Apple hasn’t introduced new hardware in over four years. That may not be a trend, but since the passing of Steve Jobs, the tech world — not to mention legions of Apple fans — have eagerly awaited the Next Big Thing. Supposedly that thing will be unveiled today at Apple’s special event.

The two items rumored to be introduced are the iWatch, or wearable mobile technology, and a large-format iPhone, something perhaps similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note or other phablet devices. (Although I don’t believe it will be that large.)

Yahoo News

You’ve probably read about — or been concerned as a parent — how kids can use a smartphone or tablet and go on a buying spree. Especially when you have online credit or preset credit cards, little peanut can buy hundreds of dollars of apps. It’s an unpleasant surprise.

According to the article (link below), Google recently agreed to a $19 million settlement for parents whose wee li’l snowflakes have purchased way, way too many apps.

I’m kinda torn on the decision. While having more safeguards against accidental app purchases is nice, I believe this is more of a parenting issue than a reason to blame Google. Parental controls are available on many tablets, and I cover using them in my books. One app that definitely needs controlling is the Play Store.

c|net

This past week, three manufacturer’s delivered wearable mobile technology, adding smart watches to phones and tablets. What makes the smart watch trend different from the established mobile gizmo realm is one word: Fashion.

Will people actually wear and use this stuff?

New York Times

In light of Fapgate, Apple has announced . . . Well, basically, Apple has said, “It’s not our fault!” But that doesn’t detract from the interesting take on Apple’s security, mulled over in the post linked below.

Link

If you were around in the 1980s, then you probably knew about the KayPro computer. For a while, it was the most popular, “transportable” CP/M system available.

The KayPro was created as a rival to the Osborne computer, which also used the CP/M operating system.

I never did meet Andy Kay, but as the editor of a local computer magazine, I toured the KayPro facilities and saw a sneak-peek of their IBM PC compatible system in the late 1980s. Alas, that computer was too late to market and so KayPro didn’t see the same success with that model as they did their earlier efforts.

One thing I’ll always remember KayPro for was the Leading Edge word processor. It was very popular, and one of the first word processors to feature automatic backup. I found the software box’s photo of Abraham Lincoln odd, but yet I still remember it after all these years.

Mr. Kay also invented a voltage meter, but to me he’ll be remembered as one of the pioneers from the early days of the microcomputer.

Link

I have a full blog post on The Fappening coming tomorrow. Until then, catch up on the latest regarding the Celebrity Nude Photo Leak by clicking the link below.

Link

I don’t feel I should be excited about Windows 9 — or whatever Microsoft will call it. But supposedly we’ll know more by the end of September.

Gizmodo

Apparently no one knows how Facebook decides what’s relevant for you to see. It’s anyone’s guess! It’s not based on who you know or what you like.

Washington Post

Internet Explorer is still the king, but the Chrome web browser is gaining ground. It’s gone up in market share recently, apparently at the expense of the Firefox browser.

Also in the news: The Windows 64-bit version of Chrome is coming out soon. That would be nice.

Forbes