Innehållsförteckning för #384 från AppleMagazine

AI, IoT AND THE OTHER ESSENTIAL TECH DEVELOPMENTS OF THE MONTHS AHEAD Let’s face it; there’s a new technological innovation around every corner. New products are being patented, perfected and launched relentlessly, as competition between companies, industries, and even countries intensifies. Certainly, 2019 is set to be no different, in that there will be a lot of different technologies reaching consumers. But which ones will prove to be the most influential this year? 5G is set to arrive, but will take longer than the next 10 months to have a significant impact. Plus, until 5G is the new norm, we might not see the likes of autonomous cars and cities become standard fare either. However, with just shy of 300 days left on the calendar for this year, we’ve put…

With a proprietary Apple chip expected to replace Intel from 2020, and Apple looking to increase the relationship between macOS and iOS, we take a closer look at the future of the chip and consider the benefits of Apple’s firmer grip on its hardware components… A CHIP ON APPLE’S SHOULDERS With Apple looking to increase its stronghold on hardware and reduce reliance on suppliers and third parties, the company is expected to use proprietary chips in the Mac lineup from as early as 2020, replacing Intel. Codenamed Kalamata, Apple’s chip is in early developmental stages but was fueled from the desire to bring Apple’s device lineup - including Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, and iPhones - closer together to increase sales and allow for cross-platform. First announced at last year’s WWDC…

Entrepreneur Elon Musk’s dream of an express tunnel transit system could finally become a reality in Las Vegas after major setbacks in other cities. Las Vegas’ tourism agency announced it is recommending that an enterprise backed by the divisive billionaire receive a contract to build and operate an underground tunnel system through which autonomous electric vehicles would whisk people around a mega convention center, and in the future, possibly the city’s famous casino-filled corridor. If approved, the system of just over a mile long would debut by January 2021 at the facility, which hosts more than 1 million people every year. The Musk-owned The Boring Company would build the project costing from $35 million to $55 million. It’s different from his beleaguered efforts to build underground tunnel systems in other…

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Taking the legendary web-slinger into a whole new animated territory, we see not one, but seven main protagonists take to the skies in this visually incredible adventure, combating five villains. Add a soundtrack splendid with hip-hop and several notable actors among the cast, and this movie offers an innovative take on the franchise. FIVE FACTS: 1. Before his death last year, 95-year-old Stan Lee recorded his final voice-acting role for this version of the story he helped to create during his time at Marvel Comics. 2. The movie is dedicated to both Lee and fellow Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko, who also died in 2018. 3. The movie required 180 animators – the largest ever crew for a Sony Pictures Animation movie. 4. Lily Tomlin plays Aunt…

Hello Kitty might not have a mouth but she’s got a movie deal. Warner Bros. New Line Cinema announced that it has acquired film rights to Hello Kitty from the Japanese corporation Sanrio. The 45-year-old iconic feline has never been turned into a movie despite its merchandising ubiquity. New Line said it will quickly begin work on a script to put a film into production. Sanrio also granted film rights to other characters including Gudetama, My Melody and Little Twin Stars. Warner Bros. has had success with toy adaptations before, including “The Lego Movie.” That film’s sequel, however, has underperformed at the box office since opening last month. Hello Kitty presents potentially steeper challengers, though. She doesn’t talk or, for the most part, change facial expressions.…

A new study finds even moderate heat sends Northerners to the hospital, suggesting that government warnings of dangerously high temperatures are coming too late in some parts of the U.S. The research shows an uptick in hospital admissions for heat problems long before alerts go out in northern, generally cooler states. And that’s happening at lower temperatures than in the toastier South, where people are more accustomed to the heat. “Alerts are not occurring early enough ,” said Dr. Renee Salas, an emergency room doctor and researcher at the Harvard Global Health Institute. Salas, who wasn’t part of the study, called it important in a warming world where heat illnesses are going to only get worse. The research was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy…

Sometimes in forecasting tornadoes, you can get everything technically right, and yet it all goes horribly wrong. Three days before the killer Alabama tornado struck, government severe-storm meteorologists cautioned that conditions could be ripe for twisters in the Southeast on Sunday. Then, an hour before the tragedy, they warned that a strong tornado could occur in two particular Alabama counties within 30 to 60 minutes. And that’s what happened. Yet 23 people died. To a meteorologist, the forecast was the equivalent of a hole-in-one in golf or a slam dunk, but with so many people killed, “was it a success or a failure or both?” asked Colorado State University meteorology professor Russ Schumacher. Forecasters “painted a pretty clear picture that something bad was going to happen,” Schumacher said, and “there’s…

