Snapchat to Stream Six Exclusive Mobile Episodes of BBC’s ‘Planet Earth II’ This Month

Snapchat has secured the rights to stream six exclusive mini episodes of hugely popular BBC nature documentary series Planet Earth II (via The Verge).

The short run of mobile episodes is due to start on February 17, one day before the full series is scheduled to begin broadcast on BBC America.

The 4-6 minute episodes accessible to Snapchat users will consist of content shown on the BBC in late 2016 – Islands, Mountains, Jungles, Deserts, Grasslands, and Cities – but will also feature exclusive content not seen before on TV.

However, the episodes won’t include presentation and commentary from Sir David Attenborough, with actress Sophie Okonedo the narrator instead. Snap says the episodes will also feature binaural (3D) audio. The episodes will appear weekly in the Discover section of the app alongside the regular daily content created by other publishers. Users interested in the episodes can subscribe using the app’s QR-style Snap codes.

The announcement indicates Snapchat’s continuing attempt to kickstart growth of its user base, which is currently at 158 million daily active users but has slowed significantly in recent months. Snap recorded $514.6 million in losses last year and faces stiff competition from Instagram, which continues to successfully ape its features. In addition to its push into original content with mobile versions of shows like The Voice, Snap filed for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange last week, hoping to raise $3 billion from investors.

Snapchat is a free download for iPhone available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

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Polar M200 review: A running all-rounder that’s nice to your wallet

It used to be that the only wearable tech you could pick up for around the £100 marker was a barebones step tracker. Prices have tumbled though. Those steps counters are now available for less than £30, and dedicated running watches, such as the new Polar M200, are edging closer to that magical £100 price point.

Available for around £120, the M200 is more affordable than most. Impressively, its affordable positioning doesn’t mean a limited array of features either. Instead of cutting corners, this fitness wearable packs in everything you’d expect from a dedicated running watch including GPS for accurate activity tracking and an integrated heart-rate sensor for improved fitness monitoring.

There is a catch though: this barebones price does mean a uninspired look and feel to the design. Is such a compromise worth making or has just too much been skimmed off the top to make the Polar M200 a running watch worth living with?

Polar M200 review: Design

• 12mm thick; 40g
• Available in black or red
• Interchangeable wristbands available in a range of colours

In terms of design, the Polar M200 is classic running watch. Big, bulky and lacking in any sort of finesse. It’s comfortable but not particularly attractive. The Apple Watch Nike+ this is not.

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Instead of sleek curves and easy-on-the-eye materials, the M200 is fat, crafted from a robust combination of rubber and plastic, with a thin metal base and physical buttons that stick out of either side. At 12mm thick it’ll dwarf smaller wrists and its small screen is engulfed by plenty of plastic framing. At least it’s round though, unlike the Garmin Forerunner 35 and its square form that catches the eye for all the wrong reasons.

The Polar’s circular style is only a minor design win though. The watch’s round, unassuming form might not be the most stylish, but it’s not offensive either. You won’t win any style points rocking it away from the running track, but neither will you stand out. At a push, and in more relaxed work environments, you could wear it on a daily basis.

Despite its size, the M200 is lightweight, with its 40g form sitting comfortably on the wrist whether sat at a desk or running a 10K. This comfortable fit is enhanced by a strong metal buckle that keeps the watch locked firmly in place.

The hard-wearing thick silicone strap can stand up to some serious abuse, but the watch itself doesn’t feel that sturdy. That’s because the two aren’t really connected. Instead, the watch is a pod that clips into the strap. It locks in well and never feels loose, but there’s no strong seal.

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Instead, despite being waterproof to 30 metres and capable of being worn during a swim, the watch has a notable gap between the screen and strap. This quickly gets filled with fluff and dirt and further makes the watch feel a bit cheap.

Although straps aren’t as easy to change as on the Apple Watch or most Android Wear devices, you can switch the band out for different colours – red, black, white, yellow and turquoise options are available. As the strap is the body of the watch though, you’ll have to get these directly through Polar for £16.90 a pop.

