Indholdsfortegnelse for #393 i AppleMagazine

WHY IT’S THE ‘NEXT BIG THING’ FOR SMARTPHONES It’s impossible to deny the nigh-on revolutionary effect that Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and all of the features built upon it have had on our lives. It has been instrumental in improving military accuracy, as well as bringing a new level of sophistication to transportation and traffic features around the globe. Now, though, it seems that another navigation revolution is at hand: the emergence of indoor positioning technology. At the most basic level, indoor positioning – or indoor navigation – can be understood as a shrinking of GPS and related technology to indoor spaces. This raises the possibility of its everyday use for mapping, showing and exploring buildings’ internal compartments, including the likes of public buildings, shopping malls, big stores, parks,…

A Johns Hopkins University initiative announced this week will offer short courses to principals and other school leaders as part of an effort to create standards around school health and safety. Topics including student mental health and security technology will be offered through the Center for Safe and Healthy Schools launched by Johns Hopkins’ School of Education. The new center is being created as a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center fo r Public Affairs Research finds that most Americans consider schools less safe than they were 20 years ago. Dean Christopher Morphew said the new center will draw from university research to inform kindergarten through 12th grade school leaders who face decisions about keeping students healthy, engaging the community and securing schools against threats. “What we’re trying to…

Microsoft has announced an ambitious effort it says will make voting secure, verifiable and subject to reliable audits. Two of the three top U.S elections vendors have expressed interest in potentially incorporating the open-source software into their proprietary voting systems. The software kit is being developed with Galois, an Oregon-based company separately creating a secure voting system prototype under contract with the Pentagon’s advanced research agency, DARPA. Dubbed “ElectionGuard,” the Microsoft kit will be available this summer, the company says, with early prototypes ready to pilot for next year’s general elections. CEO Satya Nadella announced the initiative Monday at a developer’s conference in Seattle. Nadella said the project’s software, provided free of charge as part of Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program, would help “modernize all of the election infrastructure everywhere in…

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Hiccup, a dragon trainer turned Viking chief of Berk, rules over a dragon utopia, only for a new threat to emerge. He and his dragon Toothless embark on a trip to a mythical hidden world while Toothless bonds with a female Light Fury dragon. FIVE FACTS: 1. This is the third and final film in the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, after How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014). 2. Like the first and second films, The Hidden World was written and directed by Dean DeBlois. 3. At the time of writing, The Hidden World is the fourth highest-grossing film of 2019. 4. A third How to Train Your Dragon film was publicly anticipated…

Summer starts in May at the movies and AppleMagazine has you covered with a month-by-month guide of what’s playing at the theaters, and on Netflix, from the biggest blockbusters to the smallest indies. MAY “Long Shot” (May 3) —A childhood crush gets a second chance when a presidential hopeful (Charlize Theron) hires a speechwriter (Seth Rogen) who she used to babysit in this raucous comedy. “Uglydolls” (May 3) —The popular toys are voiced by some of music’s biggest stars, including Kelly Clarkson and Pitbull, in this animated family film. “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” (May 3) — Zac Efron plays Ted Bundy in this unconventional look at the serial killer through the eyes of an ex-girlfriend (Lily Collins) witnessing his downfall in this Netflix drama. Also in select theaters.…

Google announced updates for its artificially intelligent voice assistant and new privacy tools to give people more control over how they’re being tracked on the go or in their own home. CEO Sundar Pichai kicked off the company’s annual developer conference Tuesday, noting that the company wants to do more to stay ahead of “constantly evolving user expectations” on privacy. In an appeal to concerns about constant location tracking, the company will begin enabling users of its digital maps to cloak their identities to prevent their locations from being recorded. The company is offering its new “Incognito” privacy control amid face intensifying scrutiny over how much user information technology companies collect and sell for advertising. Facebook dedicated much of its own conference last week to connecting people though more private…

A sophisticated voice-identity technology that monitors inmates on prison telephones has been installed in at least 23 Florida counties and has been used to bring criminal charges against inmates in at least one of them, a Fresh Take Florida investigation found. The technology produced by a secretive, Dallas-based company is designed to make and store voice prints of inmates and to ensure they are using prison phones under their own identities, rather than secretly making calls using the IDs of other inmates. Inmates throughout Florida are compelled to agree to monitoring by the software developed by Securus Technologies, called Investigator Pro, or they risk losing or limiting their phone privileges. But there are unanswered public policy questions about the technology: What happens to the voice records of defendants who are…

Cybersecurity officials from dozens of countries drew up a blueprint to counter threats and ensure the safety of next generation mobile networks that their nations are set to start deploying. Officials hammered out a set of non-binding proposals published at the end of a two-day meeting organized by the Czech government to discuss the security of new 5G networks. The meeting comes amid a simmering global battle between the U.S. and China’s Huawei, the world’s biggest maker of network infrastructure equipment. The U.S. has been lobbying allies to ban Huawei from 5G networks over concerns China’s government could force the company to give it access to data for cyberespionage. Huawei has denied the allegations. Officials called for a cooperative approach to security, saying that they didn’t want to target specific…

