

Amazon Astro

Amazon Glow

TikTok says it now has 1 billion monthly active users.
Quite a number for an app that only launched in August 2018 (after migrating from Musical.ly which they bought). ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, has reported a surge in US users who joined during the pandemic. This puts it at about the same size as Instagram (there aren't official IG stats, but it's estimated to also be ~1B monthly users). TikTok's monthly average users in August were up 25% from August 2020. ByteDance is valued at $425B. Link

Instagram is pausing development of Instagram Kids, after wide criticism.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram's CEO, said they are "pausing" the development of their new app for children, after criticism from parents, experts, policymakers, and others. During this time they will work with their critics and will also build parental supervision tools into it. Instagram acknowledge that kids are already lying about their age to get on Instagram (the policy is 13 and up) and that it's better for parents to have the option to give their children access to a version of Instagram that is designed for them. Link

Photo credit: Alexander Shatov

EU proposes mandating all mobile devices use USB-C for charging, including iPhones.
The European Commission proposed requiring all small tech gadgets like phones, tablets, and headphones to use the same chargers. This aims to cut down on waste, which the commission estimates is over 11,000 tons every year. Apple is the biggest holdout: some iPad versions have USB-C ports but iPhones still use Lightning connectors. Apple argues that this would stifle innovation and hurt consumers. If the law is passed manufacturers will have two years to make all new devices USB-C compatible, just enough time to let Apple switch to wireless only devices 😀. Link

Twitter rolls out tipping people with Bitcoin, for all Twitter users on iOS.
Called "Tips", users can tip BTC via CashAPP (by Square), GoFundMe, and Strike. Android support is expected soon. Tipping uses the Lightning network that has lower transaction fees. Twitter also announced plans to offer NFT authentication on the platform, which would be in the form of badges similar to the user verification checkmark (so people would be able to show off the NFTs they own). Link

Photo credit: Twitter

Apple won’t let Fortnite back on iOS until the Epic vs. Apple verdict is final, likely years from now.
Fortnite will not be returning to the iOS App Store anytime soon according to a series of tweets by Tim Sweeney, Epic's CEO. He revealed that Apple said they won't consider reinstating Epic's developer account until all legal appeals have concluded. The judge in the case said Apple is within its rights to terminate any Epic accounts it desires from the App Store. Epic already paid financial damages for breaching its contract. Sweeney claims Apple lied when they said they would reinstate Epic Games once the company played by the same rules as everybody else, which they now have done. Link

Apple is working to identify depression, cognitive decline, and other issues by analyzing data like typing behavior and sleep.
They are working with UCLA and pharmaceutical company Biogen to see if data like facial expressions, typing metrics, and sleep patterns could signal mental-health concerns, so Apple could then warn people if they are at risk. If successful, Apple could improve the detection of conditions, for tens of millions of people, but the extent of user tracking could have privacy concerns. To address them, Apple aims for algorithms that work on users' devices and don't send the data to Apple servers. Link

Photo credit: Clément Lauwaert, Unsplash

Facebook announce two new Portal video calling devices: Portal Go and next-gen Portal+
Today, Facebook announced two new Portals: an updated Portal+ for $349, and a new Portal Go with a battery, for $199. The Go has a charging dock and handle, with a 10-inch, 1,280 x 800 display. The new Portal+, which is the first update since it came out in 2018, has an improved design and a 14-inch, 2,140 x 1,440 display. Facebook is pushing to have Portals become business tools so they're adding support for Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx, BlueJeans and GotoMeeting. The third-generation Portals are available for pre-order and will begin shipping on Oct. 19. Link

Photo credit: Facebook

Shopify just beat Amazon in one important metric: Shopify got more online traffic than Amazon for the first time last quarter.
The average monthly unique visitors for the e-commerce sites powered by Shopify during the three months ending in June was 1.16B vs. Amazon's 1.10B average monthly unique visitors during the same period. This quarter, Shopify-powered sites are anticipated to get 1.22B monthly unique visitors versus Amazon's 1.13B. This reflects Shopify's rapidly growing reach in online shopping. Each month since May 2020, Shopify sites had an average YoY traffic growth of 108.5%. Amazon had a 9.9% expansion rate during the same period. Link

Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke. Photo credit: Shopify

Apple court ruling leaves it open for Apple to collect 30% commission from developers who use their own payment methods.
Last week a judge ruled in the Epic vs Apple case that Apple can't block app developers from linking to external purchasing methods. But the order didn't say developers can keep all the in-app revenue for themselves. So Apple could change the terms of the App Store and say that regardless of where developers collect their revenue, they owe Apple 30%, it would simply be more difficult for Apple to collect that commission. Link

WhatsApp launches a modern-day Yellow Pages business directory within the app, starting in Brazil.
The pilot, starting in São Paulo, lets users browse categories, such as grocery stores and restaurants, and then chat with businesses. WhatsApp already has in-app payments, letting users make purchases directly from businesses, in addition to sending money to friends and family, in Brazil and India. They're looking to expand the directory next in India, Indonesia, and other countries. Link

Xiaomi unveiled smart glasses with a MicroLED display that can be used for AR.
Just a few days after Facebook launched their Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses, Xiaomi showed off their "Smart Glasses" (the official name) that have a 5MP camera, speakers, a mic, a touch pad, and a display (which the Ray-Bans are missing). They connect to your phone to show you notifications, maps, phone calls, etc... but they don't require a constant phone connection. They weigh just 51 grams. Xiaomi suggests they could even replace your phone someday. They're a concept, no word on price or availability. And they definitely don't look as cool as the Ray-Bans 😎. Link
Watch Xiaomi's video of their Smart Glasses

Photo credit: Xiaomi

Apple unveils iPhone 13 series, Apple Watch Series 7, and refreshed iPad Mini.
Here are the highlights of what Apple announced at their California Streaming event (their annual "iPhone event"):

iPhone 13 ($799) and 13 Mini($699): similar design to iPhone 12, have an A15 bionic chip, better (diagonal) dual-cameras, larger battery, smaller notch, and five new colors. Now with 128GB and up to 512GB.

iPhone 13 Pro ($999) and iPhone 13 Pro Max ($1,099): new ProMotion adaptive frame rate (10Hz-120Hz) which changes frame rates based on what you're doing (for efficiency and reducing lag), A15 chip, new cameras with 3x optical zoom (total of 6x optical zoom) and macro photography, Super Retina XDR display, night mode in all cameras. Starts at 128GB and up to 1TB.

The new iPhones support a new Cinematic mode for focus transitions when shooting video, and even let you edit the depth effect after you've shot the video.
They'll be available Sept 24.

Other interesting updates from the event:

New Apple Watch, Series 7 (from $399): has a new shape, a bigger screen without a much bigger case, brighter indoors, crack resistant, IP6X for dust resistance, and it charges faster.

New iPad mini ($499): larger 8.3" display, Touch ID on the top power button, USB-C, 5G, supports Center Stage (previously only on iPad Pro) and Apple Pencil. Available next week.

New MagSafe wallet: it sticks to the back of the latest iPhones and supports Find-My so you can see where you dropped it.

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15: will be released on September 20

Read more in-depth coverage of the event

Photo credits: Apple

Intuit announced they're buying email marketing company Mailchimp for $12 billion in cash and stock.
Intuit said it will use the acquisition to accelerate growth among small business clients. There were rumors in early August that Mailchimp was exploring a sale for $10B, and sources said the firm also considered selling a minority stake. Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius founded Mailchimp nearly 20 years ago. Intuit's market cap is ~152B. Link

Photo credit: Intuit

Judge rules in Epic vs Apple case that Apple can't prohibit app developers from linking to external purchasing options.
The ruling says that Apple can't prevent developers from adding links that circumvent Apple's in-app purchase system (where Apple takes a 30% cut). Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers also ruled that Apple can't prevent developers from using email addresses obtained within apps to communicate with customers. In a separate judgment, the court said that Epic was in breach of its contract with Apple when it implemented the alternative payment system in Fortnite. As a result, Epic must pay Apple 30% of all revenue collected since it was implemented, more than $3.5M. Epic wanted broader restrictions, hoping to be able to directly charge players within the game for items without having to pay Apple's commission, but the judge ruled they still can't do that. Link

Amazon launches Fire TV Omni Series, its first smart TVs, starting at $410 and shipping in October.
As rumors had it, Amazon launched their first-ever Amazon-built TVs, with two lines: the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series, for $410 and up, which provides hands-free Alexa voice navigation, and the value priced Fire TV 4-Series line, for $370 and up.
The Fire TV Omni Series will be available in three screen sizes: 43-inch ($409.99), 50-inch ($509.99) and 55-inch ($559.99), 65-inch ($829.99), and 75-inch ($1,099.99) models.
The Fire TV 4-Series line (which doesn't have far-field microphones so no hands-free Alexa voice support, but comes with an Alexa voice remote) will be available in 43-inch ($369.99), 50-inch ($469.99) and 55-inch ($519.99) screen sizes.
Link

