Stanford has developed a roadside breathalyzer for weed

Blood, breath and urine. These are the holy trinity of determining alcohol intoxication but are virtually useless when measuring the amount of THC in your system thanks the the molecule’s ability to remain present in bodily fluids for up to a month after consumption. However, a technological breakthrough from Stanford University could soon enable law enforcement to accurately determine how blunted you are as soon as they pull you over.

Rather than the three standard fluids, Stanford’s “potalyzer” measures the amount of THC present in your saliva. It’s reportedly accurate enough to detect as little as 0 to 50 nanograms of THC per milliliter of spit. The system, developed by Dr. Shan Wang and his team, uses magnetic biosensors to detect the THC molecules present in saliva. The technology actually grew out of Wang’s earlier research into in vitro cancer diagnostics and magnetic information storage.

The test itself involves first mixing the saliva sample with antibodies that bind to the THC molecules and act as markers. The sample is then spread on a test strip that’s been pre-coated in THC and loaded into a handheld measuring device. The more THC that’s present in the sample, the fewer antibodies will be free to bind with the THC on the test strip. By measuring the amount of unbound THC on test strip, the system can accurately estimate how much THC was present in the initial sample. This estimate is then confirmed by applying magnetic nanoparticles that are precisely engineered to only bind with the THC-antibodies and measuring the electrical differential. The meter’s results are then displayed on a Bluetooth-connected mobile device.

Interestingly, this technology could easily be applied to almost any small molecule including morphine, heroin, meth or any number of illicit or prescription substances. Of course, even if the potalyzer works as advertised, we’re still going to have to wait for existing laws to catch up to the technology. In Colorado, for example, where recreational cannabis use is perfectly legal, there are no strict limits on the amount of THC you can have in your system that determines DWI culpability — the entire process is left up to the officer’s discretion. While devices like this can help curb discretionary abuses by law enforcement, more research into how one’s tolerance impacts their ability to handle different amounts of THC will be necessary to prevent the establishment of unfair arbitrary legal limits.

Websites settle with New York over online child tracking

Some of the biggest child-oriented websites are learning a hard lesson about the importance of respecting kids’ privacy. New York state has reached settlements with Hasbro, JumpStart Games, Mattel and Viacom for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal information from kids under 13. They’ll all have to reform their sites (such as those for Hot Wheels, Neopets and Nickelodeon) to honor COPPA’s safeguards and screen third-party trackers. JumpStart, Mattel and Viacom will also have to pay a collective $835,000 in penalties and provide regular reports on their scan results. Hasbro is dodging those bullets only because it’s part of an FTC-sanctioned safe harbor program.

None of the companies are likely to face a severe blow from the settlement. However, it’s also a rare instance of a COPPA investigation slapping down multiple major sites — they tend to target individual sites. This case could serve as a warning to others tempted to play fast and loose with kids’ data, especially on sites designed for the pre-teen crowd.

Source: New York Attorney General

Pokemon Go for iOS Updated With New ‘Buddy’ Feature

Amid today’s glut of app updates for iOS 10, Niantic Labs updated popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go, adding some promised new features that should make the Pokémon-catching experience better.

New in Pokémon Go is a Buddy feature that lets users choose a favorite Pokémon as a buddy. The Pokémon acting as a buddy will earn candy after a certain distance is traveled, making it much easier to get candies for upgrading rare Pokémon.

Today’s update also fixes a few minor bugs and adds support for the Pokémon Go Plus accessory. Pokémon Go Plus is a wrist-worn device that’s designed to let users discover Pokémon without the need to have the smartphone app open. It will be available starting next week.

In the future, Pokémon Go will be coming to the Apple Watch, as was announced at Apple’s September 7 event. The Apple Watch app, like the Pokémon Go Plus accessory, will alert users when wild Pokémon appear, it will show information about hatching eggs, and send alerts when a Pokéstop is nearby. Pokéstops can even be accessed directly on the wrist without the need to open the Pokémon Go iPhone app.

Pokémon Go can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Pokémon GO
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Apple CEO Tim Cook to Talk AirPods, Other New Products on Good Morning America Tomorrow

Apple CEO Tim Cook will appear on Good Morning America tomorrow, for what the show is calling a “wide-ranging and exclusive interview” with Robin Roberts at a school in Harlem in New York City.