Polar M200 review: Screen

• 1-inch circular screen
• Basic dot matrix display

From the Apple Watch 2 to the FitBit Blaze, most smartwatches – even the running-focused ones – now sport bright, detailed, LCD displays. The Polar M200 is more basic though. Instead of going big on wrist-based graphics and detailed displays, it keeps things old school.

There’s no touchscreen, there are no colours. Heck, there’s no detail. Instead, the Watch’s dated, basic dot matrix display features large, individual LEDs that form blocky, angular images and text. Highlighting just how basic this screen is, its most advanced feature is its backlight, triggered by pressing the watch’s left button.

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Although the M200’s display is far from the sharpest – it features just 1,342 pixels, total – it doesn’t need to be any more visually superior. It’s used to display little more than the time and your run and fitness metrics. Scroll through the menu and there are some rudimentary graphics, but nothing that needs more detail than what you’re given.

While the Polar M200 has a large circular front, its actual screen is tiny and dwarfed by the surrounding plastic frame. The 1-inch display in the middle accounts for just half of the watch’s face. This makes it a little tricky to see, especially when you’re running and your wrist is bouncing around. A larger screen would make this watch a much more engaging option.

Polar M200 review: Features & performance

• Integrated GPS with SiRFInstantFix technology
• In-built optical heart-rate sensor
• Smart notifications

Despite its affordable price tag, the Polar M200 isn’t lacking on the features front. Like so many smartwatches and fitness trackers today, it does away with the need for uncomfortable chest-based heart-rate monitors, instead moving the biometric sensor to your wrist. Unlike some rivals, though, the M200’s integrated heart-rate sensor is faultless.

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Whether checking our resting heart rate sat on the sofa or tracking our biometrics during a sprint session, it was responsive and accurate, showing even minor fluctuations in exertion levels.

Sadly the same can’t be said for all of the watch’s features, namely its integrated GPS. Although for the most part the M200’s GPS skills were on point – accurately tracking our runs, offering more accurate step counts and distance data, as well as relaying map to the accompanying app – we also had issues.

On one run, a GPS misstep cost us a significant chunk of our activity. With the GPS lock failing to kick in, we set off confident that the integrated accelerometer would track our step count and rough distance until the SiRFInstantFix-enhanced GPS caught up a few seconds later. Sadly, this wasn’t the case. Despite the run duration ticking along, not a single footfall was tracked without the GPS.

Had we walked, the watch would have tracked our steps no problem – it managed that for a couple of weeks – but being in training mode caused it to trip over itself. What’s worse, it didn’t just take a few seconds for the GPS to secure a lock. It didn’t even take a few minutes. Scrolling through the in-app run data post run, we can see it took 7minutes 41seconds for the GPS to kick in despite running in an open park with no obstructions. This meant our entire run metrics were massively thrown out and that day’s and week’s activity tracking rendered all but useless. Although an isolated incident – we had other runs that were fully tracked even if GPS was slightly sluggish to kick in – the extent of the issue was troubling.

When the watch was up and running with us, however, there was no drop-outs in GPS nor issues with its heart-rate sensor. What’s more, the watch also detects your stops and pauses your fitness tracking accordingly. For the most part this is pretty accurate, although there were a few instances of it being slow to pick up once we’d started moving again.

Your inactivity is tracked, too, with the watch able to monitor your sleep sessions. Unlike the Garmin Forerunner 35, the M200 isn’t fooled by the watch being taken off and placed on the side. Its sleep monitoring is pleasingly accurate, even breaking down time of deep and restless sleep.

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This watch isn’t just about tracking your runs either, as smart notifications let you see incoming texts, calls and email alerts without taking your phone out of your pocket. Given the screen’s limited skills, however, these aren’t much use. You can see who has messaged you, but not more than the first few letters of what they’ve said. You can’t even see what sort of message it is you’ve received. Expect to keep getting your phone from your pocket.