Photo credit: Amazon

Facebook launches $299 Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses that let users take photos and videos, listen to music, and take phone calls.
Ray-Ban Stories look like regular frames and have two-front facing cameras for capturing video and photos. You sync them with a companion app called Facebook View, where you can edit and share videos and photos. They have a button for recording, or you can say "Hey Facebook, take a video" to control them hands-free. They don't have displays in the lenses, speakers on both sides of the frame let you play sound from your phone over Bluetooth or take a call. There's a touchpad on the side of the frame lets you change the volume or play and pause what you're hearing. They come with a case that also charges the glasses. They'll be available pretty much anywhere Ray-Bans are sold, including LensCrafters and Sunglasses Hut stores. They're currently being sold online and in stores in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, and Australia.
Hands-on with Ray-Ban Stories
Video of Mark Zuckerberg announcing Ray-Ban Stories

Photo credit: Ray-Ban/Facebook

Apple's launch event will be on Sept. 14 at 10am PT. Expected announcements: notchless iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7.
Aside from a smaller notch (no notch?), the big things expected with iPhone 13: improvements to battery capacity and camera lens and a faster A15 chip with improved 5G. Rumors say there'll be four phones in 5.4", 6.1", and 6.7" sizes.
The new Apple Watch is said to have a new blood pressure monitor and a built-in thermometer and is expected to have a larger screen, increasing to 41mm and 45mm from 40mm and 44mm. It'll also have an updated processor and have flat edges. Production issues may cause the new models to ship late or in limited quantities.
Link

Photo credit: Apple

El Salvador becomes first country to adopt Bitcoin as an official currency and currently holds 550 Bitcoin.
The country was the first to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, and is now the first to adopt it as an official currency. It launched the Chivo wallet with $30 worth of free bitcoin for each user. The use of bitcoin as legal tender will not be mandatory and will be the official currency alongside the US dollar. Their 550 Bitcoins are currently worth about $25M. Link

Apple delays the rollout of scanning for child sexual abuse material (CSAM ) so it can collect feedback and make improvements.
Last month, Apple announced they would scan iMessage and iCloud photos for child abuse images. They immediately got a lot of backlash from privacy advocates and security researchers so now they announced they are backtracking. Here's the official announcement: "Based on feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers and others, we have decided to take additional time over the coming months to collect input and make improvements before releasing these critically important child safety features". There's no word on when the company plans to roll out the features. Link
Our previous update about Apple's plans to scan for CSAM.

Photo credit: Wikimedia

Amazon will launch its own Amazon-branded TV featuring Alexa, likely coming in October.
It has been in the works for almost two years and will launch in the US. The models are expected to be big screen TVs in the range of 55 to 75 inches. The initial TV will be designed and manufactured by third parties such as TCL, but the company is also developing a TV designed in-house (it's not clear when that might be released). Link

Update: as expected, Amazon launched their own TV line .

Photo credit: Amazon

Twitter launches Super Follows on iOS in the US, allowing creators to charge a monthly fee for giving users access to exclusive content.
Eligible accounts can choose to charge $2.99, $4.99 or $9.99 per month for Super Follow subscriptions. They can then choose which tweets are available only for subscribers. Twitter plans to roll out Super Follow in more countries in the coming weeks and says it will be available on Android and the web soon. This will let Twitter move down funnel and compete with Patreon and OnlyFans. Link

Photo credit: Twitter

TikTok owner ByteDance acquires third-largest VR headset maker Pico.
According to IDC, Pico's shipments grew 44.7% YoY. ByteDance, who also acquired mobile games studio Moonton for $4B in March, did not disclose the size of the deal. ByteDance's acquisition of Pico puts it against Facebook's Oculus and Apple is also supposedly working on their own VR headset (they bought NextVR). Link

Photo credit: Pico, illustration by RN in TECH

China to limit kids from playing video games for more than three hours per week.
Kids under 18 will only be allowed to play video games from 8 to 9pm on Fri, Sat, Sun, and public holidays. China's government said it's needed because of growing game addiction. All online games must link to China's anti-addiction system and users can only log in using their real names. In 2019, China restricted game time for minors to 1.5 hours per day. Link