The Glitchy Debut of Disney Plus

Thousands of fans eager to watch their favorite movies were greeted with error messages Tuesday, hours after the debut of the Disney Plus streaming service had crushed its servers, the Washington Post reports. The problems for some users undercut a huge day for Disney, which has touted the streaming service as a major part of its portfolio.

2_MARKETS

Why Is Internet Access Here More Expensive Than Abroad?

When NYU economist Thomas Philippon moved to the United States from France in the 1990s, he noticed everything from laptops to internet access was cheaper here. But today, The Verge reports, Americans pay more for data than almost every other country worldwide. Philippon's explanation: The U.S. essentially stopped enforcing pro-competition policies.

3_CODE

Google Plans to Tag Slowpoke Websites

Google plans to identify websites that don't download quickly as a way to improve the user experience of its Chrome browser, Mobile Marketer reports. Google's planned badging system for websites aims to compel web developers to boost the performance of their websites, especially as mobile apps provide a better UX for many consumers.

4_BUSINESS

Google’s Next Target: Banking

Google is gearing up to offer consumer checking accounts, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. In a project called “Cache,” Google will partner with banks and credit unions, with the banks handling all financial and compliance activities related to the accounts. What does Google stand to gain? A lot of valuable information and insight on customer behavior, TechCrunch reports.

5_INTERNET

How wikiHow Has Survived

wikiHow is a website no one thinks about until they need something, The Atlantic reports. The 14-year-old, crowdsourced web platform is known for irony-free, step-by-step guides to tasks as practical as setting up a Google Chromecast and as wildly inadvisable as stopping a wedding. It’s an explainer site that also, through the fact of its continued existence, explains how to run a website.

6_SECURITY

Hospitals’ Plague of Malware Attacks

Trojan malware attacks targeting hospitals and the broader health care industry have risen significantly this year, ZDNet reports. Figures in the new in “The State of Healthcare Cybersecurity” report from Malwarebytes show there was a 60 percent increase in trojan malware detections in the first nine months of 2019 compared with the entirety of 2018.

7_DESIGN

The Atlantic’s Redesign Melds Its History and Future

The Atlantic this week unveiled an elegant redesign—a new look that mines its 162-year history while looking to the future, Ad Age reports. The move comes alongside the arrival of its new subscriber-only app. The redesign sought to create a distinctive yet unified visual identity for not only the magazine but its various platforms.

8_APPS

WhatsApp Rolls Out Product Catalogs for Small Businesses

Facebook-owned WhatsApp is unveiling a new option that will enable businesses on the platform to better showcase their products via the WhatsApp Business app, Social Media Today reports. Now, brands on WhatsApp will be able to utilize product catalogs in their WhatsApp Business listings.

9_GEAR

The New Mac Pro Is Coming in December

As expected, Apple this week revealed the new 16-inch MacBook Pro with a redesigned keyboard. But amid that big piece of news was a smaller one: Apple confirmed the new Mac Pro will be available in December. The new Mac Pro is entirely modular, allowing users to swap out almost any component the way you can on a custom Windows desktop, The Next Web reports.

10_SAY WHAT?

Multilingual Maps

Ever been in a foreign country and struggled to give a taxi driver directions? It need not happen again, Mashable reports. Google Maps is adding a translation feature. Simply tap the new speaker button next to the place name or address of interest on Google Maps and the app will speak the location out loud.