Polar M200 review: Software & app

• Polar Flow app compatibly with iOS and Android
• Requires manual sync
• Depth to available data

All this captured data has to go somewhere, and that place is the Polar Flow app. This is where the M200 comes into its own. It’s a detailed, stylish app, albeit one that feels a bit clinical. On the surface it’s like every other fitness app, complementing your steps and time active counts with a variety of charts and graphs. Delve a little deeper, however, and it’s filled with features to make the most our of your fitness data.

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As well as charts of your daily activity, clicking on individual training sessions brings forth a wealth of additional information. As well as pace graphs and KM splits, your heart rate is mapped out for you. Making this information even more useful, it’s shown in zones, highlighting when you were in prime fat-burning range, when you’re taking it too easy and when you’re pushing too hard.

This can be used to better attune your training sessions to your specific exercise goals. At least it can when your date is transferred across – something you’ve got to do manually every time you open the app – which is achieved by holding the left button when near your phone. It’s a bit of a faff, but one that will save your battery in the long run.

As nice as the app is, navigating on the watch itself is a bit of a chore. Its two button interface and lack of touchscreen make working your way through the multiple menus and options a slow, laborious process and one fraught with mispresses and restarts.

Pressing the right button will cycle you through the menu options while holding the button makes selections. The left button takes you back. It’s slow, and switching through the various menus while on the run is so tricky your pace will inevitably suffer.

There are some issues though. Although there are three activity goal levels to choose from, each ramping up the daily exertion efforts, you can’t create your own custom targets. If you want to work towards a daily goal of 12,500 steps, you can’t – instead you’ll have to select the closest level (Level 2) and cut things back.

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Whichever level you choose, the watch’s ability to breakdown your remain requirements in jog and walk time – making it easier to know how much you’ve still got to work – is a great feature.

Although the watch comes with a couple of activities pre-installed, including running, dozens more can be added through the app. These range from aqua fitness to yoga, pilates and roller skating. These can better attune the data being captured to the true exertion.

Polar M200 review: Battery life

• 180mAh battery
• Full week battery life per charge
• USB charging (not bespoke charging)

Worried about a need for nightly charges or necessary trips to the mains after each and every run? Don’t be, the Polar M200’s battery life is one of its standout features. It’s 180mAh battery might not sound the biggest, but in a fitness tracker, that’s plenty.

Polar claims that it will manage six full days on a single charge with an hour’s GPS-boosted run tracking per day. While that’s good, we found this to be a little conservative. With regular runs and smart notifications enabled, we managed to eke a full week out of the device with a little left in the tank.

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When it does come time to recharge, there’s no need to faff. Instead of magnetic cradles, clip-on chargers or bespoke docks, the M200 features its own integrated USB connection as part of its pop-out body.

It’s far from an elegant option, but what it lacks in style, it more than makes up for on a practicality front, being able to be connected to any traditional USB port and compatible plug. That means you can take one less bespoke charger the next time you go for a weekend away, or, given the M200’s impressive battery life, a full blown holiday.

Verdict

The Polar M200 is a solid running watch that, for the price, packs in far more than you’d expect. There’s no escaping its oversized design that thanks to its tiny screen always looks larger than it is, but this is just one slight against an otherwise accomplished device.

Some gadgets combine to be greater than the sum of their parts. The M200 isn’t one of them. You get what you see, with the whole package never really melding together seamlessly.

Thanks to a solid app though, impressive heart-rate tracking and, for the most part, decent GPS, it’s a watch perfect for those looking to increase their running efforts without breaking the bank.

Buy the Polar M200 on Amazon UK for £120, or on Amazon US for $150.

Polar M200: The alternatives to consider

Garmin Forerunner 35

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Yes, it’s ugly, but looks aside this is an accomplished running watch with capabilities that exceed its affordable asking price.

