Amazon’s acquistion of Whole Foods will make some groceries cheaper

Amazon announced today that its acquisition of Whole Foods will close on Monday August 28th and the finalized deal will come with a few perks to both the grocery chain’s and Amazon’s customers.

First, starting on Monday, prices on a slew of Whole Foods items will drop. Products that will see a price cut include Whole Trade bananas, organic avocados, organic large brown eggs, organic responsibly-farmed salmon and tilapia, organic baby kale and baby lettuce, animal-welfare-rated 85% lean ground beef, creamy and crunchy almond butter, organic Gala and Fuji apples, organic rotisserie chicken and 365 Everyday Value organic butter. And additional items will continue to be discounted in the future.

Further, once the two companies are more thoroughly integrated, Amazon Prime will become the Whole Foods customer rewards program and Prime members will get added discounts and other benefits. Additionally, products under Whole Foods brand labels, such as 365 Everyday Value, will be available for purchase through Amazon.com, AmazonFresh, Prime Pantry and Prime Now. And Amazon will further blend the two markets by introducing lockers at select Whole Foods stores to which customers can ship Amazon.com purchases. They’ll also be able to return Amazon purchases at Whole Foods stores.

“We’re determined to make healthy and organic food affordable for everyone. Everybody should be able to eat Whole Foods Market quality – we will lower prices without compromising Whole Foods Market’s long-held commitment to the highest standards,” Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer, said in a statement. “There is significant work and opportunity ahead, and we’re thrilled to get started.”

Source: Amazon

‘Assassin’s Creed’ is crossing over with ‘Final Fantasy’

So this is weird: Square Enix and Ubisoft have announced that this month will mark the beginning of crossovers between Assassin’s Creed and Final Fantasy. Yup, really. “This collaboration is the result of being huge fans,” Ubisoft Montreal game driector Ashraf Ismail says on the UbiBlog. “There’s a lot of respect between the two teams and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity to pay homage to each other’s work.”

The first part of this will launch August 30th. If you’ve snatched the Moogle egg from the Chocobo Carnival in Final Fantasy XV, you’ll be gifted an Assassin outfit for Noctis. A day later, Square Enix will release a free add-on pack called “Assassin’s Festival” for the latest entry in its long-running role-playing series. In addition to cosmetic changes to the town of Lestallum, the DLC adds “abilities that enable Noctis to explore more like an Assassin and even use some of the Assassins’ more well-known abilities.”

Presumably those feats include jumping from ledges and ramming a wrist-mounted dagger through the spinal cord of your enemies. Need proof? Look no further than the screenshot up above.

The partnership has been going on, unofficially, for a bit. For example, in 2011 Final Fantasy XIII-2 had unlockable costumes from the best Assassin’s Creed protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. UbiBlog also mentions that there were hints of the partnership in the new Gamescom trailer for Assassin’s Creed: Origins, its announcement trailer and a promo clip for last year’s Final Fantasy XV. Are there more than that? You tell us.

2006 me: man I wonder how Versus will look like when it’s done

2017 me: *sends this GIF back in time with no comment* pic.twitter.com/lHtn2MS4TW

— Nibel (@Nibellion) August 24, 2017

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Source: UbiBlog

Netflix snags ‘Def Comedy Jam’ 25th anniversary special

Netflix is adding to its growing comedy slate with a 25th anniversary special honoring Def Comedy Jam. The lineup will include Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan and Katt Williams.

Def Comedy Jam ran on HBO from 1992 to 1996 and a was revived for two years in 2006. An HBO reboot is also currently in the works that would rebrand the series as All Def Comedy. It’s slated to premiere in November.

Netflix has been stacking its schedule with high-profile comedy specials lately. It has two Chris Rock, three Dave Chappelle and two Jerry Seinfeld specials in its lineup. It also appears to have an Ellen DeGeneres special in the works.

The show will be produced by Russell Simmons — who also produced the original and the upcoming reboot — alongside Stan Lathan, Sandy Wernick and Jesse Collins. Other performers for the anniversary special include Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, Eddie Griffin, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Craig Robinson, Sommore, JB Smoove and Sheryl Underwood. It’s slated to debut this fall.

