Innehållsförteckning för #392 från AppleMagazine

THE LITTLE TOUCHES THAT MAKE CUPERTINO’S ACCESSORIES WORLD-BEATERS America’s first trillion-dollar company didn’t come to acquire such a status by accident ; indeed, one of California’s finest imports is renowned, some may say notorious, for the utterly impeccable attention to detail that it devotes to its design and engineering processes. It’s a philosophy that applies as strongly to the company’s accessories as it does to the main products we all know and love. Another characteristic that has long typified Apple’s approach to the creation of its reliably world-conquering hardcore, software and extras is secretiveness, although the previously nigh-on impenetrable veil adopted so religiously by the Cupertino firm has become a little more translucent in recent years. This is in large part thanks to such publications giving an insight into the…

Facebook is launching a major redesign of its app and website built around letting people connect with groups that share their interests — an attempt to shift its focus away from the untrammeled public sharing that has helped spread hate speech, extremism, misinformation and livestreamed video of massacres. The new features, announced Tuesday at the company’s annual F8 developer conference, are part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader strategy for countering Facebook’s growing array of critics, emboldened regulators and competitors. Zuckerberg, who at one point stood in front of a giant display reading “The future is private,” acknowledged widespread skepticism of his plan to turn Facebook into a “privacy-focused” social network. “Look, I get that a lot of people aren’t sure that we are serious about this,” he said to laughter…

Though less likely to study in a formal technology or engineering course, America’s girls are showing more mastery of those subjects than their boy classmates, according to newly released national education data. Known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” the latest findings made public Tuesday from the National Assessment of Educational Progress also shows U.S. eighth-graders in 2018 did significantly better overall compared to 2014’s test results, particularly among students who are white, black, Asian or low-income. The gap between girls and boys is also growing wider as compared to the last time the federal government compiled technology and engineering literacy data among a representative sample of students and public schools across the country. The assessment made its debut in 2014, which also showed girls outscoring boys but by a smaller…

Hopes that the tech industry was on the cusp of rolling personal robots into homes are dimming now that several once-promising consumer robotics companies have shut down. The latest casualty was San Francisco startup Anki, maker of the playful toy robot Cozmo, which upon its release in 2016 seemed like the start of a new wave of sociable machines. That dream ended this week when Anki CEO and co-founder Boris Sofman gathered many of the company’s nearly 200 employees to deliver the news that all of them would be laid off Wednesday. The bad news soon spread to fans and owners of Cozmo, introduced in 2016, and its cousin Vector,unveiled last year in an effort to appeal to grown-ups. “Cozmo was the first robot that felt almost alive,” said David…

Evergreen After the Burial With incredible pace and outrageous multi-layered instrumentals, Evergreen combines everything that’s great in modern metal – and the Minnesotan quartet make this collaborative sound their own, for a rage-fuelled juggernaut of progressive metal from start to finish. FIVE FACTS: 1. Lead guitarist Trent Hafdahl is the only founding member of the original band members, who met in high school. 2. Original member Justin Lowe left the band in June 2015, at the time citing a mental breakdown, and was found dead less than a month later. 3. Their fifth studio album, Dig Deep (2016), reached number one on both the U.S. Independent and Hard Rock charts. 4. Only the band’s debut album, the self-released Forging a Future Self (2006), was not released by Sumerian Records. 5.…

Hugs and tears punctuated the final taping of “The Big Bang Theory,” a lovefest for its stars, crew and audience alike. There were plenty of punchlines as well, as the true-to-form hit comedy about scientists and those who love them wrapped the two-part, hour-long finale that will air in mid-May on CBS. “This show has touched so many hearts,” an emotional Kaley Cuoco told the fans who filled a Warner Bros. soundstage Tuesday. She shared a comment made by series creator Chuck Lorre at a reading of the final script: ”‘The Big Bang Theory’ will live on in our hearts forever.” Johnny Galecki, who plays husband Leonard Hofstadter to Cuoco’s Penny, thanked the audience and called the top-rated comedy’s 12-season run “a dream come true for all of us.” It…

U.S. government searches of travelers’ cellphones and laptops at airports and border crossings nearly quadrupled since 2015 and were being done for reasons beyond customs and immigration enforcement, according to papers filed Tuesday in a federal lawsuit that claims scouring the electronic devices without a warrant is unconstitutional. The government has vigorously defended the searches, which rose to 33,295 in fiscal 2018, as a critical tool to protect America. But the newly filed documents claim the scope of the warrantless searches has expanded to assist in enforcement of tax, bankruptcy, environmental and consumer protection laws, gather intelligence and advance criminal investigations. Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement consider requests from other government agencies in determining whether to search travelers’ electronic devices, the court…

