Innehållsförteckning för #409 från AppleMagazine

APPLE IS BEING GIVEN SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT Are you in the market for a new phone? Even if you have long been entrenched in Apple’s ecosystem, you could be easily excused for casting envious eyes in the direction of friends wielding devices from up-and-coming Chinese brands. Handsets from Chinese companies including Huawei and Xiaomi have, over recent years, improved significantly in their feature set, value for money and, dare we say it, market share. All of this has paradoxically been happening on the backdrop of a well-publicized and intensifying trade war between the U.S. and China. However, it speaks volumes about the appeal of Huawei’s devices that, despite the Trump administration essentially blacklisting Huawei phones from sale in the U.S., the brand has still knocked Apple out of second…

Apple has transformed the way we work, communicate, spend, and work out, and now it’s hoping to become your personal doctor. Earlier this year, Tim Cook said he hoped healthcare would be Apple’s “greatest contribution to mankind,” and with the industry estimated to be worth a whopping $313 billion to Apple by 2027, Apple Health is in better shape than ever… APPLE WATCH DRIVING HEALTHCARE AT APPLE Since the launch of the original Apple Watch back in 2015, Apple has changed - and saved - lives . From encouraging us to take a walk to abnormal heart rate alerts, Apple Watch is one of the world’s most powerful healthcare devices, and it keeps getting better. With watchOS 6, Apple will introduce new ways to keep an eye on your health…

Take the post down. Put it back up. Stop policing speech. Start silencing extremists. That’s just a sampling of the intense, often contradictory demands facing tech companies and their social media platforms as they try to oversee internet content without infringing on First Amendment rights. The pendulum has swung recently toward restricting hateful speech that could spawn violence, following a mass shooting in Texas in which the suspect had posted a racist screed online. For Facebook, Google, Twitter and others, it’s a no-win whipsaw, amplified by a drumbeat of accusations from President Donald Trump and his allies that their platforms are steeped in anti-conservative bias. With lawmakers and regulators in Washington poring over their business practices, the tech companies are anxious to avoid missteps — but finding criticism at every…

MIB: International After learning of the usually carefully-concealed existence of the MIB (Men in Black) organization, Molly Wright (Tessa Thompson) joins its UK branch as Agent M. From there, she joins Henry, a top MIB agent whose alias is Agent H (Chris Hemsworth), on a mission to uncover a mole evidently lurking among the agency’s ranks. FIVE FACTS: 1. This is the fourth film in the long-running Men in Black series, but the first not to star Will Smith’s Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones’s Agent K. 2. However, in this film, Agent J and K do appear to feature in a painting seen in the office of High T (Liam Neeson), the boss at the MIB’s London headquarters. 3. Another returnee is the talking Frank the Pug, who was…

There is a certain mindless pleasure in the “Fallen” movies. Watching Gerard Butler muscle his way through increasingly preposterous obstacles as a Secret Service agent can be amusing and oddly transfixing at the same time. It’s mass entertainment that makes a courtesy stop in theaters before ascending to its true calling: Endless cable reruns. But whatever this franchise got away with in “Olympus Has Fallen” and then, miraculously, in the totally unnecessary and very unintentionally silly sequel “London Has Fallen,” it’s clear that the well has run dry on this idea and character. Butler and the filmmakers sleepwalk their way through ”Angel Has Fallen ,” the third, and hopefully last, visit with agent Mike Banning. This time, the powers that be have decided to make Banning a fugitive. He’s on…

Japan’s top automaker, Toyota, and smaller rival Suzuki are partnering in the development of self-driving car technology, as manufacturers around the world grapple with innovations in the industry. Under the deal, announced this week, Toyota will take a 4.9% stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. valued at 96 billion yen ($908 million), and Suzuki will make a 48 billion yen ($454 million) investment in Toyota. In 2017, Toyota Motor Corp. and Suzuki agreed to work together in ecological and safety technology. That deal did not include owning mutual stakes. Auto manufacturers are facing a costly shift toward the use of artificial intelligence, the internet and other technologies. Partnerships are one way to share the enormous costs. Last month, Volkswagen AG of Germany said it is investing $2.6 billion in a Pittsburgh…

When starlight from billions of years ago zips across the universe and finally comes into focus on Earth, astronomers want their telescopes to be in the best locations possible to see what’s out there. Despite years of legal battles and months of protests by Native Hawaiian opponents, the international coalition that wants to build the world’s largest telescope in Hawaii insists that the islands’ highest peak — Mauna Kea — is the best place for their $1.4 billion instrument. But just barely. Thirty Meter Telescope officials acknowledge that their backup site atop a peak on the Spanish Canary island of La Palma is a comparable observatory location, and that it wouldn’t cost more money or take extra time to build it there. There’s also no significant opposition to putting the…