The Wall Street Journal reports that Facebook plans a cryptocurrency-based payment system that it could launch for billions of users worldwide. The system would use a digital coin similar to bitcoin, but different in that Facebook would aim to keep the coin’s value stable. Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies have been susceptible to wild fluctuations in value. It could reportedly undermine credit cards by sidestepping the processing fees that generate much of their revenue. The Journal report cited unidentified people familiar with the matter. It said Facebook is recruiting dozens of financial firms and online merchants to launch the network. Facebook’s plans may include ways to financially reward users who interact with ads or other features. Facebook says only that it is exploring many different applications for cryptocurrency technology.…

With consumers becoming increasingly conscious of their health and the environment, new startups are innovating in food and introducing new technology to reduce carbon emissions and make us healthier and greener. This week, we delve deeper into the growing FoodTech industry, and explore some of the biggest innovations set to shake up our mealtimes… CHANGING INDUSTRY Put food and technology in the same sentence, and it’s likely that brands such as Uber Eats and Blue Apron come to mind. Both have innovated in their fields, allowing consumers to order food from their smartphone or have a box of ingredients shipped to their address, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the food industry. Food delivery accounts for around one percent of the total food industry…

More than 15,000 students from about 40 countries brought robots they’ve spent months building and fine-tuning to Louisville recently for a world championship designed to spark their interest in pursuing careers in fields such as engineering and technology. These students, who span in grades from elementary school through college, are part of around 1,650 teams that have excelled in competitions held across the globe, culminating in the VEX Robotics World Championship. This competition was sponsored by VEX Robotics, which makes hands-on educational tools teachers can use in their classes, and was being held in Louisville for the fifth time. The championship, which Guinness World Records has recognized as the largest robotics competition, brought more than 25,000 people to town, including students, coaches and parents. And it gave kids the chance…

OCEAN Karol G Famed for a string of Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart hits and a versatility rivaling that of countrywoman Shakira, the 28-year-old Colombian artist Karol G is back with her second studio album, OCEAN, which takes inspiration from how the ocean flows like music and life itself. FIVE FACTS: 1. Karol G’s birth name is Carolina Giraldo Navarro. 2. She has scored top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart with the songs “Ahora Me Llama”, “Mi Cama” and “Culpables”. 3. Karol G has also been the recipient of a Latin Grammy Award. 4. Speaking to Billboard about the influences on the album, Karol G explained: “The ocean is everything. It’s calm, but brave – it’s life.” 5. Karol G is currently dating the Puerto Rican…

Now armed with the upcoming releases of 20th Century Fox, the Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday set forth a shock-and-awe release schedule spanning the next eight years, including the yet-again-postponed “Avatar” sequels, a new batch of “Star Wars” releases and Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” adaptation. Since Disney’s $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox was completed in March, the studio hadn’t budged on the listed release dates of a number of Fox releases, even as it was increasingly apparent to the industry that high-profile upcoming films were sure to be delayed under the Disney shake-up. But the most notable delay announced Tuesday was a familiar one: The long wait for more “Avatar” films will go on a little longer. James Cameron’s long-delayed “Avatar 2” will now open in theaters on December…

When Chris Williamson was in the market for a new family car, a timely ad and conversations with a co-worker convinced him to try something out of the ordinary. He bought a BMW 3 Series convertible and covers the payments by renting it to strangers on a peer-to-peer car sharing app called Turo. It allows his family of seven to have a nicer car, essentially for free. “It’s great to have that little bit of extra income and not have to worry about the car payments,” said Williamson, a teacher from the Phoenix area. But his customers and others using car-sharing apps around the United States get their rentals tax-free. That’s made them a target for rental car companies, airport authorities and local governments. They say users of the upstart…

You may go your entire life without seeing an endangered species, yet the globe’s biodiversity crisis threatens all of humanity in numerous unseen or unrecognized ways, scientists say. A massive United Nations report this week warned that nature is in trouble, estimated 1 million species are threatened with extinction if nothing is done and said the worldwide deterioration of nature is everybody’s problem. “Nature is essential for human existence and good quality of life,”the report said. Food, energy, medicine, water, protection from storms and floods and slowing climate change are some of the 18 ways nature helps keep people alive, the report said. And it concluded 14 of those are on long-term declining trends. “You destroy nature and it’s going to bite you back,” Duke University ecology Stuart Pimm said,…

