Daily Tech Headlines – February 22, 2018
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| Daily Tech Headlines – February 22, 2018 | |
| Number | 444 |
| Broadcast Date | FEBRUARY 22, 2018 |
| Episode Length | 4:58 |
| Hosts | Sarah Lane |
Apple’s AirPods may get hands-free Siri update, Intel to announce 5G Windows PCs, Lighthouse AI now selling its security camera.
Headlines
- Bloomberg reports that Apple’s planning to release a new AirPods model with an improved wireless chip and Hey Siri voice commands that would bypass having to touch the AirPods. Apple make also make the AirPods water-resistant in a 2019 update.
- Amazon’s new cashierless store, Amazon Go, may get 6 more stores this year in the Seattle and Los Angeles areas, sources tell Recode. The first Amazon Go store opened last month after a year-long delay. Shoppers use what the company calls Walk Out Technology to scan their phone upon entrance, grab items off shelves, and automatically get charged as they leave the store.
- Lighthouse AI, an artificial intelligence startup, is now selling its Lighthouse security camera, first unveiled in May of last year. It’s available now on Lighthouse’s website and on Amazon for $299 as an all-in-one AI system for the home. It records a 1080p, 24-hour feed and stores it for up to 30 days. It also uses 3D sensors and algorithms trained via machine learning to understand its surroundings, keep track of known faces, and tell the difference between you and your pets.
- At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, Intel will announce new 5G-connected Windows 10 PCs. In a partnership with Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, and HP, these “high performing 5G-connected” PCs powered by the company’s XMM 8000 series of commercial 5G modems will be available in the second half of next year. Paul Thurrott notes that the Microsoft inclusion could mean a new Surface Pro with 5G connectivity capabilities.
- End-to-end encrypted messaging app Signal uses an encryption protocol that’s already been adopted by WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Skype, although Signal has until now operated as a non-profit with a small team. On Wednesday, Signal announced the launch of the Signal Foundation to build and maintain Signal and potentially offer new apps as well. WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton has joined as the foundation's executive chairman, his first new role since leaving WhatsApp last fall, and is personally investing $50 million into the project.
- Last December, Disney filed a lawsuit against Redbox over Redbox selling digital download codes for Disney films. The Hollywood Reporter now reports a California federal judge has rejected Disney’s request for an injunction to stop the practice, saying Disney is misusing copyright law. Redbox has distribution deals with other studios like Warner Bros., which allows it to buy physical DVDs and Blu-rays and then offer them as rentals at its kiosks. But with Disney, Redbox buys retail copies of the films and rents those discs, and also sells the digital download codes from the physical copies at a fraction of the price.
- Ahead of Samsung’s Galaxy S9 launch at Mobile World Congress, another Android phone, the Cat S61, was just announced for $999, the same rumored price range as the S9. It has a 5.2 inch display that works with gloves on and with wet fingers, a thermal imaging camera, and an indoor air quality sensor. The Cat S61 has Full HD resolution, Gorilla Glass 5 glass, a Snapdragon 630 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, microSD support, a 16-megapixel camera, an 8-megapixel selfie camera, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, and 4,500 mAh battery, and will be available in Q2 of this year.
- On Thursday morning, SpaceX successfully launched its latest Falcon 9 to drop off some low-earth-orbit satellites, including an imaging satellite to provide data for the Spanish Ministry of Defense, and two smaller satellites that will test technology for SpaceX’s planned Starlink project: a high-speed internet infrastructure composed of thousands of low-earth satellites bringing access to rural and underserved areas of Earth. Currently, satellite internet uses large satellites in geo-stationary orbit very high above the earth, which is expensive and suffers from lag and inconsistency of service. Other companies, such as Iridium, have similar plans to build low-earth satellite networks like SpaceX’s model.
- The US FCC published it's new rules reversing net neutrality Guidelines in the Federal Register Thursday. The rules go into effect 60 days from publication, meaning April 23rd. Any Congressional action to block the rules directly would need to happen by then. Several states and organizations are expected to sue the FCC over the rules as well.
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| Preceded by: "Daily Tech Headlines – February 21, 2018" |
Daily Tech Headlines – February 22, 2018 |
Followed by: "Daily Tech Headlines – February 23, 2018" |