Innehållsförteckning för #258 från AppleMagazine

If SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s plan to establish a city on Mars sounds like science fiction, then consider the name of his first passenger ship. The answer lies in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” the comic series about the travels and travails of Earth’s last surviving man. Musk is leaning toward the name “Heart of Gold,” the starship in the novel wtih Infinite Improbability Drive. “I like the fact that it’s driven by Infinite Improbability,” Musk said in presenting his long-awaited Mars colonization plan this week, “because I think our ship is also extremely improbable.” “But the acronym is not the best,” he chuckled. All aboard the HOG? The name generated applause at the International Astronautical Congress in Mexico, where Musk provided elaborate details of his bold plans to…

Facebook is launching a “lite” version of it Messenger chat app. It is aimed at emerging markets, where many people use older phones that don’t have enough room to store or ability to run the full-featured application due to slower internet speeds or other issues. “Messenger Lite” will be available on Android devices in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela beginning on Monday. The company did not say when it would be available in other countries or whether it is also coming to Apple devices (although Android is far more popular in emerging markets than even older iPhones). There is already a “Facebook Lite” available for people whose phones are too old or simple to run the full-fledged Facebook. Messenger Lite is a similarly slimmed-down version of Messenger. It…

The US government’s contract to control the internet’s ‘address book’ has expired after 47 years, transferring management of the Internet’s unique identifiers to the private-sector. The US Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) had a contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to perform the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions. Will you even notice? Probably not, although the subject has become a hot political issue for some conservatives. Here’s a look at the systems in question and what’s at stake for internet users. WAIT, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTROLS THE INTERNET? No single government, business, organization or individual controls all the computers and pipelines making up the internet. But the network relies on an addressing system called the domain name system, or DNS,…

Independence Day: Resurgence 20 years after the events of the first Independence Day, aliens make yet another invasion – can humanity protect itself and defeat them once more? FIVE FACTS: 1. The new movie’s $200,000,000  budget surpasses that of its predecessor by $125,000,000. 2. It is directed and written by Roland Emmerich, the director of the original Independence Day movie in 1996. 3. This is the first of at least two planned sequels to Independence Day, originally titled Independence Day Forever Part 1 and Independence Day Forever Part 2. 4. Actor Liam Hemsworth has spoken about having nightmares during production involving himself and co-star Jeff Goldblum being pursued by aliens. 5. Emmerich has said that Independence Day 3 “will be an intergalactic journey. It’ll be [set] maybe a year or…

A network of tubes whisking passengers across a country at close to the speed of sound may seem like a sci-fi pipe dream, but in the already futuristic city of Dubai it would fit right in. The city-state just hosted a two-day competition for designs related to a high-speed system known as a hyperloop, in which levitating pods powered by electricity and magnetism would hurtle through low-friction pipes at a top speed of 1,220 kph (760 mph). The idea, first proposed by Tesla co-founder Elon Musk in 2013, is still being tested. But Dubai has already partnered with Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One to examine possible lines going to the United Arab Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi, and elsewhere. At a presentation Tuesday, Hyperloop One suggested such a network could include an…

Like a busy city, a cell works better if it can dispose of and recycle its garbage. Now a Japanese scientist has won the Nobel Prize in medicine for showing how that happens. The research may pay off in treatments for diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and Type 2 diabetes. Yoshinori Ohsumi, 71, of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, was cited Monday for “brilliant experiments” that illuminated autophagy, in which cells gobble up damaged or worn-out pieces of themselves. Autophagy means “ self-eating.” That process helps keep cells healthy by producing nutrients and building blocks for renewal, making way for new cellular structures and clearing out invading germs and clumps of proteins that could cause disease. Abnormalities in autophagy (aw-TAH’-fuh-jee) occur in several diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancer,…