Chinese tech company Huawei opened this week a cybersecurity lab in Brussels, the heart of the European Union, as it tries to win over government leaders and fight back U.S. allegations that its equipment poses a national security risk. Company executives inaugurated the Huawei Cyber Security Transparency Centre, which will allow the wireless companies that are its customers to review the source code running its network gear. The launch comes amid a standoff between the U.S. and China over Huawei Technologies, the world’s biggest maker of telecom infrastructure for new high-speed 5G networks. The U.S. has been lobbying allied countries and companies to shun Huawei because of fears its equipment could facilitate digital espionage by China’s communist leaders. The new lab in the Belgian capital gives Huawei a venue to…

Lyft is growing quickly ahead of its initial public offering but continues to bleed money and may struggle to turn a profit as it tries to catch up to Uber in the booming ride-hailing market, according to a federal filing. The company released its financial details for the first time last week, giving the public a glimpse into its performance before deciding whether to buy into a transportation trend that has changed the way tens of millions of people get around. The unveiling came nearly three months after the San Francisco company filed confidential documents for its initial public offering of stock. Lyft reported $2.2 billion in revenue last year — more than double its $1.1 billion in revenue in 2017. That continued a growth trajectory that saw revenue more…

Now that AT&T’s $81 billion takeover of Time Warner is a done deal , the company is reorganizing its TV and movie businesses to emphasize streaming rather than cable TV networks. AT&T is bringing in a new executive as longtime HBO and Turner chiefs leave. It’s also consolidating operations for different brands to help generate more video for a new streaming service launching this year. Layoffs are expected in the business now known as WarnerMedia, although the company tried to assuage fears that there will be substantial job cuts. With the revamp, AT&T is “trying to move the organization to a new business model,” said Michael Smith, a Carnegie Mellon information technology and marketing professor. AT&T named former NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt as the chairman of WarnerMedia’s entertainment and…

The latest parental panic on social media — over a purported challenge for kids to complete harmful tasks — elevates the importance of establishing an open dialogue with children and taking advantage of online parental controls. Warnings about the “Momo challenge” swept Facebook and other social media in recent days, as parents worried about purported videos that encourage children to hurt themselves or do other harmful tasks such as turning on stoves without telling their parents. The parental warnings were accompanied by a disturbing image of a grinning creature with matted hair and bulging eyes. But the challenge is believed to be a hoax. It’s unclear how many videos exist or to what extent they have circulated, among children or elsewhere. Some of the videos might have been made in…

When I Get Home Solange Three years on from the seminal A Seat at the Table, Solange has transformed into something of an enigma in the music industry. Her performances in arts and culture establishments are reflected in this album, which explores the artist, the industry, and the boundaries within both. FIVE FACTS: 1. The younger sister of Beyoncé, Solange first made her name as a dancer and model , before taking to music. 2. At 13 years old, Solange performed as a backup dancer for Destiny’s Child, and she first sang professionally on their 2001 album, 8 Days of Christmas. 3. Her 2015 song, “Rise”, was inspired by the police killings and subsequent protests in Ferguson and Baltimore. 4. She starred in the third installment of the Bring It…

For years, there have been lots of electric cars proudly rolled out at auto shows but few on the streets or at dealers. That could be about to change. The electric cars under the lights at the Geneva International Motor Show promise to be the leading edge of more affordable, longer-range vehicles that start to move battery cars out of their niche — as a product for environmentalists willing to put up with limited range and wealthy enthusiasts of new technology willing to pay for buzz and the robust but silent acceleration the cars offer. Several broad underlying trends are converging to increase the likelihood that larger numbers of battery cars will be on the roads in the next several years. Prices are falling for batteries, consumers are turning away…

A sleek new American-built capsule with just a test dummy aboard docked smoothly with the International Space Station last Sunday, bringing the U.S. a big step closer to getting back in the business of launching astronauts. The white, bullet-shaped Dragon capsule, developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company under contract to NASA, closed in on the orbiting station nearly 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean and, flying autonomously, linked up on its own, without the help of the robotic arm normally used to guide spacecraft into position. Dragon’s arrival marked the first time in eight years that an American-made spacecraft capable of carrying humans has flown to the space station. If this six-day test flight goes well, a Dragon capsule could take two NASA astronauts to the orbiting outpost this summer.…

An Israeli spacecraft has taken the ultimate selfie on its roundabout journey to the moon. Organizers for the privately funded mission released the photo this week, 1 ½ weeks after its launch. It shows the spacecraft Beresheet, Hebrew for Genesis, orbiting some 23,300 miles (37,600 kilometers) away, with the entire Earth as the stunning Apollo-style backdrop. Australia easily stands out. A plaque reads: “Small Country, Big Dreams” and “The people of Israel live.” The spacecraft is shooting for a moon landing April 11. It rocketed from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Feb. 21 and has been circling Earth in ever bigger loops. Despite some early problems, Beresheet should be close enough to enter lunar orbit in early April. A touchdown would make Israel the fourth country to pull off a moon…

