Lyft is making it easier for the visually impaired to take a ride

Lyft is working with assistive community Aira to make catching a ride easier for the visually impaired. That means wearable smart glasses and an augmented reality implement for their driver’s dashboard that will deliver “essential ride information,” according to a press release.

A Medium post from Aira explains things a bit further. “Upon request, Aira agents can now initiate information about the ride, including the location of designated pick-up spots, estimated time of pick-up and the estimated fare,” Aira’s Brittany Carambio writes. Further information includes the driver’s name, vehicle information and walking directions for the last 50 feet to their destination, among other things.

This piggybacks onto the work Lyft has done with the National Association for the Deaf, which uses visual cues to alert drivers of new rides, rather than an audible notification. Other details like how these glasses will be distributed, or at what cost, weren’t available as of press time.

It’s also another way that Lyft is using its image of moral responsibility to subtly throw digs at its perpetually beleaguered competitor, Uber. Most recently, it was revealed that the company intentionally withheld evidence for its upcoming trial with Waymo. A lawyer’s letter from a former employee detailed ways that Uber allegedly tried hacking its competitors and bugged meetings between transport regulators.

Source: Aira (Medium)

Waymo preps for self-driving taxi service with rider insurance deal

Waymo faces a slew of challenges if it’s going to get its autonomous taxi service up and running, not the least of which is insurance. Who’s going to cover passengers when there’s no human pilot to help determine who’s responsible? Thankfully, someone has stepped up to the plate. Waymo has struck a deal with insurance tech startup Trov to protect passengers when the service goes live in Phoenix in 2018. Trov has adapted its on-demand insurance to be triggered by software instead of a human, giving you automatic coverage during your trip without having to pay extra or even acknowledge that the policy is taking effect.

While the exact details of the coverage aren’t specified, it’s fairly comprehensive. You’ll get compensation for medical expenses if there’s a crash, but there will also be payouts for trip interruptions and property loss. If your phone gets smashed in a collision, you probably won’t have replace it with your own funds.

This is a gamble for both Trov and its insurance underwriter, Munich Re. There could be many headaches if there’s an accident with few clear answers. But that’s the point, really — these companies want to experiment with insuring self-driving cars now so that they’re ready when the technology hits the mainstream. If car ownership declines and many people simply hail a robotic ride whenever they need it, Waymo’s insurance offering could quickly become the norm.

Via: Wall Street Journal

Source: PR Newswire, Trov

Windows 10’s ‘Timeline’ continuity is available for testing

Windows 10’s much-hyped Timeline feature didn’t make the cut for the initial release of the Fall Creators Update, but you will get to try it over the holidays. Microsoft has released a Insider Preview for Fast Ring testers that (surprise!) finally gives you access to Timeline’s continuity. Visit the Task View and you can resume what you were doing on another device, whether it’s going back to a website from another Windows 10 PC (using the Edge browser, of course) or finishing work in a Word document that you’d started on your Android or iOS device. Cortana will also suggest tasks to continue, so you might barely have to lift a finger to get back to an earlier task.

That’s not the only addition, of course. The preview also gives you access to Sets, or groups of apps bundled together in tabs to help you focus on a given task (say, editing a report that includes text, a presentation and notes). Cortana’s Notebook has been revamped with an Organizer section that gives quick access to lists and reminders and simpler setup. And did we mention that you can use Cortana to control Spotify?

Other improvements include greater customization of the My People section, better resolution scaling settings (such as overriding settings on an app-by-app basis) and more advanced trackpad gestures like pinch-to-zoom. And sure enough, Microsoft’s Fluent design language is spreading through the OS — including a new look for Windows’ general settings section.

You may want to be cautious about using this test release on a crucial PC given that Fast Ring previews tend to be buggier than their slower brethren. And of course, it’s going to be a while before Timeline and the other features reach polished releases. Even if you hold off, though, this is still a valuable update — it’s a peek at what Windows 10 will look like in 2018.

Via: The Verge

Source: Microsoft

That cigar-shaped asteroid might be covered in organic goo

Last month’s discovery of a long, thin object floating ominously through space brought about some pretty fevered speculation about the company mankind keeps in this universe. Was it an alien spacecraft? Were little green men about to visit Earth? No to both, seems to be the answer, but while researchers still aren’t sure what the object — named “Oumuamua” — actually is, they have revealed that it appears to be covered in a thick layer of organic gunk and is icy cold on the inside.

A new paper published in Nature Astronomy says that “Oumuamua might have a frozen heart, encased in a soft coat of carbon-rich gunk soft enough to sink under your boots”. Scientists suspect that the dark red material is likely made from organic ices which have been broken down after millions of years of cosmic radiation, and is robust enough to protect the object’s cold interior.

But exactly what’s going on inside Oumuamua will remain a mystery, since it’s now blasting away from our solar system. Speaking to Popular Science, the paper’s lead author Alex Fitzsimmons said: “Is there really water ice inside? What is the interior structure really like? We’ll probably never know for sure with Oumuamua, but another one will be spotted at some point in the future. Hopefully we will have more time to study the next one.”