Source: Netflix

AI recycle bins could know what you’re throwing away

Is that coffee cup recyclable or compostable? It can be tough to tell, for sure, but a new recycling system from Cambridge Consultants aims to help using image recognition and machine learning. With low recycle rates in the US and UK, possibly due to consumer confusion over what’s possible to recycle, this new retail-focused recycle point could help us all know what to recycle and what to trash. The company envisions a future where you’ll even be rewarded via a phone app with points or a donation to charity when you recycle this way.

When you scan an object at one of these new bins, it should be able to recognize the type of waste deposited and tell you which section to place your item into. It can even learn new materials and products over time, thanks to the included AI. There’s no detail on when you’ll start seeing recycling centers like this, however. We’ve reached out to the company for more information and will update when we hear back.

There have been home recycling units with a scanner on them before, but this is the first recycling system we’ve seen that focuses on retail and commercial uses. The idea here is for consumer brands (think Coca Cola or Pepsi) or food outlets to sponsor a “smarter” recycling point to both reinforce a brand’s customer engagement as well as keeping more recyclables from the landfill. “Consumer brands are coming under increasing pressure from the government, lobby groups and consumers like you and me, to take responsibility for the end-of-life of their products.” Cambridge Consultant’s Sajith Wimalaratne said in a statement. “The smarter recycling system gives a brand a real reason to be in contact with the consumer while showing a commitment to make a positive impact.”

Source: Cambridge Consultants

Spotify’s deal with Warner Music clears path to going public

Spotify just signed a deal with Warner Music to secure its artists for the streaming service’s users worldwide. This is the last big label after Universal Music Group, Merlin and Sony to renew ties with Spotify, and now pretty much everyone’s on board.

Spotify didn’t provide any details on the Warner deal, which has been rumored to be in the works since last month. The streaming company didn’t note whether Warner’s music would be subject to the same conditions as in the deals Spotify struck with other labels — namely, whether new records would be held off the service’s non-paying tier for two weeks after launch, a limit that first surfaced in its agreement with Universal back in April.

“Our partnership with Warner Music Group will help grow the new music economy where millions of artists can instantly connect with fans, and millions of fans can instantly connect with artists,” said Stefan Blom, Chief Content Officer at Spotify.

Regardless, securing Warner means Spotify has arranged for music from every major label, which is good news ahead of the streaming titan’s heavily-rumored plans to go public at some point in the future.

Source: Warner Music Group

Apple Confirms Plans to Build Data Center in Iowa, Contribute Up to $100M to Community Projects

Apple today announced plans to build a 400,000-square-foot data center in Waukee, Iowa, which will provide backend infrastructure for the App Store, Siri, Apple Music, iMessage, and other Apple services in North America.

Apple is investing $1.3 billion into the facility, which it says will create over 550 construction and operations jobs in the Des Moines area.

“Apple is responsible for 2 million jobs in all 50 states and we’re proud today’s investment will add to the more than 10,000 jobs we already support across Iowa, providing even more economic opportunity for the community,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

Apple also said it will contribute up to $100 million to a newly created Public Improvement Fund dedicated to community development and infrastructure around Waukee. The fund, to be established and managed by the City of Waukee, will support the development of community projects like parks, libraries and recreational spaces, as well as infrastructure needs.

“We’re honored Apple is choosing Iowa for the site of its most technologically advanced data center to date,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. “Apple’s commitment to innovation and renewable energy leadership mirrors our own. This investment in our state is vital as we continue to develop as a technology hub and grow our workforce.”

As part of its pledge to power all of its global operations with 100 percent renewable energy, Apple said the data center will run entirely on renewable energy from day one. Apple noted it will be working with local partners to invest in renewable energy projects from wind and other sources to power the facility.

Apple said construction on the data center is expected to start early next year, with plans to bring it online in 2020.