In a minute long teaser clip shared on the Good Morning America Twitter account, Cook was asked about Apple’s upcoming AirPods, where he alleviated fears that they’re going to be easy to lose or will fall out of the ear.

Cook says AirPods will be kept safe in the dedicated battery case and because there are no wires, there’s nothing to pull them out of the ear. “I have never personally had one fall out since I’ve been using it,” he said. “They’re absolutely magical.” He went on to explain that he’s used them on the treadmill and when dancing, all without incident.

WATCH: @Apple CEO @tim_cook dismisses concerns new AirPods may fall out, become easily lost: https://t.co/95UoiWYE4F pic.twitter.com/AfiLoxy8TU

— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 13, 2016

Good Morning America didn’t share details on other topics Cook will speak on, but given the recent announcement of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus and the launch of iOS 10, watchOS 3, and tvOS 10, we can expect to hear his views on those products.

Good Morning America’s interview with Tim Cook will air on Wednesday, September 14, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Tag: Tim Cook
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Photos in iOS 10: How to Find and Use Image Markup

Apple is expanding the iPhone’s photo editing abilities in iOS 10 with a new feature called “Markup” that lets you doodle, magnify, and place text on any picture you have within the Photos app. Thanks to Markup’s flexibility, it could be used for both casually sharing photos with friends and family, and also to enhance and add detail to an image in an enterprise situation.

Markup is also available directly through the Messages app in iOS 10, adding it to the roster of inventive and colorful updates coming to text messaging in the new iPhone operating system this fall. In both locations, Markup is a bit buried and somewhat difficult to find, so follow these steps to discover the new photo editing feature in iOS 10.

Finding Image Markup in Photos

Open the Photos app.
Find the image you want to edit and tap on it.
Tap the editing slider button.
While in editing mode, tap the button that looks like an ellipsis within a circle and choose “Markup” from the popup menu.

Finding Image Markup in Messages

Open Messages.
Tap the contact you want to send the photo to.
Tap the Camera icon to the left of the iMessage conversation box.
Find the image you want to edit by taking a new picture, scrolling right to browse all your images, or scrolling left to jump into a vertical version of your Photo Library.
Tap on the photo to place it in the conversation box, then tap on it once again within the box.
Tap “Markup” in the bottom left corner.

Using Image Markup

In Photos or Messages, the editing features of Markup are mostly similar, although the former app presents a darker layout, while the latter has a lighter one. First, the feature lets you doodle on the picture you’ve decided to edit, with eight different colors and three different stylus thickness options to the right of the color dots.

Within each of the three options, you can change the thickness of the doodle by pressing harder or softer as you draw on the photo if you have a device that supports 3D Touch. If you begin free-styling on the photo and draw a recognizable shape, Markup will intelligently suggest a more true-to-form representation, be it a basic circle, oval, square, or even a star. You can also keep your hand-drawn option.

Start drawing any shape and Markup will recommend a symmetrical version
The second icon, to the right of the doodle feature, is a magnifying glass that can zoom in on any part of a picture it’s placed over. After tapping on it, you can tap on the small green dot and then scrub it to the right to enhance the zoom of the magnifying glass. The blue dot will increase or decrease the circumference of the circle, while tapping anywhere within the circle will allow you to drag it around on the photo. After placing the zoom feature, tapping on any of the color dots will change the border of the magnification circle to match the color, while jumping into the thickness menu will let you alter the boldness of the border.

The last option on the bottom row of the Markup screen is a simple text box that lets you type out any message on top of the photo, and adjust its size by dragging the two blue dots on each side of the box. Similar to the magnifying glass, tap anywhere within the box to drag it, and double tap to add text. You can also change the color of the text by choosing any from the color dot menu, and a new “aA” option to the right of the color dots allows for new font options, sizes, and indentations.

Since there is no direct trash button, the only way to undo a mistake is a simple undo button, which is one of the major differences between marking up a photo in Photos or in Messages. In Photos, the reversed arrow is located at the bottom right of the screen; in Messages, it appears at the top left, next to “Cancel,” once you start editing the photo. If you want to change a lot about the edits you’ve made to a photo, it’s potentially faster to simply tap “Cancel” and then jump back into Markup to start over.

