Kif Leswing

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has issued a response to <a id="e7856fca-1725-3f69-a555-d74b0c1ccb81" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-documents-six4three-case-published-british-parliament-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> a large cache of sensitive Facebook documents </a> published by the British Parliament on Wednesday.

In the documents, which include internal presentations, emails, and sensitive strategy memos, Facebook leaders are seen discussing whether Facebook should charge other companies for access to its developer platform, which allowed apps to access Facebook friends, likes, and other data.

Many of the documents are from 2012 and earlier, and Facebook ended up deciding not to charge third-party developers, but the Parliament documents are among the first first public evidence that the social networking giant considered selling access to its trove of user data.

In a lengthy, confrontational post on Facebook, Zuckerberg said that many of the discussions were prompted by Apple's tight restrictions on what third-party apps can do on iPhones and iPads.

"Back when the main way people used Facebook was on computers, we supported the platform by showing ads next to developers' apps on our website," Zuckerberg wrote. "But on mobile, Apple's policies prevent us from letting apps run within Facebook and apps take the whole screen anyway, so we needed a new model to support this platform to let people log in and connect with other apps."

"Like any organization, we had a lot of internal discussion and people raised different ideas," he continued.

Of course, Apple's iPhone is only one of two major options for smartphone users. Many more people use Android, which doesn't restrict app developers as sharply as Apple's iOS does.

The documents revealed by Parliament suggest that Facebook took advantage of relatively lax security features on Android to obtain call log data from users to "improve things like [People You May Know], coefficient calculation, and feed ranking."

The British Parliament published the documents as part of an inquiry into the Cambridge Analytica scandal after seizing them from an entrepreneur who had received the internal Facebook trove as part of a lawsuit against the social networking giant.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Zuckerberg have been feuding over data and user privacy for years, despite the fact that the two tech giants are Silicon Valley neighbors with many of the same users. Last month, Facebook <a id="20bdce92-6b21-3f44-a41a-42a5b7f0106b" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-tim-cook-apple-conflict-2018-11?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=topbar&amp;utm_term=desktop&amp;referrer=twitter?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> confirmed </a> the conflict in a official company statement.

The full text of Zuckerberg's post is reproduced below:

This week a British Parliament committee published some internal Facebook emails, which mostly include internal discussions leading up to changes we made to our developer platform to shut down abusive apps in 2014-2015. Since these emails were only part of our discussions, I want to share some more context around the decisions we made.

We launched the Facebook Platform in 2007 with the idea that more apps should be social. For example, your calendar should show your friends' birthdays and your address book should have your friends' photos. Many new companies and great experiences were built on this platform, but at the same time, some developers built shady apps that abused people's data. In 2014, to prevent abusive apps, we announced that we were changing the entire platform to dramatically limit the data apps could access.

This change meant that a lot of sketchy apps -- like the quiz app that sold data to Cambridge Analytica -- could no longer operate on our platform. Some of the developers whose sketchy apps were kicked off our platform sued us to reverse the change and give them more access to people's data. We're confident this change was the right thing to do and that we'll win these lawsuits.

At the same time as we were focusing on preventing abusive apps, we also faced another issue with our platform -- making it economically sustainable as we transitioned from desktop to mobile. Running a development platform is expensive and we need to support it. Back when the main way people used Facebook was on computers, we supported the platform by showing ads next to developers' apps on our website. But on mobile, Apple's policies prevent us from letting apps run within Facebook and apps take the whole screen anyway, so we needed a new model to support this platform to let people log in and connect with other apps.

Like any organization, we had a lot of internal discussion and people raised different ideas. Ultimately, we decided on a model where we continued to provide the developer platform for free and developers could choose to buy ads if they wanted. This model has worked well. Other ideas we considered but decided against included charging developers for usage of our platform, similar to how developers pay to use Amazon AWS or Google Cloud. To be clear, that's different from selling people's data. We've never sold anyone's data.

Of course, we don't let everyone develop on our platform. I mentioned above that we blocked a lot of sketchy apps. We also didn't allow developers to use our platform to replicate our functionality or grow their services virally in a way that creates little value for people on Facebook. We restricted a number of these apps, and for others we asked developers to provide easy ways for people to share their content outside of their apps and to Facebook if they wanted.

We've focused on preventing abusive apps for years, and that was the main purpose of this major platform change starting in 2014. In fact, this was the change required to prevent the situation with Cambridge Analytica. While we made this change several years ago, if we had only done it a year sooner we could have prevented that situation completely.

I understand there is a lot of scrutiny on how we run our systems. That's healthy given the vast number of people who use our services around the world, and it is right that we are constantly asked to explain what we do. But it's also important that the coverage of what we do -- including the explanation of these internal documents -- doesn't misrepresent our actions or motives. This was an important change to protect our community, and it achieved its goal.