• Garmin Forerunner 35 review: An affordable, effective running watch
• Buy the Garmin 35 from Amazon UK for £170, or Amazon US for $200

Apple Watch Nike+

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You don’t have to compromise on style. If you’re willing to pay the price, you can get fitness tracking and smart notifications in a watch you won’t want to take off.

• Apple Watch Nike+ review: Great smartwatch just not a perfect runner’s watch
• Buy the Apple Watch Nike+ from Amazon UK for £495, or Amazon US for $509

Apple Joins Nearly 100 U.S. Firms to File Legal Brief Opposing Trump’s Immigration Ban

Apple has joined 96 other companies in filing a legal brief opposing President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

Other technology companies named in the amicus brief include Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Snap, Uber, Twitter, and Intel, with consumer goods companies like Levi Strauss and Chobani also named in the brief. Amazon wasn’t listed, with the company’s CEO Jeff Bezos already backing the original lawsuit brought by Washington state’s attorney general that brought a temporary halt to the immigration ban on Friday.

The brief was filed late Sunday in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, highlighting the importance of immigrants to the economy and for society as a whole, and arguing the unlawfulness of the ban. According to the report, the filing of the brief was originally planned later this week, but the companies involved accelerated efforts over the weekend following other legal challenges to the order.

“The Order represents a significant departure from the principles of fairness and predictability that have governed the immigration system of the United States for more than fifty years,” the brief stated. “Immigrants or their children founded more than 200 of the companies on the Fortune 500 list.”

“Immigrants make many of the Nation’s greatest discoveries, and create some of the country’s most innovative and iconic companies. America has long recognized the importance of protecting ourselves against those who would do us harm. But it has done so while maintaining our fundamental commitment to welcoming immigrants — through increased background checks and other controls on people seeking to enter our country.”

The brief comes in support of a lawsuit from Minnesota and Washington states, brought against Trump’s controversial executive order temporarily barring citizens of the predominantly Muslim-countries Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, from entering the U.S.

“Of course, the federal government can and should implement targeted, appropriate adjustments to the nation’s immigration system to enhance the Nation’s security,” the filing continued. “But a broad, open-ended ban – together with an indication that the ban could be expanded to other countries without notice – does not fit the goal of making the country more secure. Instead, it will undermine American interests.”

The filing went on to criticize the Trump administration’s handling of the travel ban, claiming that it sows confusion and threatens companies’ ability to attract skilled workers in the long run.

Last week, Tim Cook said that Apple was considering its legal options as a way to pressure the Trump administration into rescinding the executive order. Reports later emerged that Apple was involved in collaborative efforts with other tech companies to draft a letter opposing Trump’s order, but those discussions rapidly developed into the amicus filing, after Washington state’s lawsuit on Friday. The amicus is currently being heard in the ninth circuit court of appeals, a federal court in San Francisco.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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Drone flights at the world’s busiest airport? What’s going on?

Why it matters to you

The FAA’s green light shows its willingness to relax the rules under certain circumstances, giving more businesses the confidence to make full use of this fast-expanding technology.

Any drone owner with an ounce of common sense knows full well that taking their bird to the airport will likely result in a run-in with the authorities, or, in a worst case scenario, a downed aircraft and global news headlines.

That’s why you don’t see quadcopters buzzing around airports.

However, if visitors to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport catch sight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or two in the sky, there’s a good chance they’re being flown with special permission. Very special permission.

The drone flights are among the first to be greenlit by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at a major airport, in this case the world’s largest in terms of passenger numbers.

So what’s going on?

It’s all to do with upcoming expansion work at the airport, which handles more than 100 million passengers a year, according to the most recent data.

British design and engineering firm Atkins has been hired to work on the construction of a new airport hotel for which several parking facilities will need to be demolished. To help with its work and to minimize disruption at the airport, Atkins has partnered with California-based robotics and drone specialist 3DR, and software and engineering firm Autodesk, to carry out drone flights for 3D modeling of the area.

