Innehållsförteckning för #233 från AppleMagazine

Engineers, safety advocates and even automakers have a safety message for federal regulators eager to get self-driving cars on the road: slow down. Fully self-driving cars may be the future of the automotive industry, but they aren’t yet up to the demands of real-world driving, several people told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during a public meeting Friday. A slower, more deliberative approach may be needed instead of the agency’s rapid timetable for producing guidance for deploying the vehicles, according to an auto industry trade association. In January, the federal agency announced that it would begin work on writing guidance for deploying the vehicles. Officials have promised to complete that guidance by July. There are risks to using guidance to deviate from the government’s traditional process of issuing regulations…

With famed physicist Stephen Hawking at his side, an Internet investor announced Tuesday that he’s spending $100 million on a futuristic plan to explore far outside our solar system. Yuri Milner said the eventual goal is sending hundreds or thousands of tiny spacecraft, each weighing far less than an ounce, to the Alpha Centauri star system. That’s more than 2,000 times as far as any spacecraft has gone so far. Propelled by energy from a powerful array of Earth-based lasers, the spacecraft would fly at about one-fifth the speed of light. They could reach Alpha Centauri in 20 years, where they could make observations and send the results back to Earth. They might discover a planet or planets there - experts think there may be some, but there’s no proven…

WHY BATTERY TECHNOLOGY HAS SUCH AN EXCITING FUTURE Battery technology... it’s an extremely dry subject, and yet, it is also an extremely important one in terms of how we lead our lives. We are all so used to complaining about the battery lives of our phones, or our inability to find a certain type of battery that we need in the local store, that we can end up forgetting the sheer wonders of batteries, and how far they have advanced in a relatively short time. If you disagree, allow us to be your guide to the amazing future of battery technology! THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR BATTERIES Batteries have long been the source of great wonder - as well as consternation - among human beings. They’re far from something that you…

Looking for new ways to engage with its audience, Facebook says people who use its Messenger chat service will soon be able to order flowers, shop for shoes and talk with a variety of businesses by sending them direct text messages. And soon, if you haven’t “chatted” with those businesses on Messenger in a while, they’ll be able to send you a paid message that offers a special deal or encourages you to buy a product you liked before. CEO Mark Zuckerberg used Facebook’s annual software conference Tuesday to describe its latest initiatives at a time when some reports indicate people may be sharing less personal information on the social network - either because of privacy concerns or the growing appeal of competing apps. Analysts say that underscores the importance…

An unusual strain of virus-like hacker software that exploits computer server vulnerabilities - without requiring human interaction - is a leading example of a new generation of “ransomware,” according to a new report by Cisco Systems Inc. Hackers use such software to target large-scale networks and hold data hostage in exchange for bigger payments. Such a strain, known as Samas or samsam, hit the MedStar Health Inc. hospital chain last month. In such attacks, hackers target backup files and records, encrypting them to make them an unreadable gobbledygook of characters. To regain access, users without additional safe backups who don’t want to lose critical files often pay the ransom, typically $10,000 to $15,000 for an entire network or hundreds to a thousand or so dollars for a single computer. The…

Joy This biographical comedy-drama follows the story of Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence) – a divorced mother of three who becomes an overnight success after inventing the Miracle Mop. FIVE FACTS: 1. Director David O. Russell has also worked on American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. 2. In reality, the Miracle Mop was first developed in 1990, the same year Lawrence was born. 3. This is Lawrence’s first collaboration with Bradley Cooper in which she received top billing. 4. This is also the fourth film Cooper and Robert De Niro have starred in together. Previously, they collaborated on Limitless (2011), Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and American Hustle (2013). 5. As shown in the movie, Mangano sold over 18,000 mops during her first hour-long appearance on…

NASA is trying to resuscitate its planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft, in a state of emergency nearly 75 million miles away. The treasured spacecraft - responsible for detecting nearly 5,000 planets outside our solar system - slipped into emergency mode sometime last week. The last regular contact was April 4; everything seemed normal then. Ground controllers discovered the problem Thursday, right before they were going to point Kepler toward the center of the Milky Way as part of a new kind of planetary survey. Kepler was going to join ground observatories in surveying millions of stars in the heart of our galaxy, in hopes of finding planets far from their suns, like our own outer planets, as well as stray planets that might be wandering between stars. This is the latest crisis…