Ericsson said Tuesday it will cut 3,000 jobs in Sweden, or nearly 20 percent of its local workforce, and will downsize operations at several plants as part of its global plan to cut costs by 9 billion kronor ($1 billion) in 2017. The Swedish networks company employs 115,000 people globally, of which 16,000 in Sweden, and said the layoffs are a necessary part of its transformation to meet “fast technology shifts and the digitalization of the telecom industry.”The cuts will be made in research and development, sales and administration. The new demands will also create new jobs, Ericsson said, with plans to recruit 1,000 people in Sweden during the next three years in the R&D sector. CEO Jan Frykhammar said the company would continue to have “a strong focus” on…

When a loved one dies, laws cover how their houses, cars, and other property are passed on to relatives. But the rules are murkier - and currently far more restrictive - when it comes to pictures on Facebook, emails to friends or relatives and even financial records stored in online cloud accounts. Google, Facebook and other companies have said a federal privacy law approved decades before digital storage became common prevents them from releasing electronic memories or records unless the account owner grants permission - even if the person is dead. Without an estate plan, families must try to crack their loved one’s passwords or take the costly step of litigating the matter to access photos and emails - and some have, with little success. The laws governing how to…

Your car knows more about you than you think. Newer cars that connect to the internet can collect vast amounts of data about drivers, such as where you went to dinner, if you broke the speed limit or if your seat belt was buckled. When you buy a car, you cede data control to your car company. Most automakers say they won’t sell information without an owner’s consent. But they’re not legally required to inform you if they do. Car data is about to become big business. A new report from consulting firm McKinsey says automotive data could be worth $450 billion to $750 billion globally by 2030. Automakers, insurers, high-tech firms, city planners and advertisers are among those who could use data to refine services. Drivers could share data…

Yahoo has overhauled its main app for smartphones and tablets by emphasizing “social” features aimed at people who like to share and chat about news topics online. The revamped Yahoo app, now called Yahoo Newsroom, will augment its general news feed with more than 200 specialized channels that users can choose to follow on particular topics - such as a favorite celebrity, a political issue of interest or a breaking news event. The format encourages users to post comments on news items Yahoo displays for each topic, as well as on links that users find and re-post from other news sites. Yahoo’s new app is part of a broader strategy that the company hopes will increase “engagement” and social interaction on its websites and mobile apps, which are struggling to…

22, A Million Bon Iver The indie folk band founded by Justin Vernon in 2007 releases its long-awaited third album to critical acclaim, following a premiere at the singer-songwriter’s Eaux Claires Music Festival. FIVE FACTS: 1. Bon Iver claimed the 2012 Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album for the Bon Iver, Bon Iver album. 2. Vernon is also a member of the bands Volcano Choir, The Shouting Matches and Gayngs. 3. Vernon collaborated with Kanye West to provide vocals for several songs on West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. 4. He has also worked with members of Arcade Fire, The National and Sufjan Stevens’ band, with some joining him for live performances. 5. On December 15, 2011, Pitchfork.com awarded Bon Iver, Bon Iver the number…

The company responsible for spreading top-of-the-line message encryption across the internet has had a first legal skirmish with the U.S. government. Open Whisper Systems - whose Signal app pioneered the end-to-end encryption technique now used by a swath of messaging services - was subpoenaed for information about one of its users earlier this year, according to legal correspondence released Tuesday. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the company, said the small San Francisco firm didn’t produce the user’s name, address, call logs or other details requested by the government. “That’s not because Signal chose not to provide logs of information,” ACLU lawyer Brett Kaufman said in a telephone interview. “It’s just that it couldn’t.” Created by anarchist yachtsman Moxie Marlinspike and a crew of surf-happy developers, Signal has evolved…

Google ratcheted up its rivalry with Apple and Amazon by unveiling new smartphones, an internet-connected speaker that channels a digital assistant, and other gadgets the company hopes to make indispensable. The devices announced Tuesday are part of Google’s bold move to design and sell its own hardware, instead of just supplying Android and other software for other companies to make products. Google’s previous attempts at hardware have had limited distribution and included such high-profile flops as its internet-connected Glass headgear. This time around, Google is betting that it can design software and hardware to work seamlessly with each other. That’s an art Apple mastered over the past 15 years as it turned out finely crafted iPods, iPhones, iPads and Macs. Borrowing another page from Apple’s book, Google is backing its…