<ul><li> You can read the full Parliament documents <a itemtype="link" id="97c35318-8f42-33da-adac-c3db42ba6a00" itemscope="itemscope"> <meta content="https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/culture-media-and-sport/Note-by-Chair-and-selected-documents-ordered-from-Six4Three.pdf" itemprop="url"/> here </a> . </li><li> Read more about the leaked Facebook documents: </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-documents-mark-zuckerberg-oversaw-competitor-data-access-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Facebook documents show Mark Zuckerberg presided over a list of competitors and restricted their access to data</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-whats-good-for-world-not-necessarily-facebook-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Internal emails show Mark Zuckerberg saying what's good for the world is not necessarily what's good for Facebook</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-documents-mark-zuckerberg-restricted-vine-data-access-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Emails show Mark Zuckerberg personally approved Facebook's decision to cut off Vine's access to data</a> </li></ul>

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Facebook considered charging companies for access to user data — now Mark Zuckerberg says it was because of Apple's restrictions on iPhone apps (AAPL, FB)

There are several ways to save Instagram photos you might want to refer to later. But if you want to download a full-resolution JPG version, and it's not your account, it gets a lot trickier.

Of course, this is by design — you didn't take the photo, so you probably don't have the copyright. Plus, Facebook, Instagram's parent company, would rather you save photos you like to its "Collections" feature.

There are several websites that allow you to download Instagram photos, but they're all unauthorized, and many have sketchy ads. Plus, they may potentially have malware and other shady tricks.

You can also take a screenshot of the Instagram post, but that results in a lower-resolution file.

So, you can take it into your own hands, and figure out how to download full-resolution Instagram photos — for example, earlier this week I wanted a photo of my cat that I uploaded years ago to a novelty account (I had since lost the original image).

Here's how you download Instagram photos in Google Chrome.

<h1> Start by finding the photo you want to save. Youll need the web link, which is accessible from the button on the upper right corner of the photo. </h1>

On the desktop version of Instagram, that menu button is on the bottom right.

<h1> Now, the URL for the photo is on your clipboard. In Chrome on a desktop computer, navigate to that URL. </h1>

<h1> Youre going to need to look at the HTML source file for the Instagram page — dont worry, its not that hard. </h1>

On Chrome, you'll find it in View &amp;gt; Developer &amp;gt; View Source . (Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari also allow you to view source.)

The text on this page is HTML, which tells the browser how to arrange the elements on the webpage for a viewer. It's not computer code, it's what's called "markup," or formatting, basically. It's not hard to learn to read HTML — <a id="d4328b01-f17f-3e04-acc0-83c31db025b1" href="https://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide/"> here's a good place to start </a> .

<h1> But you dont need to read HTML to download the Instagram photo — you just have to find the URL for the JPG that youre trying to download. </h1>

Use Control+F or Command+F and search for "JPG." It's usually the first link. Copy the link starting with "https."

<h1> Paste the link in a new tab. There you have it — the JPG of the photo you wanted! </h1>

You can save or download the photo from here by right-clicking on the image and selecting "Save Image As...". (The picture of my cat is a bit small, because it was uploaded years ago. Recent photos are often much larger.)

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There's an easy trick for downloading photos from Instagram — here's how to do it (FB)

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Apple's stock just went into the red for the year (AAPL)

Last year, <a id="3bdb1121-da23-340a-a705-fbb0225b2a12" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-buys-beddit-sleep-tracker-2017-5?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Apple bought Beddit </a> , a small startup that made a device that lies on your mattress and tracks how much sleep you get per night.

Now, nearly 18 months later, Apple has released a new version of the Beddit with a few minor hardware improvements, once again underscoring that the iPhone giant wants to break into health tracking.

The new accessory is called the Beddit Sleep Monitor 3.5, and <a id="74e47bd5-4338-3acf-a69b-da521481ec81" href="https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUFM2LL/A/beddit-sleep-monitor?fnode=295f0a60a6a651b39352bc9044f8aab1a499c2d894a600027e0317de685d6ef42864f4c9ba90f9a136dc296dbfe459e415ce04ba926385d6c40175f54fcd5f40ee62c87814c21afd08c7e501d8a97597a2c8f033a6a4954758fd6739be44bd46#apollo"> it costs $150 from Apple </a> . The last version that Beddit sold as an independent company was version 3.0.

From the <a id="85e5473b-1664-3acd-ad97-2763c804434e" href="https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUFM2LL/A/beddit-sleep-monitor?fnode=295f0a60a6a651b39352bc9044f8aab1a499c2d894a600027e0317de685d6ef42864f4c9ba90f9a136dc296dbfe459e415ce04ba926385d6c40175f54fcd5f40ee62c87814c21afd08c7e501d8a97597a2c8f033a6a4954758fd6739be44bd46#apollo"> product page </a> :

"Beddit Sleep Monitor automatically tracks your sleep and works with the Beddit app on your iPhone to help measure, manage, and improve your sleep. The sensor strip is extremely thin, flat, and soft — at 2 mm thin, you won’t even notice it’s there. With automatic and accurate tracking, you get a full picture of your night by measuring sleep time, heart rate, breathing, snoring, and bedroom temperature and humidity. And when you set daily bedtime and sleep time goals, Beddit motivates you to achieve them with tip notifications like morning results, bedtime reminders, and weekly reports."

