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It’s not quite August yet, but we can already feel summer beginning to slip through our fingers. While tan lines may start to fade, tech news is still hotter than ever. To keep you up to speed, your favorite informers from the BIGfish team are back with another tech news roundup, all while we’re soaking up the sun during our last beach days thanks to our Summer Fridays perks!
Amazon Meal Kits
Hot off its successful Prime Day, Amazon is targeting its latest market: people who don’t know how to cook. I mean, the food industry. Taking on the likes of Blue Apron and other meal delivery services, Amazon will now ship pre-prepared meal kits to make dinner planning a breeze. These kits will be available through Amazon Fresh, a $14.99 per month grocery delivery service for Prime members. As of now, customers can choose between 17 different meal kits featuring a variety of meals such as “Steak Au Poivre,” “Tacos al Pastor with Pork,” and even “Roasted Cod with Cannellini Bean Ragout & Pesto.” Like other meal kit services, the box comes with chef-designed recipes that walk you through each step. The meals are fit to feed two, so you can even invite a friend to join you in your cooking expedition. This announcement makes sense for Amazon following the company’s recent acquisition of Whole Foods Market for a whopping $13.7 billion (and considering Jeff Bezos is now the richest man in the world).
R.I.P Microsoft Paint…or Not?
A candid photo of me finding out MS Paint has been killed #RIPMSPaint pic.twitter.com/Ky0ppeyTuN
— Mel Eshaghbeigi (@eshaghbeigi) July 24, 2017
After 32 years, Microsoft announced on Monday that its basic graphic-editing tool, Paint, would be marked “deprecated” in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Paint had been known for years as a staple addition to the original Windows software, providing users with a simple way to design graphics by using their mouse as a paintbrush. When Microsoft announced Paint would no longer receive updates and eventually may be phased out, it immediately sparked an outcry from loyal fans. Addressing customer complaints, Microsoft quickly pivoted and released this blog post in response, stating that MS Paint was not being phased out, but instead would see all of its features integrated in Paint 3D. Paint 3D is Windows 10’s free “new app for creativity” that supports both 3D capabilities and tradition 2D graphic creation tools. So, Microsoft users rejoice, you get to hold onto your Paint piece of nostalgia for a bit longer.
Apple Winners and Losers
Winners: iPhone 8 and iHeadset(?)
As we discussed last time, there are rumors swirling around that Apple is working on a way to enhance augmented reality experiences. While that was originally thought to be supported through user’s smartphones, there are now reports that Apple is creating their own version of Google Glass – only better. According to Patently Apple, a new patent shows the design of a possible AR product, described as “semi-transparent spectacle or glasses.” While we’ll clearly have to wait some time to see if these sketches become reality, it’s still an exciting development to hear how these smart glasses might overlay your digital screen into the real world. This is the future, people.
Losers: iPod Nano and Shuffle
Say goodbye to your favorite music-playing device of middle school – the iPod Nano and Shuffle are officially being discontinued. The Nano and Shuffle were the last two Apple devices that didn’t support iOS, so it makes sense for the company to phase them out. For now, the last remaining iPod, iPod Touch, stays afloat with updated models with bigger capacities at lower prices. Apple may no longer sell strictly music devices, but we can only guess this update is paving the way for the introduction of a new lineup of Apple devices, mainly the highly-anticipated iPhone 8 coming in the fall.
Get a Lyft to Free Tacos
Did someone say free tacos? That’s right – Lyft and Taco Bell are teaming up to bring “Taco Mode” to your Lyft ride. Now when you’re calling a Lyft home after a long night out, you can add a detour to your route to the nearest Taco Bell and receive a free Doritos Locos Taco. The pilot program is debuting first in Orange County, CA and will roll out nationwide in the beginning of 2018. It’s worth noting that this news follows Uber’s recent agreement with McDonald’s for inclusion in their UberEats app. Uber and Lyft are extremely popular among students and young adults, as are fast-food chains, so it’s no surprise that these ride-hailing apps should partner up. As for us, don’t count on us being anywhere but Taco Bell once this arrives in Boston.
That’s all we have for this week. We’re off to head into the weekend, but be sure to check back here in two weeks for your next roundup of tech news, and follow us @BIGfishPR to keep up to date with all BIG trends.
