Samsung’s Fridge-Based Dating App: Refrigerating
1. Eat, Match, Love
In a world where 1 in 3 marriages start online… and last longer, Tinder and Bumble are apparently not enough to find love. As part of a promotional plug for Samsung’s new smart refrigerator, the company is launching a dating app, Refrigerating. According to Samsung, Refrigerating is a service that matches people based on the contents inside their fridge. All you have to do is open the app and snap a picture of the inside of your fridge. Samsung recommends refraining from tidying up beforehand as “cheating and relationships don’t go well together.” Users can then swipe right or left based on the contents of someone else’s fridge. For those who don’t have the $4K appliance, you can still use the app by taking a picture directly from your camera. Still, think it’s a gimmick? Samsung even worked with a relationship expert when creating the app. “Food is really a part of our lifestyle these days, and there are so many nuances of diet — there are people who are gluten-free or vegan — and often [they’re] most understood by someone who also has that diet,” said Laurie Davis, an online dating coach and author of the book Love @ First Click. Hey, is your refrigerator running? Then you better go match with it.
(Source: The Hustle, CNET)
2. Amazon Reconsiders NY HQ Location
Last year, Amazon was debating on which location to place their new HQ. They finally decided on the Queens neighborhood outside of New York City and since then have received opposition for the decision. Initially announced as an “economic triumph” by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, the decision is now facing backlash from a few elected officials and advocacy groups. Over the last few weeks “the state Senate [even] nominated an outspoken Amazon critic to a state board where he could potentially veto the deal.” Amazon is potentially reconsidering the deal and looking for a few alternatives, such as the more welcoming Virginia and Tennessee states. Nonetheless, Amazon “hired a lobbying firm and a public relations firm in New York and recently advertised for a “senior community affairs manager” to focus on developing a positive partnership with local stakeholders, community groups and nonprofits.” Since the Queens location hasn’t been purchased yet and final approval for New York state isn’t due until 2020, Amazon could easily switch their promise of 25K new jobs to a different location. Unfortunately for the tech giant, New York’s $3B incentives package may be too good to be true.
(Source: The Washington Post, USA Today)
3. Apple’s Payout to a 14-Year-Old
Remember last month when a 14-year-old discovered a FaceTime bug in Apple’s software, enabling users to listen in and view their friends through their front cameras without them ever answering the call request? Well, turns out, Apple awards those (AKA bug bounty hunters) who discover and report security vulnerabilities in Apple’s iOS software. The not-so-bounty hunter, Grant Thompson, is a 14-year-old high schooler who initially discovered this FaceTime bug during a gaming night with friends. Apple reported to The Verge that “it’s compensating the Thompson family for discovering the vulnerability, and providing an additional gift to fund Grant Thompson’s tuition.” An exact amount isn’t given, however, in the past, Apple has offered up to $200K to security researchers. The bug was fixed last week through the latest iOS 12.1.4 update.
(Source: The Hustle, The Verge)
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