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Technology

Comment: Apple TV needs its HomePod mini moment

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Apple TV is far from being a new product. In fact, it was introduced on the same day as the first iPhone in 2007. In the last 14 years, Apple’s set-top box has gone through major changes, but it has never become a hit like iPad or even Apple Watch. Maybe it’s time for Apple TV to have its HomePod mini moment.

The current state of Apple TV

Apple has never known exactly what the company wants for Apple TV. At first, it was basically an external drive with iTunes that could be connected to a TV. As streaming platforms like Netflix became widely popular, Apple had to completely rethink the product in its second generation, which became a true streaming device.

The fourth-generation Apple TV was probably the most significant update since then, as it added the App Store and support for third-party apps. It felt like a new beginning for Apple TV, but not much has actually changed since then. Earlier this year, the company introduced the sixth-generation Apple TV, which is basically another refreshed model with a faster processor, better HDR support, and the new Siri remote.

Of course, a lot has changed in the TV market since 2007 (or even since 2015), but Apple’s strategy for its set-top box remains uncertain — if there is one. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently pointed out that Apple TV has “become pointless” amidst the competition, and that even Apple engineers have told him that they are not optimistic about the product’s future.

What’s wrong with Apple TV?

There’s nothing wrong with Apple TV when we consider just the device. It’s a great product with outstanding hardware and software. The thing is, Apple TV doesn’t seem to make sense for most people these days.

In the past, people usually bought an Apple TV because most TVs lacked smart features or offered a poor user experience. But now pretty much every Smart TV comes with multiple apps and features, including Apple TV+, Apple Music, and even AirPlay and HomeKit integration.

You may argue that the Apple TV experience is still better — and I agree. But some people just want to have their favorite streaming apps on TV and aren’t exactly concerned about having fancy animations or Apple Arcade games. The situation becomes even more complicated when we look at the Apple TV price.

Apple sells three different versions of Apple TV, ranging from an older model with 32GB of storage for $149 to the latest version with 64GB of storage for $199. If we consider the $199 price point, that’s half the price of an entry-level 4K TV that comes with apps and even Apple features.

At the same time, you can get devices like Roku and Amazon Fire TV that will give you access to the same streaming apps for less than $50. Although they lack integration with Apple’s ecosystem, they work well for most people and it’s simply hard to argue in favor of Apple TV price for someone who only needs a device with streaming apps.

Apple TV still exists only because it still has to exist. Apple needs a product to be the hub of your home and TV, and I’m sure most people who still buy Apple TV do so because of the Apple ecosystem. But it’s clear at this point that Apple TV is far from being considered a huge success, and Apple could change that if it wants to.

Apple TV needs its HomePod mini moment

This makes me think about what happened with the HomePod. Apple had ambitious plans for its super premium smart speaker, but it never had appeal with the public. Very few people were willing to pay a high price for a device that didn’t do much, no matter how good it was.

But Apple needed the HomePod to push people to use Siri, Apple Music, and HomeKit, so it replaced the HomePod with the HomePod mini. HomePod mini is far from being as good as its discontinued bigger brother, but it has almost the same features and costs much less. For most people, that’s what matters.

I would really like to see something similar with Apple TV. I’m sure that many people would consider buying one if Apple offered a smaller and cheaper model focused on regular apps and the HomeKit stuff. Apple TV was once sold for $99, and that’s a price tag that the company should really reconsider.

There are people who argue that Apple TV could also be upgraded with even better hardware, which would add value to the current price point. Apple itself says that the product is more than just a streaming device.

Unfortunately, Apple treats Apple TV like a mobile device. You don’t see triple-A games available in the App Store, and anyone who has ever tried to develop for tvOS knows that there are multiple annoying limitations. Someone really interested in gaming will likely prefer to spend $100 more on an Xbox Series S.

To me, what Apple TV really needs right now is a “mini,” less-expensive model. That, however, doesn’t seem to be in the company’s plans in the short term. What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments section below.

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US

Virginia PTA official who resigned after ‘let them die’ comment says not aimed at critical race theory protesters

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Michelle Leete, the Virginia PTA Vice President of Training, was asked to resign after she made the controversial comments in front of a crowd, according to a statement from the Virginia PTA. Leete is also a board member of the Fairfax, Virginia, NAACP.