Liu Zixing craned his neck forward for help with fastening the goggles for his first ever taste of virtual reality. He took a break from the mining ore business to travel to a VR theme park in this Chinese provincial capital not known for high technology. “It feels like reality,” Liu said after shooting down robots in a virtual fighter jet, strapped to a spinning gyroscope lit in purple. “It’s just like you’re riding in a plane.” Enthusiasm for VR has cooled somewhat after years of hype, but China’s leaders are trying to drum up excitement, hoping to take the lead in a technology they expect will eventually gain wide use. Hoping to coax homegrown entrepreneurs to take the plunge, the government is educating students, subsidizing office spaces, and sponsoring…

Apple’s sales are still shrinking amid weakening iPhone demand, despite the company’s increasing emphasis on services designed to bring in a steady flow of money from the 1.4 billion of its devices still in use. Revenue for the January-March quarter fell 5% from the same time in 2017 to $58 billion, the company said in its earnings report Tuesday. That downturn followed a 5% drop in the previous quarter. It’s the first time Apple has suffered two consecutive quarterly revenue declines in two-and-half years. Apple still posted a profit of $11.6 billion during its latest quarter, though that was down 16% compared to last year. That translated into $2.46 per share, down 10% from last year, but above the $2.36 per share forecast among analysts surveyed by FactSet. The Cupertino,…

Samsung Electronics Co. said its operating profit for the last quarter declined more than 60% from a year earlier because of falling chip prices and sluggish demands for its display panels. The South Korean technology giant said its operating profit for the January-March period came in at 6.2 trillion won ($5.2 billion), which was similar to an estimate it announced earlier this month. Samsung’s revenue for the quarter was measured at 52.4 trillion won ($45 billion), which represented a 13.5% drop from the same period last year. While Samsung said sales of its flagship Galaxy S10 smartphones have been solid, the profitability of its mobile devices business still declined because of stronger competition in markets for low- to mid-priced handsets. Samsung predicted price declines to continue with memory chips in…

A new Los Angeles County program that uses electronic bracelets to find missing people with dementia or autism was launched partly in response to the death of Nancy Paulikas, a 55-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease who wandered away from her husband during a visit to a museum. During the desperate search for his wife that began in late 2016, Kirk Moody grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of communication between law enforcement and other agencies. “I called every county office there is,” Moody recalled. “And I found myself explaining things over and over because it was clear they weren’t talking to each other.” With Moody’s input, the county started LA Found with the goal of establishing procedures to help police, sheriffs, fire departments, nursing homes and hospitals coordinate during a…

About five years ago, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige found himself on a retreat in Palm Springs plotting the future for the wild, experimental “cinematic universe” that he helped start in 2008 . He wanted to do something that they hadn’t done. He wanted an ending. And after a quick pitch to Robert Downey Jr., he, directors Anthony and Joe Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, started plotting a way to bring this saga to a close, brainstorming whenever they had a moment — even in between takes of “Captain America: Civil War.” Anyone who saw “Avengers: Infinity War” knows they weren’t kidding around either. Thanos literally dissolved half of humanity, including Spider-Man and Black Panther in an event known as “the snap” that’s inspired tears, memes and…

Pass the popcorn, the summer movie season is here and all the spectacle and air-conditioned respite it offers audiences. Summer at the movies has long been synonymous with blockbusters and franchises that are easy to spend a few hours with. For the most part, 2019 is no different. You want superheroes? You’ve got “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “Dark Phoenix” on the horizon. Or sequels? There’s “Toy Story 4,” “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum,”“Godzilla: King of the Monsters,”“The Secret Life of Pets 2,” and even a “Fast & Furious” spin-off, “Hobbs & Shaw.” How about a reboot with a casting twist? Look no further than the “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” update “The Hustle,” with Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson, or “Men In Black: International,” with Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth.…

SPORTS Cruelly denied by VAR in its agonizing Champions League exit, Manchester City relied on technology to keep its Premier League title charge on course on Sunday. City scraped past Burnley 1-0 thanks to a scruffy strike by Sergio Aguero that needed the confirmation of goal-line technology. The distance over the line? Less than 3 centimeters. The nervy wait before referee Paul Tierney awarded the goal was in keeping with a tense match at Turf Moor that ended with City having six defenders on the field — including four center backs — and under instructions from Pep Guardiola to “get it in the corner.” A win by any fashion is gratefully received by City as it looks to stay ahead of Liverpool in the two-team title race that looks set…