A Japanese aerospace startup funded by a former internet maverick successfully launched a small rocket into space last weekend, making it the first commercially developed Japanese rocket to reach orbit. Interstellar Technology Inc. said the unmanned MOMO-3 rocket exceeded 100 kilometers (60 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean. It was launched from the company’s test site in the town of Taiki on Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido and flew about 10 minutes. “We proved that our rocket developed with a lot of commercially available parts is capable of reaching the space,” Interstellar Technologies CEO Takahiro Inagawa told a news conference from Hokkaido. The rocket, about 10 meters (32 feet) long and 50 centimeters (1.5 feet) in diameter, weighs about 1 ton. It is capable of carrying…

President Donald Trump criticized social media companies after Facebook banned a number of extremist figures, declaring that he was “monitoring and watching, closely!!” Trump, who tweeted and re-tweeted complaints, said he would “monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms.” He has previously asserted that social media companies exhibit bias against conservatives, something the companies have rejected as untrue. The president’s comments came after Facebook this week banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and other extremists, saying they violated its ban on “dangerous individuals.”The company also removed right-wing personalities Paul Nehlen, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Loomer, along with Jones’ site, Infowars, which often posts conspiracy theories. The latest bans apply both to Facebook’s main service and to Instagram and extend to fan pages and other related…

If you want to skip meat, a new era of options is here. Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are among the companies racing to tap into the massive U.S. market of meat eaters by more closely mimicking the taste of beef than vegetarian patties of the past. Others are working to grow meat in labs. So are the plant-based patties better for you or for the planet? Here’s what you might want to know before taking a bite: ARE THEY HEALTHIER? As with many questions about diet, it depends. For better or worse, patties from Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods can be nutritionally similar to beef. Beyond Meat’s 4-ounce patty is listed at 270 calories, while Impossible Foods’is listed at 240 calories. Ground beef’s nutritional profile can range, but a…

BMW lost money making cars in the first quarter as its automotive division was hit by a 1.4 billion-euro ($1.6 billion) set-aside for an anti-trust fine from the European Commission and by higher up-front costs for new technology and factories. The fine and investment spending, along with weaker pricing in some markets, led to an operating loss for the company’s car-making business of 310 million euros, while its financial services and motorcycle businesses remained profitable and pushed the company as a whole into profit. The loss reported this week compares with an operating profit of 1.8 billion euros for the division in the year-earlier quarter. Net profit for the entire firm fell to 588 million euros from 2.28 billion euros a year earlier. Revenue fell 0.9% to 22.46 billion euros.…

It’s got an adorable hero from an iconic media brand who is voiced by a proven box office master at snark. But, somehow, “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” never really gets arresting. A neutered Ryan Reynolds tries hard but can’t make this live action-meets-animated movie gel. It’s plodding and listless and really not funny or smart enough. Turns out, you can’t copy “Deadpool” tricks for the PG set. “Pokémon Detective Pikachu ” borrows lightly from film noir crime dramas to create a mystery in a world where humans and Pokémon co-exist. A young man called Tim Goodman (the terrific Justice Smith) joins with Pikachu (Reynolds’ voice) to search for what happened to the man’s father, a missing detective. The movie’s best moments are those between the scenes, where the Japan-born creatures thrillingly…

Amazon launched its high-tech Go convenience store a year ago, where shoppers can pull items off the shelf and walk out. Now it’s adding a decidedly low-tech feature: accepting cash. Its new store that opened in New York City Tuesday is the first Amazon Go store to do so. At its other shops, customers can only enter with an app that links to a credit card or an Amazon account. The company, facing a backlash from those who believe cashless stores discriminate against the poor, confirmed last month that it was working on a way to accept dollar bills and coins. In the new store, employee will swipe those who want to pay by cash through the turnstile entrance. After shoppers grab what they want off the shelves, an employee…

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Some drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft turned off their apps Wednesday to protest what they say are declining wages at a time when both companies are raking in billions of dollars from investors. Demonstrations took place in 10 U.S. cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, as well as some European locations like London. But they did not seem to cause much disruption and many riders were still able to hail a car with ease. The protests arrive just ahead of Uber’s initial public stock offering Friday. Uber hopes to raise $9 billion, putting the company’s valuation in excess of $91 billion. It’s not the first time drivers for ride-hailing apps have staged protests. Strikes were planned in several cities ahead of Lyft’s IPO…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that it has picked the University of Rhode Island as the home of a new institute for ocean exploration. NOAA said URI will host its Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute and Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard will lead it. The institute will work with NOAA to explore unknown undersea areas, deploy remotely operated vehicles in deeper and shallower waters, adopt and integrate various autonomous vehicles for exploration and improve the utility of the data. The University of New Hampshire, University of Southern Mississippi, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust will participate. Ballard directs URI’s Center for Ocean Exploration at the Graduate School of Oceanography. He’s also president of Ocean Exploration Trust. “There is another half of America, beneath the ocean’s surface, that…