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The Sould-Like-Future Edition Sunday, February 19, 2017

Apple AirPods Review - Not Perfection But These Smart Headphones Sound Like The Future, by David Snelling, Sunday Express

Their seamless connection, good sound quality, long battery life and clever charging case all make these in-ear headphones an absolute joy to use.

Like most new technology there’s a few issues including a lack of physical controls, high price and the odd time where your music cuts out.

The AirPods might not be note perfect but they certainly sound like the future.

Free App 'Reverb' Brings Amazon's Alexa To Mac Desktops, iPhones And iPads, by Tim Hardwick, MacRumors

Launching the free Mac app prompts users to sign in to their Amazon account, after which a window opens showing the familiar blue Alexa ring on the desktop. Click and hold on the ring with the mouse cursor, and provided an internet connection is active, the virtual assistant listens and responds to the sort of spoken questions and commands usually directed at Amazon's Echo range of smart speakers.

Develop

A Startup Founder Explained How VCs Came Knocking After He Did A Deal With Apple, by Sam Shead, Business Insider

Parkopedia, a London tech firm that helps people find parking spaces, immediately caught the eye of several investors last year after it signed a potentially-lucrative deal with Apple.

Eugene Tsyrklevich, the CEO and founder and 10-year-old Parkopedia, told Business Insider during an interview at his company's office near London Bridge that several larger firms have also tried to buy Parkopedia.

"The more successful you become, the less money you need, and the more opportunities you have," he said.

No CEO: The Swedish Company Where Nobody Is In Charge, by Katie Hope, BBC

The staff decided that many of the chief executive's responsibilities overlapped with those of the board, while other roles could be shared among other employees.

"When we looked at it we had nothing left in the CEO column, and we said, 'all right, why don't we try it out?'" says Ms Sundman.

Notes

Apple Buys Israel’s Facial Recognition Firm RealFace – Report, by Shoshanna Solomon, Times Of Israel

Apple Inc. has acquired Israel’s Realface, a cybertechnology startup whose facial recognition technology can be used to authenticate users. This is Apple’s fourth acquisition in Israel, the financial website Calcalist reported Sunday, and the deal is estimated to be worth a couple of million of dollars.

Why Every US Carrier Suddenly Changed Their Unlimited Plan This Week, by Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge

The simple answer is competition. T-Mobile, for all its underdog nipping at Verizon’s heels, is slowly catching up to Verizon — while it still doesn’t have nearly the customer base, T-Mobile is at the very least putting up a fight with Verizon when it comes to coverage, speed, and reliability.