The new version will retain the Beddit brand, rather than sport the Apple logo. But there are some signs that it's a full Apple accessory. An FCC filing from Apple <a id="7e905ca6-534f-3767-a011-34af5c17bc36" href="https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-may-be-working-on-a-new-beddit-sleep-monitor-fcc-filngs-reveal/"> revealed earlier this week </a> that the product is labeled "Designed by Beddit in California, Assembled in China," an adaptation of the phrase that Apple prints on most of its products.

Beddit fits well into Apple's new focus on health and wellness tracking. Apple's main product to break into health is the Apple Watch, which recently <a id="2a6b1be5-be6f-320c-a602-b7327f5e13b8" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-heart-monitor-ecg-app-watchos-512-update-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> got heart monitoring features </a> , but that device requires nightly charging, making it poorly-suited for sleep tracking.

But Beddit doesn't require charging. It's a thin strip that you place on your mattress and power through USB. It connects to a <a id="2efc2661-9049-3cfb-abda-bbd51f1d5a8e" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beddit-for-model-3-5/id1411596157?mt=8"> iPhone app </a> and Apple's health software so that you can check how much sleep you got, and how well you slept. The latest version isn't compatible with Android phones, though — you need an iPhone running the latest version of iOS.

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SEE ALSO: Apple's highly anticipated heart monitoring feature is finally available for the Apple Watch

Apple just released a new product that goes under your sheets and tracks your sleep — and it reveals a major strategy for the iPhone giant (AAPL)

Starting on Thursday, the latest Apple Watch models will be able to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) reading, a kind of heart-rate reading that doctors can use to diagnose heart conditions.

To activate the feature, you need the Apple Watch Series 4 and the latest version of WatchOS, which will be available for download on Thursday.

Apple made it easy to access the feature: turn on the app, hold your finger on the device's crown for 30 seconds, and it will provide a heart rhythm reading that you can use to figure out whether you need to contact your doctor to get your heart checked out. It saves the reading in a PDF file that you can send to your doctor.

Read more: <a id="431deff4-a6f2-3ba4-a96c-9ca8dd31f755" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-series-4-review-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> The new Apple Watch Series 4 isn't for everyone — but if you're looking for an Apple Watch, it's the one to get </a>

Apple also announced another heart health feature for Apple Watch: Now, it can notify you if your heart rate may be irregular, a condition known as atrial fibrillation (AFib).

The AFib feature doesn't require the latest Apple Watch, and it checks your heart rate every few hours. When there are a series of readings that are out of whack, it will give you a notification.

It's important to note that neither of these new features can replace a doctor — they can simply encourage you to go visit or get in touch with your physician.

Both features are "cleared" by the Food and Drug Administration, but haven't been approved by overseas bodies, so the features are only available for the United States at the moment.

From Apple's <a id="509c37c1-38f7-335d-a024-49c669f0ecbf" href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/12/ecg-app-and-irregular-heart-rhythm-notification-available-today-on-apple-watch/"> announcement </a> :

"Starting today, the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 marks the first direct-to-consumer product that enables customers to take an electrocardiogram right from their wrist, capturing heart rhythm in a moment when they experience symptoms like a rapid or skipped heart beat and helping to provide critical data to physicians. The irregular rhythm notification feature on Apple Watch can now also occasionally check heart rhythms in the background and send a notification if an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be atrial fibrillation (AFib) is identified. Apple worked with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a number of years to receive De Novo classification for the ECG app and the irregular heart rhythm notification, making the features available over the counter."

Apple first announced these features <a id="a2227127-2a5d-3f17-a64e-5b126f309119" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-series-4-review-roundup-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> when it revealed </a> the Apple Watch Series 4 at a launch event in September.

Apple Watch Series 4 Heart Rate Notifications with iPhone Xs

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Apple's highly anticipated heart monitoring feature is finally available for the Apple Watch (AAPL)

Apple's wireless earbuds, AirPods, may soon be getting a few new rivals, according to a note from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Both Amazon and Google could soon be Apple's competitors in the wireless ear device market, Kuo predicted in a December 4 note seen by Business Insider.

"We believe that AirPods' success has drawn Google and Amazon's attention and these two companies will launch AirPod-alike products in [the second half of 2019]," Kuo wrote. "The combined shipments of two brands will likely reach 10–20 million units in [the second half of 2019.]"

"We think that Google and Amazon are Apple's main competitors because Google is the most influential brand in the Android ecosystem and Amazon has the best voice assistant service," he continued.

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Google currently makes a set of wireless earbuds, <a href="https://express.google.com/u/0/product/4056254045836826761_7944310796872968431_125181302?utm_source=google_shopping&amp;utm_medium=tu_cu&amp;utm_content=eid-lsjeuxoeqt&amp;gtim=CPG50p_EvNj4PRCCr6zq_aCdkM0BGPCBpUwiA1VTRCig-sbgBTD2utg7&amp;utm_campaign=125181302&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvvOy6OiI3wIVEp-fCh2fHgDtEAQYASABEgIsn_D_BwE" id="a3359de1-4f8a-3838-ad44-9f8b1e8c9434"> called Pixel Buds </a> . However, they have a wire connecting the two earpieces, unlike Apple's product.

