KerryDavis
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FCC wants mobile data to count as broadband internet
The FCC under Chairman Ajit Pai is signaling new broadband policy changes that can only be described as friendly to ISPs and hostile to consumers. In a "Notice of Inquiry," a public comment step often taken ahead of rule changes, the commission proposes that both fixed and mobile can be counted as broadband under Section 706 of its rules. That differs from the current standard, developed under Tom Wheeler, that requires timely deployment of both wired and wireless networks in the US.
EPA docs reveal how Tesla's long-range Model 3 covers 310 miles
Elon Musk once said that Tesla couldn't fit a 100kWh battery into the Model 3, but he didn't specify what kind of battery the car will have. Now, a bunch of EPA certification documents have finally revealed that the long-range version of the all-electric sedan is equipped with a 350-volt, 230-amp-hour battery pack. If you compute for the battery's kilowatt-hour value using those numbers, you'll get 80.5kWh of max capacity. That's what gives the long-range Model 3 variant the power to travel 310 miles between charges, only 5 miles shorter than the 315-mile range of the Model S and X. Tesla upgraded those vehicles' batteries to 100kWh in late 2016.
Faraday Future leases new California plant amidst financial uncertainty
After seemingly abandoning its plans to open a manufacturing plant in Las Vegas, electric car maker Faraday Future has found a new home. The company has signed a lease for a 1,000,000-square foot facility in Hanford, California, and more than 500 employees were already onsite last Saturday decorating the building.
Facebook's related articles will add fact to fake news shares
Facebook's related articles section can now help you determine whether a story that's being shared on the website is nothing but a hoax. After hearing from users about how related articles give them more perspectives and additional info, the social network has decided to use it to help people figure out which stories are real or fake. Going forward, the company will be using an updated algorithm that can pinpoint potential fake news based on users' comments and reports. It will then send those stories to third-party fact checkers.
Hyperloop One's passenger pod takes its first ride
Just weeks after Hyperloop One demonstrated a working, albeit slow, version of its levitating sled, the company has made another leap forward. This time around, the startup has successfully tested its XP-1 passenger pod, reaching speeds of up to 192 mph and levitating off the track as it accelerated.
‘Sustainable seafood’ grows in a lab instead of the ocean
Taking a whiff of a tray of multiplied cells, made from the stem cells scraped off a dead fish, all I could detect was a faint aroma of something smelling 'off.' Fishy, even. The co-founders of Finless Foods are working every holiday and weekend to 'feed' the cells so they divide and grow well enough to construct a fish fillet of edible meat within a few months. The biotechnology startup is pinning all of its hopes on consumers choosing lab-made meat over the potentially overfished or antibiotic-laden pieces of fish they might be purchasing now.
Japan’s first private rocket launch is a partial success
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) hasn't made a secret of their spaceflight ambitions; they aim to put humans on the moon before China. But private spaceflight is also reaching new heights (literally) in the country. On Sunday, Momo, a startup supported partially by crowdfunding, launched Japan's first commercial space rocket from Hokkaido. The rocket was built by Interstellar Technologies Inc.
Over a million Americans quit Twitter in just three months
Controversial presidential announcements and celebrity revenge porn are all in a day's work for the social network everyone loves to hate. Now, Twitter has announced its most recent financial results and things aren't looking good for the microblog beloved by the leader of the free world.
Kaspersky launches its free antivirus software worldwide
Kaspersky has finally launched its free antivirus software after a year-and-a-half of testing it in select regions. While the software was only available in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, China and in Nordic countries during its trial run, Kaspersky is releasing it worldwide. The free antivirus doesn't have VPN, Parental Controls and Online Payment Protection its paid counterpart offers, but it has all the essential features you need to protect your PC. It can scan files and emails, protect your PC while you use the web and quarantine malware that infects your system.
Musk and Zuckerberg bicker over the future of AI
It's easy to imagine the world's most powerful people as being mysterious and aloof, but thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we can now regularly witness them being just as petty as the rest of us. Everyone's favorite eccentric billionaire Elon Musk is the latest example of this, publicly slamming Mark Zuckerberg with a tweet stating that the Facebook CEO's understanding of AI "is limited."
