Despite voices labeling him the ‘safe choice’ for the presidential seat, Biden proved himself to be powerful enough to win the elections. But the new President has a range of people, who help him on a daily basis. Elizabeth Warren has actually run against Biden in the primaries and has of course lost. She has proven to be a crucial point of the new administration, having clashed with Citadel Securities and Robinhood just a few weeks after the new President’s swearing-in.

Elizabeth Warren’s time to shine

Warren has not been appointed as the cabinet member, but she still is a really prominent figure, and it looks like she could become am important member of the administration. The President himself agreed that the progressive agenda will require strong leaders. Thus, Biden seems to be confirming Warren’s expected role in the House of Senate.

Their relationship has been bumpy, and there have been quite a lot of disagreements between the two. But Biden has been sending some positive signals by supporting the bankruptcy plan prepared by Warren. This looks like a perfect occasion for her to strengthen her persona as the Democrats party figure, and not just someone who lost to the President.

The Senator has been in the first line of Wall Street critics, and she was always pointing at the lack of transparency there. She was also the one responsible for the CPFB (Consumer Protection Financial Bureau) establishment, which became part of the 2010 Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

She ran for the Senate for the first time in 2012, having raised $39 million to fund her campaign – the most amongst the candidates. NY Times wrote about her win as the proof that you could be running for the seat against banks, not being supported by Wall Street money, and still manage to win.

Warren has also been the heavy critic of Trump’s administration, and its approach of loosening the financial market’s rules. She also has some notable achievements pursuing unlawful banks and companies. Her work and persistent pressure on Wells Fargo led to prosecution of the bank’s officials for the fake accounts scandal. Because of her, John Stumpf agreed to be banned for life from working in the banking, and paid a fine of $17.5 million. Her next target was Tim Sloan, who resigned from his role at Wells Fargo as well in 2019.

And although she was crucial in the process of shaping the rules for the world of finances after the 2008 crisis, Warren could become even more valuable during her time of service on Joe Biden’s side.

The current state of the world, as we’re still submerged in the pandemic, could become Warren’s stage to shine. As she was always anti-big-banker, her opinions could now hit with the different power. Her most recent target is Robinhood, as she criticizes the app’s policies, as well as the relationship it has with Citadel Securities. It’s actually fascinating to see how quickly Robinhood ceased to be the favorite of small investors, and became the punching bag for national and global media.

Are they selling their consumers out?

Robinhood is a trading app that is advertised as ‘commission-free’. The company’s mission: to democratize finance, so that it becomes available for everyone. The ‘democratization’ phrase is visible everywhere – on their every social media platform, the website. Even Vladimir Tenev, the company’s CEO highlights it.

To get to know more about the topic of Warren’s issue with Robinhood, and much more, visit the Disruption Banking piece written by Benjamin Jenei: https://disruptionbanking.com/2021/03/10/disruption-or-democratisation-can-elizabeth-warren-help-democratize-finance/.

The post Democratization of finance – could Elizabeth Warren achieve her goals, or will she become the disruptor? first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Kieran Edwards

Producers for the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” were said to parted from the crew after allegations of toxic management.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has seen the departure of three of their top producers. This came as there were reports of toxic culture in the show’s set. It was told to the crew of the talk show on Monday afternoon during a video conference call, per Variety.

‘Parted Ways’

Those that have “parted ways” from the staff of the popular talk show, per a Warner Bros. spokesperson, include Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and Jonathan Norman. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” owning dozens of Emmy Awards throughout its run, is distributed by Warner Bros. Television.

Toxicity

BuzzFeed previously reported last month regarding employees that were not treated fairly at work for the daytime show. According to the article, former employees, who refused to reveal their identities, said that the toxic work environment is caused by senior and top heads. Among those unpleasant experiences that they encountered include racist remarks, not allowing for leaves with valid reasons, and even sexual harassment and misconduct.

Around this time of the BuzzFeed story, Galvin, Leman, and Norman were said to be suspended, according to several sources, The Variety reported. Further in Variety’s article is the exit of the same producers to other shows produced by 62-year old DeGeneres.