A draft version of a Senate bill would effectively prohibit unbreakable encryption and require companies to help the government access data on a computer or mobile device with a warrant. The draft is being finalized by the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and the top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. Their goal, they said in a statement, is to ensure adherence to any court order that requires helping law enforcement or providing decrypted information. “No individual or company is above the law.” It was not immediately clear when they would introduce the bill. The draft language ran into opposition from another committee member, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who said the proposal would require “American companies to build a backdoor” into devices. “They would be…

FIRST TRAILER FOR STAR WARS SPIN-OFF FILM ROGUE ONE APPEARS “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” took the top prize at the 25th annual MTV Movie Awards. The audience at Warner Bros. Studios waved what looked like red and blue lightsabers as star Daisy Ridley and director J.J. Abrams accepted the final golden popcorn trophy at Saturday night’s ceremony. The prize capped off the irreverent awards show, which presents fan-voted film awards and touts upcoming releases. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart hosted the show, opening it “Mad Max” style by riding through Warner Bros. Studios strapped to the front of a tricked-out truck. Later, they performed a rap song about the year’s films that repeated the refrain “Leo got (expletive) by a bear” in reference to “The Revenant.” Will Smith and…

Twitter has appointed PepsiCo’s chief financial officer to its board. Hugh Johnston has served as PepsiCo Inc.’s CFO since 2010. The 54-year-old executive also serves as vice chairman of the food and beverage company. Twitter Inc. also disclosed in a regulatory filing that Martha Lane Fox will serve as a director. The 43-year-old executive is a co-founder of travel and leisure website lastminute.com. Board members Peter Currie and Peter Chernin’s terms expire at Twitter’s 2016 annual shareholders meeting. The filing says Currie and Chernin were not considered for re-election, at their requests. Twitter, a social media site famous for hashtags and a 140-character “tweet” limit, turned 10 years old last month. After a long streak of robust growth that turned it into one of the Internet’s hottest companies, Twitter’s expansion…

FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED ITS FORECASTS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. But in the age of social media that’s considered yelling, so next month federal meteorologists are lowering their voices and their letters - except in dire emergencies. Weather service spokeswoman Susan Buchanan said the agency started using all capital letters in 1849 forecasts because of the telegraph. Twenty years ago, the agency tried phasing out the practice, but old equipment wouldn’t recognize lower-case letters. Starting May 11, weather service forecasts will no longer read like someone shouting in a hurricane - the agency will use both upper- and lower-case letters. Except, Buchanan said, IN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, WHEN CAPITALIZATION WILL REIGN.…

The robots are coming - to help run your life or sell you stuff - at an online texting service near you. In coming months, users of Facebook’s Messenger app, Microsoft’s Skype and Canada’s Kik can expect to find new automated assistants offering information and services at a variety of businesses. These messaging “chatbots” are basically software that can conduct human-like conversation and do simple jobs once reserved for people. Google and other companies are reportedly working on similar ideas. In Asia, software butlers are already part of the landscape. When Washington, D.C., attorney Samantha Guo visited China recently, the 32-year-old said she was amazed at how extensively her friends used bots and similar technology on the texting service WeChat to pay for meals, order movie tickets and even send…

Junk M83 The French electronic band’s seventh studio album is just as stunning as its previous work – if singles “Do It, Try It” and “Solitude” are anything to go by, this album is concrete evidence that the band hasn’t come down from its “Midnight City” peak yet. A must for any fans of Daft Punk, Air or any other feel-good synthpop. FIVE FACTS: 1. The band is named after the galaxy of the same name. 2. M83 composed the soundtrack to 2013 Sci-Fi movie Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise. 3. One of the band’s most famous songs is “Midnight City”, which has featured on countless television shows, movies, video games and advertisements is often cited as one of the best songs of 2011. 4. Throughout 2008-2009, M83 supported other notable…

SpaceX has made good on a high-priority delivery: the world’s first inflatable room for astronauts. A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, two days after launching from Cape Canaveral. Station astronauts used a robot arm to capture the Dragon, orbiting 250 miles above Earth. The Dragon holds 7,000 pounds of freight, including the soft-sided compartment built by Bigelow Aerospace. The pioneering pod - packed tightly for launch - should swell to the size of a small bedroom once filled with air next month. It will be attached to the space station this Saturday, but won’t be inflated until the end of May. The technology could change the way astronauts live in space: NASA envisions inflatable habitats in a couple decades at Mars, while Bigelow…

