Modern Dad on Android 9.0 Pie, Pixels and more!
An update on what’s in my pocket.
There’s something about using a Google Pixel phone that almost feels lazy at this point. Is it the sexiest piece of hardware you can buy? Nope. But it’s predictable. It’s dependable. It’s the kind of phone you want if you don’t want to worry as much about your phone.
And that’s where I’m at these days. I want a phone that works, and I want a phone that works well. The Pixel 2 XL still very much fits that bill. And with Android 9.0 Pie it’s been that much better. It’s as fast now (faster, probably) than when it was released almost a year ago. Its camera is still easily among the top you can buy. And the marriage between OS and apps remains better than any other.
That’s not to say I don’t want to see improvement in the Pixel 3 — as far as hardware goes, it’s tough to beat … that other phone. But in the end, the software experience is more important.
And that always brings me back to Android.
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Here’s your last chance to pre-order Madden NFL ’19 on PlayStation and save 20%
Are you ready for some football?
The last few months have felt cold and empty. A darkness has descended upon my life. I have wallowed in despair and self-pity. And all because football was in its offseason. Well, the Hall of Fame game is over and the pre-season has officially started. With that comes a new edition of Madden, too! Madden NFL ’19 releases August 10, this Friday. You can use your Amazon Prime discount to get the game brand new for $47.99 on PlayStation or Xbox as long as you order before the release date. The discount is deducted automatically for Prime members during checkout.
All I care about when it comes to football is that Andrew Luck is healthy so my Indianapolis Colts can stop being bottom feeders, and he’s going to be playing in his first game in about two years this Thursday. Of course, that’s not quite good enough so I’ll also be spending my weekend winning the Super Bowl with him in Madden. You should grab your copy so you can play with your favorite players, too.
If you aren’t an Amazon Prime member, you won’t be able to get this discount, which works on just about every major video game release. Sign up for a free trial and you can at least take advantage of this discount.
See on Amazon
The best home weather stations you can buy
Home weather stations are one of those gadgets that you didn’t know you need until you own one. While they have only recently become popular, these devices have been around forever — at least one company has been producing personal weather stations for the better part of three decades, and that’s Davis Instruments.
Things have changed. Within the last several years, new companies have sprung up and brought the cost of ownership down to a level the average consumer, as well as the weather enthusiast, can afford. But much like the best weather apps for Android and iOS, not all weather stations are created equal, and accuracy is key.
We’ve recently had the opportunity to test many weather stations and find the best of the best. Let’s find out which station could potentially become your own personal weatherman.
At a glance
Product
Category
Ambient Weather WS-2902 Osprey
Best weather station overall
Davis Vantage Vue
Best weather station for accuracy
My Acurite Weather Station
Best weather station for expandability
Bloomsky Sky2 + Storm
Best weather station for sky watchers
Acurite 00589 3-in-1 Weather Station
Best weather station for the budget conscious
Ambient Weather WS-2902 Osprey
The best
Why should you buy this: Ambient Weather has knocked it out of the park with this hyper-connected weather stations.
The best
Ambient Weather WS-2902 Osprey
$169.99 from Amazon
Who’s it for: Smart home owners and those looking for functionality and value
How much will it cost: $170
Why we picked the Ambient Weather WS-2902 Osprey:
We’ll admit that we were super skeptical of Ambient Weather’s claims of accuracy rivaling that of Davis Instrument’s Vantage series, even though it’s long list of connectivity options bests any station on the market by a wide margin.
For the most part, those claims held up. In our tests, the WS-2902’s instrumentation performed generally well, save for the barometric pressure sensor – which did require recalibration regularly. Normally an issue like that would have been enough to continue to give the top spot to Davis’ Vantage Vue, however Ambient Weather blew us away with its connectivity options.
Although the Osprey does not have its own app – something we hope Ambient Weather addresses in the future – it can connect to your Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, and even IFTTT. With IFTTT, you can use your WS-2902 to intelligently control your smart devices, for example turning your Rachio sprinklers off when it’s raining or turning on the lights in your house on a cloudy day using measurements from its solar radiation sensor.
