Twitter makes some notable changes for folks who like posting photos
Good news for anyone who likes posting photos on Twitter. The microblogging company says it has just introduced new compression software that enables JPEGs to retain their original quality. In addition, it also now supports the iPhone's Live Photos feature, allowing you to post the file as a GIF.
Blue Origin nails another rocket mission ahead of space tourism flights
Blue Origin this week sent a rocket on its sixth suborbital space mission, marking the company's 12th launch overall. The reusable New Shepard booster carried several experiments into space during its short outing on Wednesday. Blue Origin aims to use the rocket to launch a space tourism service in the near future.
San Francisco’s curb on tech tests in public spaces could sink pogo stick plan
A new system looks set to launch in San Francisco soon that will force technology firms to apply for a permit before testing their kit in public spaces. The move is designed to prevent a repeat of the chaos in 2018 when hundreds of shareable electric scooters suddenly appeared on the city’s streets without permission.
Waze just added a new feature designed to make winter drives easier
Navigation app Waze has launched a new feature just in time for winter. It lets you report unplowed roads so you can help fellow drivers in the area better plan their route. The feature joins other reportable issues such as potholes and floods, and is available to Waze’s global community of 130 million users.
Use Wheels’ new helmets and the bikesharing startup will discount your ride
Eager to keep its riders safe, as well as to avoid scrutiny from regulators, bikesharing startup Wheels has fitted its electric bikes with helmets. And riders will get a discount if they wear one. California-based Wheels operates in eight U.S. locations that include Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.
Influencer’s bizarre plot to steal domain name results in hefty jail term
An Iowa man who took extreme action in order to secure a domain name for his social media business has been handed a 14-year jail term for his efforts. The offender also involved his cousin in the plot, but things took a turn for the worse when they visited the victim’s home to force him to give up the domain.
More than 750,000 U.S. birth certificate applications exposed online
Applying for a copy of a birth certificate involves submitting plenty of personal information that you'd expect the recipient to properly safeguard. But a company dealing with the applications in the U.S. has left more than 750,000 of the forms exposed online, it was revealed this week.
Top drone racer takes on robot drone in first human-vs.-machine clash
Autonomous drones already exist, but they're not usually seen whizzing around an obstacle course at high speed. That all changed recently when a self-piloting drone recently took on one of the best drone racers in the world at a specially organized contest in Austin, Texas.
SpaceX delivers mice and a floating robot to the International Space Station
There are mice on the ISS! But it's OK, they're supposed to be there. The rodents arrived on Sunday for research purposes, with a floating robot called CIMON-2 also part of the consignment. SpaceX’s Dragon capsule will return the mice to Earth next month, while CIMON-2 will stay in space for much longer.
Self-driving baggage tractor is the latest smart tech for airports
With an eye on creating the "smart airport" of the future, Air France has unveiled a self-driving baggage tractor that allows staff to focus on other work, thereby making the baggage-handling process more efficient. It's just the latest example of how a growing number of industries are utilizing autonomous technology.
SpaceX’s next batch of Starlink satellites will be less shiny. Here’s why
With its third batch of 60 internet satellites set for deployment, SpaceX will coat one of them with a material to make it less reflective as part of a test to keep the night sky clear. Astronomers are concerned that if deployed in large numbers, the satellites’ reflection of sun rays could hamper their work.
Uber received more than 3,000 reports of sexual assault in the U.S. in 2018
Uber's first-ever safety report reveals the ridesharing giant received more than 3,000 reports of sexual assault on both riders and drivers in the U.S. in 2018. The firm said 99.9% of its rides take place without any issue, though the CEO said there’s still more work to do to improve the safety of its service.
MacBook Pro: Apple acknowledges shutdown issue with a 2019 model
A number of 13-inch MacBook Pro laptops manufactured in 2019 have been suffering random shutdowns, with the fault usually occurring when the machine has between 25% and 50% of its battery life remaining. Apple has now acknowledged the issue with the publication of a possible fix on its website.
SoftBank enters the cafe business with new robot-filled Pepper Parlor
SoftBank is getting into the cafe business. The tech firm has just opened an eatery in Tokyo staffed by lots of its Pepper robots. It says it wants to use the site to help it learn more about how people interact with robots so that it can improve the design of its current high-tech offerings.
