Technology

The clues were there all along if you were paying attention, but I still gasped at the very big reveal in the latest episode of Ted Lasso. I won’t spoil it except to say: it was very well done from beginning to end, my crush on Roy Kent continues, and I’ve had Somewhere Only We Know in my head all weekend. Trailers! Let’s get right to it because pretty much every one of these trailers is extremely relevant to my interests and I just don’t know how I’m going to find the time to watch everything. [embedded content] The Matrix: Resurrections The first trailer for the fourth Matrix movie has arrived at last along with some robust internet analysis of whaaaaat is going on here. It seems Neo doesn’t know what’s real and isn’t in the Matrix, but maybe he also is? Also his name is Thomas again. Al...

On Friday, a California judge ruled on the influential Epic v. Apple lawsuit, and both sides lost. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers concluded that Apple wasn’t unfairly monopolizing the mobile app space with iOS or its in-app purchasing system, and she ordered Epic to pay damages for violating its developer agreement with Fortnite. At the same time, she ordered Apple to remove its anti-steering rules — policies banning developers from telling users about alternatives to Apple’s in-app purchase system. For readers outside those two companies, though, Judge Rogers’ opinion has a lot to offer. Rogers clearly considers much of Epic and Apple’s behavior silly and many of both companies’ arguments bad. But she seriously examines all these arguments and lays out a blueprint for further legal argument...

Tim Cook has just marked 10 years as Apple’s CEO, and while he’s grown Apple into the most valuable company in the world, it’s reasonable to argue he hasn’t yet introduced a signature, industry shaking product like Apple co-founder Steve Jobs did with the iPhone, iPad, Mac and more. But if you’ve been following Apple for a minute, you’ve probably heard Cook talk about the game-changing potential of augmented reality. While he once said it was hard to see the appeal of Google Glass, the AR wearable that proved unpopular with consumers, he’s held a consistently positive opinion on AR since at least 2016. While most of the industry was putting all its eggs in the VR basket, Cook repeatedly expressed support for what he views as the far superior AR. This would become a running theme: AR good, ...

Days before Apple’s California Streaming event on September 14th, a new investor report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says he expects the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max to each have a 1TB storage configuration (h/t 9to5Mac). Kuo also says the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini will have storage configurations of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, but no 64GB option. Kuo also said he expects Apple to reveal AirPods 3 at Tuesday’s event, but that Apple will probably keep the AirPods 2 available. He cautions that the iPhone 13 could be affected by supply chain shortages, as has been previously reported, but expects there will be limited impact on iPhone 13 shipments. Previous leaks and rumors have pointed to an iPhone 13 lineup that will include four models in the same sizes as last year’s models. The new p...

Epic Games has filed an appeal to a Friday’s ruling in its lawsuit against Apple, calling on a higher court to reexamine the case and overturn the judge’s ruling. “Notice is hereby given that Epic Games, Inc…. appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from the final Judgment entered on September 10, 2021,” the document reads. Few details are given about the legal basis for Epic’s appeal, but it is likely to continue to press on the federal antitrust allegations dismissed by the court. At trial, Epic argued Apple had a monopoly because of how it requires developers to use its payments system for in-game purchases. But Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled Friday that Epic should pay damages to Apple for violating rules around its in-app purchasing system, while ...

Salesforce has told employees that the company will help them and their families relocate if they’re concerned about abortion access in the state where they live. According to a Slack message obtained by CNBC, the company didn’t refer to any specific state, but the message was sent to thousands of employees late Friday, a day after the US Department of Justice sued Texas over its new abortion law. “These are incredibly personal issues that directly impact many of us — especially women,” the Slack message reads, according to CNBC. “[I]f you have concerns about access to reproductive healthcare in your state, Salesforce will help relocate you and members of your immediate family.” The Slack message didn’t suggest the company was taking a position on abortion or the new Texas law, noting that...

Honda and Toyota are criticizing a new proposal by Democratic lawmakers to expand tax credits for electric vehicles, saying it discriminates against non-union auto workers, Reuters reported. Under the proposal, US union-made electric vehicles would qualify for a tax credit of $12,500 per vehicle, while keeping a credit for most other EVs at $7,500. The proposal would significantly favor Big Three US automakers GM, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler over non-union companies such as Tesla and the Japanese carmakers, both of which have plants in the US. US Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Michigan) told Reuters “We want to incentivize this. It puts American manufacturers in the lead, which is where we want them, and it reduces emissions faster than any other policy that we could put in place.” President Biden has sai...

Leica‘s Geosystems division, owned by the Swedish industrial group Hexagon, has revealed two new autonomous reality capture cameras designed for advanced robots and aerial drones. The devices provide panoramic and detail shots and autonomously map out uncharted areas in colorized 3D point clouds, creating digital twins of areas of interest with a high degree of accuracy. The BLK Arc is currently compatible with the Boston Dynamics Spot robot seen above and comes equipped with 3 panoramic cameras, a high-resolution camera for detail shots, and a dual-axis LiDar to map out surroundings. The Arc compliments Spot’s existing technology, allowing it to better navigate its surroundings. The BLK2Fly seen below is the world’s first autonomous flying laser scanner used to explore hard-to-reach areas...

After spending $180,000 USD worth of Ethereum on a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT, Stephen Curry has announced that he will serve as Global Brand Ambassador and shareholder for the cryptocurrency trading platform FTX. “I’m excited to partner with a company that demystifies the crypto space and eliminates the intimidation factor for first-time users,” said Curry in a statement. “FTX is likeminded when it comes to giving back to the community in meaningful ways and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.” FTX is a user-friendly centralized exchange focused on derivatives and leveraged products which supports most traded cryptocurrencies. The platform has committed to providing an annual donation to Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play children’s foundation which focuses on ending ch...

Google provided some user data to the government of Hong Kong last year, despite promising it would not process such data requests from authorities, according to the Hong Kong Free Press. The company told the news outlet it “produced some data” in response to three of the 43 requests it received from Hong Kong’s government. Two of the requests had to do with investigations into human trafficking and included search warrants, and a third was an emergency disclosure as part of a credible threat to someone’s life, HKFP reported. The company told HKFP that none of the three responses included users’ content data. Last August, Google said it would stop responding to data requests from Hong Kong’s government, unless the requests were made in cooperation with the US Department of Justice. The mov...

After it ended free unlimited storage for Google Photos in June, many Google users had figure out how to store images and other data in the Google accounts. They could keep their Google account stored data under 15GB, or pay for a Google One plan. Options included a 100GB plan for $1.99 per month, a 200GB plan for $2.99 a month, a 2TB plan for $9.99 a month, or a plan with 10TB of storage for $49.99 per month. 20TB and 30TB plans are also available, for $99.99 and $149.99 per month, respectively. Now Google’s introduced a middle option between 2TB and 10TB, as noticed by 9to5Google. The 5TB Google One plan costs $24.99 per month, a good (and less expensive) option for people who want a little more than 2TB but don’t quite need a plan with 10TB of storage or more. If you’re sure the 5TB pla...

The entertainment industry spends millions researching what we watch and why every year. As climate destruction and a global pandemic make it more difficult to turn away from our social media feeds, CBS has found a new way to exploit these horrors with its show “The Activist.” Doomscrollers are their new audience. According to Deadline, the five-week CBS reality series will “feature six inspiring activists teamed with three high-profile public figures working together to bring meaningful change to one of three vitally important world causes: health, education, and environment.” “The show is perfectly timed” The show is perfectly timed: For the last few years, we have been stuck in a crisis loop. When California catches on fire, the streets of New York flood with toxic waters, or police off...