The FBI complained last week that it had been unable to access the smartphone of the Texas church shooter, an echo of the San Bernardino shooting.
Yes, but: If, as has been reported, the phone is an iPhone, law enforcement may have missed its easiest, best opportunity to access the phone and avoid another fight over encryption.
As morbid as it sounds, authorities might have been able to unlock the phone using the dead shooter's finger had they moved quickly, assuming he had a recent iPhone with Touch ID enabled. (Touch ID times out and requires a passcode after 48 hours).
Cox Cable customers can now search and select Netflix titles directly from within its core cable service, following a similar move by larger rival Comcast.
Why it matters: It's a case of "if you can't beat 'em, join em." Cox says 70 percent of those with its high-end cable box already subscribe to Netflix. Making the experience of using the two services together could help with both loyalty and retention.
Eight months after Barnes & Noble announced it will close its three-story store in the D.C. suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, Amazon is opening a brick-and-mortar bookstore about a thousand feet up the street, reports Bethesda Magazine. It will be Amazon Books' 16th store in 10 states in the U.S., while Barnes & Noble has been closing across the country.
Why it matters: The apparent revolving door of the two retailers is one of the most direct examples yet of Amazon not only crushing brick-and-mortar retail, but moving in directly into a physical store, effectively right next door, and not just on-line, as competition. In a statement, Amazon said, "We are excited to be bringing Amazon Books to Bethesda Row in Bethesda, Maryland and we are currently hiring store managers and associates. Stay tuned for additional details down the road."
Missouri's attorney general is investigating Google for potential violations of the state's competition and consumer protection laws.
Why it matters: The United States has lagged behind Europe in pursuing antitrust cases against tech giants. It's not clear that that's going to change anytime soon in Washington, but state AGs could channel a rising skepticism of Big Tech's influence into their own investigations.
U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm rejected rival Broadcom's $103 billion bid to purchase the company Monday, stating that Broadcom's proposal "dramatically undervalues" Qualcomm and comes with "significant regulatory uncertainty." Meanwhile, Broadcom said it is still "fully committed" to the deal, stating that they continue to believe their offer represents the most attractive, value-enhancing alternative available to Qualcomm stockholders.
Why it matters: If completed, the sale would have been the largest pure technology merger of all time. It also would have created the world's third-largest chipmaker, behind Intel and Samsung.
At the surface level, Pixel Buds are Google's answer to Apple's AirPods. Both are wireless headphones designed to easily connect to each company's latest smartphones.
Despite those similarities, they are different products, pointing to each company's strengths.
Our take: Apple's AirPods are more elegant as well as smaller and more comfortable. However, Pixel Buds have some other appeals, most notably the ability to aid in real-time language translation.
ESPN is replacing its Publisher Story on Snapchat, which used to feature more magazine-like content, with a fast-paced SportsCenter show on Snapchat's featured content platform, Discover. The show launches today at 5 p.m. and will feature a new slate of anchors and content catering to a younger, mobile audience.
Why it matters: Snapchat''s high millennial reach gives ESPN a unique opportunity to reimagine its flagship show for the next generation of sports fans and gives Snapchat its first foray into daily live sports programming on Discover.
