Новости за 27.03.2017

Richard Kelly’s 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko is returning to theaters this weekend in 4K, in honor of the film’s 15th anniversary. If you weren’t already aware of that fact, I’m so pleased to be able to bring you a pleasant Monday afternoon surprise.

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is backing a brain-computer interface venture called Neuralink, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company, which is still in the earliest stages of existence and has no public presence whatsoever, is centered on creating devices that can be implanted in the human brain, with the eventual purpose of helping human beings merge with software and keep pace with advancements in artificial intelligence. These enhancements could improve memory or allow for more direct interfacing with computing devices. Читать дальше...

Uber will be resuming its self-driving car activities in Tempe and Pittsburgh, after an accident in Arizona led the company to temporarily suspend its autonomous driving pilots in those two cities, a spokesperson said.

Microsoft has significantly grown its user base of dedicated Windows testers in recent years. At the launch of Windows 10, nearly two years ago, the software giant had around 5 million testers through its Windows Insider program. Windows Insiders could be your neighbor down the street, your boss, or the barista that makes your coffee in the morning. Anyone can sign up to test Windows 10, and now 10 million people are helping Microsoft refine and improve its operating system.

Verizon has agreed to start testing out 4K channels on its Fios TV service as part of a trial with satellite operator SES, the companies announced today. SES will deliver nine 4K channels to Fios users in the trial: Fashion One 4K, Insight, Travelxp 4K, Nature Relaxation, C4K360, 4K Universe, UHD1, SES Demo Channel, and NASA TV UHD.

Alicia Vikander’s version of Lara Croft looks identical to the character in the rebooted Tomb Raider video games. The film’s costume re-creates the grimy jeans and tank top combo, but also nails the little details: arrow quivers rise behind her shoulder, a bandage staunches a wound on her right arm, a second belt does whatever a second belt is supposed to do.

Apple’s iOS 10.3 is rolling out today, with a new find my AirPods option and CarPlay improvements. Most of the features in iOS 10.3 aren’t major, but Apple is actually undertaking a pretty huge shift for all iPad and iPhone users today. Within iOS 10.3, Apple is moving supported devices to its new Apple File System (APFS). It’s a file system that was originally announced at WWDC last year, and it’s designed with the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV in mind.

The latest trailer for Justice League came out this weekend, giving us our first good look at the upcoming DC Comics team-up. And like the first trailer, it looks pretty fun! But, despite a great showing from Jason Momoa living his Aquaman-by-way-of-Khal-Drogo life and a quip about how rich Batman is, something is noticeably missing: Henry Cavill’s Superman.

Last week, Razer added the option for players using its Cortex game launcher to earn “zSilver” credits simply by playing games while using the app. zSilver — which can also be earned by buying Razer products — can then be exchanged at the zVault store for Razer products or discounts on the company’s online store.

Apple is currently in the process of rolling out iOS 10.3, with the biggest new feature reserved for AirPods owners. You can now track the location of Apple’s wireless earbuds in the Find My iPhone app, either by playing a sound from one or both misplaced AirPods, or seeing the location where the earbuds were last connected to your iOS device over Bluetooth.

Ikea is finally getting into the home automation game with its own system for smart lighting. The new range of products is called Trådfri — which means “wireless” in Swedish — and is built around the ZigBee Light Link standard for connected lights (the same as Philips Hue). The system seems to have rolled out to select European countries last fall, but will be seeing a larger release at the end of March.

March has been a particularly fecund time for new Android Wear watch announcements, though unlike previous years, the brands behind these devices are almost all from the fashion and luxury spheres of business. Tag Heuer, Montblanc, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, and Movado are just some of the well known names announcing Wear 2.0 smartwatches. This wave of new products is symptomatic of a broader trend in the tech industry: one where a high degree of component... Читать дальше...

Smartphones have emerged as a critical tool for refugees fleeing war-torn countries in recent years, with many using their phones to navigate across Europe, keep in touch with their families, or even integrate in new societies. But a powerful new photo series explores how asylum seekers use their phones in far more personal ways, as well.

Samsung Unpacked is the headline event this week for gadget nerds. Wednesday, March 29th is the day we'll see Samsung make all the Galaxy S8 leaks official. Expect to hear more about that slick new bezel-less design, their homegrown Bixby virtual assistant, and the company’s new DeX dock that's supposed to convert the S8 into a desktop experience. We might also get an update to Gear VR and the company's 360-degree camera so stay tuned for that and any surprises.

Following last week’s terrorist attack in London, the UK government has renewed a familiar campaign against digital encryption. Echoing criticisms made in 2015 by then prime minister David Cameron after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, UK home secretary Amber Rudd this weekend described the government’s inability to read messages on end-to-end encrypted messaging apps as “completely unacceptable.”

Donald Trump is creating a new government office that will apply lessons learned from American businesses such as Apple and Tesla in a bid to make speedy political reforms, The Washington Post reports. The White House Office of American Innovation — which will be led by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner — is described as a “SWAT team,” using far-reaching powers to bypass the restrictive machinery of Washington and make sweeping changes.

In the coming weeks, Lyft will introduce a new program called Round Up & Donate, which will allow riders to make a charitable contribution when they take a ride with the service.