Launched a Probe

In July, the host of the show revealed that an internal probe was begun by Warner Bros. Television, looking into the accusations. Writing to the show’s staff through an email, DeGeneres said: “We immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues. As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly, some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”

WarnerMedia, parent company of Warner Bros. Television, also at that time said in a statement that they are taking the claims regarding toxicity in the work environment “very seriously.

The post Three Ellen Producers Exit the Show Over Claims of ‘Toxic Workplace’ first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Rob Sterling

Facebook said it will notify you on both Facebook and Instagram when the media projects a winner in the 2020 elections.

As if the 2020 election wasn’t stressful enough already, Facebook plans to join the fun. When the media calls the winner, you will see his name at the top of your Facebook and Instagram feeds. You’ll also see a label for the candidates’ posts. Moreover, you’ll also get info on voting information centers. 

Facebook and Elections

The Verge reports that Facebook will notify you once the media projects the winner. Facebook will get its information from these media outlets:

Facebook will announce presidential election result in Facebook and Instagram notifications https://t.co/BRAImxD6UI pic.twitter.com/Jz8zOQZdKs

— The Verge (@verge) November 6, 2020

•     Reuters
•     ABC News
•     CBS News
•     Fox News
•     NBC News
•     CNN
•     The Associated Press

Spokesperson Tom Reynolds said Facebook wants to stop the spread of fake news and election lies on the platform. 

Facebook’s Election Moves 

As of now, Facebook has already limited posts that contain wrong information. These posts also contain false claims about the election. Moreover, Facebook has stopped election-related videos from spreading. 

Other Steps

Earlier, Facebook said it was taking steps to stop lies and false claims on its apps. The company banned US political ads on Tuesday. Before the election, Facebook also froze sales from political ads. The company also banned a Facebook group called “Stop the Steal,” with 300,000 members. About the ban, the company said the group kept calling for violence. Moreover, Facebook even blocked many hashtags claiming election fraud.

The post Facebook Will Tell You the Next US President first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Rob Sterling

A security expert found that a database containing login info of Florida election officials had been exposed to the public since 2017.

The November election might glitch out in Florida. The login info of state election officials may have gotten exposed since 2017. Moreover, the data came from an unsafe database.  

Election Leaks

Gizmodo reports that a third-party vendor may have exposed over 1,200 county officials’ accounts. The data include email addresses and passwords. Also, the data show when the users made their accounts. They also show their last logins. 

The unsecured backup database had likely been publicly accessible since 2017. https://t.co/vLFl3q6wQf

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) October 30, 2020

UpGuard’s Chris Vickery said he found the database on September 18. Afterward, he warned Martin County officials. The officials could also check if hackers got the data. 

Official Response

On Thursday, a Martin County lawyer said the database only had worthless data. Moreover, the Martin County election supervisor did not own the database. 

Gizmodo says no one knows if the passwords got changed. Moreover, no one knows when they got changed. The county lawyer said he could not answer the press.  

Warnings

Hackers need only one password to weaken a whole network. With this news, the elections could be in danger. 

When a hacker enters a network, he can steal data with malware. He can also delete important files. This report means that this year’s election might be under attack.

The post FL Election Officials’ Passwords Exposed first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Rob Sterling

Epic Games is looking to fight back against Apple in court. In the first hearing, the judge had allowed Apple to terminate Epic’s iOS developer account. With the decision, Epic could not update Fortnite on iOS. Now, Epic has made a response.  

Epic vs. Apple, Round 2

Gizmodo reports that Epic wants the court to let them put Fortnite back on the App Store. This request comes after Epic had skipped the game’s iOS and macOS version when it launched the latest chapter of Fortnite last week.

Epic asks court to put Fortnite back in the App Store while it fights with Apple. https://t.co/TeRhCFJqFp pic.twitter.com/8mldWid6gC

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) September 6, 2020

The company said that Fortnite’s absence on iOS would cause them a lot of trouble. Moreover, Epic is also asking the court to restore its iOS developer account. 

In a statement, Epic also accused Apple of running a monopoly. The company also accused Apple of “trying to destroy its business.” Likewise, Epic said that taking a stand against Apple is necessary. They want to free consumers and developers from Apple’s restrictions on the App Store.  