“So let’s meet and remain steadfast in speaking truth, tearing down double standards, and refuting double talk,” Leete says in the video. “Let’s not allow any double-downing on lies. Let’s prepare our children for a world they deserve.

“Let’s deny this off-key band of people that are anti-education, anti-teacher, anti-equity, anti-history, anti-racial reckoning, anti-opportunities, anti-help people, anti-diversity, anti-platform, anti-science, anti-change agent, anti-social justice, anti-healthcare, anti-worker, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-children, anti-healthcare, anti-worker, anti-environment, anti-admissions policy change, anti-inclusion, anti-live-and-let live people. Let them die.”

The crowd of people cheered after her comments, according to a copy of the video obtained by CNN.

The Fairfax County School board was voting on updating guidelines for transgender students’ rights on Thursday. In a unanimous vote, the board ended up deciding to allow transgender students equitable rights, several key areas which include: accessing restroom and locker room facilities consistent with their gender identity, the right to non-disclosure of their gender identity and/or sexual orientation and the right to be called by their chosen names and pronouns.

A group protesting the teaching of critical race theory had also gathered outside the school at the time.

The video was filmed by Asra Nomani, a vice president at Parents Defending Education, which describes itself as “a national grassroots organization working to reclaim our schools from activists promoting harmful agendas.”

In a statement, the Virginia PTA said it did not condone Leete’s choice of words.

“As the commonwealth’s largest nonpartisan, volunteer child advocacy association, Virginia PTA upholds values of respect, collaboration, and accountability,” it said.

In an emailed statement, Leete told CNN that the rally had been organized for the purpose of supporting FCPS students.

“It had nothing at all to do with CRT. To my knowledge, CRT is not being taught in FCPS or any other public school in the country,” she said.

“I will certainly admit, it was ineloquently stated and with a pause for the applause, the timing was off, but ‘Let them die’ was referring to the ideals that show a disregard and lack of support for our teachers who have a truly difficult job to do even without a pandemic,” Leete went to explain.

Leete, who sent a copy of her entire speech to CNN, was speaking in her capacity as 1st Vice President of the Fairfax County NAACP when she addressed the group outside Luther Jackson Middle school,

The NAACP chapter said in a statement Sunday that it stands “firmly” with Leete and “her work in the past, present and future.

The NAACP said it “does not condone or support violence of any kind, whether we agree with an individual’s ideas or not. We believe in peaceful demonstrations and activism in order to achieve social justice and equity. But we will always stand in opposition to anti-diversity and anti-equity rhetoric, and any ideas or policies that further an inequitable agenda.”

The NAACP said Leete’s speech addressed preparing “…our children for a better world by denying space to rhetoric, ideas or narratives that threaten the world we want to leave our next generation. This is abundantly clear when you consider the entirety of her speech, instead of simply the last seconds of it.”

Leete’s resignation is the latest salvo in the pitched debate over critical race theory, a theory for understanding the world that focuses on the role of systemic racism as the underpinning of American society. The idea has faced sharp resistance over the past year from conservatives who say that the theory divides people of different races against each other and is inappropriate for K-12 schools.
At least two dozen states have banned critical race theory or introduced legislation to ban it from being taught in the classroom — even though educators say that the theory itself is generally not included in grade school curricula. And proponents along with critical race theorists insist that the concept is being conflated with conversations about diversity and equality.

Protest at Virginia school board meeting

Harry Jackson, a parent who has opposed critical race theory, called Leete’s comments “appalling and inappropriate.”

“Why would you ever wish death on someone who you disagree with,” he told CNN.

This year, Jackson became the first African American to be voted in as PTA president for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, along with other board members who oppose critical race theory being taught in schools.

He and others ran in part to make sure the theory was not taught in their schools he told CNN. But the state PTA is trying to nullify his and other board members win saying they did not follow proper procedure.

He was pleased the Virginia PTA requested Leete’s resignation.

“It was a responsible gesture by the Virgina PTA. Now I hope the Fairfax NAACP and PTA do the same,” he said.

Fairfax, Virginia, and neighboring Loudoun County have become flash points in the ongoing critical race theory debate.

