Innholdsfortegnelse for #506 i Techlife News

Two billionaires are putting everything on the line this month to ride their own rockets into space. It’s intended to be a flashy confidence boost for customers seeking their own short joyrides. The lucrative, high-stakes chase for space tourists will unfold on the fringes of space — 55 miles to 66 miles (88 kilometers to 106 kilometers) up, pitting Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson against the world’s richest man, Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos. Branson is due to take off Sunday from New Mexico, launching with two pilots and three other employees aboard a rocket plane carried aloft by a double-fuselage aircraft. Bezos departs nine days later from West Texas, blasting off in a fully automated capsule with three guests: his brother, an 82-year-old female aviation pioneer who’s waited six decades for…

The long-delayed Russian module for the International Space Station is set to be finally launched this month, but the date has been pushed back several days, the head of the country’s space corporation said Thursday. Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin said on Twitter that the Nauka (Science) module is now scheduled to be launched from the Russian launch facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on July 21. The following two days could serve as reserve dates for the launch. Russian space officials had earlier said that the launch previously set for July 15 was postponed because of the need to fix some unspecified flaws. The launch of Nauka, also called Multipurpose Laboratory Module, has been repeatedly delayed because of technical problems. It was initially scheduled to go up in 2007. In 2013, experts…

A U.S. diplomat focusing on disarmament said Thursday that China is “looking at” developing naval and aerial autonomous nuclear weapons systems, warning any such development could disrupt strategic stability. Ambassador Robert Wood, the U.S. envoy to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, said China hasn’t developed or been able to weaponize the technology yet. But his comments suggested that China is interested in such so-called “exotic nukes” like nuclear-powered underwater drones and nuclear-powered cruise missiles being developed by Russia. “This is something they are looking at,”Wood said. “If they were to develop ... these kinds of weapons and aerial systems, this has the potential to change the strategic stability environment in a dynamic way.” The United States doesn’t have either type of system. “This is not where China was 10…

The Pentagon said it canceled a disputed cloud-computing contract with Microsoft that could eventually have been worth $10 billion. It will instead pursue a deal with both Microsoft and Amazon and possibly other cloud service providers. “With the shifting technology environment, it has become clear that the JEDI (Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure) Cloud contract, which has long been delayed, no longer meets the requirements to fill the DoD’s capability gaps,” the Pentagon said in a statement. The statement did not directly mention that the Pentagon faced extended legal challenges by Amazon to the original $1 million contract awarded to Microsoft. Amazon argued that the Microsoft award was tainted by politics, particularly then-President Donald Trump’s antagonism toward Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, who stepped down as the company’s chief executive officer. Bezos…

President Joe Biden said that damage to U.S. businesses in the biggest ransomware attack on record appears minimal, though information remained incomplete. The company whose software was exploited said fewer than 1,500 businesses worldwide appeared compromised but cybersecurity experts caution that the incident isn’t over. Also, a security researcher who chatted online with representatives of the Russia-linked REvil gang behind the attack said they claimed to have stolen data from hundreds of companies, but offered no evidence. Answering a reporter’s question at a vaccine-related White House event, Biden said his national security team had updated him on the attack, which exploited a powerful remote-management tool run by Miami-based software company Kaseya in what is known as a supply-chain attack. “It appears to have caused minimal damage to U.S. businesses but…

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO, handing over the reins as the company navigates the challenges of a world fighting to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. Andy Jassy, who ran Amazon’s cloud-computing business, replaced Bezos, a change the company announced in February. Bezos, Amazon’s biggest shareholder with a stake worth about $180 billion, will still hold sway over the company he started out of his Seattle garage in 1995. He takes over the role of executive chair, with plans to focus on new products and initiatives. Jassy takes the helm of a $1.7 trillion company that benefited greatly from the pandemic, more than tripling its profits in the first quarter of 2021 and posting record revenue as customers grew ever more dependent on online shopping. At the same…

