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It's not just you - Google is having some issues right now.
As reported by a number of users on Twitter and server monitoring websites like DownDetector, it appears that a number of Google's services are currently down for users.
One user on Twitter has reported that they are unable to access both Gmail or the Google Play Store.
"Google stuff is down. Gmail, Play Store. Yikes."
Google stuff is down. Gmail, Play Store. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/SyOH7iskkY
— Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) September 25, 2020
Another user has reported their Google Nest services are not working either. This includes services such as Google Home and even being able to record with their Nest camera.
"Nest services are down right now as well. Camera recording, Google home, etc"
Nest services are down right now as well. Camera recording, Google home, etc
— John Trussell 3rd (@jtrussell3rd) September 25, 2020
It is currently unclear what has caused the interruption to Google's services, or when the company will be able to restore access for its customers.
It is unknown exactly how Apple will integrate the app's IP into its own Podcasts app.
Reported by Bloomberg, Apple has acquired Scout FM, a startup that turning your podcast listening into a more of a traditional radio experience.
While podcast apps, including Apple's, traditionally work by letting users pick an individual podcast to listen to, Scout FM created podcast stations on various topics. For example, if a person is interested in sports, the app would create a station that mixed together a curated selection of sports podcasts.
The app reportedly determines the podcast episodes that are featured in your station using your listening history, preference selection, and artificial intelligence.
Scout FM was popular among some users of Apple devices and could be integrated with CarPlay, the interface that appears on supported car screens when connected to an iPhone, and Apple's Siri digital assistant. It was also optimized for devices based on Amazon.com Inc.'s Alexa.
According to Bloomberg, a spokesperson for Apple did confirm that they did acquire the company, but would not comment further. Apple traditionally does not comment on these matters, just like its acquisitions of NextVR, Dark Sky, and others from earlier this year.
The deal for Scout FM is one of several Apple has made so far in 2020. It recently acquired payments company Mobeewave, weather app Dark Sky and virtual-reality content broadcasting company NextVR. Other purchases include Voysis, Xnor.ai and Inductiv to improve Siri and artificial intelligence, Fleetsmith for enterprise device management and VR software startup Spaces.
Apple has been ramping up its focus on podcasts. The company has plans to release podcasts that are tied in with their shows on Apple TV+.
Getting an Apple Watch Series 6 for someone through Family Setup now makes even less sense.
Reported by MacRumors, in addition to the Blood Oxygen app not be accessible to those under eighteen years of age, it will also not work for an Apple Watch Series 6 that has been set up using Family Setup. Family Setup is a new feature that allows you to give someone an Apple Watch who may not have an iPhone, but it appears that one major feature is missing when the watch is set up this way. According to Apple, the watch must be paired to an iPhone in order for the Blood Oxygen app to be used, and the app will be disabled otherwise, regardless of the user's age.
Apple states that the Blood Oxygen app is not available for use by people under 18 years old, and in fact the app will refuse to launch if it detects that the user's birth date in the Health app is less than 18 years ago. But the Blood Oxygen app will also be automatically disabled if you set up an unpaired Apple Watch Series 6 using Family Setup, regardless of the intended user's age.
Apple has not explained exactly why they turn off the Blood Oxygen app for all users, regardless of age, if the watch is set up using Family Setup. Perhaps an update it due for the Health app to allow for collecting that data separately to the main user's iPhone?
Besides being a Health-related feature, Apple has not explained why the Blood Oxygen app is not available on an Apple Watch configured using Family Setup, but the company has been eager to stress that the blood oxygen monitoring on Apple Watch is not intended for medical use, including self-diagnosis or consultation with a doctor. Indeed, Apple states that it is only designed for "general fitness and wellness purposes," which leaves its usefulness quite open to interpretation.
The Blood Oxygen app allows an Apple Watch Series 6 owner to check the oxygen saturation in their blood. While the technology has not yet been approved by the FDA, Apple says that the feature is another to help someone monitor their overall health. The feature has been questioned by some users who report conflicting results when measuring their oxygen saturation.
Amazon unveiled a radically redesigned $49.99 fourth-generation Echo Dot smart speaker today that doesn’t look like a dot at all — instead, the new Dot is shaped like a ball, or maybe an orb. The new design is a notable departure from the look of previous Echo Dots, which were short, puck-like cylinders that could be said to resemble, well, dots.
If you just can’t get on board with having a ball-shaped smart speaker but are in the market for a new Dot, I have good news for you: Amazon is still selling that dot-shaped third-generation Echo Dot. Amazon confirmed to The Verge that it’s keeping the older Dot in its lineup in part to provide an option for those who want to mount their Dot to a wall. An Echo Flex, a small Echo speaker that...