Google Photos just made it easier to share one-off photos and videos
Google Photos has just launched a handy new feature that makes it much easier to send one-off photos and video clips. Sending content also initiates a chat-like messaging experience, with the recipient able to quickly save the photo or clip to their gallery, if they wish.
Tesla proposes dirt-busting lasers to clean grime off windshields
Forget using wipers to clean your windshield. Tesla thinks you should be able to destroy the dirt with laser beams. The idea, which showed up in a recently published patent, sounds perfect for Tesla’s futuristic Cybertruck, though the company says the technology could be used to clean solar panels, too.
Boeing’s first Starliner orbital test flight delayed due to rocket issue
Boeing's Starliner space capsule was due to make its first orbital test flight to the International Space Station on December 17, but an issue with the Atlas V launch rocket means it will be delayed by a couple of days. Boeing wants to use the Starliner to send astronauts to the space station starting next year.
Tesla’s Model Y could hit the road much earlier than expected
The last time we heard, Tesla's all-electric Model Y crossover was heading for a summer 2020 launch, but reports from its Taiwan-based suppliers suggest it could hit the road even sooner, possibly in the next three months. For a company known for missing its deadlines, that would certainly be marked down as a win.
Homeland Security wants to expand airport facial scans to U.S. citizens
Fancy having your face scanned every time you leave and enter the country? The Department of Homeland Security already performs facial scans of noncitizens entering the U.S., but in a bid to improve security, it’s now proposing extending the procedure to citizens as well.
Twitter’s new Privacy Center lets you know what’s happening with your data
Twitter said this week there’s “room for improvement” when it comes to communicating with its users about how it protects their privacy. A new Privacy Center aims to change that. Twitter’s new offering provides information about privacy and data protection work, new privacy products, and news about security incidents.
A.I. camera system launches in Australia to catch drivers on phones
Anyone checking their phone while driving in the Australian state of New South Wales now runs the risk of being caught by a new A.I.-powered system, said to be the first of its kind in the world. Officials said the automated system could be carrying out as many as 135M vehicle checks on state roads annually by 2023.
Shoppers spend big (again) as Black Friday sets new online sales record
Online shoppers in the U.S. spent a whopping $7.4B on Black Friday, according to data from Adobe Analytics. The figure set a new record for the day, beating last year's revenue by $1.2B. It was also the second-biggest online shopping day ever in the U.S., trailing 2018’s Cyber Monday record of $7.9B.
Finally, a chocolate iPhone case that you can actually eat
You won't see it in a Black Friday sale, but this iPhone 11 case would surely be a hit with chocoholics if it was up for grabs. The case can be made in the time it takes for melted chocolate to set, but let’s be honest, it won’t save your phone from scrapes and drops. Should taste darn good, though.
Jony Ive can now design his own future as his Apple exit is made official
Apple revealed earlier this year that Jony Ive, its influential chief design officer, would be leaving the firm before the end of 2019. The removal of his profile from Apple’s leadership webpage this week means that the man who helped transform the company with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers is officially out.
Astrophotography: Google reveals how the Pixel 4 nails those night shots
Google’s astrophotography mode for the recently launched Pixel 4 phone helps you take potentially stunning shots of the night sky. In a blog post this week, those who built the powerful software shared some details on how the mode manages to capture the stars without shake or blur. Or hot pixels ...
Twitter pauses plan to clear its platform of inactive accounts
After it emerged earlier this week that Twitter would soon start deleting inactive accounts, some users contacted the company to raise a point that it realized it hadn't considered — how to deal with the accounts of users who have passed away. Twitter has now hit pause on the deletion process until it finds a solution.
Alexa can now show more emotion when your sports team loses
Alexa, Amazon's voice-activated digital assistant, can now express more emotion during interactions. The update also includes new speaking styles designed to create "a more natural and intuitive voice experience” for people that use the digital assistant, the company said this week.
Virtual reality goggles for dairy cows? Pull the udder one
Russian farmers are putting VR headsets on their cows to help improve milk production. It may sound like a load of bull, but apparently it really is part of an ongoing experiment. The modified headsets play visuals that simulate a “unique summer field,” helping to relax the cows so that they produce more milk.
FedEx’s autonomous delivery robot sent packing by New York City
FedEx's delivery robot only made a short trip as part of a promotion, but when New York City officials learned about the outing, they sent the machine packing. A cease-and-desist letter sent to the shipping giant warned of dire consequences if it rolled the robot onto the city’s streets again without prior permission.