Mike Tyson & Jake Paul's Netflix Knockout...

What’s up, Tech Squad! While the world debates if smart homes or wearables will truly run our lives someday, this week brought us both futuristic glimpses and retro nostalgia. Apple’s about to make your home smarter with a new hub, Netflix nearly melted down from a boxing match frenzy, and Casio proved that even your fingers deserve a little tech love. Let’s dive in.

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According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple is stepping into the ring with Amazon’s Echo Hub and Google’s Nest Hub, debuting a smart home command center designed to make your home feel smarter, sleeker, and more… Apple. The device will lean on a new operating system, homeOS, alongside a revamped Siri, which will use advanced App Intents for laser-precise smart home control.

Think of it as a mini-iPad for your smart home. Sporting a 6-inch screen, built-in battery, speakers, and a FaceTime camera (landscape-oriented, naturally), the gadget comes in silver and black. Its sensors adapt the interface based on user proximity, and you can mount it on a wall or set it on a base with extra speakers for some sonic oomph.

This mini powerhouse isn’t just about aesthetics, though. It’ll control everything from lights to security cameras via HomeKit, act as a house-wide intercom, and even manage music through HomePods. But don’t expect an app store: Apple learned its lesson from less-than-stellar marketplaces for devices like the Apple Watch and Vision Pro.

Big picture: Apple’s entering a crowded space with this device. It’s feature-packed, but let’s face it—you could cobble together a similar setup with an entry-level iPad and a $20 wall mount. Will Apple’s polish and ecosystem give it the edge? Time (and living rooms) will tell.

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Netflix’s knockout moment with Tyson vs. Paul

Netflix landed a major punch in the live-streaming arena during the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match, hitting 65 million concurrent streams—a record-breaking feat, according to Most Valuable Promotions. The event reached 60 million households worldwide, a number so staggering it could KO Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day stream later this year.

But this wasn’t a flawless victory. Social media was flooded with complaints of muddy visuals, buffering, and dropped connections, as Netflix’s servers struggled under the weight of the unprecedented demand. Downdetector logged over 100,000 streaming complaints during the fight, proving that even the streaming titan has its limits.

Disney+ Hotstar held the previous crown, delivering 59 million concurrent streams for a World Cup cricket match. Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone praised her team for keeping the stream stable “for the majority of viewers” and acknowledged room for improvement.

Zoom out: While the streaming king is still refining its live-event game, this performance puts Netflix in the ring with the big players. Live sports, anyone?

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Spotify bets big on video, takes aim at YouTube

Spotify is putting its chips on video content. Starting January 2, 2025, video creators will earn payouts based on engagement from paid subscribers. Plus, automated ad breaks will disappear for premium users in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, encouraging more uninterrupted viewing.

This move positions Spotify squarely against YouTube, which has been doubling down on podcasts and already doles out billions in ad revenue to creators. CEO Daniel Ek touted Spotify’s platform as the ultimate creator hub, claiming it offers a superior audience experience.

The numbers back up Spotify’s video play: Since launching video podcasts in 2022, the number of video creators has doubled annually, now surpassing 300,000. Video consumption hours are outpacing audio, and Spotify wants to ride that wave. A new Spotify for Creatorshub will help creators track payouts, access analytics, and upload snazzy short-form clips.

The question: Will Spotify’s mystery payout formula measure up to YouTube’s? That’s the key for luring top talent—and their audiences—away.

Casio’s first smart ring brings retro vibes to your finger

Move over, smartwatches—Casio is throwing its hat (or rather, its ring) into the wearable ring market with the CRW-001-1JR. Launched to celebrate 50 years of Casio’s digital watch legacy, this $128 mini timepiece will debut in Japan this December.

This isn’t your fitness tracker cousin. Instead, it’s all about retro charm: a tiny sub-one-inch case with a six-segment LCD display showing hours, minutes, and seconds. Its features? Think stopwatch, a flashing alarm, a light-up display, and even the ability to show the time in other zones—all controlled by three buttons. Bonus: it’s waterproof and runs on a single battery for two years.

But here’s the kicker (or finger): it’s a fixed US size 10.5. Smaller fingers can use spacers for a snug fit, but larger-fingered folks will have to admire it from afar—or stick to the good ol’ wrist.

The big picture: Casio’s leaning into nostalgia, leaving us dreaming of a calculator ring for the 75th anniversary. Your move, Timex.