The time-traveling “The Tomorrow War,” set largely in an alien apocalypse future, is a kind of throwback. Summer sci-fi spectacles like this — a sprawling, slightly sloppy, sometimes serious, often knowingly ridiculous extravaganza — aren’t quite the regular commodity they once were. “The Tomorrow War” isn’t as silly as Will Smith’s “Independence Day,” but, just the same, it’s Chris Pratt’s chance to punch some aliens. Pratt, star and executive producer of “The Tomorrow War,” used his box-office muscle to push forward the film, directed by Chris McKay and scripted by Zach Dean. Originally intended for theaters, McKay’s film got sucked into a future shock of its own during the pandemic and was sold to Amazon. It debuts on Prime Video this Friday. “The Tomorrow War” is by no means the…

This summer is already shaping up to be a difficult one for air travelers. Southwest Airlines customers have struggled with thousands of delays and hundreds of canceled flights in the past three weeks because of computer problems, staffing shortages and bad weather. American Airlines is also grappling with a surge in delays, and it has trimmed its schedule through mid-July at least in part because it doesn’t have enough pilots, according to the pilots’ union. At the same time, the number of Americans getting on planes is at a pandemic-era high. Just under 2.2 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports last weekend, the highest number since early March 2020. Travelers are posting photos of long airport lines and describing painful flights. “It was ridiculously crowded,”Tracey Milligan said of airports…

Britain’s High Court has granted the U.S. government permission to appeal a decision that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be sent to the United States to face espionage charges. The judicial office said this week that the appeal had been granted and the case would be listed for a High Court hearing. No date has been set. In January, a lower court judge refused an American request to send Assange to the U.S. to face spying charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of secret military documents a decade ago. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser denied extradition on health grounds, saying Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. The judge ordered that Assange must remain in prison during any potential U.S. appeal, ruling that the Australian citizen “has…

Stellantis is a little late to the global electric vehicle party, but on Thursday it pledged to catch up and pass its competitors. CEO Carlos Tavares says that by 2025, 98% of its models in Europe and North America will have fully electric or plug-in gas-electric hybrid versions. He says the company that combined Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot is developing four fully electric vehicle platforms with ranges from 500 kilometers (311 miles) to 800 kilometers (497 miles). It also will have three electric drive modules to power all of its vehicles, and Stellantis will take advantage of its scale to reduce electric vehicle costs. The company expects to reduce battery costs by more than 40% from 2020 to 2024 with two new battery chemistries. It plans to introduce solid-state battery…

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said it reached an agreement with Japan Thursday on helping monitor and review the release of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government decided in April to start discharging the water in about two years after building a facility and compiling release plans adhering to safety requirements. The idea has been fiercely opposed by fishermen, residents and Japan’s neighbors. Japan asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to review its plans against international safety standards and to support and be present during environmental monitoring operations. The Vienna-based IAEA said it has now agreed on “terms of reference” with Tokyo and its first review mission to Japan is expected later this year. “The IAEA will play a vital role…

China’s most popular social media service has deleted accounts on LGBT topics run by university students and nongovernment groups, prompting concern the ruling Communist Party is tightening control over gay and lesbian content. WeChat sent account holders a notice they violated rules but gave no details, according to the founder of an LGBT group, who asked not to be identified further out of fear of possible official retaliation. She said dozens of accounts were shut down, all at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday. It wasn’t clear whether the step was ordered by Chinese authorities, but it comes as the ruling party tightens political controls and tries to silence groups that might criticize its rule. WeChat’s operator, Tencent Holding Ltd., confirmed it received an email seeking comment but didn’t immediately respond.…

With the smart home market set to reach an eye-watering $100 billion by the end of 2021, it’s no wonder why companies like Google and Apple are ramping up their efforts to create technologies that transform homes and change the way we live. With more than 250 million smart homes around the world with a 12.2% penetration rate, there’s no going back, and with HomeKit evolutions, Apple can help consumers build the house of the future today. THE IDEAL HOME OF THE FUTURE Before we delve deeper into the new changes coming as part of iOS 15 that will make our homes even smarter and more convenient than ever before, it’s worth taking a minute to think about what the ideal home of the future could look like. Gone are…