But that’s not all: you can also connect it to Weather Underground or Weathercloud, or make use of Ambient Weather’s API to make applications of your own. Ambient Weather also provides its own service called AmbientWeather.net, which will give you a graphical look at all of your weather data from one central place.
While you can’t expand the number of weather sensors – perhaps to monitor temperatures in other rooms of your house or the water temperature of your hot tub or pool, AmbientWeather.net does allow you to add additional devices on your account to do that. However, at $170, we’d expect this, and it’s a great deal even with the lack of expandability.
Davis Vantage Vue
The best for accuracy
Why should you buy this: The granddaddy of weather station manufacturers has a version of its top-of-the-line weather station that doesn’t break the bank.
The best for accuracy
Davis Vantage Vue
No one can beat Davis’ accuracy, even if internet connectivity is expensive and dated.
$299.88 from Amazon.com
Who’s it for: Weather watchers who need accuracy and long-term reliability
How much will it cost: $300-$530
Why we picked the Davis Vantage Vue:
Davis Instruments dominates the personal weather station market because of its staying power: the company’s first digital personal weather stations were sold in the 1990s. But Davis’ weak point was always price.
Enter the Vantage Vue. The station is Davis’ attempt to bring its accuracy and reliability to a price point where it’s competitive with newer stations. While the Vantage Vue is still relatively expensive, its accuracy is unrivaled in the category. All sensors are housed in a 5-in-1 unit, which measures temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind direction, and speed.
While all-in-one sensor units present some challenges — you’ll need to decide whether more accurate wind speed readings are more important than accurate temperature readings, and vice versa – our testers gave high marks to its accuracy and reliability.
The station has yet to give us a single issue through a full six months of testing and required little if any maintenance. One area where we walked away a tad disappointed, however, was its connectivity. This station uses software we’ve known Davis to use for the past 15 years all but unchanged (no, we’re not kidding).
While it does offer a web-based page, even that is super basic, and you’ll need to spend anywhere from $130-230 extra to get a dongle that connects the station console to your computer. Considering just about every other manufacturer includes that with their stations, it’s a bit disappointing. But for the accuracy alone, it’s hard to say no to the Vantage Vue.
My AcuRite Weather Station
The best for expandability
Why should you buy this: AcuRite’s newest stations are internet connected with a best-in-class mobile and web-based app, with tons of sensors.
The best for expandability
My AcuRite Weather Station
A great web and mobile app, and tons of sensor options make My AcuRite the most expandable system we tested.
$86.82 from Amazon.com
Who’s it for: Those who want to monitor more than just basic weather conditions
How much will it cost: $140+ (depending on additional sensors)
Why we picked the My AcuRite Weather Station:
Much of AcuRite’s business comes in the form of partnerships with brick and mortar retailers. In fact, it’s the exclusive in-store weather instrument provider for Walmart and several other stores. Due to this, the company is often stereotyped as a “budget” brand. That’s not necessarily true.
The My AcuRite platform is an example of this. While it still produces tons of low-cost models, My AcuRite is intended to be a competitively priced model to go up against the Vantage Vue in terms of feature set and capability.
Its sheer breadth of sensor options puts the Vantage Vue to shame (there, you can’t add any). You can add additional temperature and humidity sensors, indoor sensors, a water detector sensor, liquid and soil temperature sensors, and a ‘spot check’ temperature humidity sensor, none of which are more than $50, and are the cheapest of any of the major brands. AcuRite also sells a lightning sensor, but unfortunately that’s not yet compatible with the My AcuRite system.
My AcuRite’s web and mobile apps set the bar for what a weather station app should be. Readings are continuously updated, and you can set all the alerts you’d ever want to. The graphs the app produces are visually stunning, and the app is even better on a tablet.