Apple’s Response

In response, Apple told Gizmodo that Epic Games had agreed to its App Store policy in the first place. The company said it did not coerce Epic to agree to their terms. Moreover, the relationship between the two companies led to a “successful business on the App Store.”

Apple added that they want to work with Epic Games to resolve all violations so that they could return Fortnite to the App Store. 

Apple’s In-App Purchase

The whole issue started with Apple’s 30% cut from in-app purchases. Also, developers have to agree never to put in place other payment methods that bypass Apple. Epic had broken the rules by allowing direct payment on Fortnite on iOS and macOS.

The post Epic Games Asks Court to Restore Fortnite to App Store first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

While Apple is locked in a legal battle with Epic Games, the tech giant might soon butt heads with streaming giant Spotify. The streaming service has released a statement today, hitting Apple’s new subscription bundle, called Apple One. 

Spotify vs. Apple?

The Verge reports that Spotify took offense to Apple’s new subscription bundle, which includes Apple Music. In the Verge report, Spotify said that Apple is muscling competitors out of the marketplace again. The company said that Apple is forcing users to stay within the Apple ecosystem.

Apple insists its new Apple One services bundle isn’t unfair to Spotify https://t.co/SRmSrXdrab pic.twitter.com/xgsKvAy70n

— The Verge (@verge) September 15, 2020

Moreover, Spotify called on the authorities to stop Apple from stomping out its competition.

Spotify’s Bundles

The Verge guesses that Apple users might stick with Apple One if they find that the bundle saves them money. As the world’s most valuable company, Apple has enough marketing muscle to push Apple One globally.

Spotify itself has come in bundles before. Hulu subscriptions offer Spotify for free. If you get an AT&T phone plan, you also get Spotify. And Spotify also comes bundled with some Samsung phones.  

Apple’s Response

In response, Apple stressed that they are not forcing users to pick up the Apple One bundle. The company said that users are still free to choose alternative services. If users are already using Apple services anyway, Apple One can unite them under a cheaper plan. Moreover, Android users can enjoy some Apple One services on their phones, and they can cancel whenever they want.

In terms of subscribers, Spotify remains king with 138 million, as of July. Meanwhile, Apple Music had just surpassed 60 million subscribers in June.

The post Spotify Rails Against Apple’s New Service Bundle first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

China’s space program seems to be making progress. Reports indicate that the country has launched a top-secret rocket and then landed it back on Earth. Since the rocket is top-secret, no one knows its design. All the reports say is that the rocket is a reusable model.

China’s Reusable Rocket

Gizmodo reports that China launched its new reusable rocket last Friday. The launch happened at the Jinquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. About the rocket, the South China Morning Post says that it was a Long March-2F rocket. After staying in orbit for the weekend, the rocket returned to a landing site on Sunday.

China launched and landed a secret reusable spacecraft while you weren’t looking. https://t.co/jZeDCetZph pic.twitter.com/ZRAvX3o0un

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) September 8, 2020

What Is China’s Reusable Rocket?

China’s reusable rocket is top-secret, so no one knows about its design. On launch day, the Chinese military shared a memo warning staff and visitors at the site not to film the launch. The memo also barred them from discussing the launch on social media. According to the military, the rocket’s launch was different because it was a new rocket.

Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said that the rocket tested reusable technologies. Also, the rocket is a first step in using technology to support the “peaceful use of space.” 

How Does the Reusable Rocket Work?

The South China Morning Post adds that, according to a military source, they should take a look at the US X-37B. The US Air Force says that the X-37B is an experimental rocket that wants to use reusable rocket technologies for space exploration. Moreover, the X-37B is a top-secret space plane designed by Boeing for the Department of Defense.

The X-37B is a reusable uncrewed rocket. Once it’s in space, it stays in low Earth orbit and then lands on Earth like a normal plane.  

The post China Launches Top-Secret Reusable Rocket first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

It seems that the United States is not China’s only headache. India has banned several Chinese-made apps. Among these apps is the hit multiplayer game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG. Earlier, India had already banned 58 Chinese apps, including TikTok.        

