Consumer Reports has analyzed the privacy policies of Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Webex and discovered that they may be collecting more data than you realize.
To be clear: Consumer Reports isn’t saying that these apps are unsafe to use (and indeed, a separate Mozilla report found that nearly every major video conferencing app meets basic security standards). But by agreeing to the privacy policies of these services, you are giving companies like Google and Microsoft access to plenty of personal data. According to the report, all three companies reserve the right to collect information from your calls, including how long a call lasts, who’s participating in the call, and the IP addresses of everyone taking part.
Ken Burns has issue with Michael Jordan being a partner in ‘The Last Dance’
1. We finally found someone who isn’t wetting themselves with excitement over The Last Dance.
While it seems the entire sports world is in agreement that ESPN’s series on Michael Jordan and the Bulls is a spectacular watch, documentarian Ken Burns is having none of it.
The filmmaker, who created the 1994 Baseball series, told the Wall Street Journal that The Last Dance isn’t for him because it’s not good journalism.
“If you are there influencing the very fact of it getting made it means certain aspects that you don’t necessarily want in aren’t going to be in, period,” Burns said. “And that’s not the way you do good journalism…and it’s certainly not the way you do good history, my business.”
Burns also revealed that he hasn’t watched any of the The Last Dance and that he would “never, never, never” agree to do it because Jordan’s production company is a partner in the making of the series.
I absolutely HATE this take.
Why does a sports documentary have to be journalism? Why can’t it just be entertainment? Why does it have to be “good” history? Why can’t it just be a fun look back at a memorable time—which, in essence, is exactly what The Last Dance is.
Do I think ESPN should make it clear every week that Jordan is a partner in the series? Yes. Is it really that important? No. Jordan is on camera giving his opinion throughout the series. I think most viewers are smart enough to get that what we are getting is his perspective.
And guess what, Ken? This isn’t a series about anything important or serious. It’s a series about a basketball player and his team. It’s sports. It’s entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s frivolous. It’s unimportant. It’s not anything to take a stance against.
This isn’t like the O.J. Simpson doc or the Aaron Hernandez doc, which was about murder—something that’s actually serious and important. The Last Dance is about how a basketball team won a championship thanks to the greatest player on the earth. It doesn’t require a hard-hitting journalistic angle.
Plus, the series doesn’t exist without Jordan being a partner because he owned all the footage we’ve been treated to. I’m sure every viewer would sacrifice “good journalism” in order to get M.J. to open his vault.
Anyway, can’t wait until Sunday night at 9 p.m.
2. If you’re into watching old games and you’re a fan of Good Morning Football, there’s a new show that will be right up your alley. (Side note: How dumb of an expression is “right up your alley?”)
Anyway, Kyle Brandt and Peter Schrager are teaming up for Run It Back, where they’ll watch a popular NFL game and provide commentary over. They kicked things off with the 2003 Packers-Eagles NFC Divisional Playoff Game and the famous 4th-and-26 play.
The portion of the show that cover Donovan McNabb’s crazy completion to Freddie Mitchel begins at the 31:45 mark.
3. No one on sports television has had a more dramatic hair transformation during quarantine than Around the Horn host, Tony Reali, who has now gone full Cosmo Kramer.
Side note: If you never heard Reali’s raw and honest 2018 appearance on the SI Media Podcast, it’s one of the best ever.
4. Reminder: ESPN’s E:60 on Alex Smith’s recovery from 16 surgeries over eight months after a gruesome leg injury airs tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET.
5. This week’s SI Media Podcast features a conversation with the always entertaining and always insightful Chris Long.
The two-time Super Bowl champion turned podcaster discussed how long of a preseason NFL players would need before the start of the season, the Aaron Rodgers-Green Bay Packers relationship, The Last Dance, why he loves cold showers, when he’d attend a sporting event, and much more.
6. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: I’ve always enjoyed this bit by Bill Burr on his issues with restaurants.
