Daily Tech Headlines – October 17, 2016

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Daily Tech Headlines – October 17, 2016
Number 94
Broadcast Date OCTOBER 17, 2016
Episode Length 7:07
Hosts Tom Merritt

Apple downshifts car production, Germany asks Tesla to stop saying, ‘autopilot’ and Samsung goes 10-nanometer and produces a Chromebook.

Headlines

Bloomberg reports that Apple shifted its automotive "Project Titan" research from building a car to building an autonomous system for cars. The project supposedly has a deadline of late next year to prove feasibility. The shift happened after iPod designer and former Ford engineer Steve Zadesky handed over the project to Dan Riccio. In April, long-time Apple engineer Bob Mansfield took over as team leader. Dan Dodge, creator of the QNX embedded OS now owned by BlackBerry has taken over a larger role on the team as well.
German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt wrote to Tesla asking the company to stop advertising its Autopilot function. The ministry letter called the term Autopilot misleading, possibly causing drivers not to be attentive while using the driver assistance technology. A Tesla spokesperson told Reuters that the term has been used in the aerospace industry for assistive operation for decades, and that they make clear that drivers must pay attention at all times while using Autopilot.
A promo page for an upcoming Samsung Chromebook Pro appeared briefly this weekend. The page listed a 12.3-inch 2400x1600 display on a 360° hinge, a Hexa-core Rockchip processor, 4GB of RAM, and notably, a stylus. The weight was listed at just more than 1kg, sporting 2 USB-C ports, with a claimed battery life of 10 hours. Adorama listed the Chromebook Pro on presale for $499, but both the promo page and pre-order have since been taken down.
The Wall Street Journal notes that Samsung tests batteries, including the ones for the Note 7, in its own lab rather than getting certification from a third party. The lab was certified by the US Wireless Industry's trade group, CTIA, to meet compliance standards set by the IEEE. However the CTIA notes that Samsung is the only manufacturer to use in-house testing, with other companies opting to use 3rd party labs. Tom Sawanobori, CTO at the CTIA (his title is an act of elocution cruelty), said that all certified test labs are audited to make sure there is no undue influence from manufacturers and this is the first time they've had a problem in more than 1500 battery certifications.
Tesla and Panasonic will partner on solar panel production at a facility in Buffalo, New York, pending the approval of a merger between Tesla and Solar City. The solar modules would be produced to work with Tesla's PowerWall and Powerpack energy storage systems. Tesla has a product announcement scheduled for October 28th. Tesla and SolarCity shareholders vote on the proposed merger of the two companies on November 17th.
Tesla had another announcement scheduled for Monday, but CEO Elon Musk tweeted late Sunday night that it "needs a few more days of refinement" and will be announced Wednesday. This announcement is expected to be related to cars, not solar.
Samsung said Monday it has become the first company to start mass production of semiconductors using 10 nanometer technology. Products using chips from the production process are expected to launch in early 2017, including Qualcomm's Snapdragon 830 chips. Those chips will reportedly be used in the next Samsung Galaxy S.
The UK's Investigatory Powers Tribunal rules that GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 bulk data collection programs violated European privacy protections prior to the implementation of an official policy in February 2015. The new policy governs how data is collected, managed and destroyed, and makes the collection lawful.
Wikileaks posted to Twitter late Sunday: "Julian Assange's internet link has been intentionally severed by a state party. We have activated the appropriate contingency plans." Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
Several airlines and aviation agencies in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America banned the Note 7 from airplanes over the weekend. The US FAA was the first to implement a ban on Saturday at 12. Passengers who accidentally brought a Note 7 to the airport were allowed to rebook travel without charge by some airlines.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told the Financial Times his company has ruled out making a bid to purchase Twitter. Benioff said “It’s not the right fit for us for many different reasons.” Twitter is still seeking other potential bidders.
Contrary to previous reports from Variety, BitTorrent announced that its ad-supported music and video platform, BitTorrent Now, is not shutting down, and the company "remains focused on the media space." The company also corrected reports that both of its co-CEOs were fired, Robert Delamar has left the company, leaving Jeremy Johnson as the CEO. The company confirmed there are no announced changes to any of their platforms, including BitTorrent News and their live video service, BitTorrent Now.
Tencent announced the Ying drone, with the ability to stream video directly to WeChat. The Ying drone can capture video in 4k, and stream it at up to 720p. Tencent partnered with drone maker Zerotech and Qualcomm to create the device. It weights less than one pound, and folds up to fit in an included carrying case. The drone will go on sale in China by the end of October for $299.
Nike+version of the Apple Watch will release Oct 28th according to the updated Apple Store page. The Nike+version of the Apple Watch comes with a perforated band and comes in black with yellow, silver, or gray colored perforations. It will be priced at $369 for the 38mm version and $399 for the 42mm version. The Apple Store is also now selling SIM Free iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Pricing starts at $649 for the 32GB iPhone 7, and at $768 for the 32GB iPhone 7 Plus.

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Preceded by:
"Daily Tech Headlines – October 14, 2016"
Daily Tech Headlines – October 17, 2016
Followed by:
"Daily Tech Headlines – October 18, 2016"