India vs. China

Gizmodo reports that India has banned 118 total apps. The Indian government said that these apps stole user data. Moreover, these apps also store the data on servers outside India. Overall, India says these 118 Chinese apps are a national security risk

India blocks 118 more China-linked apps, including PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds https://t.co/SE0RTAGTWf pic.twitter.com/bjddcW8Og0

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) September 3, 2020

With the ban, India includes PUBG MOBILE LITE and PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik. Other banned apps include Alipay, Tencent Weiyun, and VPN for TikTok. 

Why Did They Also Ban PUBG?

While South Korean company Bluehole owns PUBG, it still got banned because Chinese company Tencent owns its mobile versions. Tencent also wholly owns League of Legends, while it partially owns Fortnite. Moreover, the company also owns stakes in Warner Music Group, Spotify, and Tesla. 

Why Is India Banning Everything Chinese?

These bans came after an ongoing border dispute between the two countries. Last June, the two countries even clashed, which killed at least 20 Indian soldiers. The Chinese Foreign Ministry then called on India to build a space for trade and economic partnerships.

The post India Bans 118 Chinese Apps, Including PUBG first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

Apple is now letting developers fight back against App Store policies. The company had announced this move at the WWDC in June. Now the process is live. A developer can file an appeal to Apple if they think the company was wrong to flag their app.

Apple Listening to Devs

In a blog post, Apple announced that the process is now online. The company said they updated the App Store’s review process. Moreover, Apple will no longer delay bug fixes because of policy violations. However, legal issues are the exception.

Apple is also allowing developers to suggest changes to the guidelines. 

How Does This Apple Appeals Process Work?

Gizmodo reports that all appeals will be anonymous. However, only account holders or members of Apple’s Developer Program can appeal. For example, Epic Games can’t suggest or appeal anymore. Apple had already terminated its developer account. 

Developers can now formally challenge Apple's App Store rejections https://t.co/PC64neUV7A pic.twitter.com/o9uiHpGGRE

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) September 1, 2020

What’s Going on with Apple?

Apple had gotten into a couple of fights with other tech companies before. Before meeting Epic Games in court, Apple had feuded with Basecamp. Basecamp created the Hey email app. Similarly, Basecamp had challenged Apple’s 30% tax. The company also hit Apple for holding Hey hostage. If Basecamp doesn’t put in-app purchases on Hey, Apple won’t let them update it.

Recently, Apple also did the same thing to WordPress’ iOS app. However, they walked their decision back. Also, Apple stopped Facebook from telling users about Apple’s 30% app purchase tax.

The post Apple Now Letting Devs Challenge App Store Rules first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Rob Sterling

Apple has escalated its battle with Epic Games. After the first hearing in Epic’s lawsuit last week, Apple has deleted Epic’s developer account. The company had threatened to do it before. With Epic now unable to access iOS developer tools, they can no longer update Fortnite on iOS. They also can no longer put their games up on the App Store. 

Apple Strikes at Epic Games

In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple confirmed that it had terminated Epic Games’ App Store account. Both companies had worked together on several launches and releases in the past. However, Apple said that Epic refused to comply with App Store rules even though the court asked them to. Apple also blamed Epic for its legal battle.

The Response from Epic Games

Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney shot back on Twitter. He said that Apple chose to terminate the company’s account, even though they didn’t have to. In the tweet, Sweeney also noted that Epic uploaded several updates to the App Store. These updates included the Season 4 update for Fortnite. Sweeney said they uploaded the Season 4 update just in case Apple wants to restore Fortnite to the App Store. 

Apple's statement isn't forthright. They chose to terminate Epic's account; they didn't *have* to.

Apple suggests we spammed the App Store review process. That's not so. Epic submitted three Fortnite builds: two bug-fix updates, and the Season 4 update with this note. pic.twitter.com/VpWEERDp5L

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) August 28, 2020

Epic Games vs. Apple

Epic Games had triggered Apple to respond by adding the option for Fortnite players to pay Epic directly when they buy the in-game currency V-bucks. Through direct payment, Apple would be unable to take its 30% cut from in-app purchases. This move violated App Store policies. According to Apple, every app that requires users to pay should give Apple 30% of its sales.

In response, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. Epic then sued Apple for the removal.

The post Apple Terminates Epic Games’ iOS Dev Account first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins