“We’re at a turning point for driving surveillance,” reports the Washington Post (in an article shared by long-time Slashdot reader davidwr ). “In the 2020 model year, most new cars sold in the United States will come with built-in Internet connections, including 100 percent of Fords, GMs and BMWs and all but one model Toyota and Volkswagen.” Often included for free…
Tag: cellular
Worried About 5G’s Health Effects? Don’t Be
There are real concerns about the way 5G is being deployed in the US, including security issues, the potential to interfere with weather forecasting systems, and the FCC steamrolling local regulators in the name of accelerating the 5G rollout. But concerns over the potential health impacts of 5G are overblown. From a report: If you weren’t worried about prior generations of…
Genetically-Engineered Microbe No Longer Needs to Eat Food To Grow
“Synthetic biologists have performed a biochemical switcheroo,” reports Science magazine: They’ve re-engineered a bacterium that normally eats a diet of simple sugars into one that builds its cells by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), much like plants. The work could lead to engineered microbes that suck CO2 out of the air and turn it into medicines and other high-value compounds. “The implications…
Intel and MediaTek Partner on 5G Laptops for 2021
Taiwan’s MediaTek has announced a partnership with U.S. chipmaking giant Intel to supply future Intel-powered PCs with fifth-generation networking modems from the start of 2021. From a report: The agreement marks a small step toward a big change in the way computing is done, as 5G promises to revolutionize both the speed and availability of cellular networks, creating dense coverage with…
Inside Apple’s iPhone Software Shakeup After Buggy iOS 13 Debut
Apple is overhauling how it tests software after a swarm of bugs marred the latest iPhone and iPad operating systems, Bloomberg reported Thursday. From the report: Software chief Craig Federighi and lieutenants including Stacey Lysik announced the changes at a recent internal “kickoff” meeting with the company’s software developers. The new approach calls for Apple’s development teams to ensure that test…
Senators Ask Zuckerberg To Explain Why Facebook Still Tracks Users’ Location Even When They Have Asked it Not To
Two senators are asking Facebook to “respect” users’ decisions to keep their location data from the company. From a report: In a letter sent Tuesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to respond to questions about how the company collects location data through the new operating systems for Apple’s iPhones and Google’s Android….
Xiaomi Launches Mi Watch, Its $185 Apple Watch Clone
Xiaomi, which competes with Apple for the top position in the wearable market, today made the competition a little more interesting. The Chinese electronics giant has launched its first smartwatch called the Mi Watch that looks strikingly similar to the Apple Watch in its home market. From a report: The Mi Watch, like the Apple Watch, has a square body with…
Why don’t evergreen trees change color and drop their leaves?
As temperatures drop, broad-leafed deciduous trees – think maples and oaks – withdraw the green chlorophyll from their leaves. Their leaves turn colors and fall. Evergreens solve the problem of winter in a different way. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/why-dont-evergreen-trees-change-drop-leaves…
AT&T To Sell Puerto Rico Business As It Looks To Pay Down Debt
According to The Wall Street Journal, AT&T has agreed to sell its Puerto Rican and U.S. Virgin Islands businesses to Liberty Latin America for $1.95 billion in cash (Warning: source paywalled, alternative source), “allowing the telecommunications giant to shave its debt load and move closer to repurchasing shares.” From the report: AT&T’s operation in Puerto Rico provides cellular, landline and internet…
Apple Considers Using Iconic Logo As a Notification Light, Patent App Suggests
Apple has applied for a patent to use the logo on the back of its phones as a notification light. The patent application, which was first spotted by Apple Insider, outlines how the “adjustable decoration” could respond to events such as “incoming communication” or “a calendar reminder” by changing its appearance or flashing to attract your attention. The Verge reports: The…