Innholdsfortegnelse for #525 i Techlife News

Battery-powered vehicles will get top billing at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens this week after a year’s hiatus due to the novel coronavirus. Subaru, which has seen strong sales growth in the U.S. during the past decade, will unveil its first all-electric vehicle, a smallish SUV named the Solterra. VinFast, a Vietnamese automaker that plans to start selling in the U.S. next year, will show off two all-electric SUVs. Auto shows have been waning in importance because auto companies have decided to avoid the expenses and unveil vehicles at their own events. Automakers showing new vehicles have only 10 news conferences planned for the L.A. show this year, many from electric vehicle startups. In 2019, the show said it had 25 global reveals from automakers. But the shows…

Members of the Biden administration launched a series of events aimed at exploring the Arctic’s potential to act as a “living laboratory of clean energy innovation.” Officials participating in the online event, billed as “ArcticX,” spoke of the challenges faced by remote communities in Alaska’s Arctic region, such as high energy costs and impacts from climate change. During the event’s broad discussions, they said they see opportunities for sustainable or renewable energy systems. Wednesday’s meeting was the first of four planned online events, with an in-person gathering set for May in Alaska. Among the speakers was U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Offices that fall under the department co-hosted the event. “We hope to combine the world-class expertise of our national labs, of our 17 national labs, with the know-how that…

The $1 trillion infrastructure plan that President Joe Biden plans to sign into law has money for roads, bridges, ports, rail transit, safe water, the power grid, broadband internet and more. The plan promises to reach almost every corner of the country. It’s a historic investment that the president has compared to the building of the transcontinental railroad and Interstate Highway System. The White House is projecting that the investments will add, on average, about 2 million jobs per year over the coming decade. The bill cleared the House on a 228-206 vote Nov. 5, ending weeks of intraparty negotiations in which liberal Democrats insisted the legislation be tied to a larger social spending bill — an effort to press more moderate Democrats to support both. The Senate passed the…

SpaceX expanded its constellation of low Earth orbit satellites last Saturday (13) with the launch of 53 Starlink satellites from Florida. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:19 a.m. EST and deployed the satellites about 16 minutes after launch. The rocket’s reusable first stage, which has been used for multiple launches, including the first crewed test flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, successfully returned and landed on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Starlink is a satellite-based global internet system that SpaceX has been building for years to bring internet access to underserved areas of the world. Last week, SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station, including the 600th person to reach space in 60 years. It…

Twitter users will soon see new warning labels on false and misleading tweets, redesigned to make them more effective and less confusing. The labels, which the company has been testing since July, are an update from those Twitter used for election misinformation before and after the 2020 presidential contest. Those labels drew criticism for not doing enough to keep people from spreading obvious falsehoods. The redesign launching worldwide this week is an attempt to make them more useful and easier to notice, among other things. Experts say such labels, used by Facebook as well, can be helpful to users. But they can also allow social media platforms to sidestep the more difficult work of content moderation — that is, deciding whether or not to remove posts, photos and videos that…

President Joe Biden is highlighting billions of dollars in his giant bipartisan infrastructure deal to pay for the installation of electric vehicle chargers across the country, an investment he says will go a long way to curbing planet-warming carbon emissions while creating good-paying jobs. Biden visited a General Motors plant in Detroit that manufactures electric vehicles. He used the occasion to make the case that the $7.5 billion in the new infrastructure law for electric vehicle chargers will help America get“off the sidelines” on green-energy manufacturing. Currently, the U.S. market share of plug-in electric vehicle sales is one-third the size of the Chinese EV market. “It’s a big deal,”Biden declared as he signed the bill into law at a White House ceremony on Monday. Two top White House advisers, writing…