In Fairfax, issues over diversity of all kinds in their top-rated Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology has caused an uproar when the school announced it was going to eliminating standardized testing requirements and application fees for incoming freshmen.

It was a move to promote more diversity in the district, but some parents railed against it, saying it would simply “dumb down” the academic standards.

CNN’s Eric Levenson contributed to this report.



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Sports

Don Mattingly, Brian Snitker comment on Pablo Lopez’s ejection following Acuña HBP

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Things escalated quickly between the Braves and Marlins on Friday evening as Miami starter Pablo Lopez was ejected after just one pitch. Lopez drilled Ronald Acuña Jr. in the arm — the sixth time Miami’s pitching staff has hit Acuña Jr. with a pitch in his short career — and after a discussion among the umpires, Lopez was ejected.

If you missed the show on Friday night, here’s the aftermath of Lopez’s ejection.

Fittingly, Acuña scored the only run on Friday night as Atlanta won by a score of 1-0.

After the game, Don Mattingly voiced his displeasure with the umpire’s quick ejection of Lopez and called it “disappointing.” He also accused Mike Soroka of “100%” intentionally throwing at and breaking Peter O’Brien’s ribs during the 2018 season. (The HBP in question actually happened in 2019).

Mattingly’s pointed accusation at Soroka does not compute at all. It sounds like a pathetic attempt to try and shift some blame. Why on earth would Mike Soroka go head-hunting after Peter O’Brien, a 28-year-old journeyman who he had never faced in the big leagues before? And why, more than three years later, is this the first time Mattingly has made the accusation? It’s a bush league comment from a bush league manager.

And by the way, the Braves signed O’Brien as a free agent six months after the incident in question. Clearly, O’Brien was very distressed by the incident that Mattingly claims was an intentional effort to injure.

Brian Snitker voiced his displeasure for the continued throwing at Acuña (intentional or not) during his post game press conference.

The Braves and Marlins will continue their series on Saturday afternoon with Kyle Muller and Sandy Alcantara — who hit Acuña with a pitch during last year’s NLDS — on the mound at 4:05 p.m. ET.



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Entertainment

Tristan Thompson leaves flirty comment on Khloe Kardashian’s photo of THAT massive diamond ring

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Khloe Kardashian once again sparked speculation she’s engaged as she posted a snap of her massive diamond ring on her wedding finger on Instagram on Thursday. 

The KUWTK star, 30, flashed her hands in the air, with her on-off partner Tristan Thompson, 30, adding more fuel to the fire.

The Boston Celtics player left a flirty comment under the mother-of-one’s image as he inserted a selection of heart-themed emojis.

Bling bling: Khloe Kardashian shared a snap on Instagram of her newly colorful manicured nails prominently featuring the much-talked-about piece of jewelry

Getting flirty: Tristan Thompson posted a comment that will surely get tongues wagging 

She shared a snap of her newly colorful manicured nails prominently featuring the much-talked-about piece of jewelry.

Without missing a beat Tristan commented the image with a series of emojis that are sure to send tongues wagging including two eyes, two heart eyes, and one large diamond emojis.

Khloe certainly has been showing the ring off a lot lately as just days ago she had it heavily featured in her latest Good American advert campaign.

Family first: Khloe and Tristan seen with their daughter True

Her curves and that massive ring on her left finger were shown despite the reality star previously trying   to fend off rumors she and on-off beau Tristan Thompson were romantic when she was first spotted with the sparkler around December.

On Saturday she took to the GA Instagram to share another snap from her sizzling bikini shoot, after revealing that she and Thompson are in the process of planning for more children together. 

She chose to caption the image ‘Sparkle and SHINE’ — a nod to the shimmery cover up that hugged her peachy backside and the pear shaped diamond on her left finger. 

Sparkling: Khloe certainly has been showing the ring off a lot lately as just days ago she had it heavily featured in her latest Good American advert campaign.

Underneath she had taken to Instagram to show off a silver bikini from her size-inclusive line as the brand gears up for the summer months. 

This final season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians has focused much on her relationship with the Boston Celtics player thus far. 