Office Depot and Alibaba.com are creating a co-branded online store to expand the reach of both companies with small and medium size businesses. The two companies announced the agreement as part of a broader array of services they are providing to small business. Over time, the companies intend to help U.S. small businesses sell their products to buyers around the world through Alibaba.com, the wholesale trade site of the Chinese online retail titan the Alibaba Group. It marks Alibaba.com’s first U.S. partnership with a major retailer. The lion’s share of Alibaba Group’s business has been providing retailers and brands in the U.S. and around the globe access to the 700 million Chinese customers through its two major marketplaces Taobao and Tmall. The core of Alibaba.com’s business is connecting small businesses…

When Gary Bornstein spent $52,000 for a Tesla Model 3 last summer, he did it without taking a test drive or even seeing the car that he now owns. The Long Island, New York, financial consultant did his research and ordered the car online, a process that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is gambling on being attractive to many more buyers in the future. Musk last week announced a radical change in Tesla’s business model. The Silicon Valley electric car maker plans to close most of its stores worldwide and go strictly to internet sales as it tries to cut overhead so it can sell a base Model 3 for $35,000 and still make money. It’s a huge risk and a major departure from the way people now buy new vehicles…

Closets that freshen clothes, cooktops that won’t let pots boil over, faucets told to dispense just enough water to fill the coffee maker. Wherever one looked at the annual Design and Construction Week, there was a new way to make our lives more efficient. “We can make appliances work harder for you,” said Cara Acker, a senior brand manager for Bosch Home Appliances. So while homeowners list security cameras, video doorbells and programmable thermostats as the technology they’re most interested in, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders, the future is offering that and much, much more. More than 2,000 exhibitors participated in the annual trade show, which brings the NAHB and the National Kitchen and Bath Association together. Some highlights: DRESS REFRESH Two companies, LG…

Companies testing autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh will have to immediately report crashes resulting in any injuries as part of new guidelines announced this week intended to boost public confidence in the testing after a deadly accident in Arizona last year. Karina Ricks, director of the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, said the city was working on guidelines before the March 18 accident in Tempe when one of Uber’s autonomous test vehicles hit and killed a pedestrian as she crossed a dark road outside the lines of a crosswalk. “The Tempe incident raised the urgency for the guidelines,” Ricks said. The Pittsburgh guidelines were included in an executive order signed by Mayor Bill Peduto on Monday. “We don’t want that situation to happen again,” said Raj Rajkumar, professor and co-director…

If there is one thing that’s true of most of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s that they have life and spirit to spare. It’s a kind of an intoxicating joy that dares even the most comic book-apathetic to get onboard and delight in the spectacle, and it usually comes down to the characters. You might not care about whatever Earth-threatening foe is at large this time, but you care about Captain America, Black Panther and Black Widow and enjoy spending a few hours with them. I spent over two hours with Captain Marvel/ Carol Danvers and I still have no idea what her personality is. Sure, there’s a lot more going on in ”Captain Marvel ,” but it’s a pretty egregious failing considering that the creative bigwigs…

Jerry Merryman, one of the inventors of the handheld electronic calculator who is described by those who knew him as not only brilliant but also kind with a good sense of humor, has died. He was 86. Merryman died Feb. 27 at a Dallas hospital from complications of heart and kidney failure, said his stepdaughter, Kim Ikovic. She said he’d been hospitalized since late December after experiencing complications during surgery to install a pacemaker. He’s one of the three men credited with inventing the handheld calculator while working at Dallas-based Texas Instruments. The team was led by Jack Kilby, who made way for today’s computers with the invention of the integrated circuit and won the Nobel Prize, and also included James Van Tassel. The prototype they built is at the…

Scientists say images of craters taken by European and American space probes show there likely once was a planet-wide system of underground lakes on Mars. Data collected by NASA and ESA probes orbiting the red planet provide the first geological evidence for an ancient Martian groundwater system, according to a study by researchers in Italy and the Netherlands published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Francesco Salese, one of the scientists involved, said in an email that the findings confirm earlier models and smaller-scale studies, and that the underground lakes may have been connected to each other. The notion of water on Mars has long fascinated scientists because of the possibility that the planet may have once harbored similar conditions to those that allowed life to develop on Earth. Patches…

Britain’s royal family warned this week that it will block internet trolls posting offensive messages on its social media channels — and may report offenders to police. Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace spelled out the policy banning offensive, hateful and racist language. The royal households say they reserve the right to determine who is violating their guidelines, and whether or not comments could be blocked. “The aim of our social media channels is to create an environment where our community can engage safely in debate and is free to make comments, questions and suggestions,” the guidelines said. “We ask that anyone engaging with our social media channels shows courtesy, kindness and respect for all other members of our social media communities.” The guidelines come amid concern about the…