guyanatimesgy.com
NOVEMBER 25, 2018
Sunday Times Magazine 13
Tech
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nstagram announced that the company is testing out new user profile layouts. “Over the next several weeks, you may see features re-arranged at the top of your profile including changes to icons, buttons and the way you navigate between tabs,” the blog post explains. Your photo grids will be safe, though, so you can breathe easy. The most notable part of the redesign is that follower counts appear to be de-emphasized, as they are no longer at the top of your profile and are in a much smaller font. Twitter recently made a similar change to its iOS app, as the company thinks about how to prioritize “meaningful” conversation on the platform rather than focusing on numbers. Instagram is no doubt thinking about authenticity on its platform as well, as the company also recently started crack-
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icrosoft and Google engineers appear to be collaborating to support a version of Chrome running on Windows on ARM. 9to5Google has spotted various commits by Microsoft engineers assisting with the development of Chrome for Windows 10 on ARM. The details follow claims by a Qualcomm executive last month that the chip maker was working on an ARM version of Chrome for Windows 10. A native ARM version of Chrome would make a lot of sense for Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Google. Chrome is one of the most popular desktop apps available on Windows 10, and without a native version for ARM it’s difficult to take ARMpowered Windows 10 devices seriously for many. However, it was only last year that Microsoft pulled Google’s Chrome installer from the Windows Store, because it violated store policies. Those policies restrict ri-
ing down on fake followers, comments, and likes. The “Follow” and “Message” buttons sit next to each other, and you would be able to see your mutual followers when you tap on a user’s Following tab. The grid, posts, and tagged photos icons are now written out, and it appears IGTV might be getting its own tab. For business accounts, there is a Shop tab, in addition to buttons like “Directions,” “Call,” and “Start Order.” Instagram says it is working on these changes, and will be testing out different combinations in phases over the next few weeks. The company says it will keep experimenting with profiles based on feedback, so if you are absolutely opposed to having an IGTV tab, better let them know. (The Verge)
val browsers to using Microsoft’s own Edge rendering engine, specifically that “products that browse the web must use the appropriate HTML and JavaScript engines provided by the Windows Platform.” Microsoft also blocked similar browser apps for Windows 8. Unless Microsoft relaxes its rules then this native Chrome support for Windows on ARM won’t be found in the Windows Store. Microsoft and Google’s work could still help improve performance for Electronbased apps like Slack and Visual Studio Code which rely on parts of Chromium. Microsoft and Google have also been working closely to add a Windows 10 dual-boot option to Chromebooks recently, codenamed “Campfire.” If the two companies are working more closely on these types of projects, it does show that the Scroogled days are well and truly in the past. (The Verge)
pple has resumed production of the iPhone X due to weaker than expected demand for its latest XS and XS Max models, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The move is allegedly due to an agreement made with Samsung to purchase a certain quantity of OLED screens. With this y e a r ’ s O L E D equipped models failing to sell in the quantities needed to fulfill the terms of the deal, the report suggests that Apple is turning to last year’s model for a solution. Apple ceased selling the iPhone X in stores when the XS was first released. The iPhone X is thought to be cheaper to produce than the XS or XS Max thanks to its age, which means components and manufacturing equipment is cheaper, according to the WSJ report. In the past, legacy models have been produced when there’s enough demand for them in certain markets. The news comes amidst reports that
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acebook has appealed against a fine imposed on it by the UK's data watchdog after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The social network says that because the regulator found no evidence that UK users' personal data had been shared inappropriately, the £500,000 penalty was unjustified. Last month, the watchdog said Facebook's failure to make suitable checks on apps and developers amounted to a "serious breach of the law". It has acknowledged the appeal. This was the last day on which the US firm could challenge the Information Commissioner's ruling. The affair stems from the discovery that an academic at the University of Cambridge - Dr Aleksandr Kogan - used a personality quiz to harvest up to 87 million Facebook users' details. Some of this was subsequently shared with the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, which used it to target political advertising in the US. It was initially reported that about 1.1 million UK-based users had had their details exposed. But Cambridge Analytica said it had only ever licensed data belonging to about 30 million people, and a probe by the Information Commissioner's Office found no evidence that UK citizens were among them. Even so, the ICO imposed the maximum penalty possible on Facebook on the basis that UK members had been put at risk and the tech firm had not done enough to address this after learning of the problem. "The ICO's investigation stemmed from concerns that UK citizens' data may have been impacted by Cambridge Analytica, yet they now have confirmed that they have found no evidence to suggest that information of Facebook users in the UK was ever shared by Dr Kogan with Cambridge Analytica, or used by its affiliates in the Brexit referendum," said a statement from Facebook's lawyer Anna Benckert. "Therefore, the core of the ICO's argu-
Apple has cut production orders for all
three of its new models of iPhone due to lower than expected demand. The cheaper iPhone XR is thought to be particularly struggling, as budget-conscious customers opt instead for last year’s iPhone 8, which continues to be available and is priced lower than this year’s budget model. It was a similar case with the company’s previous budget effort, the iPhone 5c, which saw its sales pick up the year after its original release as mainstream consumers caught on to its existence. (The Verge)
ment no longer relates to the events involving Cambridge Analytica. Instead, their reasoning challenges some of the basic principles of how people should be allowed to share information online, with implications which go far beyond just Facebook, which is why we have chosen to appeal. "For example, under the ICO's theory people should not be allowed to forward an email or message without having agreement from each person on the original thread. "These are things done by millions of people every day on services across the internet, which is why we believe the ICO's
decision raises important questions of principle for everyone online which should be considered by an impartial court based on all the relevant evidence." An independent body, known as a General Regulatory Chamber tribunal, will consider the challenge. If it is unhappy with the decision, Facebook can subsequently take the case to the Court of Appeal. "Any organisation issued with a monetary penalty notice by the Information Commissioner has the right to appeal the decision to the First-tier Tribunal," said a spokesman for the ICO. "The progression of any appeal is a matter for the tribunal. We have not yet been notified by the tribunal that an appeal has been received." (BBC)