Hasta La Gadget!

Cloud storage is immensely useful. You can upload files there and sync it across devices, and you can also quickly share files with someone else. However, it seems that soon, Google could sort of “control” the files that you share, especially if they deem that a file might have violated its policies.

In a post on its blog, Google says that whenever a file has been identified as having violated the company’s terms of service or program policies, it might be restricted. This will be shown as a flag next to the filename, and when a file is restricted, users will no longer be able to share it with others. It also retroactively applies this restriction to those who you might have already shared it with.

According to Google, “Now, the owner of the item in Google Drive will receive an email notifying them of the action taken, and alerting them of how to request a review of the restriction if they think it is a mistake. For items in shared drives, the shared drive manager will receive the notification.”

Google notes that this is being done to prevent the abuse of its services, where some people might be using Google Drive to host illegal content like malware, sexually explicit material, and so on. While this is a good thing, there is the question of what happens if your files are restricted by mistake?

Google says on its blog that there will be a system for users to submit a request for review if you feel that a file might have been restricted by mistake, but it is unclear how long such a review could take, which might be a bit troublesome in some situations.

Google Drive Will Soon Stop You From Sharing Files That Violate Its Policies

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Judging from all the reviews, Apple’s AirTag works well, in fact, it might actually work too well because from the various reports, it seems that the accessory is now being abused for nefarious reasons. Recently, there was a report on how car thieves were using the accessory to track down cars that they’ve tagged, and now it looks like AirTags are being used to stalk people.

This is according to a recent tweet by user Jeana Jeana (account has since been made private) who reported that she had discovered an AirTag hidden in the well in the front passenger wheel of her car. Jeana claims that she discovered the hidden AirTag after she had gone to a bar.

Now, to be fair to Apple, the company was aware of the potential of the AirTag being abused in such a manner and has created a system to prevent such abuse. For example, AirTags that have been separated from its owner can alert other iPhone owners of its presence, which is how Jeana discovered it when her iPhone alerted her via a notification.

AirTags will also play a sound at a random interval after it has been separated from its own after 8-24 hours, so that it will alert the other person to its presence. Another thing is that AirTag serial numbers are also linked to the associated Apple ID, so with a proper court order, police could get Apple to hand over information of the owner of the AirTag if they ever needed to bring them in for questioning.

That being said, while these anti-stalker measures are great, the fact that they only come into effect after the fact doesn’t feel quite preventive enough, plus given how cheap the AirTags are, they are incredibly accessible.

Woman Discovers AirTag Hidden In Her Car’s Wheel Well

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Apple was kind of late to the smart speaker game when they launched the HomePod, allowing companies like Amazon and Google to pretty much snap up the majority of the market share. However, it did not help that the original HomePod was kind of a flop. With its expensive price tag, it made it a bit of a harder pill to swallow.

Apple eventually launched the HomePod mini, a much more affordable alternative to those who wanted a smart speaker in Apple’s ecosystem, and it seems that the company’s efforts have paid off. This is according to Strategy Analytics who based on their research, discovered that the HomePod mini actually allowed Apple to double its smart speaker market share.

The research firm estimates that Apple had shipped about 4 million smart speakers in the third quarter of 2021, which resulted in them nabbing 10.2% of the smart speaker market. This is almost double that of 2020 where Apple’s market share was sitting at around 5.9% prior to the HomePod mini launching, so it stands to reason that this new cheaper and smaller speaker could have contributed to the company’s growth.

That being sad, Apple is still quite behind other companies like Amazon and Google, both of whom have over 20% of the market. What’s interesting is that despite not being available in the US, companies like Baidu and Alibaba are placed third and fourth respectively, beating out Apple who sits at fifth position.

HomePod Mini Helped Apple Double Its Smart Speaker Market Share

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Last week, it was announced that due to a licensing deal expiring between YouTube and Disney, YouTube TV will be losing access to Disney content on its platform. However, for YouTube TV subscribers who do enjoy the Disney content, you’ll be pleased to learn that a new deal has been struck by both companies and basically nothing will change.

According to the announcement on YouTube’s blog, “We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney to return their content to YouTube TV while preserving a $64.99/mo. price for our members. We have already started to restore access to Disney networks like ESPN and FX, including their live and on-demand content, as well as any recordings that were previously in your Library. We will also be turning on the local ABC stations over the course of the day.”

Now, as you might recall, YouTube announced that because they were removing Disney content, they would be bringing the price down. However, the announcement now states that prices will remain the same, but the good news is that YouTube has decided that they will be honoring the previous price drop as a one-time deal.

“As we promised a $15 discount while the Disney content remained off platform, we will still honor a one-time credit for all impacted members. For active members who have not yet received that $15 discount on their monthly bill, you will automatically receive a one-time credit on your next bill with no action needed.”

YouTube Renews Their Deal With Disney, Won’t Be Leaving YouTube TV

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