Tech News Today for July 18, 2017
Tech News for Tuesday July 18, 2017
Netflix released earnings and they are still impressing investors with revenue ($2.785 billion in the second quarter of 2017) and their seemingly endless parade of new subscribers (5.2 million new customers in this quarter.) Netflix shares are at an all-time high, which means the company is now worth more than Time Warner, Sony, and Fox. In its investor letter, Netflix says they're still burning lots of cash and will for several more years and investors are just fine with that too. Read more at arstechnica.com.
The New York Times reports that WhatsApp is the latest service to run up against media censorship in China. The government disrupted service of the Facebook owned messaging tool today, blocking users from sending photos and videos. The filters in China's Great Firewall have become more stringent due to events in the country such as the death of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who died in detention and more people turning to WhatsApp in search of news not controlled by the Beijing government. For now, if you're in China you'll only be able send photos and videos with WhatsApp if you use a VPN. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has often spoken out whe WhatsApp has been blocked in countries such as Brazil, but they have not responded to requests for comments on this particular issue. Read more at nytimes.com.
Google announced new security features for G Suite and Apps Script to protect against the phishing scams like the one we saw back in May. In case you forgot, the worm in May spread when a malicious hacker was able to create a viral plug-in called "Google Docs." Google says they've changed the way they handle plug-ins with a new “unverified app” screen that will appear for all newly created web applications and Apps Scripts that require verification. The pop-up comes before the permissions consent screen, so you can think twice before entering your credentials. Read more at googleblog.com.
Business Insider says Google's Assistant on the iPhone has only been downloaded 300,000 times since its launch two months ago. The data comes from App Annie, and Google declined to comment. Read more at businessinsider.com.
Google Glass is back, but not for checking your Instafeed from your glasses. The newly revamped Glass Enterprise Edition is designed for the non-information workers among us, meaning people who still work with people and things instead of in front of a screen, hands on a keyboard all day. So, doctors, factory workers, automobile assemblers, makers of agriculture equipment, and others. blog.x.company.
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