The biggest difference between Markup in these two apps lies in how permanent you want the edits to be. If done within Photos, your Markups will remain a permanent addition to each picture within the app, which can of course be reversed using the “Revert” option in the editing menu of each image. If executed within Messages, Markup is more transient, keeping the edits only on the version of the image sent to your contact, and not saving any edits onto the version in your own Photos app.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
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iOS 10 Tidbits: Hide Stock Apps, Use Two Safari Windows on iPad, Access Voicemail Transcription and More

Apple today released iOS 10, the next major operating system designed for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10 has been described as the biggest iOS update ever, with features ranging from an overhauled Lock screen interface to half a dozen new capabilities for the Messages app.

In addition to all the major changes, there are dozens of more minor but still significant tweaks that have been made to the operating system to make it feel entirely new, including individualized read receipts, the ability to hide stock apps, a new Wake Alarm in the Clock app, and more. Below, we’ve listed some of the most notable changes worth checking out.

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Hide stock apps – In iOS 10, a wide range of stock apps can be hidden from the Home screen, a feature iOS users have long wanted. Stock apps that are “deleted” aren’t removed from the operating system and won’t free up space, but they won’t be visible.

Apps that can be deleted include Calendar, Compass, Contacts, FaceTime, Find My Friends, Home, iBooks, iCloud Drive, iTunes Store, Mail, Maps, Music, News, Notes, Podcasts, Reminders, Stocks, Tips, Videos, Voice Memos, Watch, and Weather.

Split-View Safari on iPad – On iPads that support full Split-View multitasking, two Safari windows are now able to be opened side by side. Side-by-side Mail composing is also available on iPads.

Safari tabs – Safari now supports an unlimited number of tabs.

Safari autoplay – In iOS 10, Apple will allow videos with no audio element to play automatically, which will be useful for viewing video-format animated GIFs. Apple also plans to automatically pause videos that do have an audio element, cutting down on pesky spam videos.

Notes collaboration – There are new collaborative features in Notes. Tapping on the new “Add People” icon in the app lets you invite other users to view and edit a note. All changes made by any user with access to the note will sync to other users.

Copy and paste – There’s a new Continuity feature that allows copied content to sync across Mac and iOS devices. You can copy a link on an iPhone, for example, and paste it on a Mac running macOS Sierra.

iCloud Drive – When used in conjunction with macOS Sierra, the iCloud Drive app on iOS devices will now house all Mac files located on either the desktop or the Documents folder for quick access anywhere.

Phone – Apple has created a new “CallKit” API that allows third-party VoIP apps like Skype to behave much like a standard phone call. There’s also a new caller ID extension that can be used to screen phone calls for spam.

Voicemail transcription – In iOS 10, incoming voicemail messages are translated to text and can be read instead of listened to.

Bedtime Alarm – With bedtime alarm, it’s possible to set a regular sleep schedule to get reminders to let you know when it’s time to go to bed.

Music storage optimization – There are now options in the Settings app to optimize storage and remove songs that have not been listened to in a while. There are settings to limit music storage space to 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.

New Keyboard Sound – Keyboard sounds have been slightly tweaked. Backspace now has a distinctive sounds unique from other key press sounds, and there’s a new sound for space, return, shift, and number/emoji shift. There’s also a new general sound for all other key presses that’s more of a muted popping-style sound.

Individual read receipts in Messages – Read receipts in the Messages app can be toggled on or off on a per person or per conversation basis in iOS 10.

Game Center – Apple has removed the Game Center app from iOS 10, but the Game Center service continues to be available.

VPN – PPTP connections for VPNs are being eliminated in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. Apple recommends using other, more secure VPN protocols instead.

3D Touch app downloads – When downloading app updates on an iPhone, a 3D Touch on an app icon will allow a download to be paused. When downloading multiple items, it’s also possible to choose to prioritize app downloads.

Organ donor registration – The Medical ID section of Health app now includes integration with Donate Life America to make it easy for users to register as organ donors in the United States. The functionality was introduced in the second beta version of iOS 10.

New emoji – There are new emoji in iOS 10, designed to promote gender equality. Many professions and activity emoji that were previously limited to just one gender are now available with both male and female gender options. Emoji also have a new texture, many existing emoji have seen slight design tweaks, and Apple has replaced the “gun” emoji with a water gun.

Lock sound – Apple introduced a new sound that plays when the power button on the iPhone is pressed to lock the phone. It sounds similar to a door closing.

