Mozilla has killed Firefox OS on phones, unmasking the creator of Bitcoin, everything wrong with the iPhone Smart Battery Case, Donald Trump hates the Internet, and the plight of Instagram Husbands.
Mozilla is no longer interested in mobile, abandoning Firefox OS for smartphones. The company announced the news at its developer event, Mozlando, declaring that it would stop selling Firefox OS smartphones through carriers. Ari Jaaksi, Mozilla’s Senior Vice President of Connected Devices, told TechCrunch:
“We are proud of the benefits Firefox OS added to the Web platform and will continue to experiment with the user experience across connected devices. We will build everything we do as a genuine open source project, focused on user experience first and build tools to enable the ecosystem to grow.”
“Firefox OS proved the flexibility of the Web, scaling from low-end smartphones all the way up to HD TVs. However, we weren’t able to offer the best user experience possible and so we will stop offering Firefox OS smartphones through carrier channels.”
Mozilla unveiled Firefox OS in 2013, with the company focusing on Web apps and low-cost handsets aimed at developing countries. However, the platform didn’t really take off in any big way, and it’s no great surprise to see it euthanized.
Still, despite Firefox OS smartphones being no more, Mozilla is keen to experiment with the Internet of Things and other connected devices.
The press probably finally did nail #SatoshiNakamoto, but it's less a scoop than an indictment of their stupidity in the first place.
— Chris Taylor (@chrisvtaylor) December 9, 2015
Bitcoin was created by someone calling themselves Satoshi Nakamoto. The only problem being that no one actually knows who Satoshi Nakamoto is or was. It’s clearly a pseudonym, which is what made Newsweek’s outing of Satoshi Nakamato in 2014 so ridiculous. However, a new candidate has been found, and he’s an Australian entrepreneur called Craig Steven Wright.
Wired claims to have strong evidence that Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto, but is still erring on the side of caution by inserting a “probably” in the article unmasking him. The publication claims to have a “massive trove of evidence”, concluding, “Either Wright invented bitcoin, or he’s a brilliant hoaxer who very badly wants us to believe he did.”
Gizmodo has also conducted a month-long investigation into Craig Steven Wright after receiving “a series of anonymous tip emails” revealing the truth. For anyone either involved in Bitcoin or merely interested in cryptocurrencies, both articles are well worth reading. Unfortunately, until Wright admits or denies he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the truth remains elusive.
Apple has launched the Smart Battery Case, an official battery case for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. This is a good thing in just one regard: it extends the short battery life of the latest iPhones that exists as a result of Apple wanting to make its products thinner. However, in every other way you can think of, this product is dumber than a box of rocks.
Firstly, it’s $99, which is a lot of money for a product which fixes the shortcomings of another, even more expensive product. It’s also fugly, with a hump on its back that suggests the whole Apple design team were on vacation when this was conceived. The 1,877mAH battery is also smaller than one would have hoped.
Apple has essentially short-changed iPhone users on battery life for ideological reasons, and then offered a solution in the form of an ugly cover costing $99. Please don’t fall for this nonsense by buying a Smart Battery Case. If you do, Apple will feel vindicated, while the likes of Samsung and HTC will copy the idea.
Donald Trump is unhinged. His "policy" proposals are not serious.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) December 7, 2015
Speaking of dumb things, Donald Trump has made the headlines for saying something stupid again. This time he suggested that all Muslims be stopped from entering the United States. An idea that has been condemned across the board. He also blamed the Internet for helping terrorists recruit people to their cause, saying:
“We’re losing a lot of people because of the Internet and we have to do something. We have to go see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what’s happening. We have to talk to them, maybe in certain areas closing that Internet up in some way. Somebody will say, ‘oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech.’ These are foolish people.”
There is so much wrong with this statement: 1. Thinking that freedom of speech is a secondary concern. 2. Thinking Bill Gates is the person you need to speak to about “closing that Internet up”. 3. Thinking that “closing the Internet up” to certain people is even possible. Have we missed anything?
And finally, I think it’s fair to say Instagram has devolved into a platform for vacuous people to post pictures of themselves and their food. Which is a real shame. Because selfies and food porn aren’t all that interesting, especially when everybody is doing the exact same thing.
This phenomenon has also led to what The Mystery Hour is calling Instagram Husbands. These are men whose whole existence is dedicated to helping their partners build a following on Instagram. They pretend to be happy, but they’re really not. Just look at his little face! [H/T Reddit]
How do you feel about the end of Firefox OS? Do you even care who created Bitcoin? Do you agree that the iPhone Battery Case is dumb? Is Donald Trump dumber than the iPhone Battery Case? Do you know any Instagram Husbands?
Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.
Image Credits: Mozilla in Europe via Flickr
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