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ROGUE ONE: STAR WARS BLASTS BACK INTO THEATERS
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COLORADO INTERNET-TAX CASE COULD CHANGE ONLINE SHOPPING
TRUMP TARGETS F-35, BUT AIRCRAFT MEANS JOBS IN 45 STATES
40 6 WAYS TO KEEP PHONE CHARGES LOW DURING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
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BANKING ON CHANGE: TECH STARTUPS TARGET FINANCIAL SERVICES 08 APPLE CHIEF TIM COOK PICKED TO GIVE MIT COMMENCEMENT SPEECH 28 TECH LEADERS COULDN’T BEAT TRUMP; THEY’LL MEET HIM INSTEAD 30 REDSTONE FIRM CALLS OFF CBS,VIACOM MERGER PROPOSAL 48 GOV’T PROPOSAL ENVISIONS PHONE CALLS ON AIRLINE FLIGHTS 76 TITANS OF NEW INDUSTRY SPRING $1 BILLION CLEAN ENERGY FUND 82 GOOGLE, CUBA SIGN ALLOWING FASTER ACCESS TO COMPANY’S DATA 86 BOX OFFICE TOP 20: ‘MOANA’ 112 SNAPCHAT: HOW THE VANISHING-PHOTO APP MANAGED NOT TO FADE 122 MICHIGAN LETS AUTONOMOUS CARS ON ROADS WITHOUT HUMAN DRIVER 138 NASA TROUBLESHOOTING DRILL PROBLEM ON MARS CURIOSITY ROVER 156 FOSSIL FUEL MEETS RENEWABLES: VERMONT GAS STATION GOES SOLAR 160 CHRISTMAS DELIVERY AT SPACE STATION, COURTESY OF JAPAN 164 CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS OPPOSE BOSTON PLAN TO COMB SOCIAL MEDIA 168 GOOGLE’S SELF-DRIVING CAR PROJECT GETS A NEW NAME: WAYMO 170
TOP 10 APPS 92 iTUNES REVIEW 96 TOP 10 SONGS 146 TOP 10 ALBUMS 148 TOP 10 MUSIC VIDEOS 150 TOP 10 TV SHOWS 152 TOP 10 BOOKS 154
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BANKING ON CHANGE: TECH STARTUPS TARGET FINANCIAL SERVICES
It may not be much longer before bank branches join video-rental stores and record shops as relics of a bygone era. Silicon Valley is pressuring banks to change their ways or risk becoming the latest industry overtaken by technology. Hundreds of startups are offering easier and cheaper ways to save, borrow, spend and invest. They are doing it by shifting the battleground to smartphone apps and websites, which function as digital offices that are accessible around the clock with minimal staffing, and by lowering fees. Given how much customers dislike it, the financial services industry seems ripe for Image: Ben Margot
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“disruption,” as Silicon Valley likes to call industry upheaval. These financial technology, or “fintech,” startups may also soon get further validation from a key banking regulator. Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry last week announced plans for a special national bank charter that would allow fintechs to offer their products without having to get regulatory approval state to state. Part of Curry’s motivation lies in his belief that fintech can help consumers who either don’t want or can’t afford to establish accounts with traditional banks. At this point, the fintech sector hasn’t proven it can be a viable or trustworthy alternative to traditional banks and stock brokerages. Few of the startups have ever posted a profit, and one of the biggest, the Lending Club, is trying to recover from a breakdown that triggered the resignation of CEO Renaud Laplanche earlier this year. The Justice Department is investigating the events that led to Laplanche’s abrupt departure. “The disruption in banking is coming later than other areas because of the complexity of the regulations and the amount of trust required,” Laplanche said in an interview earlier this year, while he was still CEO. “Trusting you with my savings is not like booking a trip online.” Banks, meanwhile, have demonstrated their resiliency and resourcefulness. With the help of taxpayer-backed bailouts, the industry has survived a financial crisis of its own making, and now appears to be tackling the fintech threat. They are closing branches, laying off workers, pouring money into their own technology departments and even buying or teaming up with fintech startups. 10
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TAKING THE THREAT SERIOUSLY “Whenever I talk to big banks, they ask, ‘What are the disruptors doing? Which of their ideas can I copy?’” says Forrester Research analyst Oliwia Berdak. A recent survey of the financial services industry by the research firm Gartner Inc. found that 70 percent of respondents considered fintech startups to be a bigger threat than their traditional rivals. With their guard up, the much bigger banks are more likely to drive many of the fintech startups out of business if they don’t acquire them first, says Gartner analyst Rajesh Kandaswamy. But even in that scenario, he predicts “many of the ideas coming out of fintech will survive in one way or another, which will be beneficial for consumers.” About $850 billion in consumer banking revenue in the U.S. alone is at stake. Fintech captured just 1 percent of that last year, according to a Citibank study. By 2023, though, Citibank expects fintech to control 17 percent of a $1.2 trillion market. Emboldened by predictions like that, fintechnologists tend to be brash, like many of the entrepreneurs who have successfully reshaped other industries.
A BIG, BOLD APPROACH “During the next 10 years, we are going to create an international company that will be like nothing the financial services industry has ever seen,” boasts Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood, a stock brokerage that does not charge any commissions for its more than 1 million customers to buy and sell shares. 13
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To make money, Robinhood recently introduced a $10 monthly service that allows trading when the stock market is closed and offers higher borrowing limits. At Affirm, an online lender, CEO Max Levchin is attempting to reshape finance for a second time after making his first big splash in Silicon Valley as a co-founder of PayPal, a digital payment service born in the 1990s. Helped by his pedigree, Levchin has raised $525 million to back Affirm’s focus on consumers who do not like or cannot get credit cards. Instead of providing a revolving line of credit with high interest rates that compound, Affirm has developed its own formula to identify borrowers able to repay loans in equal installments in time frames ranging from three months to one year. Affirm also refuses to charge fees for late payments, to further distinguish itself from banks and other credit card issuers. “I just don’t think you can run a business by screwing your customers these days,” Levchin says. “I would like to think we are returning to what lenders are supposed to do.”
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CUSTOMERS STILL AREN’T TOTALLY SOLD Although many consumers rarely expect big banks to act in their best interests, they typically consider them to be a safer place to keep money because of their long histories in business, says Forrester’s Berdak. Like the big traditional banks, most digital-only banks also offer governmentbacked insurance on deposits, but Berdak says that is not enough to overcome lingering doubts about their long-term prospects. Lending Club, for instance, has been operating under a cloud since revealing that paperwork for $3 million in loans had been falsified under Laplanche’s leadership. Laplanche declined to comment about circumstances surrounding his resignation.
INVESTORS ARE SKEPTICAL, TOO Although Lending Club was considered one of the most promising fintech companies, its stock has been hammered. The shares are hovering about 60 percent below their initial public offering price of $15 in 2014. Most fintechs are still mining venture capitalists and other financiers as they try to gain a foothold. More than $50 billion has been invested in the sector since 2010, with all but $10 billion coming in the last two-and-a-half years. Even some of those investors believe fintechs may be underestimating the degree of difficulty facing them. “I am a believer that the bank of the future will be a collection of apps on your phone, but I also believe there is a lot of hubris underlying the idea that it’s easy to create a bank,” says Savneet Singh, Image: Brendan McDermid
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who has invested in about 10 fintech startups so far. He is also founder and president of GBI, an online exchange for trading gold and silver.
UNLOCKING A YOUNG MARKET Fintech’s target market so far has been the millennial generation, the 18- to 34-year-olds who typically have a deeper attachment to their smartphones than any bank. They are customers like Fred Miller, who opened his first account as a teenager a decade ago and quickly became disillusioned with the array of fees charged for everything from late payments to ATM withdrawals. After years of frustration, Miller defected to Simple, a digital bank that Australian immigrant BANKING ON CHANGE: TECH STARTUPS TARGET FINANCIAL SERVICES started in 2010 after concluding that U.S. banks “went out of their way to screw customers out of their money.” Besides eschewing service fees, Simple also offers money management tools that help their customers set aside money. Miller, an Indianapolis resident, credits those tools for helping him and his wife, Emily, repay $30,000 in student loans and squirrel away enough money for a trip to New Zealand earlier this year. Miller doesn’t think it would have happened had they kept their money in a traditional bank. “I never really understood how a bank could let me spend money that wasn’t in my account and then charge me a fee for it,” Miller says. “How is anyone supposed to get ahead in life if their bank is not friendly to them?”