7. SPORTS HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: In 1983, Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett broke off a 99-yard touchdown run (and the Monday Night Football booth was fun). I wish sports networks would show more old-school games like this one.
As unemployment surges, calls to cancel rent are growing louder. In New York, thousands are planning a rent strike for May, while landlords ask for a federal bailout.
The theatrical new trailer for Assassins Creed Valhalla showcases a brutal ninth-century battle between Nordic invaders and English defenders.
“Godless barbarians,” the English lord says of his enemies, who are led by the franchise’s newest protagonist, a Viking raider named Eivor. “They murder and kill blindly and scar the lands of England…lands they will never defend.”
Unlike many other video game trailers, this oneoffers cinematic-quality scenes of brutal hand-to-hand combat instead of gameplay footage. That said, developer Ubisoft has offered extensive details on the setting, goals, and player abilities that range from decapitating foes and dual-wielding shields to participating in Nordic drinking games.
Blaze your own path across England with advanced RPG mechanics. Fight brutal battles, lead fiery raids or use strategy and alliances with other leaders to bring victory. Every choice you make in combat and conversation is another step on the path to greatness.
Lead a crew of raiders and launch lightning-fast surprise attacks against Saxon armies and fortresses. Claim the riches of your enemies’ lands for your clan and expand your influence far beyond your growing settlement.
Unleash the ruthless fighting style of a Viking warrior as you dual-wield axes, swords, or even shields against relentless foes. Decapitate opponents in close-quarters combat, riddle them with arrows, or assassinate them with your Hidden Blade.
Your clan’s new home grows with your legend. Customize your settlement by building upgradable structures. Unlock new features and quests by constructing a barracks, a blacksmith, a tattoo parlor, and much more.
Recruit mercenary Vikings designed by other players or create and customize your own to share online. Sit back and reap the rewards when they fight alongside your friends in their game worlds.
Sail across the icy North Sea to discover and conquer the broken kingdoms of England. Immerse yourself in activities like hunting and drinking games or engage in traditional Norse competitions like flyting – or, as it’s better known, verbally devastating rivals through the art of the Viking rap battle.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is expected to arrive sometime during the 2020 holiday season on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and Stadia.
Switching from HBO Now to HBO Max is a decision that incoming AT&T CEO John Stankey once said will be an “IQ test.” Now, AT&T and WarnerMedia are trying to make that upgrade even more appealing by offering a year of HBO Max, which launches on May 27th, to subscribers for $11.99 a month. That’s $3 cheaper than current HBO Now subscriptions.
There are a couple of caveats. The new price tag is only available to “new subscribers and returning HBO Now subscribers, who sign up through HBOMax.com,” a WarnerMedia spokesperson confirmed to The Verge. A message that appears on the sign up page also seems to imply that customers who purchased HBO Now subscriptions through third party platforms, including Apple TV and Google Play, aren’t eligible…
The Zoom videoconferencing app has become a highly popular means of keeping in touch for a world increasingly in isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, both for personal and professional meetings. However, in late March / early April, a number of complaints arose about Zoom’s privacy and security record, as more and more people flocked to the platform and a brighter spotlight was shined on how it worked and what data it possibly collected.
We recently ran a roundup of some of the free videoconferencing apps available, including Zoom. Since so many questions came up about Zoom’s security, we decided to run the roundup again, this time excluding Zoom and adding other apps that you can use instead. (Be aware, however, that since this…
ESPN and Netflix are looking to Spotify for ancillary content to complement their newest docuseries about former Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan. The Last Dance tells the story of Jordan’s career over the course of 10 episodes released weekly, and now, Spotify is creating music and podcast playlists that viewers can check out after watching the show. The music playlist was partially curated by the series’ music supervisor Rudy Chung, while Spotify’s internal podcast curation team is seemingly putting the weekly podcast playlist together.
The partnership builds on every brand’s respective strengths. ESPN is partnering with Netflix to bring the show to viewers outside the US, and the two companies are looking to outsource further…
Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Spotify