The owner of Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper and media group is in early talks over a bid for the ailing U.S. internet company Yahoo. A spokesman for the DailyMail.com said Sunday that, given the success of its site and Elite Daily, it has “been in discussions with a number of parties who are potential bidders.” He said the talks are in a very early stage and there is no certainty any transaction will take place. Yahoo did not respond to a request for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the Daily Mail was speaking with private equity firms about an offer. Yahoo is under intense pressure to revive its revenue growth and activist investor Starboard Value, a big stakeholder, is pushing for a change in leadership. Earlier this…

On the heels of “The Force Awakens,” the original “Star Wars” trilogy is coming back to theaters this summer. The Alamo Drafthouse announced Tuesday that it will roll out a “Star Wars” road show beginning Aug. 6 in select cities. The three films - “A New Hope,”‘’The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” - will typical play in back-to-back-to-back screenings. The films will play in about 20 cities through August, the independent theater chain said. J.J. Abrams’“The Force Awakens” is still playing in several hundred theaters. It has made more than $935 million in North America.…

Tesla Motors says worldwide orders for its new lower-priced Model 3 electric car have hit 325,000. CEO Elon Musk says on Twitter Thursday that the number is still rising. Customers must put down $1,000 to order the cars, which start at $35,000 and have a range of 215 miles per charge. The deposits are refundable. The Palo Alto, California, company started taking orders March 31, shortly before Musk unveiled the car in Los Angeles. It’s not scheduled to go on sale until late next year. The number of orders is unprecedented when compared with electric car sales worldwide. Nissan says it has sold 211,000 electric Leafs since distribution began in late 2010. Tesla has sold a total of 110,000 electric cars since it started doing business in 2008.…

Mississippi’s attorney general can resume an investigation into whether Google facilitates illegal behavior, an appeals court ruled. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday overturned a district judge who had sided with Google. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate ruled last year that the unit of Alphabet Inc. didn’t have to answer a subpoena by Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. Hood began complaining in 2012 that Google wasn’t doing enough to prevent people from breaking the law. In October 2014, he sent a 79-page subpoena demanding Google produce information about a wide range of subjects, including whether Google helps criminals by allowing its search engine to lead to pirated music, having its autocomplete function suggest illegal activities and sharing YouTube ad revenue with the makers of videos promoting…

Several U.S. transit systems looking to defray costs of providing services for the disabled are weighing partnerships with Uber and Lyft, unsettling some advocates who note that ride-hailing services have themselves faced criticism over accessibility. Paratransit, better known under names like “The Ride,”‘’Access-a-Ride,” or “Dial-a-Ride,” is required under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. But the costs, which include door-to-door pickup and drop-off, can be steep. The average cost of operating a single paratransit trip is about $23 in the U.S., compared with less than $4 for the average trip on bus or light rail. In Boston, the average cost per ride is about $45, in Washington, about $50, and in New York, nearly $57, officials said. Transit agencies nationwide logged about 223 million paratransit trips at a cost exceeding…

Batman and Superman are no match for Melissa McCarthy. In its third weekend in movie theaters, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” was pushed from the top spot at the box office by “The Boss.”The Universal comedy starring McCarthy as an over-the-top business mogul debuted with $23.6 million, while the Warner Bros. superhero mash-up nabbed $23.4 million in second place. The holdovers “Zootopia” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” trailed far behind in third and fourth place with $14.3 million and $6.5 million, respectively. “Hardcore Henry,” the weekend’s only other new release, opened in fifth place with $5.1 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…

The rocket that made a historic landing at sea last week is back at its home port. SpaceX’s recovered 15-story booster, still standing tall on its floating platform, pulled into Florida’s Port Canaveral before dawn Tuesday. The company plans to test-fire the engines 10 times. If everything looks good, the booster could be used again on another mission as early as June. SpaceX is the first company to land a rocket at sea. This particular first-stage booster hoisted space station supplies for NASA on Friday (08). Normally, it would have ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic. SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk says reusability is crucial for lowering launch costs and opening access to space. His dream is to build a city on Mars.…

HTC is promising a better camera - along with refinements in audio and design - as it unveils its latest flagship phone, the HTC 10. The camera has long a weak point in HTC devices. At first, HTC sacrificed image resolution and made the size of individual pixels larger to capture more light. But the resulting 4 megapixel images were often fuzzy, especially when cropped or enlarged. HTC went with smaller individual pixels in a 20-megapixel camera last year, but it still underperformed in extreme situations, such as indoors and close-ups. The HTC 10 tries to strike a balance - larger individual pixels, but not as large as before. The camera is now 12 megapixels, the same as the latest iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones. “What we tried to do…