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COLORADO INTERNET-TAX CASE COULD CHANGE ONLINE SHOPPING
Buying things online could get pricier after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a case Monday that could ultimately lead to states collecting billions of dollars in sales taxes lost to increasingly popular internet retailers. The court would not hear a challenge to a Colorado law requiring online sellers such as Amazon.com to notify customers and the state how much they owe in taxes. State officials have estimated that Colorado alone has been missing out on as much as $172.7 million a year. 21
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At least three other states - Louisiana, Oklahoma and Vermont - have passed similar laws that could take effect given the resolution of the Colorado case. Though the court didn’t endorse Colorado’s law and could even weigh in against it if given a different case, other states are likely to see Monday’s move as a green light to step up collection efforts. That comes despite a 1992 Supreme Court decision saying retailers must have a physical presence in a state before officials can make them collect sales tax. Online shoppers always have owed state sales taxes on their purchases, but the rule has been widely ignored. States have spent years examining ways to capture those lost tax dollars, but their options are limited when the retailers are not based in the state. So-called Amazon taxes that started in New York have not been adequate to fill the widening gap, said Mark Behlke, director of budget and tax policy for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Sales taxes account for about a third of revenue in many states, more in those with no income taxes, such as Texas and Florida. And with online sales going up about 15 percent a year, states are increasingly feeling the effects of those taxes going unpaid. The Colorado Legislature found a possible solution in 2010 when it passed a law requiring online retailers to notify customers to pay sales tax and report purchases to the state. That’s not the same as demanding tax payments from outof-state retailers. 23
The Data and Marketing Association sued, and a federal judge put the law on hold in 2012. A year later, a federal appeals court sided with Colorado. The association appealed to the nation’s highest court, arguing that the law would meddle in interstate commerce. The marketing group said the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case could have far-reaching implications for online shoppers. “It will only encourage other states to adopt similar laws and regulations that are designed to put arbitrary burdens on out-of-state sellers,” association vice president Emmett O’Keefe said in a statement. Supporters of Colorado’s law agreed it sends a strong signal that reporting requirements don’t infringe on constitutional protections for interstate commerce. “This settles the issue, once and for all, that the 2010 law is constitutional, it was not an undue burden on business,” said Tim Hoover, spokesman for the Colorado Fiscal Institute, which supported the law. George S. Isaacson, who represented the marketing group and teaches constitutional law at Bowdoin College, said the high court may simply be waiting to see more states copy Colorado. “Colorado was the first state to pass such a law, and the Supreme Court may be waiting to see how other state legislatures and lower courts deal with this type of highly controversial state legislation before addressing the constitutional issues,” Isaacson said in a statement.
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APPLE CHIEF TIM COOK PICKED TO GIVE MIT COMMENCEMENT SPEECH
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has chosen Apple CEO Tim Cook to deliver its 2017 commencement address. MIT made the announcement on its website last week. It says Cook will headline the June 9 ceremony. It calls Cook an advocate for equality and a champion of the environment. MIT President L. Rafael Reif says Cook’s brilliance as a business leader and his passion for important issues will resonate with its graduates. Cook has led Apple Inc. since 2011. He has degrees from Auburn University and Duke University. He says his Cupertino, Californiabased company is proud to have many MIT graduates on its team and he looks forward to giving the speech. MIT’s 2016 speaker was “Jason Bourne” actor Matt Damon, who followed U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith. 29
TECH LEADERS COULDN’T BEAT TRUMP; THEY’LL MEET HIM INSTEAD
Technology leaders are about to come face-toface with President-elect Donald Trump after fiercely opposing his candidacy, fearful that he would stifle innovation, curb the hiring of computer-savvy immigrants and infringe on consumers’ digital privacy. On Wednesday, Silicon Valley luminaries and other technology leaders are headed to Trump Tower in New York to make their peace - or press their case - with Trump and his advisers. The CEOs planning to attend include Apple’s Tim Cook, Alphabet’s Larry Page, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Intel’s Brian Krzanich, IBM’s Ginni Rometty, Oracle’s Safra Catz and Cisco Systems’ Chuck Robbins. Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, will be on hand instead of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who was one of many tech executives to express misgivings about Trump’s pledge to deport millions of immigrants. 30
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TECH VS. TRUMP It could be a prickly meeting. No other industry was more open in its contempt for Trump during the campaign. In an open letter published in July, more than 140 technology executives, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists skewered Trump as a “disaster for innovation.” And Trump’s denigration of Mexicans, his pledge to deport millions of immigrants now living in the U.S. illegally, and his crude remarks about women were widely viewed as racist, authoritarian and sexist by an industry that prides itself on its tolerance. Trump, in turn, sometimes lashed out at the industry and its leaders. He lambasted Bezos for the campaign coverage of his newspaper, The Washington Post, and suggested that Amazon could face antitrust scrutiny if he was elected. Trump also rebuked Cook for fighting a government orderrequiring Apple to unlock an encrypted iPhone used by a shooter in last year’s terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California.
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And Trump’s repeated screeds against immigrants raised fears that he might dismantle programs that have enabled tech companies to hire tens of thousands of foreign workers with the skills to write computer programs, design web pages and build mobile apps. The industry is also worried that Trump might try to undermine “net neutrality,” a regulation requiring internet service providers to offer equal access to all online services. Trump’s harsh characterization of the media as dishonest and unfair has raised other fears that he might even try to restrict free speech online.
OUT OF STRIFE, PEACE? Some in Silicon Valley think the industry’s best move would be to keep its distance until Trump changes his tone. Former Google executive Chris Sacca, now a tech investor, argues that industry leaders should steer clear of the meeting altogether. Sitting down with the president-elect “would only make sense after Trump has given public assurances he won’t encourage censorship, will stop exploiting fake news, will promote net neutrality, denounce hate crimes, and embrace science,” Sacca said. “If and until then, tech figures who visit are being used to whitewash an authoritarian bully who threatens not just our industry, but our entire democracy.”
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Most of the companies with executives attending Wednesday’s meeting declined to comment ahead of the gathering. But Oracle’s Catz said in a statement that she plans to tell Trump “that we are with him and are here to help in any way we can. If he can reform the tax code, reduce regulation, and negotiate better trade deals, the U.S. technology community will be stronger and more competitive than ever.” Other tech institutions are also signaling an end to the animosity. The Internet Association, a trade group whose members include Google, Facebook and Amazon, praised Trump in an open letter last month for his use of Twitter and other digital tools to help him get elected. The letter also appealed to Trump’s emphasis on the economy, citing statistics estimating that the internet sector accounted for nearly $1 trillion of the country’s gross domestic product. Some conservatives say they’re actually worried that Trump might get too friendly with tech. Peter Flaherty, the president of the National Legal and Policy Center, charges that big technology companies exploited their close relationship with President Obama “to feather their nests and push for policies that benefit them at the expense of the American worker.” Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said by email that the president-elect “looks forward to meeting with this important group of industry leaders and true innovators.”
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COMMON GROUND: TAX CUTS The technology industry already supports one of Trump’s ideas. He has promised to temporarily reduce the corporate tax on foreign profits from the current 35 percent to 10 percent to give U.S. companies an incentive to bring their overseas cash back home. It’s a cut that Cook has been pushing Congress to make because Apple has $216 billion, or 91 percent of its total cash, in overseas accounts. Other tech companies in line to benefit the most from a tax reduction include Microsoft, Cisco, Microsoft and Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet. But Trump might not be doing many other favors for technology companies given his history of holding grudges against his opponents, said Larry Irving, a former government affairs executive for HewlettPackard who now runs a consulting firm. “Everything Trump has done so far suggests that he rewards loyalty and punishes disloyalty,” Irving said. “The tech industry better have some pontoons ready.”
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TRUMP TARGETS F-35, BUT AIRCRAFT MEANS JOBS IN 45 STATES
President-elect Donald Trump is vowing to corral the “out of control” cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. But congressional Republicans and Democrats, aware of the tens of thousands of jobs the aircraft generates in 45 states, will be wary of any plans by Trump to cut the program. A Monday morning tweet from Trump targeting the F-35 doesn’t explain exactly how he’ll save billions of dollars in military purchases while also honoring a campaign vow to rebuild the armed forces. Once Trump is in office, he can propose deep cuts to the F-35 or even elect to cancel the program altogether. But Congress, not the president, controls the government’s purse strings and makes the final decisions about the budget. Built by defense giant Lockheed Martin, the nearly $400 billion price tag for the F-35 makes the program the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons acquisition ever. 40
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Despite the huge cost, the program has strong bipartisan support in Congress, where lawmakers view the aircraft as essential to national security. After Trump’s tweet, Lockheed Martin’s shares tumbled, wiping out nearly $4 billion of the company’s market value. The F-35 program made up 20 percent of Lockheed’s total 2015 revenue of $46.1 billion. U.S. government orders made up 78 percent of its revenue last year. “Whoever has this airplane will have the most advanced air force in the world. That’s why we’re building the F35. That’s why it’s important to not only the U.S., our partners and our partners like the Israeli Air force to have this airplane,” said Jeff Babione, general manager of the F-35 program, at a base in Israel. Israel and several other U.S. allies are also buying the F-35, expanding the program’s international footprint. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Israel on Monday as Tel Aviv received the first two next-generation F-35 fighter jets that will help preserve the country’s military edge in the volatile Mideast. The F-35, which uses stealth technology to avoid being detected by radar, is being built in different configurations to be used by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. The Navy’s version, for example, is designed to take off and land on an aircraft carrier. Current plans call for the United States to buy nearly 2,500 F-35s. Close to $13 billion will be needed annually between 2016 and 2038 to hit that procurement number, according to the Government Accountability Office.
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While the F-35 had massive budget overruns early on, the cost has stabilized and even dropped a bit following tough negotiations between the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin, according to Todd Harrison, a defense budget expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Trump is unlikely to squeeze more blood out of this rock,” Harrison said. Lockheed said that it has worked to lower the price of the F-35 by 60 percent and expected the aircraft to cost $85 million each in 2019 and 2020. But the company’s estimate appears to omit the price of the engine and the cost of development. When those elements are added in, the cost per F-35 in current-year dollars is closer to $138 million, according to Harrison. Companies from 45 states are involved in the F-35’s production, with Texas, Georgia, California, Arizona and Florida playing the leading roles in testing and manufacturing the jet fighter. The company is teamed with more than 1,250 domestic suppliers to produce thousands of components ranging from highly sophisticated radar sensors to parts of the aircraft’s fuselage, according to Lockheed Martin. Overall, the F-35 program is responsible for more than 146,000 U.S. jobs, the company said. The Lockheed Martin plant where the F-35 is being built is located in Texas Republican Rep. Kay Granger’s district. She’s vice chair of the defense appropriations subcommittee. Rep. Mac Thornberry, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, represents the district next door to Granger’s.
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In a statement Monday, Granger hailed the F-35 delivery to Israel, calling the aircraft “what we need to keep our two countries safe in these dangerous times.” Thornberry’s committee has supported buying more F-35s than the Obama administration had asked for in its budget request. The F-35 will replace an aging inventory of U.S. aircraft that many lawmakers believe are becoming increasingly unsafe to fly. Claude Chafin, a committee spokesman, said Thornberry “shares the president-elect’s determination to have the Pentagon get weapons in the hands of our troops faster, while being better stewards of the taxpayer dollar.” The tweet on the F-35 marks the second time in a week Trump has blasted U.S. aircraft spending. Last week, he tweeted that costs to build new presidential planes by Boeing Corp. were “out of control” and ended the tweet with “Cancel order!”
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REDSTONE FIRM CALLS OFF CBS, VIACOM MERGER PROPOSAL
Media mogul Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements is abandoning a proposal that CBS and Viacom reunite after a 10 year split. The news comes as Viacom named acting CEO Bob Bakish as its permanent head. National Amusements, which owns most of the voting shares of the two companies, had urged the companies to combine in September, saying that a tie-up would help them compete better as technology and the entertainment industry rapidly evolve. Now, the company, run by Redstone and his daughter Shari, says that following management changes at Viacom and strength at CBS, which operates CBS, Showtime and other entities, it makes more sense for the companies to continue as separate entities. Image: Jim Smeal
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Viacom, which owns the Paramount Pictures movie studio and pay TV channels such as Comedy Central, MTV, BET and others, has been struggling to improve its profit as Paramount has struggled to produce hits and cable viewership declines. The company named Robert Bakish as acting president in late October and appointed him permanent president and CEO on Monday. The appointment caps off a management saga that culminated earlier this year, when longtime Viacom CEO Phillipe Dauman was pushed out following a legal battle with media mogul Sumner Redstone’s daughter, Shari Redstone, over control of the company. The fight ended with Shari Redstone as a Viacom director and president of National Amusements, which has a controlling stake in CBS and Viacom. At the time Tom Dooley was named interim CEO, but he announced unexpectedly he was leaving in October and Bakish was then named acting CEO.
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Meanwhile, as more people cut the cable cord, choosing instead to stream TV shows or movies online at places like Netflix, Hulu, iTunes and Amazon.com, CBS has found success under Les Moonves streaming its popular shows like “NCIS” and “The Big Bang Theory,” as well as its standalone, streaming Showtime channel. There would have been cost savings if the companies combined, but strategically, the positives weren’t as clear, said Instinet analyst Anthony DiClemente. “This allows CBS to continue to operate in a very nimble and autonomous fashion,” DiClemente said. “For Viacom, I think in terms of long term strategy, the verdict is still out.” Viacom said in a statement that it received the letter sent by National Amusements and will provide more updates later. CBS referred comment to National Amusements. 51
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A new Star Wars film has arrived in theaters - and in case you need reminding, it isn’t Episode VIII. That won’t be with us until this time next year – but in the meantime, we’re getting something else that, considering how played-down its significance has been, could take many of us by surprise. It’s called Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and is the first in a new Star Wars Anthology series of movies. Let’s return to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
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“THE ABSENCE OF THE JEDI HANGS OVER THE MOVIE” While we can look forward to meeting up again with Daisy Ridley’s Force-sensitive scavenger Rey and John Boyega’s defected ex-Stormtrooper Finn in Episode VIII, Rogue One is very much intended to be a one-off (yes, we’ve resisted a “Rogue One-off” pun), in line with the ethos of the new Anthology series. Not that we should be concerned; this format gives the filmmakers a flexibility rarely handed to directors of major franchise films, let alone Star Wars adventures. That kind of observation has been made by Rogue One actress Felicity Jones – who, like Ridley before her, will have the rare distinction of being a female lead of a global blockbuster. She’s playing Jyn Erso, a rebel soldier who is part of a larger band of rogue fighters intent on stealing the design plans of the Galactic Empire’s new weapon, the Death Star. The film takes place between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. It’s actually in A New Hope that Luke Skywalker uses those plans to destroy the Death Star – so for many long-time followers of the sci-fi franchise, this is going to be a super-exciting addition to the canonical narrative. However, if you haven’t yet seen Rogue One, you should expect a more down-to-earth and gritty war film than you have come to expect from the series. Director Gareth Edwards has explained: “It’s the reality of war. Good guys are bad. Bad guys are good. It’s complicated, layered; a very rich scenario in which to set a movie.” In terms of the story, as Edwards has clarified, Rogue One “comes down to a group of 56
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individuals who don’t have magical powers that have to somehow bring hope to the galaxy.” That’s because, in this film, the Jedi basically don’t exist. “It’s about the fact that God’s not coming to save us,” Edwards remarked, adding: “The absence of the Jedi hangs over the movie.” The cast certainly looks up to the task of a more adult Star Wars film; for example, Mads Mikkelsen appears as Jyn’s father Galen Erso, while Forest Whitaker plays Clone Wars veteran Saw Gerrera.
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AN EXCITING AND ECCENTRIC WORLD PREMIERE Rogue One’s world premiere took place at Los Angeles’ Pantages Theatre at Hollywood & Vine block on the evening of Saturday, December 10 – and while it was an unsurprisingly smaller global unveiling than that of The Force Awakens last year, there remained lots to report. Full-size X-Wing and TIE Fighter craft made appearances, as did stars that aren’t in the film, including Christian Bale, Joss Whedon and Michael Douglas. That’s before mentioning the Avalon Hollywood afterparty, where Death Star-shaped cakes and drinks were served. Plus, some members of the team behind the film were on hand to chat to the press. Jones told The Hollywood Reporter that her character “is a leader, but she is not bossy, which is a wonderful distinction”, while Donnie Yen told of his apprehension at being the franchise’s first Chinese actor. Nonetheless, he added that “there are so many Chinese people in the world that I felt, as an actor, this was a part of my responsibility.” Meanwhile, having seen Rogue One screening at the premiere, Kevin Smith tweeted that the film was “unbelievably wonderful” and “#EmpireStrikesBack great!”