But there are a few quirks. Temperature readings during sunny days regularly read high, as did barometric pressure. The station also has an installation process that isn’t always smooth, and the directions sometimes led us astray. We’re told that most of these accuracy issues (and integrated lightning detection will be addressed in the Atlas weather stations, AcuRite’s direct competitor to the Davis Vantage series. You’ll pay much more for the Atlas, though.
Bloomsky Sky2 + Storm
The best for sky watchers
Why should you buy this: While you can get the Bloomsky Sky Camera alone, paring it with the Storm turns it into a capable weather station.
The best home weather station for sky watchers
Bloomsky Sky2 + Storm
While Bloomsky’s Sky cam alone is a little weak on the feature set, the combination of the Sky and Storm works well.
$119.99 from Amazon.com
Who’s it for: Cloud watchers who aren’t satisfied with just watching weather conditions.
How much will it cost: $300 for Camera, additional $140 for Storm
Why we picked the Bloomsky Sky2 + Storm:
Bloomsky is one of those gadgets we’re surprised that no one thought of before. On its own, it takes a photo of the sky every three to eight minutes, as well as a picture any time its built-in rain sensor detects rain. These pictures are taken from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, and then automatically stitched together to create stunning time lapses. No power is needed. The Sky2 runs completely on solar power.
By itself the camera only records temperature, humidity, and pressure continuously. You’ll want to spend the extra $140, though, and get the Storm add on, which also runs on solar power and adds wind speed and direction and UV exposure.
Imagery and data from your Bloomsky station is uploaded to the Bloomsky Map, where you can browse through the thousands of cameras already on the network. We generally had a good experience with our test unit (which is still active), and installation was easy – although the Wi-Fi connectivity was a bit weak.
We did experience some issues with temperature, especially in direct sunlight. Temperatures spiked more than 6-7 degrees above the actual temperature during these times, which means you’ll need to think long and hard about where you’ll place the station. The Storm generally performs well, but is certainly nowhere near as accurate as top of the line stations.
Another negative is the price. At $300, it’s quite a bit for what some might consider a glorified webcam. Add the Storm in to complete it, and it’s the most expensive station in our list.
AcuRite 00589 3-in-1 Weather Station
The best for the budget conscious
Why should you buy this: While AcuRite is moving towards higher priced and more accurate weather stations, the sub-$100 00589 model is one budget standout
The best home weather station for the budget conscious
AcuRite 00589 3-in-1 Weather Station
While the accuracy is not as good, AcuRite’s 3-in-1 weather station is one of its better budget models.
$77.20 from Amazon.com
Who’s it for: Those on a tight budget, who don’t mind some accuracy loss.
How much will it cost: $85
Why we picked the AcuRite 00589 3-in-1 Weather Station:
AcuRite gets a second mention on our list for its svelte 3-in-1 Weather Station (Model 00589). At a price of only $85, you’re getting most – but not all – of the most important variables. The station measures temperature, humidity, and wind speed, along with barometric pressure and trend.
Wind direction and rainfall measurements aren’t provided, although it does have a nice forecasting feature which attempts to learn your local weather patterns to make its forecasts more accurate. It can also store daily, monthly, and all-time high and low records, but there’s no way to transfer this information off the device because it has no internet connectivity.
Accuracy is okay, but noticeably poorer than the 5-in-1 sensor suite. Owners also report that placement is key with the sensors, the sun can throw temperatures are off. Additionally, wind speed readings seem to run on the low side.
As with anything, you get what you pay for. Buy this is only if you’re looking for the most basic of functionality and more of a general idea of the weather outside. If you can spend just $50 more, get the My AcuRite system — if that’s not possible. then the 3-in-1 is a worthy alternative.
How we test
Weather stations at Digital Trends go through a rigorous set of tests to even be considered for inclusion in our ‘best of’ list. We first gauge construction of the station as we’re assembling it, looking for any possible weak points or questionable design decisions. As we’re installing the station, we’re also looking at the install process itself. Is it easy to put together? Are the instructions clear? Does everything work out of the box, or are we struggling to get it to work?
