Tech News Weekly 370: TikTok Might Shut Off Its US App

Release Date: January 16, 2025

Host: Micah Sargent

Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy (The Verge), Ben Wilson (Windows Central), Kaya Yurieff (The Information)

1. CES 2025 Highlights: Smart Home Innovations

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy provided an insightful overview of the latest trends observed at CES 2025, emphasizing the burgeoning smart home sector. She highlighted two dominant themes: smart locks and the integration of the Matter standard.

• Smart Locks Surge: Jennifer predicted 2025 as the "year of the smart lock," a forecast that came to fruition with numerous smart lock announcements. She explained the introduction of the new Lero standard, designed to enhance interoperability across devices.

  "[...] Lero is basically going to make it so that it's easy to use any smartphone or wearable to unlock any smart door you're authorized to unlock."
  (02:44)

• Matter Standard Evolution: The Matter standard, governed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, is evolving to include Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology. This advancement promises more reliable and touchless unlocking capabilities.

  "UWB is device-to-device communication. It knows precise positioning to within like millimeters."
  (06:36)

Jennifer expressed optimism that these innovations would drive widespread adoption of smart locks, potentially increasing market penetration beyond the current 10% of the US population.

2. CES 2025 Highlights: Robotics and Smart Home Devices

The discussion shifted to robotics, particularly robot vacuums equipped with advanced features.

• Roborock Saros Z70: Jennifer introduced the Saros Z70, a robot vacuum augmented with the OmniGrip mechanical arm, capable of picking up items like socks and tissues autonomously.

  "The OmniGrip will come out from the body of the robot and can pick up things like socks and light sandals and tissues."
  (21:38)

• Dreamy Robot Vacuums: Another entrant, Dreamy, unveiled a robot vacuum with both arms and legs, enhancing its ability to navigate and manage obstacles within the home.

  "They can use the arms and legs in concert to better navigate around your home."
  (22:24)

• Matter-Enabled Keyboard: A standout product was the Matter-enabled keyboard by Third Reality, featuring programmable Matter buttons that can control various smart home functions directly from the keyboard.

  "The function keys are each individual Matter buttons, which means you could program them to control anything in your smart home."
  (27:12)

Jennifer also touched upon the emergence of touchscreen control panels from companies like Acara and Shelly, facilitating more intuitive interactions within smart homes.

"Matter is helping make it so that you can bring in more devices, which is what both Acara and Shelly are going to do."
(29:59)

3. TikTok's Potential US Shutdown

Ben Wilson from Windows Central provided a comprehensive update on the looming ban of TikTok in the United States. The discussion delved into the national security concerns that have propelled this situation.

• Background of the Ban: The issue traces back to 2020 when former President Donald Trump initiated executive orders targeting TikTok over fears of Chinese government access to user data.

  "The app is facing a ban due to national security concerns... location data, information about American users."
  (34:16)

• Current Status: A bipartisan bill passed in April mandates TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by the upcoming Sunday or face an outright ban. Contrary to expectations of a gradual phase-out, TikTok plans to disable the app entirely, displaying a shutdown notification to users.

  "TikTok is actually planning to shut off the app. So the plan is... users will open TikTok's app and see a pop-up that will direct them to a website with information about the ban."
  (38:06)

• ByteDance's Stance: ByteDance has consistently resisted selling TikTok, citing China's strict export laws which necessitate government approval for acquisitions, making any potential sale highly improbable.

  "ByteDance has been very resistant to sell... a sale has been sort of a non-starter."
  (37:00)

• Legal Arguments: At the Supreme Court hearing, TikTok argued that the ban violates the First Amendment, asserting that TikTok is a US-operated platform deserving of free speech protections. However, the justices expressed skepticism, especially regarding TikTok's claims compared to other foreign-owned platforms like Spotify.

  "TikTok is a U.S. company operating in the U.S. so it should have First Amendment protections."
  (42:30)

• Future Outlook: With the deadline imminent, options include potential executive actions from President Trump, though legal experts doubt their feasibility. The shutdown represents a significant departure from the expected gradual discontinuation, aiming to assert the ban's immediacy.

  "It's going to have the immediate effect of angering TikTok's user base all at once and really bringing the reality of the ban home."
  (38:06)

4. Windows 10 End of Support and Microsoft's Push for Windows 11

Kaya Yurieff from The Information discussed Microsoft's recent decision to cease support for Office apps on Windows 10, aligning with the broader end-of-life for the operating system.

• End of Support Details: As of October 14th, Microsoft will stop providing bug patches, security fixes, and updates for Office apps on Windows 10. While users can continue using the apps, they will do so on an unsupported and increasingly vulnerable platform.

  "No more bug patches, no more security fixes for exploits... you can in theory keep using the app, but it will be on an unsupported Windows 10."
  (51:00)

• Security Implications: Kaya emphasized the heightened security risks associated with continuing to use Office apps on an unsupported OS, particularly for environments handling sensitive information.

  "If you stay on Windows 10 and don't pay anything and just give up on updates entirely, it is just going to become increasingly risky."
  (53:30)

• Upgrade Challenges: The transition to Windows 11 is hindered by strict hardware requirements, including TPM chips, which exclude older machines. Microsoft recommends using Office through web browsers as a workaround for those unable to upgrade.

  "The primary recommendation for regular people from Microsoft is going to be to use the browser."
  (55:31)

• Extended Support Option: For a fee, users can access extended support for Windows 10 for an additional year, providing a temporary solution while preparing for the eventual transition.

  "It's a $30 fee for one more year essentially for a consumer machine... you'll have about 12 months to either figure out a compatibility solution or a replacement."
  (58:43)

• Microsoft's Strategy: Microsoft is leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence to entice users to upgrade, integrating AI-driven features into Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 to enhance functionality and security.

  "Microsoft is all in on artificial intelligence... Windows 12 that will be heavily integrated with AI."
  (61:16)

Kaya concluded by acknowledging the resistance from users hesitant to embrace AI, but underscored its inevitability and Microsoft's commitment to evolving the operating system landscape.

Notable Quotes

• Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on Smart Locks:

  "UWB is device to device communication. Just you have to have the UWB chip in the lock and you have to have the UWB chip in your device."
  (06:36)

• Ben Wilson on TikTok Shutdown:

  "TikTok is a U.S. company operating in the U.S. so it should have First Amendment protections."
  (42:30)

• Kaya Yurieff on Windows 10 Security Risks:

  "If you stay on Windows 10 and don't pay anything and just give up on updates entirely, it is just going to become increasingly risky."
  (53:30)

Conclusion

Episode 370 of Tech News Weekly provided a comprehensive dive into significant tech developments, from the surge in smart home innovations and the imminent shutdown of TikTok's US app to Microsoft's strategic push for Windows 11 amid security concerns. With expert insights from Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Ben Wilson, and Kaya Yurieff, listeners were equipped with a nuanced understanding of these pivotal industry shifts.

For more detailed discussions and updates, visit TWiT.tv.