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THE FANBASE IS STILL STRONG IN THIS ONE So, exactly how big is the Star Wars franchise today? Last year, shortly after the recordbreaking theatrical release of The Force Awakens, Fortune attempted to tally some numbers. The news site estimated that the inflation-adjusted box office takings of the Star Wars films had reached $7.3 billion, and suggested that the home entertainment sales would, following the first year of availability for The Force Awakens, total $5.749 billion. Taking into account sales of toys, merchandise, video games and more, Fortune estimated the franchise’s total value to be $41.979 billion.
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Nearly four decades after the first film’s release, Star Wars fandom clearly remains incredibly strong. WhatCulture has remarked: “There’s pretty much no movie franchise with as passionate a fanbase as Star Wars, not even the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” A good example of how the fans express their enthusiasm is through cosplay: just look at photos from the Star Wars Celebration 2016 event in London in July. Jedi and Sith were represented among the various costumes, but we have to admit to being especially keen on the fans dressing as Lego mini-figure versions of Star Wars characters...
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UPCOMING ADDITIONS TO THE STAR WARS SAGA We already have a good idea of what the next Star Wars Anthology film will be like. While the official title hasn’t been revealed, it will star Han Solo in his younger years and follow him as he first gets his hands on the Millennium Falcon. Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover will play, respectively, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, roles taken by Harrison Ford and Billy Dee Williams in the classic trilogy. Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke has also joined the cast, but it’s currently unclear what character she will play. The film is set for 2018, with a third Star Wars Anthology film following for 2020. Before either of those films, there’s Episode VIII, but little is publicly known about that adventure. Mark Hamill, who will be reprising his iconic role as Luke Skywalker, even told Polygon that his involvement was “like working for the CIA”, due to the stringent secrecy measures employed by the production crew. However, director Rian Johnson has said that the movie will pick up right where The Force Awakens left off, with Rey having met up with Skywalker. We can also expect Episode VIII to be less nostalgic; Johnson has said that it will “zoom into the characters, getting to the heart of them and challenging them”. That said, Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 are all returning, while Luke’s role will be extended – Hamill has reported recording dialogue for the movie. Adam Driver, who plays Kylo Ren, has likened Episode VIII, in tone, to 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back – and judging from an aerial shot of filming in Ireland, the Knights of Ren might appear. Image: Jonathan Olley
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HAS YET ANOTHER ENDURING STAR WARS CLASSIC ARRIVED? Throughout its long history, the Star Wars franchise has been regularly generating excitement, defying expectations and breaking records – The Force Awakens alone has broke several. Many moments from the franchise, including Darth Vader’s “I am your father” in The Empire Strikes Back and his climactic lightsaber fight with Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi, are among the best-known in cinematic history. Will Rogue One add a few more golden moments to fans’ memories of the series? There’s only way to judge that – by watching the movie for yourself. Indeed, with the news that an exclusive behindthe-scenes clip for Rogue One has been added to the iTunes Extras of Stars Wars: A New Hope, enabling you to go ‘on location’ with Jones and Edwards, there may have never been a better time for you to re-familiarize yourself with possibly the greatest film franchise on Earth.
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GOV’T PROPOSAL ENVISIONS PHONE CALLS ON AIRLINE FLIGHTS
Airlines could let passengers make in-flight phone calls using Wi-Fi under a proposal from federal regulators. Flight attendants and others have complained that the calls could be disruptive. But the Department of Transportation said last week that it envisioned allowing the calls if airlines tell all customers about the policy when they buy their tickets. That way, customers could make other travel arrangements if they feared sitting next to passengers chatting on their phones. There is a 60-day comment period, and the proposal leaves the door open to the possibility that federal officials could still impose an outright ban. The Federal Communications Commission prohibits passengers from making cellphone calls during flights, but not Wi-Fi calls. 76
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“Today’s proposal will ensure that air travelers are not unwillingly exposed to voice calls, as many of them are troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. In 2014, the department issued a request for public comments on the possibility of permitting the calls and the response was overwhelmingly negative. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said anything short of a ban on calls is “reckless.” Flight attendants have said previously that they fear the calls could lead to fights between passengers who want to make calls and passengers who don’t want to listen to the conversations. “It threatens aviation security and increases the likelihood of conflict in the skies. It threatens safety for crews and passengers,” Nelson said. However, the U.S. airlines’ trade group opposes a government ban on in-flight calls. “We have long held that this was not a matter for DOT to regulate, and we believe airlines should be able to determine what services can be safely offered in flight and make those decisions based on what is in the best interests of their passengers and crewmembers,” a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, Kathy Grannis Allen, said by email. Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines said they have no plans to allow voice calls. “Our customers have expressed concerns regarding the potentially disruptive nature of in-flight voice calls,” said Southwest spokesman Brian Parrish. Alaska Airlines spokeswoman 79
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Image: Gregory Bajor
Bobbie Egan said the carrier surveyed passengers a few years ago and got “a strong reaction” that they didn’t want calls. A Delta Air Lines spokeswoman noted that the carrier has opposed voice calls for several years. United Airlines said it was reviewing the proposal and would listen to the views of customers and employees. American referred questions to the trade group. JetBlue did not have an immediate comment.
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TITANS OF NEW INDUSTRY SPRING $1 BILLION CLEAN ENERGY FUND
Some big names with big money have jumped into the alternative energy race. The Breakthrough Energy Coalition, which counts among its members Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, George Soros, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Alibaba’s Jack Ma and Richard Branson, announced a $1 billion investment fund to support new energy ventures. The new group is holding a news conference Monday to outline its goals. The coalition wants to magnify the speed and scale at which promising energy breakthroughs are introduced to the $6 trillion energy market. 83
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In a printed statement, Gates said, “Our goal is to build companies that will help deliver the next generation of reliable, affordable, and emissionsfree energy to the world.” The announcement comes less than a week after President-elect Donald Trump confirmed that he would nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a global warming skeptic, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has argued that EPA rules to curb carbon emissions drive up electricity rates, undermine the nation’s power grid and “create economic havoc.” The first in a list of investment criteria released by the coalition Monday was technologies with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least a half gigaton.
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GOOGLE, CUBA SIGN ALLOWING FASTER ACCESS TO COMPANY’S DATA
Google and the Cuban government signed a deal Monday allowing the internet giant to provide faster access to its data by installing servers on the island that will store much of the company’s most popular content. Storing Google data in Cuba eliminates the long distances that signals must travel from the island through Venezuela to the nearest Google server. More than a half century after cutting virtually all economic ties with Cuba, the U.S. has no direct data link to the island. 87
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The deal announced Monday removes one of the many obstacles to a normal internet in Cuba, which suffers from some of the world’s most limited and expensive access. Home connections remain illegal for most Cubans and the government charges the equivalent of a month’s average salary for 10 hours of access to public WiFi spots with speeds frequently too slow to download files or watch streaming video. The deal does not affect Cuba’s antiquated communications infrastructure or broaden public access to the internet, but it could make Google websites like YouTube or Gmail up to 10 times faster for users inside Cuba. Content hosted by other companies will not be affected.
