Roku Announces That They Will Be Making Their Own TVs…. This Could Be Interesting

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 4, 2023 by itnerd

Roku has announced at CES that they are entering the TV market. Now you’re likely wondering what I am talking about as Roku has partnered for years with companies like TCL, Sharp, and RCA among others to bring Roku powered TVs to market. Valid point. Let me clarify. Roku has announced that they are going to make their own TVs that are independent from their partners:

Building on Roku’s TV streaming leadership and decades of experience, as well as its successful Roku TV program, the new Roku-branded TVs combine the company’s award-winning operating system with its deep expertise in TV hardware, offering more choice and innovation to both consumers and Roku TV partners.  

Available in 11 models ranging from 24” to 75”, the new Roku Select and Plus Series TVs will focus on the features that streamers have come to love. All HD offerings will include Roku Voice Remotes, while all Plus Series TVs will come with Roku Voice Remote Pros. Roku-branded TVs will offer an expanded audio ecosystem, using the all-new Roku TV Wireless Soundbar, to make consumers’ home theater set-up simple and wire-free. Additionally, all Roku-branded TV models will continue to offer fan favorite features including Find My Remote, Private Listening, and access to great content like live TV and sports.

This will be interesting because if I am Sharp, TCL or RCA or any of Roku’s partners, I’d be wondering if Roku is ditching them to make more money. And if they should ditch Roku for Google. I guess that’s why Roku tossed this into the same press release:

In addition, today Roku is announcing a premium OLED TV reference design, now available to Roku TV partners.

Maybe that’s an attempt to keep their partners from rage quitting on Roku. Regardless, like I said earlier, this will be interesting to watch. These new Roku TVs are coming in the springtime in the US at a cost of $119 to $999 for the full lineup of 24” – 75” models. 

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Two More Twitter Execs Head To The Exits

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 4, 2023 by itnerd

Elon Musk has cut huge numbers of staff at Twitter, but many have quit on their own accord. And that trend seems to be continuing as news is out that two more Twitter execs have left. Starting with this guy:

I had a look at his LinkedIn profile. He joined Twitter in 2017 as the senior director of engineering. His last role was the one that he just resigned from. And I note that he hasn’t posted on social media to say he’s left the company. But since Schiffer has a 100% track record with reporting on leaks from Twitter, I will take this as fact.

The other exec to head to the door was reported by Casey Newton:

Just like with Schiffer, if Newton says something, it’s fact as he also has a 100% track record in terms of reporting on leaks from Twitter.

The question is, with so many departures from Twitter, is there anyone left who can run the company? I ask because Elon’s not capable of running the company. So there has to be someone competent who is at the helm. Right?

UPDATE: Behnam Rezaei has confirmed his departure from Twitter… On Twitter.

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Apple Wins As MagSafe Becomes Part Of The Qi2 Wireless Charging Standard

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 4, 2023 by itnerd

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced a new version of the Qi wireless charging standard yesterday. Called Qi2, it promises the following:

  • It uses a Magnetic Power Profile to make sure that phones and other battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with chargers for improved energy efficiency and faster charging.
  • Qi2 will allow for new accessories that would not be chargeable using existing flat surface-to-flat surface devices.
  • Faster charging will be available for some devices, and the updated standard will also “pave the way for significant future increases in wireless charging speeds.”

The big news is that all of this is based on Apple MagSafe tech:

WPC member, Apple®, provided the basis for the new Qi2 standard building on its MagSafe® technology. Apple® and other WPC members developed the new Magnetic Power Profile, which is at the core of Qi2. Qi2’s Magnetic Power Profile will ensure that phones or other rechargeable battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with charging devices, thus providing improved energy efficiency and faster charging.

So, what this means is that the broader smartphone industry will likely be adopting a standard based on Apple tech for the next generations of smartphones. As in Samsung, Nothing, Etc.

Mind. Blown.

