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Echo is listening but Amazon’s not talking, the fragmentation of technology accessories and a subscription model made from a core product.

Quick News

• U.K. and France Thumb Noses at U.S. Over Net Neutrality Repeal [Link]
• Massive data breach hits Norway and over 3 million people’s healthcare data feared stolen by hackers [Link]
• Snap lays off two dozen employees, including some from branded content teams [Link]
• Apple health data used in murder trial [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Echo is listening, but Amazon’s not talking [Link]
• Buying headphones in 2018 is going to be a fragmented mess [Link]
• BMW Plans to Turn CarPlay Into Subscription-Based Service Next Year [Link]
• The Person Who Sent Hawaii’s False Missile Alert Has Been Reassigned [Link]

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Google will vet premium YouTube videos, Apple’s privacy feature could cost ad companies millions and the effect of modern day technology.

Quick News

• Facebook plans major news feed changes [Link]
• Microsoft says security fixes will noticeably slow older PCs [Link]
• Apple forced to pay £136 million tax bill in the UK following ‘extensive audit’ [Link]
• Nextbit is shutting down its Smart Storage cloud service for the Robin phone [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Snapchat redesign prompts backlash’ [Link]
• Google will reportedly vet premium YouTube videos more closely [Link]
• No tracking, no revenue: Apple’s privacy feature costs ad companies millions [Link]
• The effect of Modern Day technology [Link]

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Companies challenge the FCC’s decision on Net Neutrality, Netflix and Apple – a possibility? Plus, a serious computer chip flaw warrants a rush to fix the issue.

Quick News

• FCC chairman Ajit Pai cancels CES appearance a week before show [Link]
• Apple readies Siri for the HomePod by adding a podcast-powered news brief [Link]
• Apple clarifies that all iPhone 6 and later devices are eligible for $29 battery replacements [Link]
• “123456” Remains Most Common Password Found in Data Dumps in 2017 [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Netflix Comes Out for Net Neutrality, Tells FCC ‘We Will See You in Court’ [Link]
• There is a 40% chance Apple will acquire Netflix, according to Citi [Link]
• Rush to fix ‘serious’ computer chip flaws [Link]

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The biggest tech stories of 2017, Apple speak out about a common complaint which turns out to be a “feature”.

Quick News

• Source code for Apple ‘flop’ to be revealed [Link]
• Nintendo Switch secret golf game wiped [Link]
• YouTube pulled from Amazon TV kit early [Link]
• The Echo Dot was the best-selling product on all of Amazon this holiday season [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Tech 2017: The year’s biggest stories [Link]
• “A Message to Our Customers” – Apple [Link]

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What’s the next step for Net Neutrality after the FCC’s ruling, Amazon backs down after a feud with Google and does social media “distort” news?

Quick News

•  Millions ‘stolen’ in NiceHash Bitcoin heist [Link]
• Disney has acquired 21st Century Fox’s film and TV studios in a landmark deal [Link]
• UK drone users to sit safety tests under new law [Link]
• Imgur confirms 1.7 million users hit by data breach [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• The FCC Just Killed Net Neutrality [Link]
• Amazon backs down in Google streaming spat [Link]
• Apple’s Ive Regains Management of Design Team After 2 Years [Link]
• Gove attacks ‘distorting’ social media after animal sentience row [Link]

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It’s Christmas time again! Join us for our 8th annual Christmas Gift Guide for 2017 to help you decide what to buy for friends, family and loved ones this holiday season!

Gadgets (Eg. Phones, Tablets, e-Readers etc) & Wearables

• Apple Watch Series 3 (Apple.com)
• AirPods (Apple.com)
• Apple TV 4K (Apple.com)
• Amazon Fire TV Stick (Amazon.co.uk £39.99)
• Google Chromecast (PC World – Audio £30 – Video £30)
• Kindle tablets (Amazon.co.uk from £49.99)
• Kindle e-Readers (Amazon.co.uk from £59)
• Bose Soundlink Mini 2
• Polaroid Onestep 2 (PolaroidOriginals.com £109.99)
• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V camera (Amazon.co.uk £949)

Peripherals (Accessories, cases, stands, keyboard, etc)

• Wireless Qi Charging pads (Anker – Amazon.co.uk £19)
• Anker Battery packs (e.g. E1)
• Prynt Pocket Instant Photo Printer for iPhone (Amazon.co.uk £162)
• Tile (Amazon.co.uk £19)

Home (Eg. Internet of things)

• Amazon Echo Dot (£49.99) / Echo (£89.99) / Echo Plus (£139.99)
  • Jamie personally vouch for the Echo 2nd Generation
• Philips Hue (Philips)
  • Starter kit
  • Bulbs
  • Accessories
• SONOS PLAY:1 Smart Wireless Speaker – Amazon UK (£149.00)

Stocking Fillers

• Apple Watch straps
• FitBit straps
• Elago W3 Stand – Classic Mac Apple Watch stand (Amazon – £9.99)
• elago R1 Intelli Case – Apple TV Remote Cover (Amazon – £11.99)
• Inspire Mac Candle No. 2 (TwelveSouth $30) – Candle’s scent designed to remind people of a freshly opened box of Apple hardware, with added notes of lemon and tarragon. Limited edition so hurry if planning!

Other

• Incase NoviConnected Travel Roller (TSA approved 10,050mAh battery, USB-C and full USB port for charging gadgets and built in bluetooth tracker) $300

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Warnings over net-connected Christmas gifts, Android phones may “betray” user location to Google and Uber concealed yet another data breach.