Amazon makes a large number of speakers under its Echo brand, although its Alexa voice assistant hasn't yet been built into a pair of headphones designed by the ecommerce giant.

<h1> Apple's most popular accessory ever? </h1>

The note comes two days after TF International Securities <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-next-generation-airpods-will-launch-in-2019-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="a81a1748-bc0a-3295-a226-ed5433dc255f"> predicted </a> a new AirPods model will launch next year, and a redesigned version could be released in 2020. According to his model, Apple could sell more than 100 million pairs of AirPods in 2021.

Kuo is widely respected for predicting Apple products before they launch. In Tuesday's note, he says that AirPods will become "increasingly important in Apple's ecosystem," because they increase the reasons why a user might decide not to switch from iPhone to Android.

He also believes that since the ear is "a perfect sensing area for detecting various health data," Apple may decide to integrate the AirPods with health-focused Apple Watch features in the future.

Ultimately, Kuo believes that "more brand vendors are paying more attention to wireless earbud sales for near-term momentum improvements and long-term strategic movements while smartphone shipments are slowing."

TF International Securities notes are targeted at investors in Asian manufacturing companies, and this note has picked Goertek and Unitech as possible winners as Google and Amazon ramp up their AirPod competitors.

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Google and Amazon could be working on Apple AirPods competitors, according to a well-respected analyst (AAPL, GOOG, AMZN)

If you're looking for apps for your iPhone, Apple's year-end awards are a good place to start.

<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/12/apple-presents-the-best-of-2018/" id="16912f89-3ff3-3838-a2a1-b821d6fc70f4"> Apple revealed </a> its top apps of the year on Tuesday, including hand-picked suggestions for iPhone app of the year and iPhone game of the year.

Apple also revealed year-end charts for the most downloaded apps on iPhones and iPads. The most-downloaded app of 2018 was YouTube, an Google-owned app. In second place is Facebook's Instagram, and behind it is Snapchat.

Here are the top iPhone and iPad apps of the year:

<h1> Apple's iPhone app of the year is Procreate Pocket, a sketching and drawing app. </h1>

Check out <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/procreate-pocket/id916366645" id="438c04ed-b9d2-3f46-a52d-87ae594d0b4c"> Procreate Pocket </a> on the App Store.

<h1> Apple's iPhone game of the year is Donut County, a $5 puzzle came where you play as a raccoon. </h1>

Check out <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/donut-county/id1292099839" id="64ebd689-c650-31ce-acea-3d3d0e49e34c"> Donut County </a> on the App Store.

<h1> Apple's iPad app of the year is Froggipedia, a $4 augmented reality app for studying amphibians and frogs. </h1>

Check out <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/froggipedia/id1348306157?mt=8" id="7720de94-5602-30aa-a139-4f92310a494f"> Froggipedia </a> on the App Store.

<h1> Apple named Gorogoa, a $5 puzzle game featuring hand-drawn graphics, as its iPad game of the year. </h1>

Check out <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gorogoa/id1269225754" id="d769d2d9-9a15-3075-afc5-7c7b955c4392"> Gorogoa </a> in the App Store.

<ol><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/youtube-watch-listen-stream/id544007664?mt=8">YouTube</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8">Instagram</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snapchat/id447188370?mt=8">Snapchat</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/messenger/id454638411?mt=8">Facebook Messenger</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook/id284882215?mt=8">Facebook</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bitmoji/id868077558?mt=8">Bitmoji</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/netflix/id363590051?mt=8">Netflix</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps-transit-food/id585027354?mt=8">Google Maps</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gmail-email-by-google/id422689480?mt=8">Gmail</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spotify-music/id324684580?mt=8">Spotify</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amazon-shopping-made-easy/id297606951?mt=8">Amazon</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uber/id368677368?mt=8">Uber</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/whatsapp-messenger/id310633997?mt=8">WhatsApp</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pandora-streaming-music/id284035177?mt=8">Pandora</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wish-shopping-made-fun/id530621395?mt=8">Wish</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tiktok-real-short-videos/id835599320?mt=8">TikTok</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cash-app/id711923939?mt=8">Cash App</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-photos/id962194608?mt=8">Google Photos</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-chrome/id535886823?mt=8">Google Chrome</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitter/id333903271?mt=8">Twitter</a> </li></ol>

<h1> Here's the full list of most-downloaded games: </h1>

<ol><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fortnite/id1261357853?mt=8">Fortnite</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/helix-jump/id1345968745?mt=8">Helix Jump</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rise-up/id1354452189?mt=8">Rise Up</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pubg-mobile/id1330123889?mt=8">PUBG Mobile</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hole-io/id1389111413?mt=8">Hole.io</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/love-balls/id1348173937?mt=8">Love Balls</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snake-vs-block/id1233739175?mt=8">Snake Vs. Block</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rules-of-survival/id1307961750?mt=8">Rules of Survival</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roblox/id431946152?mt=8">Roblox</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dune/id1291851950?mt=8">Dune!</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/subway-surfers/id512939461?mt=8">Subway Surfers</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/episode-choose-your-story/id656971078?mt=8">Episode — Choose Your Story</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/word-link-word-puzzle-game/id1347684152?mt=8">Word Link</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toon-blast/id1176027022?mt=8">Toon Blast</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/color-road/id1342468799?mt=8">Color Road</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hq-trivia/id1232278996?mt=8">HQ Trivia</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twisty-road/id1315683948?mt=8">Twisty Road</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/8-ball-pool/id543186831?mt=8">8 Ball Pool</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kick-the-buddy/id1278869953?mt=8">Kick the Buddy</a> </li><li> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sniper-3d-assassin-gun-games/id930574573?mt=8">Sniper 3D Assassin: Gun Games</a> </li></ol>