Tesla says it delivered 201,250 electric vehicles in the second quarter as it overcame a global computer chip shortage that has hit nearly every automaker. The sales figures fell a bit short of Wall Street estimates of 207,000 vehicles, according to data provider FactSet. But it was better than first-quarter sales of 185,000 and put the company on a path to double last year’s annual deliveries of just under 500,000. The Palo Alto, California, company says it only counts a car as delivered if it is transferred to the customer and all paperwork is correct. Final numbers could vary by up to 0.5% or more. Sales from April through June more than doubled the same period last year, when the start of the coronavirus pandemic forced Tesla and other automakers…

Former President Donald Trump announced he is filing suits against three of the country’s biggest tech companies: Facebook, Twitter and Google, as well as their CEOs. Trump said he was serving as lead plaintiff in the class-action suits, claiming he has been wrongfully censored by the companies. “We’re demanding an end to the shadow-banning, a stop to the silencing and a stop to the blacklisting, banishing and canceling that you know so well,”Trump said at a news conference at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course. The suits were filed in U.S. District Court for Florida’s southern district. Trump was suspended from Twitter and Facebook after his followers stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6. The companies cited concerns that he would incite further violence. Currently, he can no longer post…

The streaming service Peacock is ramping up its offerings with a new deal with Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. The companies said this week that starting in 2022 all Universal films, including the new “Jurassic World” and “Minions” movies, will become available exclusively on Peacock no later than four months after their theatrical premieres. Both companies are subsidiaries of Comcast’s NBCUniversal. The unique multi-year deal guarantees that in an 18-month window, Universal films will be available on Peacock for the first and last four months. The films can be licensed to other services in the middle 10 months. Universal’s 2022 slate incudes “Jurassic World: Dominion,”“Minions: The Rise of Gru,”“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and a new original film from “Get Out’s” Jordan Peele. The studio will also start developing and…

Last year, companies around the U.S. scrambled to figure out how to shut down their offices and set up their employees for remote work as the COVID-19 virus suddenly bore down on the world. Now, in a mirror image, they are scrambling to figure out how to bring many of those employees back. Most companies are proceeding cautiously, trying to navigate declining COVID-19 infections against a potential backlash by workers who are not ready to return. Tensions have spilled into the public at a few companies where some staff have organized petitions or even walkouts to protest being recalled to the office. Many workers in high demand fields, such as tech or customer service, have options amid a rise job postings promising “remote work” — an alluring prospect for people…

Ride-hailing service Didi Global Inc., which made its U.S. stock market debut last week, was ordered by Chinese regulators to remove its app from online stores while the company overhauls its handling of customer data. Dozens of social media and e-commerce companies have been told to handle customer information more carefully as the Communist Party tightens control over their influential industries. Some have been told to collect less information. An investigation found“serious violations” in how Didi collected and used personal information, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced. A statement said the company was told to “rectify problems” but gave no details. Didi said it would “strictly comply” but gave no details. A statement on its social media account said customers who downloaded the Didi app before the order can keep…

Dozens of states are taking aim at Google in an escalating legal offensive on Big Tech. This time, attorneys general for 36 states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit targeting Google’s Play store, where consumers download apps designed for the Android software that powers most of the world’s smartphones. The 144-page complaint filed in a Northern California federal court represents the fourth major antitrust lawsuit filed against Google by government agencies across the U.S. since last October. The lawsuit also comes against a backdrop of proposed laws in Congress tailored to either break up or undermine the power amassed by Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. The four have built trillion-dollar empires fueled by the immense popularity of services that people have become increasingly dependent upon. Much of…

The European Union handed down $1 billion in fines to major German car manufacturers Thursday, saying they colluded to limit the development and rollout of car emission-control systems. Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen along with its Audi and Porsche divisions avoided competing on technology to restrict pollution from gasoline and diesel passenger cars, the EU’s executive commission said. Daimler wasn’t fined after it revealed the cartel to the European Commission. It was the first time the European Commission imposed collusion fines on holding back the use of technical developments, not a more traditional practice like price fixing. EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said that even though the companies had the technology to cut harmful emissions beyond legal limits, they resisted competition and denied consumers the chance to buy less polluting cars.…