Quick News

• Call to regulate video game loot crates [Link]
• Firefox Will Warn Users When Visiting Sites That Suffered a Data Breach [Link]
• Broadband ads to ditch ‘misleading’ speeds [Link]
• Report: Apple’s iMac Pro will come with always-on Siri [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Warnings over smart Christmas gifts [Link]
• Android phones ‘betray’ user location to Google [Link]
• Uber concealed huge data breach [Link]
• Fullscreen ‘YouTube rival’ to close [Link]

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Tesla unveils the new Roadster, the FCC Plans a December Vote to Kill Net Neutrality Rules and Analysts predict Apple will launch Netflix rival service in 2018.

Quick News

• Apple Says HomePod is Delayed Until 2018 [Link]
• Car tax evasion triples after disc scrapped [Link]
• Cash Converters customer data breached [Link]
• Alibaba smashes its Single’s Day record once again as sales cross $25 billion [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Tesla unveils the new Roadster [Link]
• FCC Plans December Vote to Kill Net Neutrality Rules [Link]
• Analyst predicts Apple will launch Netflix rival service in 2018 [Link]
• Star Wars game U-turn after player anger [Link]

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Users played by Google Play, computing still isn’t being taught properly and some old Logitech devices will soon be useless.

Quick News

• Apple Releases iOS 11.1.1 Update With Fix for ‘A[?]’ Autocorrect Bug [Link]
• UK ISPs will have to pay automatic compensation to customers for broadband service problems [Link]
• Pokemon Go firm plans Harry Potter magic [Link]
• Twitter to expand 280-character tweets [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Fake WhatsApp Downloaded More Than 1 Million Times From Google Play [Link]
• ‘Too few’ schools offer computing GCSEs [Link]
• Logitech Will Intentionally Brick All Harmony Link Devices Next Year [Link]
• Snap says it’s going to start paying top creators [Link]

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The iPhone X opens up to overwhelmingly promising first impressions, Razer’s new phone follows new fashion trends and the FBI find difficulty in encrypted devices.

Quick News

• Apple Reports 4Q 2017 Results: $10.7B Profit on $52.6B Revenue, 46.7M iPhones [Link]
• Elon Musk Swears Tesla Model 3 Production is Getting Better [Link]
• Twitter employee takes down Trump account [Link]
• Microsoft kills off Kinect, stops manufacturing it [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Early Adopters Unbox iPhone X and Share Overwhelmingly Positive First Impressions [Link]
• Razer Phone announced with huge bezels, no headphone jack, and dubious gamer cred [Link]
• Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE will now stream music [Link]
• FBI locked out of 7,000 encrypted devices [Link]

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Pay to lose throttling, major hotel sites to be investigated and Apple might be making a move to original content.

Quick News

• Apple fires iPhone X engineer after daughter’s hands-on video goes viral [Link]
• Three slammed for £113 iPhone X phone contract – the most expensive ever [Link]
• Amazon Key is new, convenient, and a little creepy. Should you get it? [Link]
• New York City subway will replace MetroCard with Apple Pay tap-to-pay starting in 2018 [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Verizon will stop throttling video on unlimited plans if you pay an extra $10 per month [Link]
• Google addresses Pixel 2 complaints [Link]
• Hotel booking sites to be investigated [Link]
• Apple hires ex-BBC One controller [Link]

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The future for Samsung, does complacency correlate to monopoly status and underestimating the world’s technological capabilities is an issue.

Quick News

• OnePlus is quietly collecting a ton of data from its smartphones [Link]
• Netflix to spend up to $8 billion on programming next year [Link]
• Mobile phone companies appear to be providing your number and location to anyone who pays [Link]
• WhatsApp launches encrypted ‘Live Location’ sharing feature in mobile app [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Samsung Electronics CEO resigns, even as record profits expected [Link]
• Supreme Court to decide if US has right to data on world’s servers [Link]
• Is US Lurching Back to Monopoly Status? [Link]
• The US government keeps spectacularly underestimating solar energy installation [Link]

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Is it time to just assume our data will be stolen at some point? 44% of our shopping is now in-app and Microsoft gives up on Windows 10 Mobile.

Quick News

• Equifax website hacked again, this time to redirect to fake Flash update [Link]
• Morrisons sued by thousands over data leak [Link]
• AIM will shut down after 20 years [Link]
• Paperless rail tickets ‘across UK by 2019’ [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Hacking is inevitable, so it’s time to assume our data will be stolen [Link]
• Google’s Home Mini needed a software patch to stop some of them from recording everything [Link]
• We’re spending 44% more time in shopping apps, with digital-first retailers the winners [Link]
• Microsoft gives up on Windows 10 Mobile [Link]

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Google’s latest revelations, Uber finally plays ball and Yahoo make a pretty huge statement.

Quick News

• Netflix to raise prices in UK and US [Link
• GoPro launches 360-degree camera [Link]
• Net ‘not ready’ for key security update [Link]
• Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search results on iOS and Spotlight on Mac [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• Google’s 8 biggest announcements from the Pixel 2 event [Link]
• Uber Removing Apple-Granted API That Could Have Let it Record a User’s iPhone Screen [Link]
• Yahoo says all 3 billion user accounts were impacted by 2013 security breach [Link]
• Twitter just doubled the character limit for tweets to 280 [Link]

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Uber face bigger problems than bad press, Apple does right by it’s users, not the media and Google makes a big purchase.

Quick News

• Gym app Pact pays $1m for broken promises [Link]
• Apple will bring back iPhone’s 3D Touch multitasking gesture in future iOS 11 update [Link]
• iPhone 8 Is World’s Fastest Phone (It’s Not Even Close) [Link]
• Fake website fools Equifax staff [Link]

Topics talked about today:

• The EU Suppressed a 300-Page Study That Found Piracy Doesn’t Harm Sales [Link]
• Uber London licence not renewed [Link]
• Apple does right by users, wrong by advertisers [Link]
• Google is buying part of HTC’s smartphone team for $1.1 billion [Link]