Google parent Alphabet beat analyst earnings expectations but reported slowing revenue growth amid tougher competition in the online advertising market. Alphabet shares dropped more than 7% in after-hours trading. Google’s advertising revenue, its key moneymaker, grew by 15 percent to $30.7 billion — slower than investors had hoped. Google’s digital-ad rivals include Facebook and Amazon, the latter of which has been steadily gaining ground. The results sparked concerns that Google’s enormously profitable advertising machine might be starting to sputter. Some analysts suggested it’s a signal that Google might need to diversify its business more quickly. “Does this put more pressure on Google to make more aggressive bets on cloud?” asked Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. Google executives highlighted the company’s cloud-computing business as one of its fastest growing segments during…

After months of rumors and teases, Apple officially lifted the lid on its redesigned AirPods in March, introducing a whole host of innovative new features designed to elevate the wireless earbuds experience and give users more control with ‘Hey Siri’. This week, we take a closer look at the cord-free earphones and explore the future of Apple’s blockbuster accessory… OUT-OF-THE-BOX BRILLIANCE Although second-generation AirPods may look like the first-generation earbuds, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. As Apple does with virtually every one of its products, the AirPods 2 elevate the experience everyone loved with generation one, introducing a host of features and functionality that improve performance and convenience. AirPods are wire-free, plastic earbuds that are designed to fit inside of your ear, and although some customers complained about…

Self-driving vehicles could be operated in Florida without a human on board under a bill going to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Senate unanimously passed the bill with no debate Wednesday, a move that could pave the way for companies like Uber and Lyft to deploy fleets of driverless vehicles. The measure also sets up insurance parameters for on-demand ride companies that use self-driving cars. The House unanimously passed the measure last week. The measure updates current law that allows self-driving vehicles if a person is in the car as a backup. House sponsor Rep. Jason Fischer has said he wants Florida to be a leader in allowing the new technology on state roadways.…

What Men Want A woman who repeatedly finds her career stalling in a male-dominated sports agency gains an unexpected advantage when she develops the ability to hear men’s thoughts. Unbeknownst to her, this newfound power comes with some burden and lots of laughs. FIVE FACTS: 1. This is director Adam Shankman’s first R-rated movie . 2.The film is a loose remake of What Women Want (2000), which starred Helen Hunt and Mel Gibson. 3. As far back as 2009, Cameron Diaz was rumored to be set to play the lead role in a gender-swapping remake of the original Nancy Meyers-directed movie. 4. Taraji P. Henson’s character gains her power by drinking a strange concoction she takes from a shaman. In the original, Mel Gibson’s character gained his power by being…

Student pranksters at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have struck again, drawing inspiration from America’s hottest movie. MIT students over the weekend draped the university’s signature Great Dome with a giant cloth version of Captain America’s red, white and blue shield. Their efforts drew a Twitter “Very cool!” from actor Chris Evans, the Massachusetts native who plays Captain America in “Avengers: Endgame.” The shield went up Saturday night and was taken down Monday morning. MIT students have for generations centered similar pranks, which they call “hacks,” on the dome. A realistic police cruiser was placed on the dome in 1994. In 1999, it was decked out to look like R2D2, the robot from “Star Wars.”…

Stacy Spikes co-founded MoviePass, a subscription service that lets you frequent movie theaters for a set monthly fee. After MoviePass sold off a majority stake in 2017, Spikes watched as the new owners quickly expanded, only to find the cost of all those movie tickets too high to sustain. Now Spikes has a new idea: free movie tickets for people who first agree to watch ads. His new startup is called PreShow. Spikes spoke with Media recently about the state of movie theaters. Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity. Q:Why change moviegoing? A: If you do not evolve with the times, you will wake up and find you’re like a record store or a video (rental) store. To keep cinema at the forefront, we need to…

A San Francisco billionaire is donating $30 million to the University of California, San Francisco, to research root causes of homelessness and potential solutions. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, a city native, has embraced homelessness as a philanthropic cause, pumping millions into a 2018 city measure to tax wealthy companies to pay for homeless services. The five-year initiative funded by Benioff and his wife, Lynne, will conduct academic research, provide testimony and fact sheets, and train people who have been homeless as expert speakers. The UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative will be part of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations, led by Dr. Margot Kushel. The $30 million contribution is the largest-ever private donation to fund homelessness research, according to Salesforce. “The world needs a North Star for truth on…