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Here are the top iPhone apps and games of the year, according to Apple (AAPL)

One of the most anticipated next-generation features for smartphones is <a id="618bef75-0d1a-35b8-aa21-9509d9faae58" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/5g?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> "5G" wireless connectivity. </a>

Once the next-generation wireless networks become available, 5G service will blow away the LTE and 4G networks most phones currently work with, at least according to the carriers.

"5G mobility service will provide massive bandwidth, greater opportunities for connectivity and improved network reliability," <a id="92e56544-00aa-3bad-af6d-476a47ca8986" href="https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-and-samsung-release-5g-smartphone-us-first-half-2019"> Verizon said on Monday </a> in a press release. "When fully implemented, it will offer capacity and download speed many times faster than today’s 4G LTE network."

Sounds great! But at least one tech giant will sit out the rush to release a 5G phone next year: Apple.

Apple's not planning to release a 5G iPhone until 2020 or later, <a id="ceba597e-e71d-349b-a3ea-b3482a02f152" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-03/apple-is-said-to-miss-rapid-5g-takeoff-sitting-out-tech-shift"> Bloomberg reported on Monday </a> , citing sources familiar with the plans.

"As with 3G and 4G, the two previous generations of mobile technology, Apple will wait as long as a year after the initial deployment of the new networks before its main product gets the capability to access them, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing the company’s plans," Bloomberg <a id="e2985356-5123-31c7-a6dd-2b64a223f21e" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-03/apple-is-said-to-miss-rapid-5g-takeoff-sitting-out-tech-shift"> reported </a> .

This comes as <a id="6c8c1ba4-a304-3d18-a24a-a16c52e1253b" href="https://twitter.com/kifleswing/status/1062708875814727680"> Wall Street analysts have started saying </a> that 5G is the most likely feature that could spur a big cycle of iPhone upgrades for Apple.

But if you look at the current state of 5G, it's obvious why Apple is sitting this round out: The technology simply isn't ready for it.

The chunky phone above is <a id="62cf7c03-56d6-3136-a5f2-ce4a8f59e9f4" href="https://www.androidcentral.com/5g-moto-mod"> the Motorola Z3 </a> , which was launched to much fanfare in August, claiming the title of "first 5G phone."

But as you can see from the photos, the first-ever "5G" phone is a little chunky. Once the 5G modem attachment is affixed to the Android phone, it becomes distinctly clunky and large. Part of the attachment is a battery, but that underscores only how experimental and power-hungry these new 5G electronics can be.

And although the device was revealed in August, it was only a prototype, according to people who got to try the device, and journalists weren't allowed to photograph the working device. The 5G mod isn't ready yet — it will go on sale in "early 2019," when Verizon launches its 5G network in Los Angeles, Houston, Indianapolis, and Sacramento.

Plus, if you don't live in those specific areas, you won't be able to use 5G connectivity.

Even a Motorola representative seemed skeptical that 5G will be built into phones anytime soon.

"If we did put [5G] in the cellphone, it wouldn't be early 2019, it would be much later," a Motorola <a id="880f0b1a-18e6-3b93-a9e3-fe9f50e859fd" href="https://www.cnet.com/news/why-the-moto-z3-has-a-5g-mod-instead-of-5g-inside/"> director told CNET </a> . "The four-antenna modules use up a lot of space ... and if you put them all in the phone, you'd wind up with a thicker phone with a much smaller screen."

Apple doesn't make chunky phones — think of the company's obsession with thinness and weight — and it builds devices for a global audience. It simply wouldn't make sense for Apple to launch a 5G iPhone if it could only work in a few cities in the United States and other developed nations, like South Korea.

It's really hard to imagine Apple ever releasing a phone that looks like the Moto Z3 with 5G.

Even Verizon is calling 5G developments scheduled for next year a " <a id="f13cd6e6-7cbd-3581-a9b6-3c60587f121f" href="https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-and-samsung-release-5g-smartphone-us-first-half-2019"> proof of concept </a> " in an announcement on Monday — and it's the company building the network.

<h1> A different kind of cellular connection </h1>

It's been working on the technology, Business Insider has previously reported. In 2017, <a id="7de096b4-55be-3641-aa0c-40d6feb7064e" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-testing-5g-millimeter-wave-wireless-iphone-fcc-filing-2017-5?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Apple received approval </a> to test "millimeter wave" connectivity, one of the key technologies underpinning 5G. Earlier this year, it deleted a job listing for a "millimeter-wave IC design engineer," strongly suggesting that it planned to develop its own 5G chips.

