Tech News Today for August 28, 2017
Tech News for Monday August 28, 2017
We’ve had a lot of long national nightmares, but the one involving Uber’s search for a new CEO appears to be over. One national nightmare down, many more to go. The replacement for Travis Kalanik, according to many sources, is likely to be Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Expedia since 2005 whose grown that property from $2.1 billion in 2005 to $8.7 billion in 2016. Recode first posted about the pick based on its sources Sunday evening but as of now, no official confirmation has been made by Uber about Dara’s hiring. However, a letter sent to Expedia employees by Expedia chair Barry Diller confirms that Dara has been asked to do so, and that nothing is finalized yet. Other sources are saying that Dara will address Uber employees in an all-hands meeting in the next day or two. Read more at recode.net.
Fitbit has a new smartwatch, the $300 Ionic. It's water resistant up to 50 meters and includes built-in GPS and heart rate monitoring. The company also announced new 4130 flyer in-ear wireless headphones to use with the device on your runs. Like the iPhone, FitBit is 10 years old, but arguably not quite as popular. Read more at venturebeat.com.
Microsoft is revealing more details on its upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update that will officially usher in the era of the company’s Mixed Reality efforts. The company announced a new entry-level tier that bypasses the need for high-end graphics cards to power the experience. Ultrabook and low-end PCs in the $499 range with standard Intel HD graphics will be able to partake thanks to a simple HDMI and USB 3.0 connection in place of wall mounted sensors. The goal, of course, is that Microsoft can do for VR what it did with personal computing, by making it affordable so even those on basic setups can get in on it. Not only that, Microsoft announced a partnership with Steam VR, meaning access to a wide variety of titles from Steam that can be found on competing VR platforms. Read more at windowscentral.com.
Sources at The Wall Street Journal say Apple will hold their fall event on Sept. 12, where they will announce 3 new smartphones and a new smartwatch. Among the most popular rumors we're hearing is no bezels, advanced facial recognition, and wireless charging. People briefed on the plans say the event will be held in the 1,000-seat Steve Jobs Theater at Apple's new campus. The devices usually go on sale 10 days after the annual event. Some consumer researchers say the rumored $1,000 price tag will scare people away and people will opt for the updated iPhone 7 or 7 Plus estimated at $650 and $750 instead. Read more at wsj.com.
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