Image: Johan Jeppsson
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Neither Google chairman Eric Schmidt nor Cuban officials spoke to the press after the signing ceremony in Havana. Cuban officials appear to be accelerating their approvals of deals with U.S. companies in an attempt to build momentum behind U.S.-Cuba normalization before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. The Google pact was announced less than a week after Cuba gave three U.S. cruise companies permission to begin sailing to the island next year. Officials familiar with the negotiations say other deals, including one with General Electric, are in the works. The U.S. and Cuba have struck a series of bilateral deals on issues ranging from environmental protection to direct mail since the declaration of detente on Dec. 17, 2014, but business ties have failed to keep pace. The Cuban government has blamed the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba. Many U.S. businesses say Cuba has been moving on most proposals so slowly that some suspect the government has been deliberately limiting the development of economic ties. The Google program could provide ammunition for U.S. advocates of closer ties with Cuba. Both pro-detente forces and those arguing for a hard line on President Raul Castro’s single-party government have been pushing for Cubans to have better access to information. If the Google deal proves to truly improve internet access for a significant number of Cubans, it ties information access to U.S.-Cuban detente in a way that could prove politically difficult to undo for anti-Castro officials in the incoming Trump administration. 91
#01 – Hill Climb Racing 2 By Fingersoft Category: Games Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#02 – Bitmoji - Your Personal Emoji By Bitstrips Category: Utilities Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#03 – Messenger By Facebook, Inc. Category: Social Networking Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#04 – Instagram By Instagram, Inc. Category: Photo & Video Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#05 – YouTube By Google, Inc. Category: Photo & Video Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#06 – Snapchat By Snapchat, Inc. Category: Photo & Video Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#07 – 8 Ball Pool™ By Miniclip.com Category: Games Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#08 – Facebook By Facebook, Inc. Category: Social Networking Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#09 – Houseparty - Group Video Chat By Alexander Herzick Category: Social Networking Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
iOS 92
#10 – Google Maps - Navigation & Transit By Google, Inc. Category: Navigation Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#01 – Bear - beautiful writing app for notes and prose By Shiny Frog di Matteo Rattotti e C. S.N.C. Category: Productivity Compatibility: OS X 10.10 or later, 64-bit processor
#02 – Microsoft Remote Desktop By Microsoft Corporation Category: Business Compatibility: OS X 10.9 or later, 64-bit processor
#03 – Xcode By Apple Category: Developer Tools Compatibility: OS X 10.11 or later
#04 – The Unarchiver By Microsoft Corporation Category: Utilities Compatibility: OS X 10.6.0 or later, 64-bit processor
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#06 – DesktopChat for Whatsapp By Pixel Paws Category: Utilities Compatibility: OS X 10.10 or later, 64-bit processor
#07 – Microsoft OneNote By Microsoft Corporation Category: Productivity Compatibility: OS X 10.10 or later, 64-bit processor
#08 – Dr. Cleaner: Disk,Memory,System Optimizer By Trend Micro Category: Utilities Compatibility: OS X 10.10 or later, 64-bit processor
#09 – Shazam By Shazam Entertainment Ltd. Category: Music Compatibility: OS X 10.9 or later, 64-bit processor
#10 – Fotor Photo Editor By Chengdu Everimaging Science and Technology Co., Ltd Category: Photography Compatibility: OS X 10.7 or later, 64-bit processor
Mac OS X 93
#01 – Minecraft: Pocket Edition By Mojang Category: Games / Price: $6.99 Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#02 – Heads Up! By Warner Bros. Category: Games / Price: $0.99 Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#03 – Bully: Anniversary Edition By Rockstar Games Category: Games / Price: $6.99 Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
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#06 – Toca Hair Salon 3 By Toca Boca AB Category: Education / Price: $2.99 Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#07 – MONOPOLY Game By Electronic Arts Category: Games / Price: $1.99 Requires iOS 5.1.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#08 – Plague Inc. By Toca Boca AB Category: Games / Price: $0.99 Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#09 – 7 Minute Workout Challenge By Fitness Guide Inc Category: Health & Fitness / Price: $2.99 Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
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#10 – HotSchedules By HotSchedules Category: Business / Price: $2.99 Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#01 – GarageBand By Apple Category: Music / Price: $4.99 Compatibility: OS X 10.10 or later
#02 – Affinity Photo By Serif Labs Category: Photography / Price: $54.99 Compatibility: OS X 10.7 or later, 64-bit processor
#03 – Logic Pro X By Apple Category: Music / Price: $279.99 Compatibility: OS X 10.10 or later, 64-bit processor
#04 – Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro By Systweak Software Category: Photography / Price: $3.99 Compatibility: OS X 10.7 or later
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Mac OS X 95
Trailer by Tim Burton Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Released: 2016 Price: $14.99
115 Ratings
Movies &
TV Shows
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Rotten Tomatoes
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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children When Jake stumbles upon a mystery that takes him through different alternate realities, he finds an academy full of magical children.
FIVE FACTS: 1. In the 2011 Ransom Riggs novel on which the film is based, Dr Golan is a man, but the movie changes him to a woman, played by Allison Janney. 2. Samuel L. Jackson plays the character Mr Barron, who didn’t appear in the book. Riggs was initially skeptical about the changes, but ultimately loved the finished product. 3. The soundtrack features the song “Wish That You Were Here” by Florence + The Machine, which was especially created for the movie. 4. Director Tim Burton wanted to use as few digital effects as possible. 5. Eagle-eyed viewers might even be able to spot Burton in the movie, on one of the amusement park rides.
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“A Peculiar Loop”
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Little Men This touching movie charts the story of two boys who vow an oath of silence against their parents after a feud is sparked over the price of rent.
FIVE FACTS: 1. The vow of silence was inspired by movies like Good Morning (1959) and I was Born, But… (1932W). 2. When Michael Barbieri was cast as Tony, the character was changed to an aspiring actor – having previously been intended to be practicing capoeira. 3. The acting teacher in Little Men is played by Mauricio Bustamante, who was actually Barbieri’s acting teacher at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
by Ira Sachs Genre: Drama Released: 2016 Price: $14.99
4. This was Barbieri’s feature debut. Before Little Men, he was heading to LaGuardia High School, into which he was accepted after the movie’s debut. 5. Barbieri is already taking off as an actor, having secured a part in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Trailer
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You Did it Again
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Genre: Hip-Hop, Rap Released: Dec 16, 2016 19 Songs Price: $13.99
246 Ratings
“Surfin’”
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Passion, Pain and Demon Slayin’ Kid Cudi The Cleveland, Ohio native returns with his sixth studio album, bringing more of his distinct alternative hip-hop and bringing along amazing features like Pharrell Williams, Willow Smith and Andre 3000.
FIVE FACTS: 1. Kid Cudi’s real name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi. 2. Cudi’s rap career was inspired by the work of A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde. 3. Drake wanted to remix Cudi’s 2007 hit “Day ‘n’ Nite”, before either of them were big names. 4. Cudi was originally signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music label, the pair having met at a BAPE (A Bathing Ape) store in New York, where Cudi worked and Kanye bought a jacket, from which Cudi forgot to remove the security tag. 5. Cudi’s Man on the Moon album was partly inspired by the late absurdist comedian Andy Kaufman.
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“Frequency”
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Filthy America… It’s Beautiful The Lox The Yonkers hip-hop group’s third album is also the first they have made for 16 years, and is being released on their new record label, Roc Nation.
FIVE FACTS: 1. The word LOX is an acronym for the phrase ‘Living Off eXperience’. 2. The LOX have been involved in many noteworthy collaborations over the years with other rap groups, most notably the album Wu Block, released by The LOX’s Sheek Louch and Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah. 3. One of the LOX crew, Jadakiss, has been embroiled in controversy in the past involving political commentator Bill O’Reilly. Jadakiss’s lyrics in the song “Why?” suggest former President George W. Bush coordinated the 9/11 attacks, and O’Reilly believed that Bush should sue him for slander. 4. The LOX broke a 13-year period of hiatus when an EP unexpectedly dropped in 2013, signalling the group’s reformation. 5. This is only the group’s third album over an 18-year period. Its last studio album, We Are The Streets, was released in 2000.
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Genre: Hip-Hop, Rap Released: Dec 16, 2016 12 Songs Price: $9.99
37 Ratings
“Don’t You Cry”
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“What Else I Need To Know”
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BOX OFFICE TOP 20: ‘MOANA’
“Moana” held on to its first place spot for the third weekend in a row with $18.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $144.7 million. It beat out newcomer “Office Christmas Party,” a comedy starring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston, which earned $16.9 million. Holdovers populated the rest of the top five, with Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them,” which placed third with $10.4 million, the Amy Adams sci-fi movie “Arrival,” in fourth, with $5.6 million, and “Doctor Strange” in fifth with $4.5 million. In limited release, the Los Angeles musical “La La Land,” which earned the most Golden Globe nominations Monday morning, opened in five theaters with a powerful $881,004. 113
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The relatively sleepy weekend, however, is a calm before the Star Wars spinoff “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” opens on Dec. 16. The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by comScore:
1.
“Moana,” Disney, $18,533,804, 3,875 locations, $4,783 average, $144,700,397, 3 weeks.
2.
“Office Christmas Party,” Paramount, $16,890,204, 3,210 locations, $5,262 average, $16,890,204, 1 week.
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“Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them,” Warner Bros., $10,421,251, 3,626 locations, $2,874 average, $198,947,154, 4 weeks.
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“Arrival,” Paramount, $5,587,109, 3,115 locations, $1,794 average, $81,438,817, 5 weeks.
5.
“Doctor Strange,” Disney, $4,535,827, 2,763 locations, $1,642 average, $222,267,273, 6 weeks. 115
6.
“Allied,” Paramount, $3,955,705, 3,018 locations, $1,311 average, $35,589,157, 3 weeks.
7.
“Nocturnal Animals,” Focus Features, $3,161,381, 1,262 locations, $2,505 average, $6,187,509, 4 weeks.
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“Manchester By The Sea,” Roadside Attractions, $3,131,588, 366 locations, $8,556 average, $8,301,789, 4 weeks.
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“Trolls,” 20th Century Fox, $3,020,165, 2,786 locations, $1,084 average, $145,400,169, 6 weeks.
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“Hacksaw Ridge,” Lionsgate, $2,288,401, 2,277 locations, $1,005 average, $60,850,849, 6 weeks.