In the first two episodes she gets candid about making embryos with the 30-year-old NBA player, after revealing her eggs were too delicate to survive the egg-freezing process. 

Serious bling: The huge diamond ring has made a couple of appearances on Khloe’s Instagrams recently

Future plans: This final season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians has focused much on her relationship with the Boston Celtics player thus far, speaking about their romance and plans for children; pictured March 13

Back on? ‘Thank you for showing me everything you said you would…I’m thankful that I can do absolutely nothing with you and it feels like everything,’ she wrote in his glowing 30th birthday tribute, adding that he was loved by her; pictured March 13

Doctors had tried another approach to give Khloe the large family she’s always dreamt of, opting to retrieve eggs from IVF and mixing them with Tristan’s sperm immediately. 

From the procedure she revealed she had three embryos — one girl and two boys — Khloe sharing with her siblings that she wanted to give daughter True, two, a sister first. She also spoke about the possibility of using a surrogate. 

On the second episode of KUWTK she put Scott Disick, 37, on blast for igniting rumors she and Thompson were back when he commented: ‘Tristan is a lucky man’ on one of her posts. 

Their fractured relationship had been a source of contention for the reality star after he was found to have cheated on her throughout the course of their partnership, most recently with Kylie Jenner’s former BFF Jordyn Woods who said they shared a kiss. 

Igniting rumors: This week’s episode revealed Khloe’s anger with Disick for igniting rumors via Instagram that she and Tristan were back on

 Stirring the pot: The prankster revealed he loves to stir things up, commenting that Tristan was a ‘lucky man’ on one of her posts over the summer

Thompson was understandably hurt by Khloe’s resistance to the cheeky comment left by Scott as he spoke about feeling like he was some ‘big secret.’ 

Throughout quarantine they had been working on their relationship and co-parenting True under one roof. 

She seemed to confirm that things were moving forward in a good direction in mid-March when she penned a gushing tribute to him on his 30th birthday. 

‘The ones that are meant to be are the ones who go through everything that is designed to tear them apart and they come out even stronger than they were before. 

THAT ring: In a flashback post Khloe shared on Friday she flashed the giant sparkler on her left finger but mom Kris chalked it up to her ‘loving’ a good ring 

Co-parenting: Despite their romantic status being a bit unclear, Tristan and Khloe had been co-parenting daughter True under one roof for some of the pandemic; pictured July 2020

‘Thank you for showing me everything you said you would…I’m thankful that I can do absolutely nothing with you and it feels like everything,’ she wrote adding that he was loved by her.   

The pair have now sold their former Cleveland pad which he purchased in 2015 when he was playing for the Cavaliers. 

As he now resides in Boston per his new NBA contract, it has been said that Khloe is looking at houses to be close to him.  

With regards to the prominent sparkler on her left finger, mom Kris Jenner tried to be mum on the matter in conversation with Ellen DeGeneres this week as she said:  ‘I think she just loves jewelry. She loves a good ring. You should ask Khloe that.’

East coast resident? The pair have now sold their former Cleveland pad which he purchased in 2015 when he was playing for the Cavaliers, and as he now resides in Boston per his new NBA contract, it has been said that Khloe is looking at houses to be close to him; pictured March 11

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US

Texas Gov. Abbott blames Covid spread on immigrants, criticizes Biden’s ‘Neanderthal’ comment

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday criticized President Joe Biden for calling his decisions to lift Covid-19 restrictions and mask mandates earlier this week “Neanderthal thinking” and blamed the state’s ongoing outbreak on undocumented immigrants.

Abbott’s comments come after his widely criticized decision on Tuesday to rescind most of the state’s Covid-19 restrictions, including a statewide mask mandate. Texas businesses will be allowed to open “100%,” effective March 10, he said. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves made a similar move at roughly the same time.

Biden on Wednesday slammed the governors for what he said was a “big mistake” and added that “the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking.”

Abbott told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that the comment was “not the type of word that a president should be using” and blamed the spread of the coronavirus on immigrants crossing the southern border. The Republican governor said the Biden administration has “refused to test” them for the virus.

“The Biden administration has been releasing immigrants in South Texas that have been exposing Texans to Covid. Some of those people have been put on buses, taking that Covid to other states in the United States,” Abbott told CNBC. “That is Neanderthal-type approach to dealing with the Covid situation.”