Once the station is installed at our test site, the real work begins. At this point we’re looking for accuracy. Weather station readings are worthless, and no better than that app, if inaccurate. We compare our readings with a nearby official National Weather Service station and look for differences while accounting for normal variances in weather conditions. Few stations make it past this point, as our standards are high. In general, readings with more than two percent difference are deemed inaccurate.
Next, we look at reliability. These stations are up for several weeks — months if possible – gathering data. We look for issues like data dropouts or failing sensors. Is the station holding up well? Do certain kinds of weather affect the station in negative ways? We make note of it, so you know what you’re getting into, and what you might have to deal with down the road.
Finally, we look at connectivity and feature set. This is Digital Trends, and we’re all about tech. We want to see easy connections to put your weather data online (Weather Underground, etc.), a well-designed mobile or web app, and other ways to integrate its weather data into your digital life. On the feature side, does it have all the weather readings a good station should have? Does it have a standout feature that other weather stations don’t?
If a station can pass these qualifications successfully, only then it is considered for inclusion in our list.
Tips for setting up your home weather station
To get the best accuracy out of your home weather station, it’s not as simple as just placing it outside and turning it on. Even our best and most accurate stations will give inaccurate readings if the sensors are not placed correctly.
In this section, we’ll give you some tips on how to get the most accurate readings, so let’s get started.
Temperature and Humidity Sensors – World standards call for temperature sensors to be placed at “eye level:” traditionally five to six feet off the ground. In addition, the sensor should be located away from any radiative sources of heat like buildings, pavement, and macadam. A grassy location is the most preferable.
The sensor should also be in an area that receives full shade. If this isn’t possible, and your temperature and humidity sensors have radiation shielding, then an area of partial shade (where the sensor isn’t continuously in the sun all day) is acceptable. Try and avoid placing a sensor in full sun if possible.
Wind Vane/Anemometer – Guidelines state that an anemometer (wind gauge) be placed at a height of 10 meters (33 feet) off the ground, and at least six feet above any nearby obstructions or objects. Obviously, this will be hard if not completely impossible to do. Instead, aim to place your anemometer as far away and above any obstructions as possible, and don’t forget a compass to calibrate the wind vane (remember winds are measured from the direction it’s coming from!)
Rain Gauge – Rain gauges just need to be placed in a spot where splash back will not enter the gauge itself, and placed in a spot far away from obstructions so that rainfall isn’t blocked from entering the gauge.
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Got Android 9.0 Pie? Here’s why you should turn off auto screen rotation
Are you one of the lucky ones to receive the Android 9.0 Pie update? The new version of the Android operating system looks gorgeous and packs intuitive improvements, one of which removes the frustration of auto-rotating the screen.
Smartphone users all over the world know how annoying it is to have auto-rotate turned on, as the faintest change in orientation of the phone can sometimes convert the whole screen to landscape mode at inopportune moments. Google has a simple cure for this in the latest version of Android, and it involves turning off Auto-rotate completely.
Setting up screen rotation
For older versions of Android, all you can do is keep Auto-rotate on or off. When it’s on, put your phone in landscape orientation, and the app will match that mode. Turn it off, and every app stays locked in portrait orientation. Keeping it off is less frustrating than dealing with random screen rotations, but turning it back on when you need landscape mode isn’t a swift action.
Android 9.0 Pie’s new method is much simpler and easier to use. If you have the update, first turn off Auto-rotate. Swipe down to open the notification drawer, find the Auto-rotate quick settings tile, and tap on it to disable it. Now your phone is locked to one orientation.
Using screen rotation lock
Once screen rotation lock is disabled in the notification drawer, open any app you wish to use, and rotate your phone to landscape orientation (some apps — like Instagram — don’t support a landscape mode). You’ll notice the app doesn’t convert to landscape mode — but you will see a new icon appear to the right of the home button. It has two arrows in opposite directions, forming a rectangle. Tap it, and the app will swap to landscape mode. Now if you switch back to portrait orientation, you’ll see the same icon appear again. Tap it once more and you’re back to portrait mode. This is a much faster system of swapping through screen orientations, as you don’t need to swipe down to open the notification drawer.
