My favorite links from this week.
- The Walkman, Forty Years On – Even prior to extended quarantines, lockdowns, and self-isolation, it was hard to imagine life without the electronic escapes of noise-cancelling earbuds, smartphones, and tablets. Today, it seems impossible.
- Disney Resetting Star Wars; Erasing Last Jedi – A new rumor has hit the net offering that some sort of Disney Star Wars reset is in the works that will see Force Awakens, Last Jedi, and Skywalker basically erased. The rumor comes from the “future ruler of Earth,” the Doomcock Overlord DVD YouTube channel, who recently offered that a Star Wars “civil war” is happening at Lucasfilm between Kathleen Kennedy and Jon Favreau.
- Spotify is launching a premium plan for couples – Spotify Spotify is making it easier for couples who live together to split the cost of a premium membership while also merging their music taste. The company is debuting its newest subscription offering, Premium Duo, which costs $12.99 a month and allows two people who live at the same place to share one plan while maintaining their own accounts.
- YouTube TV raises its rates 30 percent – YouTube TV is raising its price to $65/month, up 30 percent from its previous $50/month level. In a blog post, YouTube TV’s Christian Oestlien wrote: We don’t take these decisions lightly, and realize how hard this is for our members.
- Pay-by-app parking coming to Birmingham July 1 – The Birmingham Department of Transportation wants to upgrade street parking payment options so visitors can pay via app instead of quarters. A new way of paying for parking in downtown Birmingham will be available next month.
- 2020 iPhones won’t come with a power adapter or earbuds, says Kuo – This year’s new iPhones might not have as much in the box as you’re used to. According to well-connected analyst Ming-chi Kuo, Apple is planning to stop including a power adapter and EarPods in the box with 2020 models, and will even remove the power adapter from the new iPhone SE’s packaging later this year.
James Dorminey 