Technology

Coming iPhones To Feature Universal USB-C Charger

Bloomberg News reports: Apple is set to shift its iPhone charging port from Lightning to USB-C after pushing back on such a change for years. If Apple Inc. had its way, the iPhone would continue to use the current Lightning connector for the next few years — until the point when the company is ready to begin phasing out ports …

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MLB Stadium Tests “Facial Authentication” Entry System

AM New York reports: Major League Baseball is testing facial authentication-based entry that would allow ticketed fans to walk directly into stadiums — a convenient new arrival method that the league says won’t compromise on safety and security. The Philadelphia Phillies have partnered with MLB to use their stadium as the site of a pilot program called Go-Ahead Entry, which …

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Federal Court: AI-Generated Art Can’t Be Copyrighted

Reuters reports: A work of art created by artificial intelligence without any human input cannot be copyrighted under U.S. law, a U.S. court in Washington, D.C., has ruled. Only works with human authors can receive copyrights, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said on Friday, affirming the Copyright Office’s rejection of an application filed by computer scientist Stephen Thaler on behalf …

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Netflix Begins Public Testing Of Streamed Video Games

The Verge reports: Netflix is kicking off the first public tests of its cloud-streamed games. Beginning Monday, some Netflix subscribers in Canada and the UK will be able to check out Netflix games streamed to select TVs, connected TV devices, and on the web from Netflix.com. The company first launched its mobile gaming offerings as a free perk for subscribers …

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Politico: 25 Congress Members Drive Electric Vehicles

Politico reports: Congress is deeply divided on whether Washington should push more Americans to buy electric vehicles. But more than two dozen lawmakers have made the leap themselves, according to a first-of-its kind tally by POLITICO’s E&E News — including at least two House Republicans who oppose President Joe Biden’s climate policies. Conservative Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is a longtime …

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Whole Foods To Roll Out Pay-By-Palm Nationwide

ABC News reports: Amazon is bringing its pay-by-palm technology to Whole Foods stores. The company announced Thursday that its Amazon One palm recognition system will soon be in more than 500 Whole Foods stores by the end of the year. Amazon rolled out the technology in 2020, and it is currently available in more than 200 Whole Foods stores nationwide. …

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Tech Giants Agree To Meet Voluntary AI Safeguards

The Associated Press reports: Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other companies that are leading the development of artificial intelligence technology have agreed to meet a set of AI safeguards brokered by President Joe Biden’s administration. The White House said Friday that it has secured voluntary commitments from seven U.S. companies meant to ensure their AI products are safe before they …

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Tesla Hails Production Of Long-Delayed Cybertruck

TechCrunch reports: Tesla over the weekend said its first much anticipated Cybertruck came off the electric vehicle maker’s production line in Texas. The debut of the long-delayed, futuristic-looking pickup truck comes in the lead up to Tesla’s second-quarter 2023 earnings call. Tesla CEO Elon Musk first introduced the Cybertruck in 2019, but vehicle production has repeatedly been delayed. The truck …

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Webb Telescope Offers Stunning Image On Anniversary

Via press release from NASA: From our cosmic backyard in the solar system to distant galaxies near the dawn of time, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has delivered on its promise of revealing the universe like never before in its first year of science operations. To celebrate the completion of a successful first year, NASA has released Webb’s image of …

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Robots Hold Press Conference, Promise Not To Rise Up

Reuters reports: Robots presented at an AI forum said on Friday they expected to increase in number and help solve global problems, and would not steal humans’ jobs or rebel against us. The nine humanoid robots gathered at the ‘AI for Good’ conference in Geneva, where organisers are seeking to make the case for artificial intelligence and the robots it …

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Grammy Awards Rules AI-Created Music Ineligible

The Associated Press reports: The Recording Academy announced a series of changes to the Grammy Awards to better reflect an evolving music industry. Of those newly instituted guidelines, protocols involving technological advancements in machine learning sparked headlines: “Only human creators” could win the music industry’s highest honor in a decision aimed at the use of artificial intelligence in popular music. …

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Apple Is First Company With $3 Trillion Market Cap

The Associated Press reports: Apple became the first publicly traded company to close a trading day with a $3 trillion market value, marking another milestone for a technology juggernaut that has reshaped society with a line-up of products that churn out eye-popping profits. Apple shares closed up 2.3% at $193.97 Friday, bringing its market value to $3.04 trillion. Apple is …

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Survey: 73% Of Americans No Longer Have A Landline

The Washington Post reports: About 73 percent of American adults lived in a household without a landline at the end of last year — a figure that has tripled since 2010. The latest survey shows that landlines are far more common among homeowners (34 percent have them) than among renters (15 percent), while Hispanic Americans (20 percent) are less likely …

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NASA’s Curiosity Rover Sends “Postcard” From Mars

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory reports: After completing a major software update in April, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took a last look at “Marker Band Valley” before leaving it behind, capturing a “postcard” of the scene. The postcard is an artistic interpretation of the landscape, with color added over two black-and-white panoramas captured by Curiosity’s navigation cameras. The views were taken …

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Senate Ponders Patents For AI-Created Inventions

Roll Call reports: Lawmakers are beginning to consider ways in which artificial intelligence systems are involved in inventive processes like discovery of new drugs, and how the use of such technologies affects what is, and is not, patentable. The issue is fast becoming critical because U.S. law allows patents to be issued only to human inventors, whereas technologists and scientists …

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WaPo: Teslas On Autopilot Have Crashed 736 Times

The Washington Post reports: The school bus was displaying its stop sign and flashing red warning lights, a police report said, when Tillman Mitchell, 17, stepped off one afternoon in March. Then a Tesla Model Y approached on North Carolina Highway 561. The car — allegedly in Autopilot mode — never slowed down. It struck Mitchell at 45 mph. The …

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About Ducking Time: Apple Won’t Autocorrect Swears

CNET reports: If you’re tired of your iPhone keyboard always autocorrecting your swear words, you’re going to love this new feature. At WWDC 2023 on Monday, Apple announced iOS 17 and unveiled an improved and more sophisticated autocorrect feature — which makes cussing so much easier. “And in those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, …

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Apple Unveils “Vision Pro” Virtual Reality Headset

Reuters reports: Apple Inc unveiled an augmented-reality headset called the Apple Vision Pro at its annual software developer conference on Monday, its first big move into a new product category since the introduction of the Apple Watch nine years ago. The headset launch will see Apple test a market crowded with devices that have yet to gain traction with consumers …

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Google Wallet To Support Digital Driver’s Licenses

Ars Technica reports: Google Wallet on Android is finally getting ready for your digital driver’s license and other US state IDs. Google says the feature is rolling out this month, and it will slowly start bringing states online this year. Of course, your state has to be one of the few that actually supports digital IDs. Google says Maryland residents …

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More Automakers Eliminate AM Radios In New Cars

The Washington Post reports: Automakers, such as BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda and Tesla, are removing AM radios from new electric vehicles because electric engines can interfere with the sound of AM stations. And Ford, one of the nation’s top-three auto sellers, is taking a bigger step, eliminating AM from all of its vehicles, electric or gas-operated. Some station owners and advertisers …

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