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“Miss Sloane,” EuropaCorp, $1,844,972, 1,648 locations, $1,120 average, $1,983,337, 3 weeks.
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“Almost Christmas,” Universal, $1,377,095, 1,258 locations, $1,095 average, $40,213,580, 5 weeks.
13.
“Bad Santa 2,” Broad Green Pictures, $1,236,113, 2,034 locations, $608 average, $16,800,881, 3 weeks.
14.
“Incarnate,” High Top Releasing, $1,078,173, 1,737 locations, $621 average, $4,220,311, 2 weeks.
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“MET Opera: L’Amour de Loin (2016),” Fathom Events, $1,030,000, 900 locations, $1,144 average, $1,030,000, 1 week.
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“La La Land,” Lionsgate, $881,104, 5 locations, $176,221 average, $881,104, 1 week.
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“Loving,” Focus Features, $633,993, 572 locations, $1,108 average, $6,576,255, 6 weeks.
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“The Edge Of Seventeen,” STX Entertainment, $616,919, 932 locations, $662 average, $13,876,616, 4 weeks.
19.
“Moonlight,” A24, $543,585, 449 locations, $1,211 average, $10,758,335, 8 weeks.
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“Jackie,” Fox Searchlight, $492,255, 26 locations, $18,933 average, $857,080, 2 weeks.
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
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SNAPCHAT: HOW THE VANISHING-PHOTO APP MANAGED NOT TO FADE
Snapchat has managed to build something lasting out of photos that vanished almost instantly. The fast-growing social network for millennials has come a long way since its founder Evan Spiegel dropped out of Stanford University in 2012, three classes shy of graduation. His goal at the time was to create a snappy way for people to send photos, videos and messages - all of which would disappear just 10 seconds after viewing. Snapchat cut a sharp contrast to Facebook and other social networks, which encouraged people to share and share often - even those spontaneous moments they might come to regret the next morning or at the next job interview. Snapchat, by contrast, let people “show and share things that they do not want to last on the internet as a permanent record,” said Ira Kalb, a marketing and branding professor at the University of Southern California. That feature, however, quickly associated the company with “sexting,” the sharing of sexually 123
explicit photos through cellphone messaging. Had Snapchat done nothing else, it might well have faded quickly itself, as such fads often do. Instead, Snapchat showed a knack for evolving as its users did. It’s now a full-featured messaging service popular with millennials and big brands alike. It even rebranded as Snap Inc. and now calls itself “a camera company.” Now it’s hoping to make itself into a big winner on Wall Street as well. According to news reports, Snap is readying for a public stock offering that could value the company at $20 billion to $25 billion. Snap declined to comment.
REFUSING TO DISAPPEAR The company has worked hard to roll out new features so users don’t get bored. “Stories” allows individuals and brands to create a narrative from messages, videos and photos from the past 24 hours. It’s so popular that Facebook’s Instagram now has a version of it, and Instagram just rolled out disappearing photos, too. A “Discover” section serves as a wide-ranging news section, featuring material tailored for millennials by a select group of publishers. “Lenses” lets people add different animated overlays to photos and videos; the feature has proven to be popular both with young adults and advertisers. “Snapchat has steadily introduced new features ... and in terms of user engagement it seems like users are spending quite a bit of time in each,” said eMarketer analyst Catherine Boyle. Amanda Peters, 22, a dance instructor in Fairfax, Virginia, wasn’t sure how much she would use 124
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Snapchat when she got it as a college freshman in 2012. But she’s grown to like it more with Lenses. “I like the goofy filters,” she said. “They’re always changing them up, which is nice. Every day you can go to see what’s new.” Snap’s ad revenue has jumped from $59 million in 2015 to nearly $367 million in 2016, according to eMarketer. It’s on pace to have more monthly active users than Twitter - which counts 317 million - by the end of the year. Of course, that is still dwarfed by Facebook, with 1.79 billion monthly active users as of Sept. 30.
LEARNING TO GROW But while Snap is popular with the coveted 18to 34-year old audience, it will eventually have to broaden its appeal to grow. “It’s a great base to start with, (but) ultimately they need to become a little bit broader in terms of appeal to users in order to become broader in terms of appeal to advertisers,” Gartner analyst Brian Blau said. Twitter went public in 2013 to high acclaim, but it hasn’t succeeded in growing its membership at the rate investors want. It recently laid off 9 percent of its workforce. As part of belt tightening, Twitter also killed its Vine video app, which was wildly popular with teens but didn’t have a reliable way to make revenue. It’s clearly a fate Snap - with a similar youthful audience - wants to avoid.
NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON’T For now, though, Snap is managing to remain hip and even has an unconventional distribution 126
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strategy for Spectacles , $130 sunglasses that take video for sharing on Snapchat. You can’t just order one online - yet. Rather, they have to find a vending machine or temporary store popping up with just 24 hours’ notice. So far, vending machines have showed up near the company’s headquarters in the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles, as well as in Big Sur, California, and New York. Lines in New York stretched for hours when the machines first appeared. Geoff Golberg, who works in marketing in New York, waited three hours in line. An active livestreamer, he livestreamed himself on Periscope as he bought the Spectacles. “It was a spectacle,” Golberg said in a phone interview. “Inside everyone is taking video, posting content to Instagram and taking Snaps. They created so much buzz around this product by limiting supplies.” Even so, Blau said Spectacles are a niche product that likely won’t be a major growth driver. And Snap needs growth - as well as even more ways to evolve to keep its existing users engaged. Savannah Russell, 16, a student in Minneapolis, is a devoted Snapchat user, building up “streaks” of daily Snaps with her friends. She said that without Snapchat, she “would show up to school on Monday and be very out of the loop.” But she said she doesn’t know how long she’ll stick with it. “The happiness comes from being able to interact with my friends (not the app),” she said. “If something that comes up that’s better I could see myself switching to that.” 128
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6 WAYS TO KEEP PHONE CHARGES LOW DURING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
It’s a sure-fire way to dampen the holiday cheers: Spend a week on a dream vacation abroad, then come back to find an additional several hundred dollars on your cellphone bill. Although some U.S. phone plans cover international travel, especially to Canada and Mexico, many don’t. Leaving your phone off isn’t practical these days . But you don’t have to pay a fortune if you follow these tips. You might find some of these steps annoying, but they’re surely less painful than an unexpected data bill. Start planning well before you leave.
GET A PLAN ABROAD This is the most economical choice, but also the least practical for many people. With the exception of Verizon, carriers typically block your phone from other carriers’ plans until you’ve paid off the hardware, typically after two years. They might make a temporary exception if 131
you’re traveling, but it’s on you to get that set up. You might have an old phone to use instead, or you can rent or buy a cheap one for your trip. This route gives you a lot of data at competitive prices. Upon arrival in Bangkok, for instance, I got 2.5 gigabytes of data for just less than $13. Two more gigabytes would have cost just $3 more. Just visit a kiosk at the airport when you arrive, or stop by a cellphone or convenience store in town. You’ll be assigned a phone number for that country, though, so friends and family will need that to call or text. But Facebook, email accounts and messaging services such as Apple’s Facetime should work just as they do in the U.S. If you’re visiting multiple countries, you’ll need a separate local plan for each.
STEP UP YOUR U.S. PLAN Check with your carrier on an international package. For instance, Verizon offers 100 megabytes of data for $25. Ten minutes of streaming video can wipe that out. But it’ll get you email and basic messaging, and it’s much cheaper than the $205 Verizon would charge for 100 megabytes without an international plan. You keep your U.S. number. You might find this adequate for emergencies, such as when you need directions back to the hotel. Use your hotel’s Wi-Fi as much as possible;
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your Instagram pictures can wait, especially if your friends are asleep anyway. For a twoweek trip to Italy, I had plenty of data left after taking additional data-saving measures. Verizon even refunded me nearly $16. But I got socked with another $25 because I wasn’t careful on a separate trip to Barcelona, Spain. This option is good for multi-country trips. You can still get a local plan for the country where you’ll spend the most time.