The new screen rotation feature is only available through Android 9.0 Pie, so you’ll have to wait until your smartphone manufacturer pushes out the update. If you’re wondering when your phone will receive Pie, don’t fret: We contacted every major handset manufacturer to ask when they plan to update their devices.
Editors’ Recommendations
- Android 9.0 Pie: Everything you need to know
- Android 9.0 Pie vs. iOS 12: How notifications have changed
- Android P hands-on review
- How to use Android 9.0 Pie’s gesture navigation, and how to turn it off
- How to turn off notifications in Android
Gene-edited silkworms spin out spider silk, could lead to mass production
There are few things as haunting as walking into a spider web. But the special silk behind these universally reviled arachnid nets shows huge promise for saving human lives, from battling cancer to making better hearing aids.
That’s because spider silk is strong, flexible, and lightweight. The problem is, spiders are extremely territorial and cannibalistic creatures, making spider silk hard to propagate.
But in a new study by researchers at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, genetically engineered silkworms were shown to produce higher yields of spider silk (without carrying the risk of eating each other). By using the gene editing tool TALEN, researchers replaced part of the silkworm genome with that of the golden orb-web spider. A paper detailing the research, which may pave a path towards mass production, was published recently in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“This work provides a stable, cost-effective … system to produce spider silk in large-scale by using genetically engineered silkworms,” Anjiang Tan, a researcher at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, told Digital Trends.
The recent study made two significant achievements, according to Tan. For one, the amount of spider silk found in the silkworms’ silk was significantly greater — 35.2 percent compared to the less than 5 percent achieved in previous studies. And the silkworms were able to directly spin out ready-to-use spider silk, a feature that Tan called “very cost-effective.”
As an added bonus, Tan said the gene-editing technique enables researchers to engineer silkworms that can excrete not only spider silk but “custom-designed silk or other proteins for different purposes in the future.” Silkworms have also been used to produce silk for thousands of years, giving future spider silk farmers a much more manageable animal to rear.
Spider silk has been gaining a lot of attention over the past few years, grabbing headlines for its promise as a material of the future.
In June, researchers from the University of Geneva in Switzerland showed how microcapsules made from artificial spider silk could be used to deliver cancer-battling vaccines directly to the immune system. A year earlier, researches at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital in Austria demonstrated that super strong spider silk from the golden orb-weaver spider could be used to repair severe nerve damage. That same month, a team from the University of Cambridge even showed how artificial silk could someday be used to make bulletproof vests more protective.
The recent study provides a potential route toward mass production of spider silk that would help make the promising material more accessible. Moving forward, Tan and his team want to try out different combinations of spider silk genes to increase efficiency and productivity, while unlocking the spider gene sequence to better understand what protein structures give this material its outstanding properties.
Editors’ Recommendations
- Move over, Spider-Man! Spider silk can be used to build armor and repair nerves
- Spider silk microcapsules could deliver vaccines to help battle cancer
- Spider silk could be used to create artificial skin to help heal wounds
- Sorry, Spider-Man! Newly developed bio-fiber is even stronger than spider silk
- Moving around in zero gravity is hard. MIT’s solution? Spider-Man’s web shooter
How to use Android 9.0 Pie’s gesture navigation, and how to turn it off
Aside from the rumored notch on the upcoming Pixel 3, it seems Google has taken another page from Apple’s book — injecting iPhone X-like gestures into the latest version of its operating system, Android 9.0 Pie. The new Android gesture navigation consists of swipes rather than tapping on the traditional navigation icons.
While it may take some time getting used to it, we break down how to use the new gesture navigation system to help make the transition easier — and how to turn it on or off.