While the Republican governor didn’t provide specifics, Telemundo reported on Tuesday that some migrants released by Border Patrol in the Texas city of Brownsville subsequently tested positive for Covid-19. Since the city began testing on Jan. 25, 108 migrants have tested positive for Covid-19, which is 6.3% of all those who took a test, according to the report.

“The Biden administration must stop importing Covid into our country,” Abbott said.

Top U.S. health officials have repeatedly urged states not to lift Covid-19 restrictions as nationwide coronavirus cases and deaths stall and highly transmissible variants threaten to “hijack” the recent decline in infections.

However, Abbott defended his decision to lift the state’s mask requirements, claiming that Texans already know that “the safe standard, among other things, is to wear a mask.”

“Do they really need the state to tell them what they already know for their own personal behavior?” Abbott told CNBC.

The governor added that the state’s coronavirus infections are “at four-month lows” and Texas hospitals stand ready to treat an influx of patients if needed. Texas is reporting a daily average of roughly 7,265 new cases over the last week, a drop compared with the peak of more than 20,400 daily cases the state reported in January, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

However, new infections have started to creep back up across the state, with average daily new cases growing by nearly 13% compared with a week ago.

Abbott said most of the state’s coronavirus spread over the holiday was driven by indoor gatherings, not by restaurants and other businesses. The newly lifted restrictions “are not really that transformative” because the state’s mask mandate wasn’t enforced and businesses were already at 75% capacity, he said.

“Maybe to people in New York it seems like this is a big difference,” Abbott said.

— CNBC’s Will Feuer contributed to this report.

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Entertainment

Armie Hammer’s estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers makes first comment about cannibal allegations

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Armie Hammer’s estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, has kept quiet on the controversy surrounding her soon-to-be-ex, but no more.

The TV personality, who filed for divorce from the actor in July, couldn’t help but comment on a post about the actor’s Call Me By Your Name director, Luca Guadagnino, and co-star, Timothée Chalamet, teaming up for a cannibal love story called Bones & All.

Responding to Just Jared’s Instagram post with the news, Chambers wrote, “No. Words.”

The horror film centers on a woman “on a cross-country trip as she searches for the father she’s never met in an attempt to understand why she has the urge to kill and eat the people that love her,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Camille DeAngelis.

Hammer, with whom Chambers shares two young children, has exited two projects — The Godfather TV series and the film Shotgun Wedding— since leaked social media messages, from anonymous account House of Effie, alleged nonconsensual and violent sexual encounters and emotional abuse by Hammer, who has denied the claims. The alleged conversations included talk of rape fantasies, his desire to inflict pain on his partners and one that claimed he was “100% a cannibal.”

It led to two other women, who said they dated him since his split with Chambers, to come forward. Courtney Vucekovich claimed Hammer was emotionally abusive and wanted to eat her flesh, resulting in her getting treatment for PTSD after they split. Paige Lorenze also made claims that he branded her, left her covered in bruises and wanted to remove and eat one of her ribs.

When Hammer dropped out of Shotgun Wedding, he issued a statement addressing the controversy, saying, “I’m not responding to these bulls*** claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic.”

The only other comment Hammer has made was when he apologized after posting a video to his private Instagram account of a woman wearing lingerie in bed whom he referred to as “Miss Cayman.” In a statement to the Cayman Compass, he said, “I would like to clarify that the person in my video, which was stolen from my private Instagram, is not Miss Cayman. I am genuinely sorry for any confusion my foolish attempt at humor may have caused. My deep sympathies to Miss Cayman, who I don’t know, and to the entire organization, as I had no intentions of implying she was actually Miss Cayman.”

Hammer and Chambers were married in 2010 and are parents to Harper, 6, and Ford, 4. They announced their split in July and she remained in the Cayman Islands with their children. He wasn’t able to visit the kids again until the holidays.

Chambers hasn’t otherwise spoken publicly about the split but a friend close to the former TV correspondent told a tabloid that while she was aware of his infidelities, he has a “whole other side to him that she wasn’t aware of.” The friend added, “Armie appears to be a monster.”

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