LEAVE CELLULAR DATA OFF MOST OF THE TIME Turn off “Cellular Data” under the “Cellular” settings on iPhones, or “Mobile data” on Android (the location in the settings varies by device). In Italy, I turned cellular back on for the brief times I needed it. You can go further by enabling airplane mode, but that also blocks incoming calls and texts, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
LIMIT DATA USE Even if you have cellular on just briefly, tons of data-hungry messages could still flood in while the gate is open. To prevent that, you can prevent apps from using cellular data at all. On iPhones, go to “Cellular” in the settings, then turn off as many items as possible in the list of apps. Also turn off “Wi-Fi Assist.” In Italy,
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I turned off all apps. When I needed to check or send Gmail, I just turned that app back on temporarily. Otherwise, the phone waited until I got back to the hotel’s Wi-Fi. Notifications still came through, but they don’t use much data. On most version of Android, turn on “Restrict background data” to blocks apps from using cellular data while running in the background. To let certain apps override that, you need “Data saver” on the latest version of Android, Nougat, which isn’t yet available on most phones. While you’re at it, disable automatic video play on Facebook’s app. Tap the three horizontal bars. On iPhones, choose “Settings,” then “Account Settings,” then “Videos and Photos.” For “Autoplay,” choose Wi-Fi only or never. On Android, check under “App settings.” And be sure to disable automatic app updates over cellular. It might already be set to Wi-Fi only, but double check in the “iTunes & App Stores” settings on iPhones and the Play Store settings on Android.
DOWNLOAD BEFORE YOU GO Get and set up apps for museums and other places you’re visiting before you leave home or the hotel. Using the apps will consume data, but not as much as starting from scratch. Likewise, download map data for Google Maps ahead of time. You can get driving directions and basic information on businesses without a data connection. The offline mode isn’t meant for walking directions, though what I got for driving was often close enough (The exception was Venice, where cars are banned). Also, there’s no offline transit support, but I got transit 134
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directions by enabling cellular briefly and used offline mode to get to my stops. Otherwise, Google Maps alone would have eaten up my 100 megabytes with Verizon. You can also download any video you’ve bought or rented through iTunes, Amazon or Google Play. Amazon’s Prime members can also download up to 25 of the videos available for free streaming. Netflix recently updated its app to offer similar downloads for offline viewing. You’ll want to do this before leaving home, even if you plan to use Wi-Fi, as streaming rights for many titles don’t extend outside the U.S. A service called PlayOn Cloud also lets you download video from various services for 99 cents each (iPhones only).
TRACK YOUR USAGE Check the settings regularly to see how much data you’re using and adjust accordingly. On iPhones, check “Current Period Roaming” in the “Cellular” settings. Hit “Reset Statistics” at the start of your trip. On Android, check “Data usage.” Android also keeps track of which apps use how much data, so you can identify culprits more easily. These are estimates, though, and your phone company might measure differently. 137
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MICHIGAN LETS AUTONOMOUS CARS ON ROADS WITHOUT HUMAN DRIVER
Companies can now test self-driving cars on Michigan public roads without a driver or steering wheel under new laws that could push the state to the forefront of autonomous vehicle development. The package of bills signed into law comes with few specific state regulations and leaves many decisions up to automakers and companies like Google and Uber. It also allows automakers and tech companies to run autonomous taxi services and permits test parades of self-driving tractor-trailers as long as humans are in each truck. And they allow the sale of self-driving vehicles to the public once they are tested and certified, according to the state. The bills allow testing without burdensome regulations so the industry can move forward with potential life-saving technology, said Gov. Rick Snyder, who was to sign the bills. “It makes Michigan a place where particularly for the auto industry it’s a good place to do work,” he said. 139
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Image: Angelo Merendino
The bills give Michigan the potential to be a leader by giving the companies more autonomy than say, California, which now requires human backup drivers in case something goes awry. Here are answers to some questions about the laws: Q: Companies are making a lot of the decisions in putting the cars on public roads. Why does the state think they’ll be safe? A: Michigan Transportation Director Kirk Steudle says the laws put Michigan ahead of most other states with the possible exception of Florida in specifically allowing tests without a human driver. Companies, he said, will make the decision as to when the cars are ready for that, based on more than a century of experience of testing cars on public roads. Automakers have a long history of testing cars on public roads in Michigan with few, if any, incidents, Steudle says. The cars also have to comply with federal safety standards and may have to be certified as roadworthy by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if proposed federal guidelines are adopted. “I don’t want to regulate the vehicles. There is nobody in state government that has any knowledge to be able to say that vehicle is ready to go on the road,” Steudle said. If the vehicles crash, Steudle says they would be governed by Michigan’s nofault insurance laws that require each driver’s insurance to pay for damage. The companies also could be sued under product liability laws, he says. The self-driving laws also allow only reputable companies such as automakers and tech companies to do tests, Steudle says. “These are responsible parties,” says Snyder. 141
Q: Does this put the state ahead in allowing selfdriving vehicles on public roads? A: Michigan Transportation Director Kirk Steudle says the laws put Michigan ahead of most other states with the possible exception of Florida in specifically allowing tests without a human driver. Companies, he said, will make the decision as to when the cars are ready for that, based on more than a century of experience of testing cars on public roads. Steudle says yes because the laws specifically authorize use without human drivers. He also says Michigan has an advantage over Florida and warm-weather states because companies can test in snow. But Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina who tracks the technology, says Florida has almost no restrictions. Other states, he said, don’t expressly prohibit such testing and have agreements with individual companies to do it. Michigan’s laws also make defining who is a driver ambiguous, he said. Drivers could be companies running autonomous taxi services, engineers who start autonomous vehicles, passengers who ride in the cars and the automated systems themselves, he said.
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Image: Sara J. Martin
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Q: Unlike California, Michigan isn’t tracking autonomous car crashes. How will the state spot problems? A: Police will investigate any crashes and presumably would report any trends to the state, which could suspend a company’s manufacturer license plates and end the tests, Steudle says. He concedes that there will be crashes and probably a fatality involving autonomous cars. But the technology can eliminate human errors that cause 94 percent of crashes and cut the 100 highway deaths in the U.S. every day, he said. “It’s a risk worth taking because the future of the technologies we know are going to help reduce those crashes and reduce those fatalities,” Steudle said.
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I SURRENDER (THE VOICE PERFORMANCE)
Billy Gilman
LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE (THE VOICE PERFORMANCE)
Sundance Head
BAD THINGS
macHine Gun Kelly & camila caBello
24K MAGIC
Bruno marS
MILLION REASONS
lady GaGa
TO WORSHIP YOU I LIVE (AWAY) [THE VOICE PERFORMANCE]
cHriStian cuevaS
DANNY’S SONG (THE VOICE PERFORMANCE)
JoSH GallaGHer
DON’T WANNA KNOW (FEAT. KENDRICK LAMAR)
maroon 5
ANGEL (THE VOICE PERFORMANCE)
Brendan FletcHer
SCARS TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL (THE VOICE PERFORMANCE)
Wé mcdonald
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A PENTATONIX CHRISTMAS
Pentatonix
BLUE & LONESOME
tHe rollinG StoneS
PERFECTLY IMPERFECT - EP
Jordan SmitH
24K MAGIC
Bruno marS
‘TIS THE SEASON
Jordan SmitH
MOANA (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) [DELUXE EDITION]
variouS artiStS
CHRISTMAS
micHael BuBlé
KANE BROWN
Kane BroWn
THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS
variouS artiStS
THAT’S CHRISTMAS TO ME
Pentatonix
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HALLELUJAH
Pentatonix
24K MAGIC
Bruno marS
DUST MY SHOULDERS OFF
Jane ZHanG
FOREVER COUNTRY
artiStS oF tHen, noW & Forever
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Pentatonix
BAD THINGS
macHine Gun Kelly & camila caBello
CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!