Via: Popular Science

Source: Nature Astronomy

Apple Sued for App Store Logo’s Resemblance to Chinese Clothing Brand Logo

When Apple released the updated App Store as part of iOS 11, the App Store logo got an overhaul. Instead of an “A” made from a pencil, a paintbrush, and a ruler, Apple designed a simpler “A” that looks like it’s constructed from popsicle sticks.

As it turns out, Apple’s App Store logo bears a resemblance to the logo used by a Chinese clothing brand named KON, and now KON is suing Apple.

According to Phone Radar (via The Verge), KON believes Apple’s new logo is a violation of Chinese copyright law. KON is a brand that’s been around since 2009, and as The Verge discovered, Baidu Baike, the Chinese equivalent of Wikipedia, says the KON brand was inspired by music like the Sex Pistols, with the logo meant to represent three skeleton bones symbolizing power over death.

KON wants Apple to publicly apologize for using its logo, stop selling devices using the current App Store logo, and pay compensation for economic loss.

The Beijing People’s Court has accepted the case and should make a ruling over the course of the next couple of weeks.

Apple in 2016 lost a similar case involving the “IPHONE” trademark that was in use by Chinese leather goods manufacturer Xintong Tiandi Technology. In that case, Apple was aiming to protect its iPhone trademark to prevent Xintong Tiandi from using the iPhone name for its cases, but the Chinese courts ruled against Apple.

Tags: App Store, lawsuit, trademark
Discuss this article in our forums

MacBook Holiday Deals: Save $200 on Air and Up To $300 on Latest Pro Models

One day after discounting the Apple Watch Series 2, Best Buy is back with another Apple deal in its 20 Days of Doorbusters sale event. Today, Day 19, offers shoppers $200 off three configurations of the MacBook Air refresh from mid 2017. Best Buy’s sale places these specific models of the MacBook Air around $100 below the second cheapest price points found at B&H Photo.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Take a look at the models on sale in the list below and if you’re interested get your order in before tonight at midnight when Best Buy’s event will tick over to its final day.

• 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel Core i5, 8GB Memory, 128GB Flash Storage – $799.99, down from $999.99
• 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel Core i5, 8GB Memory, 256GB Flash Storage – $999.99, down from $1,199.99
• 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel Core i7, 8GB Memory, 512GB Solid State Drive – $1,349.99, down from $1,549.99

Of course, MacBooks aren’t the only item discounted today during Best Buy’s event with the retailer discounting SanDisk memory cards by up to 70 percent off, making the 128GB microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card just $41.99, down from $159.99. The 128GB Wi-Fi only iPad mini 4 is also on sale for $299.99, down from $399.99.

If you’re on the hunt for a MacBook Pro, B&H Photo has a few notable discounts on higher-end configurations of Pro models ongoing this holiday season. Most configurations being discounted are for 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with the Touch Bar that launched in late 2016 and mid 2017. Check out a few of the best deals in the list below:

13-inch MacBook Pro

• Early 2015, 2.7 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB Flash Storage – $1,249.00, down from $1,699.00

• Touch Bar, Mid 2017, 3.1 GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $1,849.00, down from $1,999.00

• Touch Bar, Mid 2017, 3.5 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $2,399.00, down from $2,549.00

15-inch MacBook Pro

• Touch Bar, Late 2016, 2.6 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $1,799.00, down from $2,399.00

• Touch Bar, Late 2016, 2.7 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $1,999.00, down from $2,799.00

• Touch Bar, Late 2016, 2.9 GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD – $2,499.00, down from $3,499.00

• Touch Bar, Mid 2017, 2.9 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $2,499.99, down from $2,799.00

• Touch Bar, Mid 2017, 3.1 GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD – $3,299.00, down from $3,399.00

Also of note today is Amazon’s Gold Box, which includes 30 percent off iOttie accessories for the iPhone. These accessories allow you to mount your iPhone (compatibility stretches back to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus) to your car’s dashboard or vent. One of the products includes Qi charging abilities as well, so you can charge your iPhone X or 8 while it rests in the cradle.

For more information on the latest sales, head over to our full Deals Roundup.

Related Roundups: MacBook Air, Apple DealsBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Air (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Seeds Second Beta of tvOS 11.2.5 to Developers

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.2.5 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the first beta and one week after the release of tvOS 11.2.1, an update that introduced a fix for a HomeKit vulnerability.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 11.2.5 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that’s installed using Xcode.

We don’t yet know what features or changes might be included in the 11.2.5 update, but it likely focuses primarily on bug fixes and performance improvements rather than major outward-facing changes.

There were no outward-facing changes discovered in the first developer beta, but we’ll update this post should new features be found in the second beta.

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Google Hangouts for iOS Gains Support for iPhone X

Hangouts, Google’s dedicated messaging app, was today updated with support for the iPhone X. With the update, the Hangouts app is able to take advantage of the full display of the iPhone X, without black bars at the top and the bottom.

With the iPhone X update for Hangouts, all of Google’s major iOS apps now offer support for Apple’s new flagship device. Google previously introduced iPhone X updates for Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, and Google Maps.

According to Google’s release notes for today’s Hangouts update, the only new feature is iPhone X optimization.

Google Hangouts can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Google
Discuss this article in our forums