We are on the Wednesday of the 41st week of 2020 and on this day we have prepared an IT summary for you. A lot has been happening in the Apple world in recent weeks - a month ago we witnessed the introduction of the new Apple Watch and iPads, and in less than a week there is another conference where Apple will introduce the new iPhone 12. Of course, there is not much happening in the IT world, even so, there are things we would like to inform you about. Today we'll start with the famous "fight" between Apple and Facebook, and then we'll tell you about the new icon for Gmail. So let's get straight to the point.
Apple completely disables Facebook ad targeting
If you follow our magazine regularly, you have probably already noticed information about the "battle" between Apple and Facebook in the IT summary. As you probably know, Apple, being one of the few tech giants, handles user data relatively well, so consumers don't have to worry. However, other companies definitely do not handle user data correctly - for example, Facebook has had user data leaked several times and there have even been reports that this data has been sold, which is definitely not correct. Practically, however, such an offense is covered by a fine - we will leave it up to you whether this solution is correct.
In addition to all this, Apple tries to protect the users of its devices in other ways. Within operating systems, it offers countless different functions that prevent the collection of user data in third-party applications and on the web. It should be noted that the collection of user data is most often used for precise targeting of advertisements, i.e. primarily for advertisers. If the advertiser can precisely target the ad, then he is sure that his product or service will be shown to the right individuals. The Californian giant therefore prevents the collection of user data and thus also prevents the precise targeting of advertisements, which strongly damages Facebook and other similar portals on which advertisements are placed. Facebook's biggest problems are with Apple and Google - reported David Fischer, Facebook's chief financial officer.
Specifically, Fischer states that many of the tools Facebook uses for advertising are at great risk due to the strict protection of user data. Of course, both individuals and global societies rely on these tools. According to Fischer, Apple is coming up with such features that can seriously affect countless developers and entrepreneurs. Fischer further states that Apple mainly sells expensive and luxury goods that everyone knows and thus does not need advertising. However, he does not realize that his actions strongly influence differentiated business models. Some business models offer products or services completely free of charge. However, these products and services often "live" only on advertisements that need to be precisely targeted, which Fischer says is wrong. In iOS 14, the apple company added countless different features that take care of data protection and user privacy. Do you think that Apple is overdoing it with this protection, or are you on the side of the apple company? Let us know in the comments.
Change icon for Gmail
Of course, all kinds of native applications are available on Apple devices. But let's face it, not everyone needs a native application. One of these applications that users often find unsatisfying is native Mail. If you decide to purchase an alternative, you have several options - most often users reach for Gmail or an e-mail client called Spark. If you belong to the first mentioned group and use Gmail, then you should know that a small change is coming for you. Google, which is behind Gmail, is currently making changes to its G Suite package that it runs. G Suite also includes the aforementioned Gmail, along with other applications. In particular, Google is preparing a complete rebranding, which will also affect the current icon of the Gmail email client. So, if in the following days you think that the Gmail application has disappeared somewhere, look for it under the new icon, which you can see in the video below. The aforementioned rebranding then includes changes in other applications that belong to G Suite - specifically, we can mention Calendar, Files, Meet and others.
It is not only because of these measures that we have everything from Apple. Nothing is ever 100%, but when it comes to security and third-party snooping, I think Apple's ecosystem is unmatched in the market.
I'm definitely on Apple's side.
Every coin has two sides. By using information about customer behavior, you not only help the company to make more profits, but also help to optimize production, which without a doubt leads to producing what the customer needs / is able to buy. And the future of our planet will depend primarily on being able to function economically and ecologically in the current model of society, and this can be improved precisely on the basis of customer data. Therefore, I think that although Apple protects the customer on the one hand, on the other hand it prevents this optimization. And the question is what to do with other entities in the market that also have other tracking systems, AI, etc. that abuse this data? It is important to hold companies that collect personal data legally responsible for improper or unauthorized handling!
That's what I love about a bitten apple!
For my money, I at least feel relatively safe when it comes to data breaches. Otherwise, of course, I use Adblock, so stupid advertising doesn't bother me. And the chatter about the fact that something is free and the creators live off advertising really "tears my veins"!