It’s really not that complicated. Kids love dogs. Dogs love kids. Separate them at your peril. So despite obvious efforts to link the beloved and durable “Clifford” story, about a huge dog and the little girl who loves him, to a bigger and more current message in the CGI-meetslive action “Clifford the Big Red Dog, ” it really isn’t necessary. You had us at “Clifford.” On some levels the film, directed by Walt Becker, understands this, giving us plenty of lovely, warmhearted scenes between Clifford and young Emily Elizabeth (an appealing Darby Camp) that show it knows its core audience: young children. And for them, it will work fine. For older viewers, though, it may be hard to ignore some of the clunkier moments of a script that, in trying…

Walmart raised its outlook for the year after another surprisingly strong quarter as the largest retailer in the world flexed its scale to deal with rising costs and a snarled global supply chain. Walmart rerouted goods to less congested ports, even chartered its own vessels, and said that its inventory levels actually rose 11.5% from the same period last year. It boosted market share gains as a result, particularly with groceries, as it drew in more Americans stung by prices that are rising everywhere. “The sharp increase in inflation has been felt by many households, especially when it comes to grocery shopping, and this has created far more churn in where consumers buy,” said Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail. “Thanks to its solid low-price credentials, Walmart is one…

While world leaders and negotiators are hailing the Glasgow climate pact as a good compromise that keeps a key temperature limit alive, many scientists are wondering what planet these leaders are looking at. Crunching the numbers they see a quite different and warmer Earth. “In the bigger picture I think, yes, we have a good plan to keep the 1.5-degree goal within our possibilities,” United Nations climate chief Patricia Espinosa told, referring to the overarching global goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the conference host, agreed, calling the deal a “clear road map limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees.” But many scientists are far more skeptical. Forget 1.5 degrees, they say. Earth is…

Apple is letting some iPhone users fix their own phones, a sharp turnaround for a company that has long prohibited anyone but company-approved technicians from fiddling with its proprietary parts and software. The company said Wednesday that it will enable users of two of the newest iPhone models and eventually some Mac computers to get access to genuine Apple parts and tools for consumer repairs. The shift reflects a strengthening “right to repair” movement embraced by President Joe Biden and affecting everything from smartphones to cars and tractors. It’s a reaction to the infusion of software into more everyday products and the practices of manufacturers who have increasingly made those products difficult and expensive to repair. Apple is launching an online store for self-service repairs early next year that it…

The European Commission said Thursday that it could approve aid to fund production of semiconductors in the 27-nation bloc amid a global chip shortage and intense worldwide competition to fill the need. The EU’s executive arm expects that the scarcity of semiconductors — a key component in everything from smartphones to cars — will last, affecting the region’s economy. Automakers have been among the hardest hit by the shortage, which has slowed or halted production. Most of chipmakers are based in Asia, and the bloc wants to reduce its dependence by boosting production on its soil. “The commission will consider approving support to fill possible funding gaps in the semiconductor ecosystem, in particular for European first-of-a-kind facilities,” said Margrethe Vestager, the European commissioner for competition. She said safeguards will be…

A small city in the top U.S. coal-mining state of Wyoming will be home to a Bill Gates-backed experimental nuclear power project near a coal-fired power plant that will soon close, officials announced Tuesday. Bellevue, Washington-based TerraPower will build its Natrium plant in Kemmerer, a southwestern Wyoming city of 2,600 where the coal-fired Naughton power plant operated by PacifiCorp subsidiary Rocky Mountain Power is set to close in 2025. “Our innovative technology will help ensure the continued production of reliable electricity while also transitioning our energy system and creating new, good-paying jobs in Wyoming,” TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque said in a statement. The project will employ as many as 2,000 people during construction and 250 once operational in a state where the coal industry has been shedding jobs.…

A Russian weapons test created more than 1,500 pieces of space junk that is now threatening the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station, U.S. officials said this week. The State Department confirmed that the debris was from an old Russian satellite destroyed by the missile strike. “It was dangerous. It was reckless. It was irresponsible,”said State Department spokesman Ned Price. Earlier Monday, the four Americans, one German and two Russians on board were forced to briefly seek shelter in their docked capsules because of the debris. At least 1,500 pieces of the destroyed satellite were sizable enough to show up on radar and with telescopes, Price said. But countless other fragments were too small to track, yet still posed a danger to the space station as well as orbiting…