Apple wins huge here as they have tried to get their tech to become industry standards before. They tried with Firewire back in the day and failed with that. They tried with USB-C and while USB-C has been adopted widely, Apple doesn’t make a dime off of that because the USB-IF which governs that standard doesn’t roll like that as it’s a non-profit. But Apple has hit the jackpot with the WPC. Because Apple will be able to collect royalties from anyone who uses Qi2. And the revenue from those royalties will likely dwarf whatever money that Apple presently makes from its MFi or Made For iPhone program. Tim Cook likely can’t wait for Qi2 to roll out later this year because of that.

But there’s something else. You might recall that the EU has forced Apple to adopt USB-C in the iPhone. I wonder if this could be a vehicle for Apple to tell the EU to take a hike on that front as they could argue that they are using a standards based charger? Thus there’s no need for USB-C on the iPhone? I guess we’ll see in September when the iPhone 15 rolls out.

Finally, you have to believe that talk of the portless iPhone will start up again. Because I’m betting that Apple will take this standard that they had a hand in inventing and layer on data transfer. Which means a physical port won’t be required. If that’s true, that’s not happening this year. But I can see it happening in a year or two.

No matter how you slice it, Apple wins. Which is something that I didn’t have on my BINGO card at the start of the year.

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Happy New Year Meta… Here’s A $410 Million Fine From The EU

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 4, 2023 by itnerd

Meta is in trouble again and potentially having to cut a big cheque as a result. This time they got nailed by the EU for the following reasons:

A top European Union privacy regulator ruled that Meta Platforms Inc. can’t use its contracts with Facebook and Instagram users to justify sending them ads based on their online activity, delivering one of the bloc’s biggest blows yet to the digital advertising industry.

Meta, the parent of Instagram and Facebook, said it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal it. The ruling was announced Wednesday by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission.

The agency imposed fines of 390 million euros ($414 million) on Meta, saying that the company violated EU privacy laws by saying such ads are necessary to execute contracts with users.

Litigation could take years, but if the decisions are upheld, they could mean that Meta will have to allow users to opt out of ads that are based on how individual users interact with its own apps–something that could hurt one of its core businesses.

So why would Meta appeal this? Well it’s because ads are its business and anything that interferes with that is a 9-1-1 type of emergency. So they really have no choice. But this is the latest EU fine that Meta has been served with. You have to wonder how many more of these that Meta will get hit with before they alter how they do business. If they can actually alter how they do business.

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South Koreans Slap Tesla With $2.2 Million Fine For Lying About The Range Of Their Cars

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 4, 2023 by itnerd

Earlier today I wrote a story about Tesla and what they needed to do to get out of the apparent death spiral that they’re currently in. One of the bullet points that I had was that they had to stay out of legal trouble. But that’s not happening according to Reuters:

South Korea’s antitrust regulator said it would impose a 2.85 billion won ($2.2 million) fine on Tesla Inc for failing to tell its customers about the shorter driving range of its electric vehicles (EVs) in low temperatures.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said that Tesla had exaggerated the “driving ranges of its cars on a single charge, their fuel cost-effectiveness compared to gasoline vehicles as well as the performance of its Superchargers” on its official local website since August 2019 until recently.

The driving range of the U.S. EV manufacturer’s cars plunge in cold weather by up to 50.5% versus how they are advertised online, the KFTC said in a statement on Tuesday.

The fine is a rounding error to Elon. Let’s get that out of the way. But the fact that more and more regulators are taking a good hard look at Tesla has got to be a concern. After all, any company needs to make sure it’s on the right side of the law or bad things will happen to said company. And given that Tesla has other organizations conducting investigations into them at the moment, not to mention numerous lawsuits, this is perhaps a sign that Tesla’s problems might be deepening.

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Twitter Is Apparently Going To Allow Political Ads… Presumably To Boost Revenue

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 4, 2023 by itnerd

Back in 2019, Twitter banned political ads. This was the logic at the time:

The idea intended to be made manifest in these policies is that “political message reach should be earned, not bought,” as the company puts it. It’s hard to argue with that (but Facebook will anyway). The new rules apply globally and to all ad types.

It’s important to make clear at the outset that Twitter is not banning political content, it is banning the paid promotion of that content. Every topic is fair game and every person or organization on Twitter can pursue their cause as before — they just can’t pay to get their message in front of more eyeballs.