Apple has also received permission to conduct new radio-frequency tests inside " <a id="4ed5ec95-7b1d-3db3-afa9-f62164f12291" href="https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-17-362A1.pdf"> innovation zones </a> " at both its Apple Park headquarters and 1 Infinite Loop campus. Apple has also joined an industry group for 5G technology.

But it's still unclear whether 5G technology is something that will ultimately end up in a phone, or whether the tech will instead exist as a wireless industry infrastructure or a "last mile" connection to homes or offices.

As Business Insider previously reported, 5G may end up being a "middle mile" technology that connects "small cells" to the broader network, which then connects to a phone over a standard like Wi-Fi. That means your first 5G device might not be a phone — it might be a router, instead.

However, there are drawbacks to millimeter-wave technology on a handset, as well. One issue is a "propagation" problem, which means that its waves can't travel very far before they start losing information. Another problem with millimeter waves is the technology often requires a clear line-of-sight between the device and the transmitter — so a 5G phone might lose signal when you go behind a wall.

Apple's experiments may end up being more closely related to it severing relationships with Qualcomm and Intel, which make wireless modem chips and are expected to make their own 5G chips.

<a id="8d653d98-a5d8-338f-a71c-9865b01ddd22" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-5g-wireless-2017-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Experts have said </a> millimeter wave is only one technology that will make up the 5G standard, which is still being finalized. The biggest advantage to millimeter wave is that it can achieve very high data rates, with much more bandwidth than current cellular networks.

There's a huge push from carriers, chipmakers, and others to commercialize 5G soon, though. "I'll call it the classic 'More G.' In cellular, you're going to have more capacity, more data rates, lower latency. From an operator's point of view, it really helps them grow the capability and the network," Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf <a id="d32ea4c5-cf9a-3e56-a97e-b7caacb0a90e" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/qualcomm-ceo-steve-mollenkopf-interview-2017-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> told </a> Business Insider in 2017.

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One photo shows why Apple is smart to not release a 5G iPhone anytime soon (AAPL, VZ)

Apple's App Store is often called a "walled garden." Apple has a team of reviewers that inspect every submission and update for over 2 million iPhone and iPad apps.

But apparently, there are some snakes that have made their way into the walled garden — and they're stealing money from iPhone users, sometimes as much as $120, in the form of in-app purchases.

Two examples popped up over the weekend that use the iPhone's fingerprint scanner to trick the user into purchases they didn't intend to make.

One app, <a id="084da756-e78b-31b3-ae98-b83ac8071f85" href="https://9to5mac.com/2018/11/30/app-store-heart-rate-scam/"> highlighted by 9to5Mac </a> , an Apple blog, told users that it would read your heart rate through your fingerprint. All the user had to do was hold their fingerprint on the Touch ID scanner — which, coincidentally, is how you approve an in-app purchase.

Then the app developer would take a large amount of money from your credit card. (Obviously, iPhones can not take heart-rate readings through the fingerprint scanner.)

Check out this very similar example from an app called Fitness Balance, <a id="b73c53fd-0310-3f0b-a9d8-969e2531bb91" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/comments/a1h3xf/this_app_tricks_you_into_asking_for_the/"> shared on Reddit </a> :

Apple didn't respond to a request for comment on how consumers can protect themselves from these scams and whether users are eligible for a refund, but the Apple Support account said on Twitter: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This has been forwarded to the appropriate team for further review."

The apps discussed on Reddit and in 9to5Mac have been removed from the App Store.

Scams on the App Store seem to be rising as the store becomes larger and revenue from apps becomes more central to Apple's business strategy. Apple recently said it would <a id="e8e0bf27-f513-3fe4-a632-7beda25b198e" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-will-no-longer-report-iphone-sales-unit-numbers-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> stop revealing iPhone unit sales </a> , instead preferring to focus investor attention on its online services business, of which the fees collected by the App Store are one of the largest components.

In fact, Apple is <a id="392b1513-9a51-3cd1-ad36-97bebb1811ab" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-secret-meeting-developers-new-york-subscriptions-app-store-2018-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> actively encouraging </a> its developers to adopt a subscription model for their apps, enabling Apple to collect regular recurring revenue from users.

But as this happens, many indie developers are raising issues with what seems like Apple's arbitrary approach to App Store approvals. Many creative and high-quality app developers complain that their apps are delayed or removed over what appears to be ticky-tacky violations of the App Store guidelines, while scam apps often appear on the store's top-grossing charts.

"I’ve been pestering Apple for years publicly and privately about the manipulation and outright scams going on in the App Store. Apple has made some progress here and there, but overall Apple’s strictness in some areas and hands-off approach in others has disproportionately rewarded bad actors while stifling conscientious developers," <a id="7f026c6e-c2f4-3488-aadc-c90682f09bfa" href="https://contrast.co/apps/"> developer David Barnard </a> recently wrote <a id="db5cbc7d-9ebe-39af-aeab-9ba4bda90a91" href="http://davidbarnard.com/post/180568817995/how-to-game-the-app-store"> in a post widely shared in the Apple developer community </a> .