Of course, obtaining permission to fly drones at the airport was a tricky proposition for the team, especially when you consider that some of its work was taking place between runways.

After demonstrating precisely how it intended to do its drone-related work, and outlining the specific safety measures that it had in place, the FAA granted permission for several flights, the first of which took off last month.

“Part of the requirement for the authorization was that the flight team was in radio contact with the [airport’s] control tower at all times during the flight and performed all operations under the control tower’s authority,” 3DR explained on its website.

Seven data-gathering drone flights have so far been carried out at the site, with no issues reported.

More: This drone-photo firm just paid a massive fine over alleged illegal flights

The FAA published a new set of rules for commercial drone operators last year, but for some flights, like 3DR’s, special permission is required. The FAA’s decision to allow 3DR to proceed demonstrates the agency’s willingness to relax the rules under certain circumstances, and augurs well for other businesses looking to make full use of this fast-expanding technology.

Prime Air delivery drone buzzes into Amazon’s Super Bowl ad

Why it matters to you

It’s Amazon’s way of showing us that it’s not giving up on its drone delivery idea, though when the service actually lifts off is anyone’s guess.

With a Super Bowl ad costing around $5 million for a 30-second slot, it’s always interesting to see which companies cough up the cash and how they use their time.

Amazon, for example, split its input into three 10-second segments on Sunday, each one promoting its Echo speaker and its incorporated personal assistant called Alexa.

The last of the three ads also included a surprise cameo from its Prime Air delivery drone, a move notifying the masses that the company is still working tirelessly on developing the flying machine and that, yes, it really does want to use it to deliver stuff to your home. One day.

The ad (below) shows a guy watching the game while messily wolfing down a load of Doritos. Next to him, a woman, looking a little put off by his boorish behavior, asks Alexa to “reorder Doritos from Prime Air.”

“OK, look for delivery soon,” Alexa says, her response teasing Amazon shoppers with the prospect of an imminent launch of its Prime Air drone. However, a disclaimer shown at the bottom of the screen serves to dampen expectations: “Prime Air is not available in some states (or any really). Yet.”

At the end of the slot, Amazon’s drone buzzes into view, the ordered chips presumably packed safely inside an on-board compartment.

Doritos. Drones. Drama. The perfect recipe for the big game. #JustAsk Alexa #SB51 pic.twitter.com/5sMvM5O6mU

— Amazon Echo (@amazonecho) February 6, 2017

More: DT’s review of DJI’s first-ever foldable drone

The company better known for its gargantuan ecommerce website than unmanned aerial vehicles has been working on its delivery drone for around four years. Designed first as a quadcopter, the machine was radically overhauled toward the end of 2015 to include not only propellors, but wings, too, a change that helped to increase its speed, stability, and maneuverability. And with a 15-mile range, it can also fly five miles further than the original design.

While a number of U.S.-based businesses are looking to launch similar drone delivery services, strict rules for commercial operators laid down last year by the Federal Aviation Administration mean such a system could still be a ways off.

Meanwhile, in the U.K., Amazon recently managed to launch a very limited delivery service using its drone. And in New Zealand, Domino’s is dropping off orders of its doughy delights to “select customers” in a community north of Auckland.

Qatar Airways has just broken a record with a flight you probably wouldn’t want to take

Why it matters to you

Airlines are constantly experimenting with new routes, but here’s one that may be several hours too long for most travelers.

Long flights, really long flights, can be a proper pain in the neck in every sense of the expression, so brace yourself when we tell you of a new service launched this weekend by Qatar Airways.

It flies from its base in Doha in the Middle East all the way to Auckland, New Zealand, a distance that makes it the longest scheduled flight ever in terms of time spent in the air.

The outward journey landed on Monday morning Auckland time, 16 hours and 20 minutes after taking off. However, due to the prevailing headwinds, the return flight, which departs Monday afternoon, will take even longer: 17 hours and 30 minutes.