The cryptocurrency market gets likened to the Wild West by critics, and now a key player is asking for sheriffs to come to town. Binance, the world’s largest exchange for trading Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, says it’s time for global regulators to establish rules for crypto markets. It released a list of “10 fundamental rights for crypto users” this week that it wants to guide discussions with regulators, policymakers and other exchanges. The company acknowledges that crypto platforms have an obligation to protect users and to implement processes to prevent financial crimes, along with the responsibility to work with regulators and policymakers to set standards to keep users safe. The call for regulation might seem strange for an industry whose popularity exploded in some part precisely because it sought to…

Staples Center is getting a new name. Starting Christmas Day, it will be Crypto.com Arena. The downtown Los Angeles home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, the NHL’s Kings and the WNBA’s Sparks will change its name after 22 years of operation, arena owner AEG announced Tuesday night. A person with knowledge of the deal tells that Crypto.com is paying $700 million over 20 years to rename the building. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the parties aren’t publicly announcing the terms of what’s believed to be the richest naming rights deal in sports history. The 20,000-seat arena has been the Staples Center since it opened in October 1999, with the naming rights owned by the American office-supplies retail company under a 20-year agreement. The name will change…

As the biggest cryptocurrencies flirt with record high values, they’re increasingly becoming bigger sources of revenue for charities. However, the number of charities accepting the virtual currencies, known for their volatility, remains limited. Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, hit nearly $69,000 for the first time in its history, roaring back after sinking below $30,000 during the summer. The value of ethereum, the second biggest cryptocurrency, also hit a record high. Both cryptocurrencies have dropped from their record levels after helping push the overall market cap of cryptocurrencies past $3 trillion, according to CoinGecko pricing. CoinMarketCap, another popular measure, listed the market cap at $2.8 trillion. So far this year, Fidelity Charitable, the nation’s largest grantmaker, has received more than $274 million in cryptocurrency contributions — nearly quadruple its prior record…

American technology company NVIDIA’s planned $40 billion takeover of British chip designer Arm Ltd. faces months of delays after the U.K. government asked competition regulators to investigate the national security implications of the deal. U.K. Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries asked the Competition and Markets Authority to look into both the deal’s impact on competition and national security. NVIDIA has agreed to buy Cambridge-based Arm, Britain’s largest technology firm, from Japan’s Softbank. Arm’s semiconductor technology is widely used in computing devices, including smartphones, cars and other equipment that connects to the internet. While many of the devices that use Arm technology aren’t considered critical, the government is concerned about the “security and resiliency” of the broader supply chain, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport said in a statement. “Arm…

SpaceX founder Elon Musk said that his company will attempt to launch its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship to orbit in January, but he’s not betting on success for that first test flight. “There’s a lot of risk associated with this first launch, so I would not say that it is likely to be successful, but we’ll make a lot of progress,”he said during a virtual meeting organized by the National Academy of Sciences. Musk said he’s confident Starship — launching for the first time atop a mega booster — will successfully reach orbit sometime in 2022. After a dozen or so orbital test flights next year, SpaceX then would start launching valuable satellites and other payloads to orbit on Starships in 2023, he said. NASA has contracted with SpaceX to use…

Albertsons, Mondelez and Kroger are among a wide range of companies whose profits could be squeezed from rising food prices if inflation keeps running hot. So far grocery stores, restaurants and food producers have passed along much of inflation’s impact to consumers, who have eaten most of the increase. The industry’s profit margins have been tightening throughout 2021 and analysts are growing concerned that margins could feel an even tighter pinch as companies absorb more of the persistently rising costs and consumers possibly change shopping habits to adapt. Prices for U.S. consumers jumped 6.2% in October compared with a year earlier, leaving families facing the highest inflation rate since 1990. “We’re getting into this situation where we have spiraling inflation,”said Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Advisors.“Inflation in one area…