JuStin timBerlaKe
CLOSER (FEAT. HALSEY)
tHe cHainSmoKerS
CHANTAJE (FEAT. MALUMA)
SHaKira
MISTLETOE
JuStin BieBer
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HEARTS STILL BEATING
tHe WalKinG dead, SeaSon 7
PRIDE
vanderPumP ruleS, SeaSon 5
SNAP BACK
madam Secretary, SeaSon 3
SING ME A SONG
tHe WalKinG dead, SeaSon 7
PASSING THROUGH NATURE TO ETERNITY
tHe royalS, SeaSon 3
THE CAPTURE OF BENEDICT ARNOLD
timeleSS, SeaSon 1
THIS IS THE PITS
ScorPion, SeaSon 3
TASTES LIKE TROUBLE
tHe real HouSeWiveS oF atlanta, SeaSon 9
IT SERVES YOU RIGHT TO SUFFER
elementary, SeaSon 5
THE BLUEPRINT
deSiGnated Survivor, SeaSon 1
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ISLAND OF GLASS
nora roBertS
THE UNDOING PROJECT: A FRIENDSHIP THAT CHANGED OUR MINDS
micHael leWiS
TOM CLANCY TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE
marK Greaney
BLOOD VOW
J.r. Ward
TOOLS OF TITANS
timotHy FerriSS & arnold ScHWarZeneGGer
BABYLON’S ASHES
JameS S. a. corey
NO MAN’S LAND
david Baldacci
WOMANIZER
Katy evanS
MRS. HEMINGWAY
naomi Wood
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
lauren layne
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NASA TROUBLESHOOTING DRILL PROBLEM ON MARS CURIOSITY ROVER
Engineers are troubleshooting a snag on NASA’s Curiosity that’s preventing the rover from moving its robotic arm and driving to another spot on Mars, the space agency said Tuesday. The problem involves a motor in the rover’s drill that is used to bore into rocks. Curiosity has been taking pictures and tracking the weather, but doing little else for the past two weeks. “We’re keeping busy with using the other instruments on the rover while they do these tests,” said Ashwin Vasavada, project scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the mission. 157
The team gave a health update on Curiosity while discussing research findings at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. Since landing in Mar’s Gale Crater in 2012, Curiosity has uncovered geologic evidence of an ancient environment that could have supported primitive life early in the red planet’s history. It clocked nine miles (15 kilometers) since landing, arriving two years ago at its main target - a Martian mountain dubbed Mount Sharp where it plans to climb to higher and younger rock formations. Before the snag, the six-wheel rover found more evidence of a watery history on the slopes of Mount Sharp including the presence of certain chemicals that suggests a warmer and wetter past unlike the current frigid, harsh environment. As NASA diagnosed Curiosity, the long-lived Opportunity rover has been surveying the rim of a huge crater near the Martian equator. Opportunity landed on Mars in 2004 and has outlasted its twin, Spirit, which lost contact after seven years of exploration. Mars was supposed to get another visitor this year, but a European Space Agency spacecraft crashed while trying to land in October. The mission was not all lost: A companion spacecraft successfully slipped into orbit around Mars, joining five others currently circling overhead.
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FOSSIL FUEL MEETS RENEWABLES: VERMONT GAS STATION GOES SOLAR
The Pump & Pantry looked unremarkable a gas station, grocery and deli along the main road through the rural Vermont town of Williamstown. But now the independent business is a meeting place of fossil fuels and renewable energy. It’s a gas station that’s gone solar. Owner Sam Adams - not to be confused with the beer he sells - says he expects the $100,000 investment he’s made in a 200-panel, 70-kilowatt installation will have a payback period of about six years. After that, he expects the panels installed by the Vermont-based solar company SunCommon will bring big savings on an electric bill to run his refrigerators that’s been running $3,000 to $4,000 a month. 161
“People probably think it’s odd for a gas station to claim to be environmentally friendly,” Adams said. “We went solar because we have a duty to do what we can to be responsible stewards of the environment. Gasoline is a necessity of life here in rural Vermont; we accept that. But it doesn’t mean we can’t do what we can to be more energy and fuel-efficient.” Adams said he began considering solar panels about three years ago. A combination of falling prices for the panels and state and federal tax credits “made now the right time,” he said.
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“I’m willing to go green, but I’ve got to save some green in the process,” Adams said. Going solar is an act of environmentalism “that’s good for my bottom line.” He said he’s also hoping it will be a draw for customers, particularly those interested in environmental issues like fighting climate change. “People have noticed the array and commented that it’s a good thing to do,” he said. “We’re proud of that. Maybe our solar array will encourage folks to stop in and shop with us.”
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CHRISTMAS DELIVERY AT SPACE STATION, COURTESY OF JAPAN
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Christmas gifts arrived at the International Space Station on Tuesday, courtesy of Japan. A Japanese cargo ship pulled up at the orbiting lab four days after launching. The capsule called Kounotori, or white stork - contains nearly 5 tons of food, water, batteries and other supplies. NASA said there also are Christmas presents for the two Americans, three Russians and one Frenchman on board. Commander Shane Kimbrough, an American, and France’s Thomas Pesquet used the robot arm to grab the capsule 250 miles above Chile. Flight controllers in Japan and Houston applauded - and some of the Japanese even bowed. Kimbrough said the crew was “really excited” to accept delivery and radioed thanks to all. “The vehicle is beautiful, and it performed flawlessly,” he said. Barely two weeks ago, a Russian supply ship was destroyed shortly after liftoff. At the same time, one of NASA’s main suppliers, SpaceX, is grounded. So the Japanese delivery is especially welcome. The astronauts need the six new lithium-ion batteries for next month’s spacewalks. They will replace the old nickel-hydrogen batteries that store energy generated by the station’s big solar panels.
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CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS OPPOSE BOSTON PLAN TO COMB SOCIAL MEDIA
Several civil-rights groups are urging the city of Boston to withdraw a proposal to spend $1.4 million on high-tech software that would comb social media for criminal activity. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and 20 other groups sent a letter to Mayor Marty Walsh and Police Commissioner William Evans on Tuesday saying they’re concerned the software would be used to target people of color. The groups say the money would be better spent on other safety programs. The mayor’s office deferred questions to the police department. Boston police Lt. Mike McCarthy said the department is still in the review process and no decisions have been made. Evans has previously said that people of color would not be targeted and that the software could help prevent neighborhood violence and terrorism. 169
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GOOGLE’S SELF-DRIVING CAR PROJECT GETS A NEW NAME: WAYMO
The self-driving car project that Google started seven years ago has grown into a company called Waymo, signaling its confidence that it will be able to bring robot-controlled vehicles to the masses within the next few years. “We are getting close and we are getting ready,” Waymo CEO John Krafcik said Tuesday after unveiling the company’s identity. To underscore his point, Krafcik revealed the project had hit a key milestone in the journey to having fully autonomous cars cruising around public roads. In a trip taken in October 2015 , a pod-like car with no steering wheel and brake pads drove a legally blind passenger around neighborhoods in Austin, Texas without another human in the vehicle. It marked the first time one of the project’s cars had given a passenger a ride without a human on hand to take control of a self-driving car if something went wrong. 171
Krafcik called that trip taken by Steve Mahan, former director of the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center, an “inflection point” in the development of self-driving cars. It came a year before a Budweiser beer truck equipped with self-driving technology owned by ride-hailing service Uber completed a 120-mile trip through Colorado while being steered by a robot while a human sat in the back of trailer. In doing so, Krafcik and other supporters of self-driving cars believe the technology will drastically reduce the number of deaths on the roads each year because they contend robots don’t get distracted or drunk, nor ignore the rules of the road, like humans do. While Google’s self-driving cars were still in the research-and-development stage, its leaders indicated the vehicles would be commonplace by 2020. Krafcik declined to update the timetable Tuesday, saying only that “we are close to bringing this to a lot of people.” Waymo’s transition from what once was viewed as a longshot experiment to a full-fledged company marks another step in an effort to revolutionize the way people get around. Instead of driving themselves and having to find a place to park, people will be chauffeured in robot-controlled vehicles if Waymo, automakers and Uber realize their vision within the next few years. Waymo’s name is meant to be shorthand for “a new way forward in mobility.” The newly minted company will operate within Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which was created last year to oversee far-flung projects that have nothing to do with Google’s main business of online search and advertising. 172
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Those projects, which Alphabet CEO Larry Page likens to “moonshots,” have lost $8 billion since 2014, with the research into self-driving cars accounting for a significant chunk of that amount. Google began working on its self-driving technology in 2009 in a secretive lab called “X’’ run by company co-founder Sergey Brin. Since then, its fleet of cars has covered more than 2.3 million miles in the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, Arizona and Washington state. In their travels, the self-driving vehicles have been involved in 35 traffic accidents. Google has said its self-driving vehicles were at fault in only one collision with a bus earlier this year. The self-driving project had been expected to be spun out of the X lab since Krafcik, a former Hyundai USA executive, was hired as its CEO 15 months ago. As its own company, Waymo will now face more pressure to generate a profit under Alphabet’s management instead of simply focusing on research. Rather than make its own cars, Waymo intends to license its technology to traditional automakers and trucking companies.
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“We are not in the business of making better cars,” Krafcik said. “We are in the business of making better drivers.” Earlier this year, Waymo’s precursor licensed its self-driving technology to Fiat Chrysler for 100 Pacifica minivans currently in production. Financial terms of that deal haven’t been disclosed. The pressure to make money risks alienating some of the engineers who worked on the self-driving cars as a project that didn’t have a mandate to turn a profit. As it headed down the road to becoming Waymo, several key players quit the project. The defectors included its former director, Chris Urmson, and a co-founder Anthony Levandowski, who is now working on self-driving technology for Uber.
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