Scarlett Johansson has had quite a bit of time to think about a “ Black Widow ” movie. After all, she’s played the character in seven movies spanning 10 years. Yet unlike many of her fellow Avengers who got grand introductions in movies and sequels bearing their names on the marquee, she built the enigmatic Natasha Romanoff as a sideline scene stealer beginning with her introduction in 2010’s “Iron Man 2” through her exit in “Avengers: Endgame.” By the time her name was called for a coveted standalone, she knew that, above all, she wanted Black Widow’s film to be unexpected. And as the first lead actor to serve as a producer on a Marvel film, she actually had a say. The character, introduced in the comics in 1964, is…

In the past few weeks, ransomware criminals claimed as trophies at least three North American insurance brokerages that offer policies to help others survive the very network-paralyzing, data-pilfering extortion attacks they themselves apparently suffered. Cybercriminals who hack into corporate and government networks to steal sensitive data for extortion routinely try to learn how much cyber insurance coverage the victims have. Knowing what victims can afford to pay can give them an edge in ransom negotiations. The cyber insurance industry, too, is a prime target for crooks seeking its customers’ identities and scope of coverage. Before ransomware evolved into a full-scale global epidemic plaguing businesses, hospitals, schools and local governments, cyber insurance was a profitable niche industry. It was accused of fueling the criminal feeding frenzy by routinely recommending that victims…

Does a little outdoor adventure sound enticing to you? To many Americans it does, as evidenced by crowded national parks and increased demand for trucks and SUVs. If you’re looking for a vehicle that can handle going off-road yet still be your inexpensive source for daily transportation, there are several options at your disposal. Experts highlight five new trucks and SUVs that are ready to explore right out of the dealership, and each is listed well below the average transaction price of around $40,000 for a new vehicle. All prices include the destination charge, and our list runs from lowest to highest manufacturer’s suggested retail price. 2021 SUBARU CROSSTREK Subaru’s Crosstrek comes standard with two off-road essentials: all-wheel drive and above-average ground clearance for a small SUV. The former enhances…

Negotiators from 130 countries have agreed on a major overhaul of how the world’s biggest companies are taxed in an effort to deter international avoidance schemes that have cost governments billions in revenue. It’s an attempt to better cope with a world where globalization and an increasingly digital economy mean that profits can move easily from one jurisdiction to another. The agreement was sealed in talks overseen by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, though there are still details to work out and hurdles to clear before it can take effect in 2023. The key feature is a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15%, endorsing the broad outlines of a proposal from U.S. President Joe Biden. While the tax deal is complex in its details, the…

The owners of restaurants, amusement parks and retail shops, many of them desperate for workers, are sounding an unusual note of gratitude this summer: Thank goodness for teenagers. As the U.S. economy bounds back with unexpected speed from the pandemic recession and customer demand intensifies, high school-age kids are filling jobs that older workers can’t — or won’t. The result is that teens who are willing to bus restaurant tables or serve as water-park lifeguards are commanding $15, $17 or more an hour, plus bonuses in some instances or money to help pay for school classes. The trend marks a shift from the period after the 2007-2009 Great Recession, when older workers often took such jobs and teens were sometimes squeezed out. The time, an acute labor shortage, especially at…

NBC’s coverage of the NHL ends after the Stanley Cup finals, but its impact on how the game is broadcast will carry on due to its different innovations in 15 years. The network’s coverage could conclude as soon as Monday night if the Tampa Bay Lightning complete a four-game sweep of the Montreal Canadiens. “I think when the history books are written on the NBC era with the NHL over the last 15 years, the entire network has so much to be proud of,” play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert said. NBC has added many technical innovations, but its most pronounced is having an analyst positioned inside the glass and between both team benches. “Over in Sochi, they had three inside the glass positions between the benches during the Olympic tournament, and…

Climate activists and their Democratic allies in Congress are pressing with renewed urgency for huge investments to slow global warming, after a bipartisan infrastructure plan cut out some of President Joe Biden’s key climate initiatives. Supporters say a larger, Democratic-only package now being developed in Congress must meet Biden’s promise to move the country toward carbon-free electricity, make America a global leader in electric vehicles and create millions of jobs in solar, wind and other clean-energy industries. But passage of a larger, multitrillion-dollar bill faces significant hurdles, even if Democrats use a procedural method that requires only a simple majority. It’s far from certain, in an evenly divided Senate, that moderate Democrats will agree to an expansive measure that could swell to as high as $6 trillion. On the other…