How to turn gesture controls on or off
For those upgrading from Android 8.0 Oreo to Android 9.0 Pie on an existing device, the new gesture navigation system isn’t necessarily turned on by default (it does automatically turn on for the Essential Phone). To turn the controls on, go to Settings > System > Gestures. Then, tap on Swipe on Home Button and toggle the feature on. The icons will then switch from three-button navigation to a pill-shaped icon. To turn off gesture navigation, follow the same steps to toggle the feature off.
EK Chung, user experience manager for Android handheld and Pixel at Google, confirmed to Android Central that future Google devices will ship with gesture-only navigation. That means we’ll most likely see the feature automatically turned on with the Google Pixel 3 — the company’s next flagship expected to launch in October.
How to use the new home button
Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends
Even though the home button is now a pill-shaped icon, it still works similarly to the old circle. Tap on it to go to the home screen, and a long-press will launch Google Assistant.
When in an app, a back arrow will automatically appear to the left of the home button, just like the old navigation system. Tap on it to go back to what was being viewed previously. It disappears on the home screen.
How to access the app drawer
To access the App Drawer, long-swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This will open the full App Drawer, showing every app installed on the phone. A short swipe does something different. A few new apps will appear on the bottom of the screen — these are apps you’re likely to tap on next — but above them is the new Recent apps menu.
How to access Recent apps
Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends
For Recent apps, a short swipe up from the bottom of the screen is all you need. A carousel gallery will appear showing recently-opened apps, and you can scroll through left and right. Dragging the pill-shaped home all the way to the right enables a slider that automatically starts scrolling slowly through the apps. Once the desired app is in the center, release the button to open it.
To clear a specific app, swipe up on the the specific app window. Scroll all the way to the left window and tap Clear all to exit all apps simultaneously.
How to access a previous app
Whether on the home screen or in another app, a quick swipe right on the home button will let you access the previous app. Continue to swipe right to flip back and forth between both apps.
How to enter split-screen view
Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends
For split-screen view, tap on the app icon at the top when in Recents view. Tap on the Split screen option and scroll through the different apps available to choose a second app. There’s also the option to swipe up on the Home button to access the App Drawer and add in a different app instead.
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Asus ZenFone 5Z and ZenFone Live now available in the U.S.
The phones cost $499 and $109, respectively.
Asus has a couple new Android handsets up for sale in the United States starting today, including the ZenFone 5Z and Android Go-powered ZenFone Live. The 5Z is definitely the more exciting of the bunch, so let’s touch on that one first.
The ZenFone 5Z is Asus’s flagship phone for 2018, and in regards to both price and features, is a direct competitor with the OnePlus 6. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor powering the phone, 6GB RAM, 64GB of internal storage (expandable up to 2TB), and a 3,300 mAh battery.
In regards to the camera situation, we’re looking at a 12MP + 8MP (wide-angle lens) combo on the back and a single 8MP shooter up front. There’s also a 6.2-inch IPS 2160 x 1080 display and, glass + metal design, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and Android Oreo.
See at Amazon
Moving on to the ZenFone Live, this is the first-ever Android Go phone that we’ve seen from Asus. The phone’s packing a 5.5-inch 720p HD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, Snapdragon 425, 1GB RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 8MP rear camera, 5MP selfie camera, and a 3,000 mAh battery.
The plastic design won’t win any awards, but it looks fine and should be much more practical than the 5Z’s lustrous glass aesthetic.
See at Best Buy
When it comes to price, Asus has listed these rather competitively with everything else that’s currently available. The ZenFone Live comes it at a mere $109.99 and the ZenFone 5Z will set you back $499.99 — $30 less than the OnePlus 6 with very similar specs across the board.
ASUS ZenFone 5Z review: A compelling alternative to the OnePlus 6
Microsoft Plans to Keep Skype Classic Available ‘for Some Time’ Following User Backlash
Microsoft last month announced plans to shut down Skype 7, aka Skype Classic, on PCs and Macs in September, with the company encouraging customers to instead upgrade to the latest version of Skype, Skype 8.
Skype 8, first introduced last year, features a total design overhaul that has not been popular with some customers, which led some Skype users to be unhappy with Microsoft’s announcement.