Apple's control over the App Store may also <a id="641d98cc-79f4-3661-a92a-b240d5cf1368" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-v-pepper-supreme-court-case-to-determine-legality-of-app-store-fees-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> raise legal issues </a> , such as the pricing challenge that the Supreme Court heard arguments about earlier this year.

Still, Apple sees its human-curated and monitored App Store as a key differentiator from competitors like Google and Amazon, which largely use a more algorithmic approach to policing content on their platforms.

According to <a id="ab25e90b-cf69-35e3-aaef-7996bcdaeeb8" href="https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/tim-cook-slams-facebook-s-zuckerberg-i-wouldn-t-be-in-this-situation-1197130819683"> Apple CEO Tim Cook </a> , human review on the App Store helps with "improving and raising the bar," and helps protect user privacy from apps that might steal data from users. “What you sell in that store says something about you, and if you don’t want to sell that other thing, you don’t sell it,” Cook said.

"We’re looking at every app in detail. What is it doing, is it doing what it’s saying it’s doing, is it meeting the privacy policy that they’re stating, right?" he continued.

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A piece of computer history is <a id="3431b45d-06e6-3dd2-a2f7-404bc06363ca" href="https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24898/lot/631/"> up for auction </a> .

<a id="05469bfc-927e-3f21-a23f-62a113f14b34" href="https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24898/lot/631/"> Bonhams is currently auctioning </a> a yellowed spec sheet and two Polaroids from the late '70s for as much as $60,000.

The reason why these old papers could sell for such a rich sum? The spec sheet is handwritten by Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, and it advertised one of Apple's first computers for $75.

"A real deal," according to the spec sheet. (Working Apple-1 computers now sell for <a id="19dfe3cf-5d64-3435-a66c-09c8b60fbb9d" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-1-computer-auction-price-250000-2016-8?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> as much as $270,000. </a> )

The papers were apparently given to a "longtime friend" of Jobs in 1976, the year before Apple released the Apple II, the computer that propelled it to become a major force in the electronics industry.

"With the first 50 boards sold to the Byte Shop, Steve Jobs continued the momentum by marketing bare Apple-1 printed circuit boards (PCBs) to friends and acquaintances. The present manuscript is essentially a specification sheet for the computer and was given to the consignor during a visit to Jobs' garage. Jobs refers to the computer as "Apple Computer-1" and states that it uses either the 6800, 6501 or 6502 microprocessor, but that the 6501 or 6502 was "recommended because we have basic." He touts the "full crt terminal" the "58 ic's which includes 16 for 8K ram!!" Curiously, Jobs states "basic on the way (ROM)," which never materialized for the Apple-1, but did the following year for the Apple II. Jobs quotes the price of $75 for the board and manual, "a real deal" and lists his mailing address and phone number at the bottom."

"The manuscript is accompanied by two Polaroid photographs. The first shows an Apple-1 on a wooden table with a keyboard, monitor and power supply partially visible in the right edge. It looks very much like the "Production Prototype," number 2 in Mike Willegal's Apple-1 Registry, with its orange capacitors, white ceramic MOS MCS 6502 and with a similar power supply setup. The other Polaroid shows the Apple-1 screen with "Apple Computer Co. at the bottom and Jobs' address and phone number for contact. Jobs has written on the lower margin "40x24 OR 26 lines / fuzzy because camera wiggled."

Last year, a job application by Jobs from 1973 <a id="5938ad66-5c35-3a58-adc1-edabfb472763" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-job-application-3-years-before-apple-auction-2018-3?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> sold for $174,000 </a> .

Check out that piece of computer history below:

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A handwritten note by Steve Jobs about how the first Apple computer was 'a real deal' at $75 has been unearthed (AAPL)

<a id="0ec034b3-0230-3735-accb-895c143d4cca" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/black-friday-2018?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Black Friday </a> isn't just for doorbusters and deals — a lot of people download apps, too.

That's according to a new analysis from Sensor Tower, an app analytics firm, which found that US consumers set a new single-day revenue record for the App Store, the software distribution platform for iPhones and iPads.

Apple grossed $52 million that day — of which about 70% go to the app makers, and 30% goes to Apple.

That's nearly 32% over last year's Black Friday, and even tops last year's Christmas sales.

From <a id="9074a9f8-d9e2-3cd9-ae5d-fc69209bbf18" href="https://sensortower.com/blog/app-store-revenue-black-friday-2018"> the analysis </a> :

U.S. consumers spent an estimated $52 million on Apple’s App Store this Black Friday, setting a new single-day revenue record for the store. This marked an increase in spending of 31.6 percent over last year’s Black Friday, when gross revenue on the store hit an estimated $39.5 million, and 31 percent more than Christmas 2017’s $39.8 million spent, Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data shows.

What drove the sales? According to Sensor Tower, a lot of it was games. Many games offered discounts on in-app purchases and other bundles, which drew players in.

But other app categories saw big gains, too, including Food &amp; Drink and Sports, according to Sensor Tower.