VFX company files injunction to block three Disney blockbusters
You probably haven't heard of a special effects company called MOVA, but you've seen its Contour facial-capture technology in films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Beauty and the Beast. It could also have a big impact your entertainment choices. The company behind the tech, Rearden LLC, has filed an injunction against Walt Disney Co. to block those two films, along with Avengers: Age of Ultron, from sales or distribution.
Google Glass is officially back with a clearer vision
If you thought that Google Glass was killed by a lack of practicality and privacy concerns, think again. Alphabet X, Google's "moonshot" branch, has unveiled a reboot of the original eyeglass-like wearable called Glass Enterprise Edition. As the name suggests, it's not aimed at the public at all. Despite its many foibles, Glass turned out to be very useful for workers, so the new version targets businesses to help workers do their jobs better.
Microsoft's Calibri font is at the center of a political scandal
Pakistan's government is in trouble. And its fate may hinge on a Microsoft font. Judicial investigators probing the financial assets of the country's Prime Minister and his family allege his daughter (and apparent successor) forged documents to hide her ownership of overseas properties. How did they reach that conclusion? The documents from 2006 submitted by Maryam Nawaz (daughter of PM Nawaz Sharif) were in the Calibri font. That font, according to the investigation team's leaked report, wasn't publicly available until 2007.
Audi introduces its semi-autonomous A8
After a sneak peak of the vehicle parking itself and appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the Audi A8 luxury sedan is finally being shown off in all its high-tech glory. With level-3 autonomy, active electronic suspension, a mild hybrid engine and brand new infotainment system, it's the future of the German automaker's vehicles.
Amazon slashes the price of its smart speaker in half
Prime Day, the Amazon-invented holiday that celebrates the holy tradition of buying things from Amazon, is back again for a third year. As usual, the event will showcase a number of deals that will run through the day, and the company is offering its usual massive discounts for its own branded hardware. Topping the bill is the Echo smart speaker which, for the 30-hour event, is selling for $90, half its usual price.
Russian exoskeleton suit turns soldiers into Stormtroopers
In a bid to make its armed forces look even more intimidating, Russia has taken inspiration from science-fiction to create some futuristic-looking new combat suits. Developed by the state-owned Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Building, this very Star Wars-esque combat armor features a powered exoskeleton, ballistic protection from bullets and shrapnel and a heads-up display. While just a concept at the moment, the suit's designers hope it will enter full production in the next few years.
All Volvo cars will be electric or hybrid within two years
Volvo is best known for building cars that are safe and beloved by flower children, but it now has a new distinction. Every car it unveils by 2019 will have an electric motor, either as an all-electric EV, plug-in hybrid or hybrid, making it the first major automaker to stop selling cars with only gas or diesel engines. "This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," said Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson in a statement.
Windows 10 preview build protects your files from ransomware
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 Preview Build for Insiders in the Fast ring introduces what's obviously meant as a response to all the ransomware attacks targeting the platform these days. The build comes with a new feature called "controlled folders" that can protect their files from malicious apps and other threats. Windows closely monitors any changes made to anything in a controlled folder, so if any malware or blacklisted application tries to modify a file, they'll get a notification that something fishy's going on. To activate the feature, Insiders will have to toggle it on in the Windows Defender Security Center under the Virus & threat protection settings section.
Vivo beats Apple to an under-display fingerprint scanner
There have been rumours of Apple exploring under-display fingerprint scanning technology, but you probably didn't expect the first of such demos to come from China. At MWC Shanghai, Qualcomm announced its latest ultrasonic fingerprint solution, with the new highlights being its integration underneath OLED displays (up to 1.2mm-thick), as well as working fine even when the device is immersed in water. As before, this tech can tolerate dirt and sweat on skin better than its capacitive counterpart, and it also works underneath metal and glass (duh) but with increased penetration -- up to 800um for glass and up to 650um for aluminum, as opposed to the old 400um for either material.
The SNES Classic is real, arrives on September 29th for $80
The delicious rumors are true: Nintendo is gearing up to launch the SNES Classic, a miniaturized version of the glorious original Super Nintendo Entertainment System. According to Nintendo's Twitter account, the system will be available on September 29th with 21 games built-in -- including the never-released Star Fox 2.