As more and more players begin to realize the potential of cryptocurrency, with the likes of PayPal entering the field, it’s now the turn of Apple to pledge its support. Asked in a New York Times interview about the possibility of native cryptocurrency support on iOS, Tim Cook said the Cupertino company was “looking into” the logistics. The future of crypto is coming. BRINGING CRYPTO TO IOS According to a new study from Times Magazine, the current cryptocurrency market - which is little more than a decade old - is estimated to be worth more than an eye-watering $3 trillion as consumers and businesses hedge their bets on digital currencies. They argue that excitement about the possibilities of decentralized finance and non-fungible tokens, as well as memecoins like Dogecoin and…

A new rocket designed to launch humans to the moon, Mars and beyond will launch next year from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On board, will be a familiar fuzzy figure — Snoopy. A 5-ounce plush toy version of the daydreaming beagle — wearing a space suit designed according to NASA’s strict specifications — has an important job for the Artemis I unmanned mission. NASA uses stuffed animals on flights because when the little guys start to float, it indicates that the spacecraft has entered space’s zero gravity. Since the toys are soft and light, they won’t break anything or accidentally strike a button. The Artemis I mission is scheduled to circle the moon and then return to Earth in February as a dry run without astronauts, making sure all…

The CEO of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, doesn’t try to explain why some cryptocurrencies that started purely as a joke have surged so much in price. He also doesn’t want to say if the exuberance for meme coins like Dogecoin is an indication of a dangerous bubble. But Changpeng Zhao, who goes by “CZ,” does say that it shows the power of decentralization, which has underpinned the huge growth for crypto. Led by Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies have swelled in value to more than $2.6 trillion, putting them on par with the world’s most valuable stock, Microsoft. Such fast growth is drawing in more investors, as well as gaining the attention of regulators around the world. Zhao spoke after his company issued a call for more regulation of crypto markets…

Netflix rolled out a new website that measures its most-viewed films and series by the amount of hours users spend watching them. The results? People are watching “Squid Game” and the new action-adventure film “Red Notice” maybe even more than you would have guessed. According to the streaming service’s new metric, Rawson Marshall Thurber’s “Red Notice,” starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, has been watched for 148.7 million hours globally since it debuted Nov. 12 on Netflix. In the past week, the most popular series was season three of “Narcos: Mexico,” with 50.3 million hours viewed. The first season of “Squid Game” ranks as Netflix’s most-watched show or film ever, with 1.6 billion hours viewed. Every Tuesday, Netflix will update the site “Top10 on Netflix” with the top…

A California electrician was ordered to pay $481.3 million in restitution as part of his sentence for participating in a $1 billion Ponzi schemed that suckered Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., among many others. Joseph W. Bayliss, 46, of Martinez, was sentenced to three years in federal prison on top of the restitution. He was an electrician who prosecutors say was hired by Benicia-based DC Solar to pose as a licensed engineer to inspect new mobile solar generator units that were mounted on trailers. The company marketed the generators between 2011 and 2018 as being able to provide emergency power for cellphone companies or to provide lighting at sporting and other events. But the owners started telling investors they could benefit from federal tax credits by leasing the generators back…

Embattled Japanese technology conglomerate Toshiba said it is restructuring to improve its competitiveness, spinning off its energy infrastructure and computer devices businesses. The energy infrastructure spinoff will include Tokyo-based Toshiba Corp.’s nuclear power operations, including the decommissioning efforts at the nuclear plant in Fukushima that suffered meltdowns after an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. The energy business will also include the company’s sustainable energy and battery businesses. Its annual sales total about 2 trillion yen ($18 billion). The other spinoff and stand-alone company encompasses Toshiba’s computer devices and storage operations, with annual sales of 870 billion yen ($7.6 billion). Toshiba will remain a third independent company, holding what’s left, such as its flash memory company Kioxia Holdings Corp. and Toshiba Tec Corp., which makes office equipment. Such a major…