Fast forward to today. That seems to have changed based on this Tweet:

My feeling is that this has nothing to do with Elon’s “free speech” agenda. It likely has more to do with the fact that Twitter needs money and with a presidential election two years away, a lot of political groups not to mention the two major parties in the US will be doing lots of advertising to get their messages out. Thus Elon is going to try to grab his share of that political ad spending to fill in his revenue holes from advertisers fleeing the platform.

Two things that I should note on this. Like everything else that Elon has done since he took over Twitter, there’s no details here on how this will work. Which is another example of his “ready, fire, aim” mentality. The second thing is that Elon in the past has promised to run polls on major policy changes like this. But that hasn’t happened here. Which implies to me that Elon is doing this because he needs money now.

Let’s see what happens with this as like everything else that Elon has done with Twitter, this is likely to become another train wreck next to a dumpster fire.

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Tesla Is In Deep Trouble… But There Is A Path Back From The Brink If They Have The Courage To Take It

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 4, 2023 by itnerd

For the last few weeks, Tesla stock has been in free fall closing at $108.045 USD a share as of yesterday. The company that effectively invented the electric vehicle market has lost over 70% of its value over the last year and faces severe headwinds. Plus there’s a significant amount of people who are cheering for the stock to go lower. To be honest, I’m in that camp because of Elon Musk and everything that he’s done in the last few months. But I’m here to say that Tesla isn’t on it’s deathbed. At least not yet. There is a path for them to recover if the company chooses to take that path. But before I explain what that path looks like, let me explain what headwinds they face so that you can understand the gravity of their situation:

  • Competition: When Tesla were the only EV in town, they could do pretty much anything. Including having customers wait for months or years for vehicles. Not to mention build vehicles that have questionable build quality. Simply put, they could do that because there were no other options out there in terms of EVs. But those days are over for Tesla. Companies like Mercedes Benz, General Motors, Hyundai, Volkswagen Group, and BMW to name a few have gotten really serious about electric vehicles. And Tesla isn’t equipped to take those companies on. I say that because Tesla just announced that they shipped 1.31 million cars. Volkswagen Group is estimated to have shipped 65 million cars in 2022. If even 5% of them are EV’s then they will crush Tesla. The thing is any of the established car brands aren’t going into the EV market to just ship 3 or 4 million cars. They’re in it to ship orders of magnitude above that. And when you add other car companies to the mix, then this becomes a problem for Tesla. Things like brand loyalty come into play as well as the ability to compare the quality of a Tesla vehicle against another brand. And these are the things that Tesla will have problems dealing with.
  • China: Tesla just had to shut down its plant in China because of rising COVID cases in the country. But that isn’t the main problem that Tesla has in China. Domestic competition is their main problem. Numerous home grown EV companies are taking market share from Tesla in China which has led the company to cut prices. And when you cut prices, it’s hard to bring those prices back up. The reason why this matters is that Tesla has bet big on China. And it seems that at this point that bet is not paying off. Which means that this will hurt Tesla.
  • Elon: This one is pretty obvious. Elon Musk is not only a major distraction for Tesla, but he’s a drag on the brands perception. Stories surfaced of people cancelling orders for Tesla vehicles in the dying days of 2022 because of Elon. That’s not a good place to be when you’re trying to make Tesla a competitor to established car brands. And him selling stock to fund his obsession with Twitter isn’t helping matters.
  • Lawsuits and other legal trouble: Whether it is a lawsuit over not delivering full self driving on time, or issues with their self driving software that have led to investigations, it’s stuff like this that send consumers as well as investors running to the exits. The more of these investigations that are floating around the company, the worse it is for the company.
  • Lack of “new” product: Tesla is a company that is iterative. Meaning that they continuously evolve the models that it has out there. The problem is that in the car space, consumers are used to a new car coming out ever few years. For example, a new model appears. Then a refresh of said model appears about three years after that. Followed by a brand new version about two years after that. While it is true that a Model S produced today is a substantially different product versus the one that Tesla started shipping in 2012, consumers don’t see it that way. And products like the Cybertruck or Roadster are MIA. That means that there’s less incentive for people to enter a Tesla dealership because they’re conditioned to always want “the new hotness.” And Tesla currently has no “new hotness.”