A Russian aircraft leasing company that ordered 35 Boeing Max jets is suing the U.S. aircraft maker and seeking to cancel the deal, accusing Boeing of hiding defects in the plane that was grounded after two deadly crashes. The Miami-based lawyer for the leasing company said this week it is the first lawsuit filed against Boeing by a Max customer. He said he is talking to other companies about joining the case. The lawsuit on behalf of Avia Capital Services was filed in state court in Illinois, where Boeing is based. It claims that Boeing committed fraud and breach of contract and was negligent in how it designed and built the plane and convinced the Federal Aviation Administration to approve it. A spokesman for Boeing declined to comment, citing pending…

When Liz O’Sullivan was hired at the New York City-based artificial intelligence company Clarifai in 2017, she felt lucky to find work at the intersection of two of her main interests: technology and ethics. Two years later, she found herself facing a moral dilemma. Clarifai was developing aerial photography and object detection tools as one of several companies working on Project Maven, a Pentagon drone surveillance program. After several conversations with friends and colleagues, O’Sullivan realized this type of technology eventually could be used for autonomous weapons. In January, she wrote to Clarifai CEO Matt Zeiler on behalf of a group of employees, seeking clarification on whether the technology would be used to create weapons and asking him to commit to a series of ethical measures. Zeiler later explained at…

Apple is apologizing for allowing outsiders to listen to snippets of people’s recorded conversations with its digital assistant Siri, a practice that undermined its attempts to position itself as a trusted steward of privacy. As part of the apology posted Wednesday, Apple reiterated an earlier pledge to stop keeping audio recorded through Siri unless consumers give their permission. When permission is granted, Apple said only its own employees will be allowed to review audio to help improve the service. Previously, the company hired contractors to listen to some recordings. “We realize haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize,” Apple conceded. It’s not yet clear how Apple will seek permission, though in the past, Apple has typically requested permissions through prompts during software update…

Facebook is tightening its rules around political advertising ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential elections, an acknowledgement of previous misuse. But it’s not clear if it will be enough to stop bad actors from abusing its system. The changes include a tightened verification process that will require anyone wanting to run ads pertaining to elections, politics or big social issues like guns and immigration to confirm their identity and prove they are in the U.S. Beginning in mid-September, such advertisers confirm their group’s identity using their organization’s tax identification number or other government ID. The verified group name will be listed on the “paid for by” disclaimers that disclose the backers of ads. Facebook says it will verify this information against government records and will note in the disclaimer for…

Lover Taylor Swift Months after her exuberant collaboration with Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie, “Me!”, broke cover, pop superstar Taylor Swift has followed up with her seventh studio album. Its resplendent confidence and optimism marks it out as a sharp contrast to her vindictive 2017 long-player Reputation, ushering in a more laid-back Swift who looks set to stay. FIVE FACTS: 1.“Me!” features on the album, as does a collaboration with the Dixie Chicks, “Soon You’ll Get Better”. 2. “You Need to Calm Down”, the album’s second single after “Me!”, focuses on bigots opposed to the values of the gay pride movement. 3. The title track, released as the album’s third single on August 16, is speculated to have been inspired by Swift’s long-term boyfriend, British actor Joe Alwyn. 4.…

Angelina Jolie says she’s “so proud” that her 18-year-old son is leaving home to study biochemistry in South Korea. The actress was seen in video released several days ago dropping her son Maddox off at Yonsei University in Seoul, and holding back tears. “I didn’t realize everybody had watched me do it,” she said Saturday at the D23 expo in Anaheim, California. “It felt very private when we were there and just fun. But the school is so wonderful and we’re so proud that he’s there. And it’s a great university and I’m just amazed I have a son who’s that smart.” Jolie is in two upcoming Disney movies: a sequel to “Maleficent” and Marvel Studios’“Eternals.” “They called me — but I was so happy. I think I just didn’t…

China allowed its yuan to sink and U.S. President Donald Trump said the two sides will talk “very seriously” about their war over trade and technology following tit-for-tat tariff hikes and Trump’s threat to order American companies to stop doing business with China. The escalations prompted warnings that the chances of a settlement of the fight that threatens to tip the global economy into recession were disappearing. But Trump, speaking at the Group of Seven meeting of major economies in France, said serious negotiations would begin. “We are going to start talking very seriously,” Trump said. He said the Chinese “mean business.” Trump gave no details. Negotiators already were scheduled to meet next month in Washington following talks in Shanghai in July that ended with no signs of progress. The…

