Kaya Yurieff

Joe Biden’s latest gig: Curating the news

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Sep 25, 2017

Grab a cup of coffee. Joe Biden wants to discuss the news. The former vice president has launched a new daily podcast-like program called “Biden’s Briefing” in which he shares the articles he’s reading. He’s partnered with a new startup called Ground Control to create the audible programs, which are between 3 to 15 minutes long. Topics range from healthcare and climate change to the economy. Entertainment and sports talent firm Creative Artists Agency and voice operating system SpokenLayer also collaborated on the project. It’s now available via services like iTunes and Spotify, and it’s compatible with Amazon’s Alexa...

Apple Watch Series 3 is having connectivity issues

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Sep 20, 2017

The new Apple Watch hasn’t shipped yet, but it’s already running into some issues. Apple on Wednesday confirmed the new Apple Watch Series 3 is having problems connecting to LTE networks. “We have discovered that when Apple Watch Series 3 joins unauthenticated Wi-Fi networks without connectivity, it may at times prevent the watch from using cellular,” an Apple spokesperson told CNN Tech. “We are investigating a fix for a future software release.” The built-in cellular connection, a first for the Apple Watch, has been a major selling point for the Series 3. The watch is designed to rely less...

You can now book a restaurant reservation on Airbnb

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Sep 20, 2017

Airbnb is moving into the dining space. The short-term rental startup on Wednesday announced that users can now book restaurant reservations within the Airbnb app. The reservation service is made possible through a partnership with Resy, a restaurant-booking app. Airbnb has fully integrated Resy into the Airbnb app. For now, users can book reservations at almost 650 restaurants in 16 U.S. cities, like Washington D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles. The service could eventually be available internationally. Related: Airbnb to call out ‘premium’ listings Using the restaurants tab on Airbnb’s website or app, users can search by cuisine, time...

5 photos shot on the iPhone 8 Plus

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Sep 18, 2017

Travel photographer Austin Mann was taking a wide shot on his new iPhone 8 Plus last week when he noticed a young boy peeking his head out of a train window. He changed the device’s feature to Portrait Mode and captured the image before the train sped off. Mann, who is from Wichita, Kansas, is on an assignment in India, visiting Jaipur, Jodhpur, Pushkar and other cities. Apple lent Mann, 32, an iPhone 8 Plus to use and send back early photos taken with the new phone. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus go on sale in stores...

Senator Al Franken raises concerns over iPhone X’s Face ID

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Sep 14, 2017

Apple’s new iPhone X can be unlocked with a scan of your face. But biometric identification like this raises important questions about privacy and security. In a published letter written to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Democratic Senator Al Franken expressed concern over the use of the phone’s new Face ID system. The Minnesota senator asked the company to provide more information about how facial recognition will affect iPhone users’ privacy and security and whether the tech will recognize different races, ages and genders. Apple said its Face ID tech was trained with over 1 billion images, but it’s unclear...

How secure is iPhone X’s new Face ID tech?

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Sep 13, 2017

The new iPhone X can be unlocked with your face. But how secure is the technology? The chances of someone else unlocking your iPhone are one in a million with Face ID, Apple’s SVP of marketing, Phil Schiller, said at a Tuesday event. With Touch ID there is a one in 50,000 chance it will be opened with the wrong fingerprint. Apple did not disclose where these figures are from. Here’s how Face ID works: Front-facing cameras and sensors map your face to determine if you are actually the owner of the phone. The tech learns more about your...

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s second baby makes her debut

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Aug 28, 2017

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have announced the birth of their second daughter, August. The Facebook CEO posted the news on Facebook, along with a family photo that includes the newborn with her older sister, Max. Zuckerberg also wrote a letter to August about childhood and “the world we hope she grows up in.” “Childhood is magical. You only get to be a child once, so don’t spend it worrying too much about the future,” Zuckerberg and Chan wrote in the post. “You’ve got us for that, and we’ll do everything we possibly can to make sure the world...

Former GE CEO Jeff Immelt says he won’t run Uber

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Aug 27, 2017

Former General Electric chief Jeff Immelt is no longer in the running to be Uber’s next CEO. “I have decided not to pursue a leadership position at Uber,” Immelt tweeted on Sunday. He said he has “immense respect” for the company and its founders. Immelt was reportedly a top candidate for the job. He recently stepped down as GE chief executive, but remains chairman through the end of this year. He decided Saturday to pull out because of problems with Uber’s board, according to a source familiar with the matter. Uber founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick is being...

Facebook adds new diverse family emoji

Posted by Kaya Yurieff | Aug 25, 2017

Facebook’s emoji offerings just got a little bit more diverse, but the changes may leave some families wanting. The social media giant has released a slate of new, diverse family emoji with skin tones that range from light to dark. But the update doesn’t offer an option for families with mixed backgrounds — all the members of the emoji families have the same skin tone. The 125 new family emoji options mark the first time black families have been represented as emoji on Facebook, according to emoji reference site Emojipedia. Previously, Facebook only offered yellow family emoji, which is...

Posts by Kaya Yurieff