Though we might still be a few years off the long-rumored Apple Car, this year’s WWDC did not disappoint, lifting the trunk on some exciting new car-related features. Alongside CarPlay enhancements, Apple made its next big leap towards revolutionizing the way we get from A to B, by overhauling the Apple Maps user interface and putting our car keys on our phone.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE WITH CARKEY
Though Apple’s iPhones and Apple Watches have supported NFC technology for a number of years, allowing us to pay for our groceries using our wrist or check-in at the airport, Apple has been slow to introduce additional nearfield communication services. That’s, in part, because of security concerns - put everything from your house keys to your passport onto your phone, and your device becomes even more lucrative. Great strides have been made in recent years and with a long-rumored Face ID and Touch ID double-up in iPhones expected as soon as 2021, our smartphones are now more secure than ever before. That’s encouraged some governments to place more trust in Apple, as the COVID-19 track and trace API has taught us. In the UK, officials are even experimenting with using NFC to connect passports to iPhones as part of a Brexit app, and last year, Apple brought contactless Student ID cards to iOS, which can be used to enter theaters and pay for food, drink, and books without a credit card. All of these innovations have to lead to a big question: what’s next, and how can we use our devices to further improve our everyday lives? Apple undeniably changed the world with the launch of Apple Pay, with more than 900 million users paying for everything from their weekly food shop to their subway tickets using their iPhones. The aim was to remove the need for a wallet. Now, Apple wants us to wave goodbye to our car keys.
CarKey allows iPhone and Apple Watch users to unlock, lock, start, and control compatible vehicles from their devices. Though most car manufacturers don’t have NFC functionality by default, the feature is slowly being rolled out amongst new higher-end models, in a similar way to CarPlay over the past five years. Back in 2018, around half of all new vehicles sold in the United States and Europe came with CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities as standard, and that figure is expected to be even higher by the end of 2020. Apple hopes that, in the next few years, CarKey will become synonymous with buying a new car. Right now, CarKey offers users access to all of the same features that a physical key can offer, and keys can be shared and restricted, too.
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FACEBOOK USERS CAN APPEAL HARMFUL CONTENT TO OVERSIGHT BOARD
Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board said this week that it will start letting users file appeals over posts, photos, and videos that they think the company shouldn’t have allowed to stay on its platforms.
HOW TO TEST-DRIVE VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
New vehicles are brimming with technology that can enhance convenience, connectivity and driver safety. But the tech can also be unfamiliar to car shoppers, especially those who haven’t purchased a vehicle in the past five years or more. This poses a problem when it comes to the traditional test drive.
IN ‘MOFFIE,' BRUTAL INTOLERANCE IN '80S SOUTH AFRICA
The main character of Oliver Hermanus’ shattering “Moffie,” set in 1981 South Africa, is a handsome, white 18-year-old. In the country’s system of apartheid, he is a member of the ruling class, but he’s no insider.
MICROSOFT BUYING SPEECH RECOGNITION FIRM NUANCE IN $16B DEAL
Microsoft, on an accelerated growth push, is buying speech recognition company Nuance in a deal worth about $16 billion.
STARVING FOR MORE CHIPS IN A TECH-HUNGRY WORLD
As the U.S. economy rebounds from its pandemic slump, a vital cog is in short supply: the computer chips that power a wide range of products that connect, transport and entertain us in a world increasingly dependent on technology.
FACEBOOK DELIVERS BIASED JOB ADS, SKEWED BY GENDER
Facebook is showing different job ads to women and men in a way that might run afoul of anti-discrimination laws, according to a new study.
DESKTOP VS MOBILE: UPCOMING INNOVATIONS CHANGE THE GAME
Over the past decade, Apple has revolutionized personal technology with the iPhone and iPad, but the Mac range has seen stunted growth as a result. As the giant pivots towards its personal computing arm once more with the launch of the M1 chip, it’s time to prepare for innovations that could change the way you work for years to come.
YA SCI-FI THRILLER ‘VOYAGERS' DOESN'T QUITE TAKE OFF
The most surprising thing about “ Voyagers,” a sci-fi thriller about a group of young adults who have been tasked with travelling to and repopulating a new planet, is that it isn’t based on a Young Adult book series. Writer and director Neil Burger, who was also behind the “Divergent” films apparently decided to cut out the Intellectual Property middleman and make his own YA statement. That said, it does borrow heavily from quite a few other sources, with shades of “Lord of the Flies,” “The Giver,” “Ender’s Game,” “Euphoria” and any number of space madness films.
BIDEN TELLS EXECS US NEEDS TO INVEST, LEAD IN COMPUTER CHIPS
President Joe Biden used a virtual meeting with corporate leaders about a global shortage of semiconductors to push for his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, telling them that the U.S. should be the world’s computer chip leader.
BIDEN NAMES 2 EX-NSA OFFICIALS FOR SENIOR CYBER POSITIONS
President Joe Biden has selected two former senior National Security Agency officials for key cyber jobs in his administration, the White House said in moving to fill out a team whose role has grown more urgent after two major hacks that have consumed the government’s attention.
The U.K. Wants to Clean Up Space
The amount of debris in orbit is an increasing danger—and a potential market opportunity
Can Creativity Be Created?
Your team has big ideas. To unlock them, you must first build an environment of support and encouragement.
Bumper UK race fleets forecast
A bumper racing season in the UK is being predicted this summer as the easing of restrictions to social gatherings meets pent up appetite for competitive events. The largest is likely to be the Round the Island Race, which takes place on 3 July, followed by Cowes Week and the Rolex Fastnet Race in August, both of which could see boosted fleet numbers.
7 Home Businesses You Can Launch in 2021
If you're considering starting your own business in 2021, you're in good company. Many people are looking to pivot and try something new in light of the recent economic climate.
Big Shift for Marketers
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WINDOWS 10 ON M1 MACS: WHAT YOU CAN DO (VIRTUALIZATION, SORTA) AND CAN'T (BOOT CAMP)
VIRTUALIZATION IS KEY, BUT THE LACK OF A CONSUMER VERSION OF MICROSOFT’S M1 -COMPATIBLE OS KEEPS THE SITUATION IN DOUBT.
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Aukey EP-N5: Entry-level ANC that gets it (mostly) right
Good sound and decent active noise canceling for a wallet-friendly price.