For more information on the new features included in iOS 10, make sure to check out our full iOS 10 roundup.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
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How to Use Messages’ Tapback, Screen Effects and Bubble Effects in iOS 10

In iOS 10, Messages features creative tools to give users new ways to express themselves and communicate with friends and family. Additions include new bubble effects that change the way iMessage bubbles look, tapback reaction options for sending quick feedback on texts or photos, and screen effects that add fireworks, confetti, and more to the whole messages screen.

All of these tools are simple to use, but there are some hidden features and accessing them for the first time can be tricky, so make sure to check out our how-to for pointers.

Using Bubble Effects

There are currently four kinds of bubble effects that can be added to chat bubbles to impact the mood of a message: Slam, Loud, Gentle, and Invisible Ink. Each one changes the way a chat bubble looks when it’s delivered to a friend.

Slam, for example, expands the size of the chat bubble and slams it down onto the screen, while Loud enlarges the chat bubble and makes it shake for a few seconds before it settles down.

Gentle, meanwhile, makes the text within the chat bubble tiny for a few seconds before it expands in size, and Invisible Ink, the neatest effect, fully obscures the look of the text in the chat bubble until a finger is swiped over it to unveil it.

Here’s how to use Bubble Effects:
Open the Messages app and select an existing conversation or start a new conversation.
Type a message.
On the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, use a Force Press on the blue arrow next to the chat box to bring up the Bubble Effect options.
On iPads or older iPhones, use a Long Press (press and hold for a few seconds) to bring up the Bubble Effect options.
Select one of the Bubble Effect options to see a preview of what it will look like.
Press the blue up arrow to send your message. It’ll be delivered to the recipient with the effect.

Using Screen Effects

Bubble Effects change the look of the chat bubbles, but Screen Effects temporarily alter the look of the entire Messages display with full screen animations that play alongside text messages you send.

Open the Messages app and select an existing conversation or start a new conversation.
Type a message.
On the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, use a Force Press (use a long press on iPads and older iPhones) on the blue arrow next to the chat box to bring up the Bubble Effect and Screen Effect menu.
The default option is Bubble Effects. Tap “Screen Effects” at the top of the display to change modes.
Swipe left and right to cycle through all of the different options.
When you’ve selected the desired effect, press the blue up arrow to send your message. It will be delivered to the recipient as a full screen animation.
Screen effects can be added to messages manually by following the above directions, but they’re also an automatic effect that’s activated by certain phrases. For example, if you text a friend “Happy Birthday!” your message will be sent with balloons. If you send a “Congratulations!” text, it’ll be accompanied by confetti.

Using Tapback

Tapback responses are little icons that can be added to any incoming message bubble, including texts, photos, GIFs, and more, allowing you to quickly share a reaction without having to type a full message. Tapback icons, when used, are added to the chat bubble that was selected and are visible to both you and the message recipient.

Tapback options include a heart, thumbs down symbol, thumbs up symbol, a “haha” icon, an exclamation point, and a question mark. Each symbol represents a different emotion or response, which is conveyed through both the icon and the accompanying notification.

Using a heart Tapback response means you “love” a photo or text message, for example, and when you send a heart response, your friend will see the message “Juli loved an image,” if attached to a photo. Here’s a full list of Tapback responses and the notification that accompanies them:

• Heart – Juli loved an image
• Thumbs up – Juli liked an image
• Thumbs down – Juli disliked an image
• Haha – Juli laughed at an image
• Exclamation point – Juli emphasized an image
• Question mark – Juli questioned an image

Here’s how to respond to a message with Tapback:

Open a conversation.
Choose the message you want to respond to.
Long press on the chat bubble. A selection of Tapback icons will be displayed.
Choose the icon you want to respond with.
The icon is attached to the chat bubble and sent to the message recipient.
Want to remove or change a Tapback reaction? Press again and deselect the icon you chose the first time or choose a new one.

Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble getting Bubble Effects and Screen Effects to work, the Reduce Motion setting needs to be turned off if you’ve turned it on. The feature can be accessed in Settings –> General –> Accessibility –> Reduce Motion. Make sure it’s toggled to off, aka not green.

With Reduce Motion turned on, Screen Effects and Bubble Effects do not work because they’re motion-based. If you don’t like Screen Effects and Bubble Effects, turning on Reduce Motion is a good way to disable them.

Bubble and Screen Effects are only displayed properly on iOS devices running iOS 10 and macOS Sierra.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
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