Iowa’s Economic Development Authority reportedly approved a deal on Thursday that will give Apple $208 million in state and local tax breaks to construct two data centers near Des Moines. Apple will reportedly buy 2,000 acres of land for the project, allowing for future development in the area.

Apple’s plans to open the facility were first reported by The Des Moines Register on Wednesday. Apple CEO Tim Cook is in Des Moines today for a meeting related to the data center, Iowa state officials confirmed.

Apple already operates several data centers around the world. In the United States, it has facilities located in Reno, Nevada; Prineville, Oregon; Maiden, North Carolina; Newark, California; and Mesa, Arizona.

Tag: data center
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Apple to Debut Apple TV With 4K HDR Support at September Event

Apple will introduce a fifth-generation Apple TV with 4K video support at an event planned for September, reports Bloomberg. The device is said to feature a faster processor to support 4K streaming, which is twice the resolution of the 1080p streaming supported on the current fourth-generation Apple TV.

In addition to 4K support, which will only be available on a 4K television, the new set-top box will support High Dynamic Range (HDR) video for brighter, more accurate colors.

Apple is also said to be testing a new version of its TV app that is designed to better highlight live TV content, aggregating live shows from apps that offer live streaming, and it is establishing deals with content makers to provide 4K video.

In order to play 4K and HDR content, Apple will need deals with content makers that can provide video in those formats. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant has begun discussions with movie studios about supplying 4K versions of movies via iTunes, according to people familiar with the talks. The company has also discussed its 4K video ambitions with content companies that already have apps on Apple TV, another person said.

We’ve known Apple has had a new Apple TV with 4K support in the works for some time, and while there were hints that a launch was imminent, there was no confirmation that the device would be introduced in September prior to today.

The Apple TV was last updated in October of 2015, which is when the redesigned fourth-generation set-top box with Siri Remote and a full App Store was introduced.

Along with a new 4K Apple TV, we’re also expecting to see a third-generation Apple Watch with LTE support and three new iPhones, including a radically redesigned 5.8-inch iPhone with an OLED display and facial recognition at Apple’s September event.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Tag: bloomberg.com
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Solar Squared building blocks could be the next architectural trend

Why it matters to you

If you’re interested in solar power, but not a solar roof, Solar Squared and its glass building blocks may be able to help.

There’s a new trend in home design, and it’s good for your pocketbook. At least, it ought to be in the long term. Solar energy is already being integrated into homes by way of solar panels, roofs, and more, and now, researchers from the University of Exeter’s College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Science have yet another application for the renewable energy source — building blocks called Solar Squared.

Dubbed Solar Squared, these blocks are heralded as a “clean energy solution for buildings that could revolutionize the construction industry.” The idea is to integrate solar technology directly into these glass blocks, which will not only allow light into your home, but generate energy at the same time. Moreover, researchers say that their new invention could provide improved thermal insulation.

“Buildings consume more than forty percent of the electricity produced across the globe,” said Dr. Hasan Baig, who is based at the Environment and Sustainability Institute in Cornwall. “Deployment of standard solar technology is limited by the large area requirement and the negative visual impact. We wanted to overcome these limitations by introducing technologies that become a part of the building’s envelope. We now have the capability to build integrated, affordable, efficient, and attractive solar technologies as part of the building’s architecture, in places where energy demand is highest, whilst having minimal impact on the landscape and on quality of life.”

According to the Exeter team, Solar Squared’s design allows it to capture a significant quantity of the diffuse components of sunlight, even when the blocks are set in a vertical pattern. This, the researchers say, makes the building blocks particularly well-suited to capture solar energy in cities. And thanks to the modular aspect of Solar Squared, they can be easily scaled and embedded in traditional construction materials.

“Given that we have the know-how of the latest developments in solar, it’s simply about getting the right marriage between the product and the technology,” says Dr Baig. “We can tailor it to fit any product, working with the current manufacturing process rather than demanding a change to that process. In this way, we can slot into established manufacturing chains and product markets.”

Ultimately, the group hopes that its Solar Squared blocks will be cheaper than conventional glass blocks. The team is currently looking into further tests and investors who want to see these solar blocks on houses throughout the world.