As of today, as pointed out by Windows blog Thurrott, Microsoft has changed its mind following user feedback. In a forum post, the Skype team says that support for Skype 7 will not end in September, with the end of life date extended to an unknown time.
UPDATE: Based on customer feedback, we are extending support for Skype 7 (Skype classic) for some time. Our customers can continue to use Skype classic until then.
It is not clear how long “some time” will be, but customers who prefer the design of Skype 7 can continue using that version of Skype instead of upgrading to Skype 8.
The Skype team also said that it is listening to customer comments and plans to introduce features customers have requested into Skype 8. Classic Skype for Mac can be downloaded directly from Microsoft, as can Skype 8.
Tags: Skype, Microsoft
Discuss this article in our forums
U.S. DoJ Says Ruling Approving AT&T-Time Warner Merger Ignored ‘Fundamental Principles of Economics and Common Sense’
The U.S. Department of Justice today filed an appeal with the District of Columbia Appeals Court protesting the June ruling that allowed the merger between AT&T and Time Warner to move forward, reports The Washington Post.
In the filing, the DoJ says the district court approved the merger after “erroneously ignoring fundamental principles of economics and common sense” and that it used a “deeply flawed assessment of the government’s evidence” to reach its decision.
According to the DoJ, AT&T’s access to Time Warner’s content, including the highly important Turner Broadcasting System, which includes CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, and other networks, gives it bargaining leverage over rivals, which could drive up access fees, ultimately resulting in higher prices for consumers.
The original ruling approving the merger, says the DoJ, ignored key documents from AT&T on the competitive harm of vertical mergers, limited expert economic testimony, and refused to close the courtroom to allow for testimony related to confidential business information. Further, the DoJ insists the original ruling ignored the economics of bargaining and did not consider corporate profit maximization.
The government established a reasonable probability that the AT&T-Time Warner merger would increase Time Warner’s bargaining leverage and, thus, substantially lessen competition, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
The district court’s contrary conclusion rests on two fundamental analytical errors: it discarded the economics of bargaining, and it failed to apply the foundational principle of corporate-wide profit maximization. These errors colored the court’s view of the facts, leading to a decision that is clearly erroneous in light of the evidence presented at trial.
The Department of Justice is asking the appeals court to vacate the district court’s ruling and remand the matter for further proceedings.
AT&T and Time Warner completed their merger in June following the judge’s ruling that the merger was legal. The Justice Department said at the time that it was disappointed in the court’s ruling and would consider its next steps, but allowed the merger to move forward and did not file an emergency stay.
While the merger is finished, the Department of Justice remains able to appeal the judge’s ruling and first announced plans to do so back in mid-July.
Shortly after acquiring Time Warner, AT&T announced a new WatchTV service allowing AT&T wireless subscribers with new “AT&T Unlimited &More” and “AT&T Unlimited &More Premium” plans access to more than 30 live channels and 15,000 TV shows and movies on demand.
AT&T’s plans are more expensive than previous unlimited wireless plans, but they include WatchTV, which AT&T charges $15 per month for on a standalone basis.
Though AT&T said that its prices would not increase following the merger, it raised prices on its DirecTV Now plans by $5. AT&T also recently raised its administrative fees for postpaid wireless subscribers to $1.99, which some analysts have speculated is to make up for the expense of the Time Warner purchase.
Tags: AT&T, Time Warner
Discuss this article in our forums
How to Access and Set Up Parental Controls in iOS 12
With Screen Time, Apple has introduced a robust set of parental control options in iOS 12, giving parents a way to monitor and limit the amount of time children are spending on their iOS devices, within specific apps, and more.
Screen Time works via Family Sharing, so as long as your children are part of your Family in the Family Sharing settings, you’ll be able to view and control their Screen Time options.
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Turning Screen Time On
You’ll need to turn on and set up Screen Time on all devices owned and used by your children, which is done in the Screen Time section of the Settings app.