Apple doesn't disclose App Store sales, even though it is believed to be the biggest chunk of its online <a id="a965d290-de6a-3244-aedb-2076568f2eae" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nomuras-jeffrey-kvaal-is-skeptical-of-apples-services-business-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> services business </a> , which analysts and investors hope can keep Apple revenue and profits high as the company seems to be facing slowing <a id="ac53b557-6f86-3e1e-add3-3e22c94a0cd1" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-apple-stock-is-having-its-worst-month-since-2008-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> or shrinking iPhone and hardware sales </a> .

However, in early January, Apple traditionally releases <a id="f4c8d052-09d1-3442-a16b-107fb180bda3" href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/01/app-store-kicks-off-2018-with-record-breaking-holiday-season/"> a number of data points related to its App Store business </a> . Last year, Apple said that users worldwide had made $300 million in purchases on New Year's Day in 2018, for example, and that iOS developers had earned $86 billion since the App Store launched in 2008.

Now tell us about your holiday shopping!

NOW WATCH: <a id="661aba6f-36a5-3ea4-a1a0-4a2f1273b923" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zero1-morphing-football-helmet-nfl-uses-super-bowl-ncaa-2018-2?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> The NFL is using this football helmet that morphs on impact to reduce head injuries </a>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apple-backing-ap-computer-science-principles-improve-diversity-tech-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Facebook and Apple are backing a new course that gives kids college credit for learning to code — and it's the fastest-growing AP course ever</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wedbush-daniel-ives-bullish-on-apple-services-business-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Investors focused on Apple's disappointing iPhone sales are missing the company's hidden goldmine</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-xs-xr-trade-in-promotion-money-deals-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Apple wants more iPhone owners to upgrade to the XR and XS — and it just unveiled a new promotion in time for the holidays</a> </li></ul>

SEE ALSO: 'Alexa, play Despacito on Apple Music': Apple's streaming service finally fully works with the Amazon Echo

Black Friday is not just about physical sales — Apple's App Store may have set a single-day US record (AAPL)

On Tuesday, preorders opened for a Big Mouth Billy Bass that connects to Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa.

Once the plastic fish is hooked up to an Amazon Echo, it can respond to Alexa voice commands, dance to the beat of songs from Amazon Music, and it even syncs its fishy lips with Alexa's words.

Because it supports Alexa commands, you can ask the fish about the weather, news, or random facts.It's officially an "Alexa gadget," an Amazon certification.

It costs $40 on — where else — <a id="829c0833-67ec-3c27-a7e4-f8937d643067" href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Mouth-Billy-Bass-Compatible/dp/B07657LKNZ/ref=pd_sbs_21_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=B07657LKNZ&amp;pd_rd_r=3ff84188-f25b-11e8-8e2e-49ff07944d9e&amp;pd_rd_w=4zCVw&amp;pd_rd_wg=iXPH6&amp;pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_p=7d5d9c3c-5e01-44ac-97fd-261afd40b865&amp;pf_rd_r=SJF7EYYSEJ75N28P62W9&amp;pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&amp;pf_rd_t=40701&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=SJF7EYYSEJ75N28P62W9"> Amazon.com </a> .

"This is not your father's Big Mouth Billy Bass," said Steven Harris, vice president of product development at Gemmy Industries, which is the Big Mouth Billy Bass parent company, in a statement.

The original Big Mouth Billy Bass was first sold in 1999 and plays short songs like "Don't Worry, Be Happy." It's been a kitschy favorite in dens and recreation rooms ever since. This version has the original "Fishin' Time" song built in, too.

Amazon announced the Alexa-compatible Big Mouth Billy Bass <a id="359acd65-3a11-37ef-ae05-da13782d550f" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-alexa-billy-big-mouth-bass-2017-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> last year </a> .

NOW WATCH: <a id="51b63b14-dfdb-3951-a27d-e5fd00981ee7" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-alexa-dominating-smart-home-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> All the ways Amazon is taking over your house </a>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-echo-spot-review-2018-2?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">The Echo Spot is one of Amazon's most innovative Alexa devices — and it's on sale for $90 for Black Friday</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fire-tv-cube-review-pros-cons-apple-tv-2018-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Amazon's ambitious Fire TV Cube is on sale for $60 for Black Friday — here's what it's like to use</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-echo-dots-black-friday-deals-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Now is the best time to buy the latest version of Amazon's best-selling smart speaker, the Echo Dot</a> </li></ul>

SEE ALSO: Big Mouth Billy Bass will dance to music from an Amazon Echo

jeff bezos big mouth billy bass bigger canvas

You can now buy a Big Mouth Billy Bass that works with Amazon Alexa — the fish's lips will even sync up with what Alexa is saying (AMZN)

It's official — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-hq2-new-headquarters-will-be-in-queens-and-crystal-city-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="72a26d3d-e1fd-3ead-aa6d-c69bd533a430"> Amazon is moving into Northern Virginia. </a>

It already had a lot of offices and data centers in the region, but the ecommerce giant chose Arlington's Crystal City neighborhood (along with Queens, New York) as one of two locations for its "HQ2" expansion.

Crystal City isn't one of Arlington County's most trafficked areas. It's a sleepy, mostly office-and-hotel neighborhood, separated from the more residential and livable parts of the area by a giant, eight-lane highway.