There’s a big Google Pay app redesign! At least in the US, and it takes on both Venmo/CashApp for sending money, and Mint for tracking your transactions.:
And the bonus today — the worst passwords of 2020 are here and they are just miserable. NordPass published a list of 200 but the top 20 are bad enough:
Obvious reaction: yikes.
🎁 Vivo is unveiling its redesigned OriginOS Android skin for Vivo and iQoo phones, as it retires FuntouchOS which leaned on iOS pretty closely. OriginOS looks like it’s borrowed from iOS widgets, but looking forward to seeing what reviewers say once it’s out in 2021 (Android Authority).
📺 Wonder Woman 1984 will debut on HBO Max (and in theaters) Christmas Day, but there’s a catch around that the Gal Gadot superhero film will only be available for a month, when it will head to theaters exclusively, then a wider release to retailers, and back to HBO Max (Android Authority).
🍎 Apple to pay $113 million in latest iPhone ‘Batterygate’ settlement, no real change to the status quo (Android Authority).
🍏 More on Apple’s move to cut fees for small developers, with a nice nuanced take (John Luxford). Given many developers don’t get anywhere beyond $1M in annual revenue, it’s still Epic and Spotify taking up arms against the 30% tax. Epic’s reaction may well be over the top (TechCrunch). No doubt Apple’s move is protecting itself here, and while it looks good, it affects a vanishingly small amount of Apple’s revenue because the top 1% of developers like Epic and Spotify etc, log 90%+ of App Store revenue for Apple.
📺 YouTube will now play ads before more videos, but creators won't see a dime (Gizmodo).
🛫 The FAA has given Boeing the all-clear to fly the 737 Max again. Now, Boeing has to modify hundreds of planes, and return them to a much emptier sky (Seattle Times).
😺 MeowTalk: An app that aims to translate your cat’s meows has been developed by a former Amazon Alexa engineer. There’s no one cat language apparently, so you’ll need to train the app to your cat (BBC).
😢 The jetman Vincent Reffet, famous for airborne feats using jetpacks and carbon-fibre wing packs, has been killed in a training accident in Dubai (BBC).
🎮 The Among Us developers have teased a new map plus hinted at something alongside The Game Awards on December 10th. Devs are finally on Twitter, too (Engadget).
🚀 A guy records a Soyuz launch from an insanely close distance (r/thatsinsane).
🎲 Here’s a bunch of board games you might want to consider gifting this holiday season. Or, buying for yourself! (Engadget).
🏡 “People who’ve been on home renovation or remake shows, how’s the house holding up?” (r/askreddit).
The Amazon Kindle was first released on this day in 2007. Built under codename Fiona after a 2004 Jeff Bezos request to beat the competition to market. (Which it didn’t — the Sony Reader was out long before, but hey, Sony no longer makes ebook readers...)
The hook was the books, of course, but Amazon made the experience better.
Cheers,
Tristan Rayner, Senior Editor.
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