Here’s how to do it:
Open up the Settings app.
Navigate to the Screen Time section.”
Choose “Turn on Screen Time.”
When you see the introductory screen asking whether this is your iPhone or your child’s iPhone, select “This is My Child’s iPhone.”From here, you can choose to set Downtime, which is a set period of time in which your child will be allowed or disallowed from using the iPhone, or App Limits, which will restrict certain app categories. At setup, you can also choose Content and Privacy settings, which are further explained below.
If you want to change Downtime and App Limits selections for your child, you will be able to do so at any time by going to the Settings app and selecting Screen Time on the child’s device.
A child’s Screen Time settings are also accessible on the parent’s device for making changes remotely, available by tapping on a child’s name in the Screen Time section of the Settings app, listed under the parent’s own Screen Time usage.
All of your App Limits, Downtime, and Content Restrictions are protected via a passcode that must be entered to grant more usage time to children when limits have been reached. This also prevents children from changing their own Screen Time settings.
Using Downtime
Downtime sets a schedule that allows you to choose when your child can and cannot use their iPhone or iPad. You can, for example, choose to restrict access to iOS devices from 10:00 p.m. at bedtime until 7:00 a.m. in the morning, or choose something that limits hours even further, such as during school.
With Downtime, you can opt to block the device at Downtime, which prevents apps from being used entirely sans parental permission or choose for a less restrictive feature that allows children to turn off Downtime themselves or get 15 more minutes of usage before another reminder about Downtime restrictions.
Downtime and App Limits with blocking turned on at left and blocking turned off at right
Most parents will likely want to turn on blocking for Downtime to prevent apps from being used entirely, but the non-blocking option is useful for more responsible children where all parents want to do is offer up a reminder that apps shouldn’t be used at certain times.
During Downtime, all apps on the iPhone are grayed out with little hourglass locks on them, letting children know that time limits have been reached. The exception is certain apps that are always allowed in case of emergency, such as the phone.
Using App Limits
App Limits allow you to finely control how much time your kids spend using certain categories of apps.
With App Limits, you can set restrictions on All Apps & Categories, Social Networking, Games, Entertainment, Creativity, Productivity, Education, Reading & Reference, Health & Fitness, and Other.
So, for example, if you want to limit the amount of time a child is spending on Snapchat and mobile games, you can set an App Limit for those categories for an hour or two.
After the App Limit has been reached, children won’t be able to further access those app categories without asking for express parental permission. Apps will be locked with an hourglass symbol and a passcode will be required to enable more time.
As with Downtime, you can set less restrictive rules that serve as more of a reminder by turning off blocking with App Limits.
Always Allowed Apps
With Downtime and App Limits, you can set certain apps to “Always Allowed” to let children access them at all times even when Downtime and App Limits are enabled.
By default, Apple marks Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Maps as always available apps, but you can select any apps that you want through the Always Allowed app interface, accessible under “Always Allowed” in the Screen Time section of Settings on a child’s device.
You can also remove access to all apps, including Messages, with the exception of the phone, which remains available to children in case of emergency.
Always Allowed is ideal if you want your kids to be able to use certain educational or communication apps at anytime while leaving other apps inaccessible.
Selecting Content Restrictions
Apple has always offered Content Restrictions for parents to limit access to music, movies, TV shows, and apps that are inappropriate for younger children, but these parental controls now live under the Screen Time section of the Settings app alongside the other Screen Time options.
In the Content & Privacy Restrictions section of Screen Time on a child’s device, you can do things like limit App Store purchases, prevent kids from deleting apps, disallow access to certain apps, and set age restrictions on entertainment content.
You can also set privacy settings for everything from location to advertising preferences, so, for example, if you wanted to make sure you can always access your child’s location, you can turn on Location Services and select Share My Location.
There are even options that prevent children from changing the passcode on their device, restrict account changes, limit volume, and automatically turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving.
Accessing Content & Privacy restrictions requires an adult to input a Content & Privacy passcode, which prevents children from changing these settings.
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