We’ve officially landed in New Zealand, the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud.’ Kia ora! #AucklandTogether pic.twitter.com/d0BNsWRU9f

— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) February 5, 2017

The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200LR, crossed 10 time zones on its record-breaking flight. Four pilots worked in pairs to break up the colossal journey, while 15 cabin crew served around “1,100 cups of tea and coffee, 2,000 cold drinks, and 1,036 meals,” according to the NZ Herald.

The plane was met at Auckland international airport by a bunch of fire trucks. No, they weren’t there to help gently extricate the possibly stiff-limbed passengers from their seats, but instead to hose the jet in a so-called “water salute,” customary for an inaugural flight.

More: Get comfy in that coach seat with the best gear for long-haul travel

Qatar Airways’ new service takes the longest-scheduled-flight crown from its Gulf neighbor, Emirates, which held the top spot with its Dubai-to-New Zealand service that launched last spring.

But Singapore Airlines is likely to brush Qatar aside next year with the relaunch of its Newark, NJ, service, which takes a posterior-numbing 19 hours to complete. Singapore canceled the service in 2013 due to falling revenue but is almost ready to put it back in the sky.

In terms of distance traveled, the Air India service between Delhi and San Francisco, at 9,505 miles (15,298 km), is currently the longest, and takes around 14 hours and 30 minutes.

Lenovo Yoga A12 is a budget, portable laptop with a touchscreen keyboard

Lenovo has introduced the Yoga A-series of tablets, a new range of wallet-friendly tablets whose first model is the A12. The Yoga A12 runs on Android and has been designed to “pair the mobility of tablets and smartphones with productivity features to enable a versatile experience.”

• Lenovo Yoga Book review: A keyless laptop from the future…that’s stuck in the past

While Lenovo hasn’t told us the weight of the A12, we can assume it will be easily portable thanks to a maximum thickness of 5.4mm and a 12.2-inch full HD display. Inside you’ll find an Intel Atom x5 processor, 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage with no obvious mention of a Micro SD card slot for expansion. The A12 also features Dolby Atmos for “cinema-like audio”. 

The keyboard is the same one found on Yoga Book. Lenovo calls it a Halo keyboard and rather than use physical keys, it’s a touch display with virtual keys laid out in a regular QWERTY style. Lenovo says the Halo keyboard provides haptic feedback and is able to learn your typing style over time to become more accurate. We’ve previously had some hands-on time with the Yoga Book’s Halo keyboard and found it incredibly had to get to grips with. However, after some considerable learning time, it did provide a rather lovely typing experience.

• Lenovo Miix 720 preview: The ultra-powerful portable 2-in-1

The Yoga A12 can be folded and moved into virtually any position you like thanks to a 360-degree rotating hinge and will be available from 8 February for $299 in Gunmetal Grey and Rose Gold finishes. Global pricing details have yet to be revealed.

‘Official’ Samsung Galaxy S8 cases confirm fingerprint sensor and Bixby locations

Images of what appear to be official cases for the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus have been obtained by AndroidPure and appear to confirm a previous rumours relating to the fingerprint sensor and a dedicated Bixby button.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know

On the back of the cases there is a clear cut-out for what will be the camera and alongside it, the fingerprint scanner. At the beginning of February we saw leaked schematics of both Galaxy S8 smartphones, accompanied by a quote from an official Samsung spokesperson. It was claimed the sensor would be next to the camera because it’s where Samsung believes your right index finger will naturally lie. It can’t go on the front, that’s for sure, as the majority of the front of the phone will be taken up by screen.

The cases also show a cut-out on the right hand side that is expected to be for the dedicated Bixby button. Bixby is Samsung’s own personal voice-assistant that is expected to be usable within every pre-installed app on the Galaxy S8 and will be able to provide contextual information, in a similar way to Google Assistant.

