Technology

Posted today to Facebook’s corporate blog: Facebook is at the start of a journey to help build the next computing platform. Working with others, we’re developing what is often referred to as the metaverse — a new phase of interconnected virtual experiences using technologies like virtual and augmented reality. At its heart is the idea that by creating a greater …

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports: The Social Security numbers of school teachers, administrators and counselors across Missouri were vulnerable to public exposure due to flaws on a website maintained by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Post-Dispatch discovered the vulnerability in a web application that allowed the public to search teacher certifications and credentials. The department removed …

The Drive reports: Ghost Robotics and SWORD International have teamed up to create a rifle-toting “robot dog.” Called the Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle, or SPUR, the system adds a 6.5mm Creedmoor rifle from SWORD to one of Ghost Robotics’ quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles, or Q-UGVs. The SPUR made its debut on the show floor at the Association of the U.S. …

TechCrunch reports: Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company would be moving its headquarters from Palo Alto, California to Austin, Texas, a city that has recently seen a flood of tech companies and remote workers. Musk announced the news at the 2021 Tesla, Inc. Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which took place at the Tesla Austin gigafactory, rather than in the …

The Verge reports: Just as Facebook’s Antigone Davis was live on CNBC defending the company’s policies and its handling of research data suggesting Instagram is harmful to teens, its network of services suddenly went offline. On Twitter, Facebook communications exec Andy Stone says, “We’re aware that some people are having trouble accessing our apps and products. We’re working to get …

Ars Technica reports: Amazon is rolling out (literally) a robot that can help monitor your home. Powered by Amazon Alexa and a bunch of artificial intelligence (AI) technology while patrolling about on a set of wheels, the Astro robot can handle numerous tasks, from providing a view of inside the home when you’re out to delivering a message to Mom. …

CNBC reports: Facebook, which faced sharp criticism from lawmakers and users for its plan to develop an Instagram for kids, announced Monday it’s pausing work on the project. “While we believe building ‘Instagram Kids’ is the right thing to do, Instagram, and its parent company Facebook, will re-evaluate the project at a later date. In the interim Instagram will continue …

The Washington Post reports: Tesla began letting owners request its “Full Self-Driving” software early Saturday, opening up for wide release its most advanced driver-assistance suite and signaling that thousands of drivers will soon be on the road with the unregulated and largely untested features. It’s the first time the company has let typical owners upgrade to the software it terms …

USA Today reports: Apple will soon roll out COVID vaccination cards in its Wallet app, allowing people to demonstrate proof of vaccination through their iPhones and Apple Watches. With the launch of iOS 15 on Monday, users can link and store COVID-19 vaccination and test result records in the Health app. Apple has not publicly announced when the Wallet integration …

CNBC reports: After SpaceX completed a historic, private spaceflight on Saturday, CEO Elon Musk took a pot shot at President Joe Biden who had yet to remark on the company’s and the civilian flight crew’s accomplishments. One of Musk’s 60 million followers on the social networking platform Twitter asked him, “The President of the United States has refused to even …

The Verge reports: Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told the Wall Street Journal that Tesla should address “basic safety issues” before the carmaker expands its so-called “full self-driving” (FSD) mode. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this month that the company was aiming for a wider release of FSD by the end of September, making a …

Los Angeles’s ABC News affiliate reports: A DUI suspect was taken into custody after her Tesla vehicle that was reportedly on Autopilot stopped on a freeway overpass in the Glendale area Thursday night. According to a California Highway Patrol incident log, the vehicle hit a roadside wall shortly after 11 p.m. and kept traveling as the driver was reportedly unconscious. …

The Verge reports: SpaceX is set to launch the first fully private crew of passengers to orbit on Wednesday. The Inspiration4 crew, three ordinary people and a billionaire philanthropist who’s funding the mission, will board SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule on Wednesday afternoon and lift off at 8:02PM ET atop a Falcon 9 rocket, speeding toward an orbit 360 miles above …

MacRumors reports: Apple today announced the iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro Max at its “California Streaming” event, featuring brighter Super Retina XDR displays with ProMotion, improved rear cameras, a more powerful variant of the A15 Bionic chip, up to 1TB of storage, a new Sierra Blue color option, and more. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro …

Axios reports: Ray-Ban Stories, the smart glasses being debuted by Facebook and Ray-Ban today, are most notable for just how much they look like a standard pair of the brand’s sunglasses. That speaks to both the most promising and troublesome aspect of the $299 glasses: They look and feel just like a standard pair of Ray-Bans while adding the ability …

CNET reports: Apple’s iPhone 13 is on its way with an online-only event set for Sept. 14. The new iPhone is expected to debut with a collection of new features, upgraded camera specs, new color options (maybe even bubblegum pink) and an updated design with a notchless display. Although we’ll likely see the new iPhone next week, rumors about the …

CNBC reports: After objections about privacy rights, Apples said Friday it will delay its plan to scan users’ photo libraries for images of child exploitation. “Based on feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers and others, we have decided to take additional time over the coming months to collect input and make improvements.” Apple’s CSAM detection system was supposed to go …

The Verge reports: Apple has announced the first US states that will support iOS 15’s new ability to store driver’s licenses and state IDs in the Wallet app. Arizona and Georgia will lead the way, with Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah following after that. No timetable is given for exactly when the new feature will be adopted by …

From Twitter’s corporate blog: Unwelcome Tweets and noise can get in the way of conversations on Twitter, so we’re introducing Safety Mode, a new feature that aims to reduce disruptive interactions. Starting today, we’re rolling out this safety feature to a small feedback group on iOS, Android, and Twitter.com, beginning with accounts that have English-language settings enabled. Safety Mode is …

The Verge reports: Microsoft is announcing that Windows 11 will be released on October 5th. The new operating system will be available as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs, or on new hardware that ships with Windows 11 pre-loaded. The free upgrade to Windows 11 will start rolling out on October 5th, but like many Windows upgrades in …