Those are significant headwinds. But there is a reason why Tesla is still around. And that’s the Supercharger Network. Nobody else in the EV game has the charging network. And that is enough to drive sales until an established brand matches them on that front. And that could take years for a General Motors or Hyundai to do that. Meaning that Tesla has some time. But not much of it. Which is why Tesla needs to take this path to put them back on top in the EV game. On top of addressing all of the above issues, I’m going to highlight four things that they need to do immediately:

  • The quality has to improve ASAP: If you read reviews of Tesla online, or watch video review of Tesla on YouTube, quality in the forms of excessive squeaks and rattles along with the fit and finish of their vehicles keep coming up as issues. They need to deal with that in order to be a player against established car companies.
  • Tesla needs a PR department: When Elon Musk is your chief spokesman, that’s something that will work until it doesn’t. And right now it’s not working. Tesla needs a real PR department. They need to interact with automotive journalists which will allow them to get their message out about the cars and steer the message away from Elon. They also need a press fleet because most reviews that I’ve ever read or seen rely on the journalist borrowing a Tesla from a friend. Consumers look at that and see that as a bit suspect. As in Tesla has something to hide.
  • They need to bring in automotive types to run manufacturing: The only way to compete against established car brands is to get people who have been there, done that and got the t-shirt. Because Tesla needs to scale to making millions of cars quickly. Otherwise they’ll be only producing a couple of million cars a year or less against competition that makes cars in orders of magnitude above what Tesla can do.
  • Elon needs to go: Tesla needs to dump Elon immediately. The longer he hangs around, the more damage he does to the company. And he’s unlikely to leave Twitter and have the discipline to focus on running Tesla. Now it’s safe to say that he won’t leave willingly, so the board of directors have no choice but to fire him. I question if they have the will to do so, but I am free to be surprised.

If Tesla does the above, then I believe will put them back into the game. If they have the courage to take that path. But what do you think? Do you think Tesla has a path back from the brink or should everyone start giving the company its last rites? Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

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Twitter Tanks For Users In Australia And New Zealand

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 4, 2023 by itnerd

It seems that Elon’s cost cutting at Twitter is really starting to have negative effects as according to DownDetector Australia and New Zealand, Twitter started to have issues. Specifically tweets are not loading up for users and the service to be very laggy for others in only Australia and New Zealand. This seems to be an ongoing issue as I am seeing complaints about this as I type this story. I also note that others have been able to access Twitter via a VPN. So perhaps Elon pulled the plug on a regional datacenter? Who knows? But I’m sure the truth will eventually come out via a leak.

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HYPER Announces HyperPack Pro with Apple Find My Compatible Location Module

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 3, 2023 by itnerd


HYPER, the creator of the world’s most crowdfunded USB-C® hubs for MacBook®, and the number one docking station brand in the USA, today announced the crowdfunding campaign launch for its CES®2023 Innovation Awards Honoree, HyperPack Pro.

The HyperPack Pro backpack enhances the mobile tech experience in four key areas: security, device protection, charging enabling, and travel convenience.

The built-in Hyper Location Module with Apple Find My network compatibility allows you to track HyperPackPro and its contents from anywhere, while a weather-resistant, ultra-durable 1260D Cordura® exterior and suspended interior laptop pocket protect your devices from scratches and drops. Strategically placed charging pass-throughs in the interior pockets allow you to use a portable battery pack to power your devices on-the-go, and numerous thoughtful design details make HyperPack Pro a seamless travel companion.

Additional security features include an RFID protective pocket, interlocking zippers, and a hidden lumbar pocket to keep your valuables and important documents safe on-the-go.

This 22L backpack easily stores a 16” laptop, tablet, phone, and additional gear with room to spare for personal items like gym clothes or extra layers. An interior 1L water bottle pocket, microfiber-lined sunglasses pouch, and exterior carry-on luggage sleeve are just a few of the design details that elevate HyperPack Pro above other tech backpacks.