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is helping Maine get a better handle on the health of its forests. The University of Maine says NASA is providing nearly $750,000 for a three-year project that will focus on assessing and monitoring “the quality, health and value” of Maine’s forested land. Maine is the most forested state in the U.S. UMaine School of Forest Resources assistant professor Parinaz Rahimzadeh is leading the effort. The university says a team of researchers will use remote sensing technology to develop models with “near-real-time data on forest tree species identification, and forest tree decline detection and damage assessment.” The work is expected to ultimately provide information on the composition of Maine’s forest and on damage caused by recent outbreaks of pests and pathogens.…

A Russian space capsule carrying a humanoid robot has successfully docked at the International Space Station after a failed attempt last week. Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Tuesday that the capsule carrying the robot and other cargo docked at the orbiting lab early morning Moscow time. The robot, called Fedor, sent out a tweet upon arriving saying: “Sorry about the delay. Got stuck in traffic. Ready to work now.” The capsule was launched as part of tests of a new rocket that is expected to replace the workhorse Soyuz-FG next year, but failed to dock. Now it has safely arrived, Fedor will perform two weeks of tests aboard the space station.…

A self-driving vehicle pioneer who used to work for Google has been charged with stealing secrets from the company before he joined Uber’s efforts to build robotic vehicles. Anthony Levandowski was charged with 33 counts of trade secrets theft in an indictment filed by the U.S. attorney’s office in San Jose, California. The criminal case arose out of a lawsuit that Google self-driving spinoff Waymo filed against Uber alleging technology theft. Here’s how it wound up in the criminal courts: HOW IT STARTED Former Uber CEO and founder Travis Kalanick believed that the company could not survive without being the leader in autonomous vehicles. One of Uber’s biggest expenses is to pay drivers for ferrying passengers, and that cost could be reduced or eliminated with vehicles that drive themselves. Uber…

When 20th Century Fox greenlit James Mangold’s “Ford v. Ferrari” — an original movie with a nearly $100 million budget — the director’s agent had some advice. “Enjoy this,” Mangold recalled him saying. “This will be the last one of these you ever make.” “Ford v Ferrari,” which viscerally recounts the efforts of an automotive designer (Matt Damon) and a race car driver (Christian Bale) to build a Ford that could beat Ferrari at the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1966, has a lot going for it: big-name movie stars, a director coming off an Oscar-nominated hit (“Logan”) and a marathon, nearly hour-long racing finale. But it doesn’t have what typically scores such a large budget in today’s Hollywood: franchise-making IP (intellectual property). It might as well be a unicorn.…

Alerts from new driver assist systems can be so annoying that some motorists are turning the features off, according to a new survey. The 2019 J.D. Power Tech Experience Index study also found that frustrated drivers may avoid the systems in future vehicle purchases. That’s a problem for automakers who want to sell the technology and prepare people for fully automated vehicles, the company said. “Automakers are spending lots of money on advanced technology development, but the constant alerts can confuse and frustrate drivers,” said Kristin Kolodge, J.D. Power’s executive director of driver interaction and human-machine interface. “The technology can’t come across as a nagging parent. No one wants to be constantly told they aren’t driving correctly.” For example, systems that keep vehicles centered or within their lanes were problematic…

Netflix will give “The Irishman” an exclusive theatrical release for about four weeks, providing theaters most of November to play Martin Scorsese’s big-budget crime epic before it lands on the streaming service. “The Irishman” will open theatrically Nov. 1 and begin streaming on Nov. 27, Netflix said this week. The release plans for one of Netflix’s most expensive films yet had been a subject of much conjecture ever since the steaming service greenlit Scorsese’s film. The director is one of the most ardent proponents of cinema preservation, but Scorsese earlier told that he signed up with Netflix without any condition of a theatrical release. “The Irishman,” which includes extensive de-aging visual effects to make its star-studded cast — including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci — appear decades…

Event organizers hoping to eliminate ticket scams and huge markups in the secondary market are increasingly turning to companies that use technology to allow fans to buy and resell their tickets while putting caps on prices. Partnering with such companies allows event organizers to take control of the resale of their tickets. Fans who can’t go can return their tickets, which can be reissued to someone who wants to go, helping ensure that venues are filled with fans. “As in many other areas of our economy, technology is racing ahead to try and address some of the issues that we and others have identified — and any consumer who has tried to buy a ticket recently can probably attest to,”said John Breyault of the National Consumers League. The U.S. ticketing…

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Putting small containers of liquids in plastic bags could soon be a thing of the past for airline passengers in Britain after the government announced plans to introduce 3D screening equipment for carry-on luggage at all major airports. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement that the new technology will improve security and could also mean “an end to passengers having to use plastic bags or rationing what they take away with them.” Under current security restrictions, passengers are not allowed containers carrying more than 100 milliliters (3.38 fluid ounces) of liquids in their carry-on luggage and the containers have to be in a clear plastic bag. That could come to an end under the new screening regime and passengers may also be able to keep electrical equipment such…