In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. Too much, in fact, for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories from this week. From Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata passing away at 55, to Ellen Pao stepping down from Reddit and Apple Pay going live in the U.K., it’s all here.
Amazon tries to one-up Black Friday with ‘Prime Day’
Though the hashtag #PrimeDayFail trended during the day, Amazon said that the event was so successful it will become an annual tradition.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata dies at 55
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has died at age 55, because of a bile duct growth, the company announced over the weekend. The gaming giant said in a statement that it “deeply regrets” having to announce Iwata’s passing on July 11, 2015. Iwata joined Nintendo as a director in 2000. He was involved in some of Nintendo’s most iconic game franchises, including Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing. While speaking at a gaming event in 2005, Iwata said, “On my business card I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart I am a gamer.”
Ellen Pao is now Reddit’s ex-CEO
Earlier this week, Reddit announced that Ellen Pao was to step down as CEO. Reddit board member Sam Altman said in a statement, “Ellen Pao resigned from Reddit today by mutual agreement. I’m delighted to announce that Steve Huffman, founder, and the original Reddit CEO, is returning as CEO.” Pao’s departure comes soon after the company faced criticism from its community for firing Victoria Taylor.
Apple Pay goes live in the UK, Available at 250,000 locations
Apple Pay officially launched on in the U.K. on Tuesday. The service is supported by more than 250,000 stores and companies in the country, including Waitrose, Lidl, Starbucks, and, of course, the Apple Store. One of the downsides to using Apple Pay in the U.K. is that transactions are limited to £20 ($31), increasing to £30 ($46) in September.
Woman cries uncontrollably after her phone dies on the subway
We’ve all been there before — whether it’s your boss scheduling a last minute meeting on top of a jam-packed day, spilling coffee on your brand-new outfit, or your iPhone dying on the subway — sometimes you’re just having a no-good, terrible day. Luckily for most of us, though, our bad days aren’t recorded and uploaded to social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube for the rest of the world to see. Unfortunately, a young woman in Hong Kong was caught having a meltdown on the subway when her phone suddenly died.
Amazon’s new Prime Day celebration promises ‘more deals than Black Friday’
Amazon announced earlier this week that its 20th birthday would have “more deals than Black Friday.” Taking place on Wednesday, July 15, “Prime Day” offered deals to new and existing Prime members located in the U.S., U.K., Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Canada and Austria. Amazon “Prime Day” included thousands of deals, with new ones appearing as often as every ten minutes.
In response to Amazon’s Prime Day, Wal-Mart said in a blog post that it would offer free shipping on orders from $35-$50, “making it even easier for customers to save on shipping all summer long.” Greg Greeley, vice president of Amazon Prime, said, “We’ve heard some retailers are charging higher prices for items in their physical stores than they do for the same items online. The idea of charging your in-store customers more than your online customers doesn’t add up for us.”
Next page: 5 more tech stories you might have missed this week
Neil Young yanks his music from streaming to go full-on Pono
Neil Young posted on Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday to announce that “Streaming has ended for me.” Unlike Taylor Swift, Young is blaming poor audio quality rather than low royalty payouts. Young said on Facebook, “I don’t need my music to be devalued by the worst quality in the history of broadcasting or any other form of distribution. I don’t feel right allowing this to be sold to my fans. It’s bad for my music.”
Blue Apron launches a tasty iOS app for home-cooked meals
Blue Apron, the New York-based startup that delivers recipes and fresh ingredients for home-cooked meals on a weekly basis, announced on Wednesday that it has launched its first mobile app for iOS. Whether they’re a Blue Apron member or not, users have the ability to browse through Blue Apron’s seasonal recipes with integrated how-to videos, cooking tips, and information about their specialty ingredients.
Yik Yak app steps up its game by introducing photos
Yik Yak, the anonymous social app that lets college students post text-based posts, has announced that users will now be able to share photos on the service. The startup wrote in a blog post, “Sure, you could describe that amazing eggs Benedict your mom just made for breakfast (let’s be real, sometimes being home for summer has its perks), but it’s often more tantalizing to share a drool-inducing photo of it, too.”
Uber hit with $7 million fine in California, regulators threaten to suspend service
Earlier this week, California regulators ordered Uber to pay a $7.3 million dollar fine or shut down the ride service in its home state. Back in September 2013, The California Public Utilities Commission asked Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar for some information. The CPUC asked Uber to give data on: how often customers requested access to vehicles, the cost of trips, the percentage of ride requests fulfilled, and the cause of accidents when the company’s’ drivers were involved. So far, Uber has failed to deliver.
Following a period of exclusivity, HBO Now is finally coming to Android and Amazon devices
It was just earlier this year that HBO Now was announced for Apple Devices, and the company promised to bring it to Android devices this summer. If you own an Android phone or tablet, you can now access HBO’s standalone streaming service from the App Store or Google Play Store. HBO’s standalone streaming service gives users access to hit shows like True Detective, Game of Thrones, and Silicon Valley. HBO is allowing new customers to try out the service for free for the first thirty days. Users can then cancel or continue their subscription at $14.99/month.