Key features:

  • Apple Find My Compatible Location Module: Built-in Hyper Location Module with Find My network compatibility, sound alert, and replaceable battery.
  • Abrasion & Water-Resistant Exterior: Water-resistant 1260D Cordura, weather-resistant YKK® AquaGuard® zippers, and a suspended, felt-lined laptop pocket to keep gear safe and dry.
  • Anti-Theft Security: RFID protective pocket, interlocking zippers, and hidden back pocket, protect tech and valuables from theft.
  • Triple Padded Back & Luggage Pass-through: Three layers of breathable foam reinforce the back of HyperPack Pro for all-day carrying comfort, while a built-in luggage pass-through provides a seamless travel experience.
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty: HyperPack Pro’s Limited Lifetime Warranty protects you against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship for the practical lifetime of the product. 2-year limited warranty for the location module.

Available December 5, 2022 via Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/project/preview/1c46f1d5

MSRP:$199.99

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Targus Introduces New Lineup Of Laptop Cases And Tech Accessories At CES 2023

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 3, 2023 by itnerd

Targus will unveil an exciting lineup of innovative solutions at CES® 2023to empower a seamless and productive life, while helping to protect our environment.They include premium, sustainable accessories made from up to 85 percent of post-consumer recycled plastic, a Zero-Waste Backpack that uses its own packaging asa functional part of the backpack to reduce waste, and a Triple Video, Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM)-enabled docking station that controls up to two laptops at once.

Targus is further strengthening its commitment to sustainability with the expansion of its EcoSmart® Collection of premium laptop bags and tech accessories.

Its new lineup of sustainable tech accessories includes the Energy Harvesting EcoSmart™Keyboard, named a CES® 2023 Innovation Awards Honoree, Ergonomic EcoSmart Keyboard, and Ergonomic Ambidextrous EcoSmart Mouse, featuring a unique, six-button ergonomic ambidextrous design to easily convert from a right-to left-handed mouse. Each of these products is made with up to 85 percent of post-consumer recycled (PCR) ABS plastic, comes in packaging made from recycled materials, and uses ultra-low-power Bluetooth® technology to reduce power consumption and extend battery life. As an added bonus, they also include Targus’ DefenseGuard™Antimicrobial Protection.The Energy Harvesting EcoSmart and Ergonomic EcoSmart Keyboards will be available next month for $119.99. The Ergonomic Ambidextrous EcoSmart Mouse will arrive in March, priced at $59.99. Another new addition to the EcoSmart Collection is Targus’Zero-Waste Backpack, a foldable backpack made from 20 recycled plastic bottles per bag that uses its own recycled-plastic packaging to function as an integral part of the bag by serving as the laptop protection system. Its foldable and sustainable design allows all components of the product to work together efficiently, while preventing the packaging from going to waste.The Zero Waste EcoSmart Backpack, arriving in Q2 2023, will retail for $69.99.

Targus continues to lead the industry in the docking solutions category. This year, Targus is introducing its new DOCK750: Triple Video and KVM Docking Station with Dual 100W Power. This powerful, flexible dock features a built-in Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM) switch to easily alternate between two separate PCs or networks at the same time, triple 4K hybrid video technology, as well as Dual simultaneous USB-C PD3.0 100W delivery. The DOCK750 is ideal for professionals working on two separate networks/systems at once, who need to collaborate quickly and easily in the office, or switch between a personal and work PC in a home office. Available this spring, DOCK750 will retail for $499.

Lastly, as a leading B2B accessories partner to Samsung®, Targus has introduced a new mPOS Solution for Samsung Tab Active tablets, designed for businesses across retail, hospitality, banking, and more, to enable frictionless and seamless point-of-sale (POS) transactions. This easy, all-in-one solution transforms Samsung Tab Active 3, Tab Active Pro, and Tab Active 4 Pro tablets into the ultimate desktop computing and POS experience. Complete with Targus Field-Ready Tablet Case, Tablet Cradle Workstation, 3-in-1 payment module, HDMI® dock, and AC adapter, the mPOS Solution isideal for all types of businesses from retail, hospitality, banking, restaurants, and more. The mPOS Solution is available now, starting at $599.

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