Reorganizing itself under the umbrella company Alphabet has done wonders for Google - but less so for a grab bag of eclectic projects ranging from robotic cars to internet-beaming balloons, which are suffering costly growing pains. A year after Alphabet took shape, Google’s revenue growth has accelerated - an unusual development for a company of its size. That success, however, also underscores Alphabet’s dependence on the fickle business of placing digital ads in core Google products like search, Gmail and YouTube video. As a result, it remains vulnerable to swings in marketing budgets and stiffening competition from another equally ambitious rival, Facebook. Alphabet was supposed to speed the process of turning offshoot businesses into new technological jackpots. CEO Larry Page predicted that separating these smaller “moonshots” from the massive search-and-advertising…

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange promised “significant” disclosures on subjects including the U.S. election and Google in the coming weeks as the secret-spilling group marked its 10th anniversary on Tuesday. Assange said WikiLeaks plans to start publishing new material starting this week, but wouldn’t specify the timing and subject. Speaking by video link to an anniversary news conference in Berlin, he said the leaks include “significant material” on war, arms, oil, internet giant Google, the U.S. election and mass surveillance. WikiLeaks hopes “to be publishing every week for the next 10 weeks,” Assange said. WikiLeaks, which released Democratic National Committee emails days before the party’s national convention earlier this year, wouldn’t say who or what campaign would be affected by the upcoming U.S. election leaks. Assange said speculation that he or…

Yahoo reportedly scanned hundreds of millions of email accounts at the behest of U.S. intelligence or law enforcement. The scans, reported by Reuters, allegedly selected incoming messages that contained a string of unknown characters. Yahoo did not deny the report, saying only that it is a “law abiding company, and complies with the laws of the United States.” According to the Tuesday report, Yahoo acceded to a 2015 government directive to give email access to the National Security Agency or the FBI. Reuters cited anonymous sources including two former employees and another person with knowledge of the events. Yahoo continues to face questions about a breach in 2014 that compromised at least 500 million accounts. The Department of Justice and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.…

In a matchup of $100 million-plus films, Tim Burton’s “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” topped Peter Berg’s “Deepwater Horizon.” Both were high-priced original films that earned warm reviews. But “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” found more interest with North American moviegoers, earning $28.9 million, according to final studio figures Monday. The film, starring Eva Green and Asa Butterfield, is adapted from Ransom Rigg’s popular young-adult novel. “Deepwater Horizon,” about the 2010 oil rig explosion that resulted in one of the worst environmental disasters, had more difficulty in its debut. The Lionsgate release took in $20.2 million. The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in…

Actors yearn for Oscars, athletes crave Olympic gold - but for scientists, writers and champions of world peace, there’s no bigger honor than a Nobel Prize. The Nobel judges will announce the winners of the 2016 awards beginning this week, one prize a day, starting with medicine on Monday. Here are five things to know about the prestigious prizes, created by 19th-century Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? The prestige of the Nobel Prizes comes down to history and cash, says Gustav Kallstrand, curator of the Nobel Museum in Stockholm. Each award is currently worth 8 million Swedish kronor - about $930,000, making the Nobel Prizes among the world’s most lucrative awards. Kallstrand says when they were first handed out in 1901, the prize money equaled about 20…

An Oregon teenager has invented a bandage that can tell doctors when it needs to be changed, impressing Google judges and securing a $15,000 scholarship. Anushka Naiknaware, 13, placed in the top eight in an international science contest run by Google. She won the Lego Education Builder Award, which included the scholarship, a free trip to Lego world headquarters in Denmark and a year of entrepreneurship mentoring from a Lego executive, reported the Oregonian/ OregonLive (http://bit.ly/2cQeemn ). Large wounds must be kept moist to promote healing, but changing bandages too often to check moisture levels can make things worse. To solve that problem, Naiknaware, a seventh-grader at Stoller Middle School in Portland, designed and tested a bandage that is embedded with tiny monitors. They can sense moisture levels and allow…