• Leaked drawings show Samsung Galaxy S8 with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
• What is Bixby? Everything you need to know
• Samsung Galaxy S8 release date: 26 February, 29 March, 15 April, 18 April, take your pick

Finally, the cases do have slight sides to them, so while we’re still expecting them to come with curved edged screens, they probably won’t be any more curved than the Galaxy S7 Edge. With the leak of these cases, along with several other renders, videos and drawings, we’re getting a pretty good idea of what the Samsung Galaxy S8 will look like before its expected launch on either 29 March or 15 April. 

Scientists may have discovered a lost continent

As much as we humans think we know about Earth’s ancient composition, it’s clear we have a lot to learn. Researchers now say they have evidence of a lost continent, Mauritia. The team found rocks on Mauritius with embedded zircon crystals that were almost 2 billion years old, or far older than the island itself (“just” 9 million years old) — a hint that there’s a continental crust lurking miles underneath. Most likely, the crystals were carried up to the surface by volcanic magma.

Not surprisingly, the discoverers don’t know much more about Mauritia besides its location in what’s now the Indian Ocean. There are a few clues, as Popular Science notes: the crystals are similarly aged to those in Madagascar, suggesting that the modern-day island may have been connected to Mauritia in the distant past. It’s entirely possible that the continent might have come to be when the supercontinent Gondwana broke up.

There would be much more work necessary to piece together what happened, and that may be difficult when Mauritia is likely scattered in pieces across the ocean floor. Even if the work stops here, though, it’s still important — it suggests that continental breakups are more complex than expected, and that Earth may be in for some surprises in the long run.

Via: Popular Science

Source: Nature

97 tech firms team up against Trump’s immigration ban

As expected, Intel, Google, Microsoft, Apple and 93 other tech firms have filed an amicus brief in support of lawsuits against President Donald Trump’s executive order barring immigrants from seven countries. “The Executive Order abandons these principals [of tolerance, equality and openness],” the brief, spotted by Ars Technica, states. “[It] inflicts significant harm on American business, innovation and growth as a result.”

After suits were filed against the order in Washington and other states, US District Judge James Robart blocked the order, effective immediately. The Department of Homeland Security said it would return to normal screening procedures, so many immigrants, including students with visas, green-card holders and others scrambled to get flights in case the restrictive rules were reinstated.

However, the US Justice Department under Trump has vowed to appeal. “We’ll win. For the safety of the country, we’ll win,” Trump told reporters at the Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida. The new president also criticized Robart in a series of tweets, saying “the opinion of this so-called judge … is ridiculous and will be overturned.”

The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

The letter, which has been in the works since before the order was overturned, aims to convince appeal courts that reinstating the rules would be illegal and harmful to their businesses. “The Order makes it more difficult and expensive for US companies to recruit, hire and retain some of the world’s best employees,” they wrote. “It disrupts ongoing business operations. And it threatens companies ability to attract talent, business and investment to the United States.”

According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, the public is in favor of Trump’s order by 49 percent against 41 percent who aren’t. However, a legal expert told Reuters that tweets criticizing the judge — a highly unusual action for a president — may “poison the well” for future litigation. “It’s hard for the president to demand that courts respect his inherent authority when he is disrespecting the inherent authority of the judiciary,” legal expert Jonathan Turley told Reuters.

This instability and uncertainty will make it far more difficult and expensive for US companies to hire some of the world’s best talent — and impede them from competing in the global marketplace.

The tech companies added that the order could cause talented employees from other nations to simply go elsewhere, causing a brain-drain from the US. “This instability and uncertainty will make it far more difficult and expensive for US companies to hire some of the world’s best talent — and impede them from competing in the global marketplace,” according to the brief.

What’s more, other nations could see the actions as hostile and simply take their balls and go home, the firms believe. “[It] could well lead to retaliatory actions by other countries, which would seriously hinder US companies ability to do business or negotiate business deals abroad.”

There are some notable exceptions. Amazon and Tesla, whose bosses both sit on Trump’s business advisory board, notably didn’t sign the order. However, Tesla’s Musk has vowed to take the immigration issue up with the President directly.

Source: Cyrius Farivar (Twitter)