Microsoft wins court case against Russian hackers, can take over their servers

Why it matters to you

This court case demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to shutting down hackers who seek to use the company’s branding to target PC users.

Microsoft scored a major legal victory that will hopefully allow it to take better care of its users’ online safety. A group of Russian hackers called Fancy Bear has been hit with a court injunction that forbids it from using the company’s trademarks or hacking systems running Windows.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Western Virginia will enforce a permanent ban on the group’s use of malicious software or code to infect the company or its users’ systems, according to MSPowerUser. This is not just a case of hackers being given a slap on the wrist, as Microsoft is being empowered with special permissions to address the situation proactively.

Fancy Bear — otherwise known as Strontium, among other monikers — used several sites that purported themselves as official Microsoft domains, including http://www.microsoftinfo365.com and http://www.livemicrosoft.net. The company is being given legal permission to take “command and control” of these sites, in order to scrub them from the internet.

The sites were commonly used in phishing attacks that would attempt to procure the user’s personal credentials or install malicious software on their PC. By taking control of these domains, Microsoft should be able to make it much more difficult for Fancy Bear to carry out its illegal activities.

“Any time an infected computer attempts to contact a command and control server through one of the domains, it will instead be connected to a Microsoft-controlled, secure server,” explained Microsoft threat intelligence manager Jason Norton in a court filing submitted in August 2016. “While it is not possible to rule out the possibility that the Strontium defendants could use fallback mechanisms to evade the requested relief, redirecting this core subset of Strontium domains will directly disrupt current Strontium infrastructure, mitigating risk and injury to Microsoft and its customers.”

Work has already begun to get rid of these predatory sites, with more than 70 different command and control points being seized this month. However, this is a massive undertaking that will take some time to complete — Microsoft has identified thousands of domains that need to be addressed.

This is not the first time that Microsoft has had to deal with the actions of Fancy Bear. In November, the company accused the group of having taken advantage of a zero-day Flash and Windows kernel vulnerability to prey on its users.

Oh, snap! Next-gen rubber bands use graphene to make them stronger than steel

Why it matters to you

Super strong, graphene-infused rubber bands could be used for everything from packaging to next-gen wearables.

With the exception of being the projectile for some kickass rubber band guns, rubber bands aren’t really items that come up too often when you’re talking about cutting-edge tech. That could be about to change, though, courtesy of some futuristic new rubber bands that are hopefully soon to arrive on the market. Manufactured by Alliance Rubber Co., a company headquartered in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the next generation rubber bands are 200x stronger than steel — all thanks to the wonder material graphene.

“Graphene is an incredible material,” Jason Risner, director of business strategy for Alliance, told Digital Trends. “It’s essentially an extremely thin sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice. This unique structure gives it almost unbelievable strength, which puts even the strongest of steels to shame. It’s considered the strongest material on Earth. It is exciting to experiment with how this material interacts with rubber, and to determine exactly how this super-material could be used in our products to produce attributes never seen before in rubber elastomers.”

The bands themselves aren’t made out of graphene, but rather graphene-infused rubber. Working with researchers at the United Kingdom’s University of Sussex, Alliance is currently carrying out R&D to establish the exact perfect ratio of graphene to rubber. Figuring this out will allow for the creation of rubber bands that retain their elasticity, while gaining massive amounts of durability.

“Graphene-infused rubber bands might sound like a small niche, but there’s actually plenty of potential applications beyond the potential for ultra-durability,” Risner said. “From inexpensive medical bracelets that can sense motion, such as breathing, pulse and joint movement, to color changing bands based on time or temperature for produce packaging, to anti-static bands that protect electronics during shipping, to invisible bar coding.”

Other than working out the graphene-to-rubber ratio for the bands, another big bottleneck is the fact that graphene is not currently available in commercial quantities. However, this is a problem that a number of researchers are working hard to solve. With their help, hopefully we’re not too far away from living in a Utopian world in which rubber bands snapping on our fingers are a thing of the past.

Forget flying cars; that’s the future we want to live in!