Blue Apron will start selling its meal kits in stores this year

Blue Apron is looking to bring its meal kits to actual stores and it’s aiming to do so by the end of the year. The company, which has suffered falling subscription rates and share prices, has had to lay off hundreds of its employees as competition mounts in both the subscription realm and the brick-and-mortar domain. Companies like HelloFresh and Plated have snagged some of Blue Apron’s market share and as retailers like Walmart, Amazon and regional grocery chains like Kroger begin to offer their own meal kits, customers are increasingly able to buy them without committing to a subscription like they have to with Blue Apron.

Aware of the limitations that come with a purely subscription model, Blue Apron is now looking to boost its revenue by selling its product in stores. “The access to consumers is much broader in this avenue than the avenue we’ve been operating in in the past,” Blue Apron CEO Brad Dickerson told the Wall Street Journal.

There’s no word yet on which stores will sell Blue Apron’s kits, but the company has said that it’s in active talks with a number of retailers, some of which already sell their own meal kits. Blue Apron also hasn’t specified what it will charge for its in-store meal kits.

Via: TechCrunch

Lenovo’s Daydream VR headset might go on sale May 11th

Lenovo only gave a vague “second quarter” release window for its Mirage Solo Daydream VR headset when we saw it in January, but there might be firmer date to work with. B&H is listing the standalone wearable as available for pre-order with a May 11th ship date and a $400 price tag. We’ve asked Lenovo if it can vouch for the accuracy of the listing. We tend to take these discoveries with a huge grain of salt (stores frequently pick arbitrary dates as placeholders), but there might be some credulity to this one.

You see, Google’s 2018 I/O developer conference ends the day before the Mirage Solo supposedly goes on sale. If Google wants to talk about progress in Daydream VR (such as the Mirage Solo’s self-contained positional tracking), what better way to cap things off than to sell a headset that takes advantage of the latest features? This could certainly be unintentional, but the timing is uncanny.

Via: Ubergizmo, The Verge

Source: B&H

NASA’s planet-hunting spacecraft Kepler is near the end of its life

NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has been in orbit of the Earth for nine years. In that time, it’s well exceeded its original 3.5-year mission and has pinpointed over 4,500 exoplanets and candidates. It’s a little bit heartbreaking (though not unexpected), then, that NASA revealed that the spacecraft is on its last legs. Kepler will run out of fuel in the next few months and will soon be dead in space.

Kepler was originally designed to launch with a partially filled fuel tank, which would allow it to operate for a maximum of six years. However, when engineers weighed it before sending it into space, they found that it was actually below the weight threshold. They then proceeded to fully fill Kepler’s fuel tank, which is what has allowed the spacecraft to operate for so long.

Because Kepler is in an orbit around the Sun (which was necessary for its planet hunting), it can’t be refueled. While the craft is equipped with solar panels, those only power the electronics on Kepler. Its thrusters, which help it maintain the proper orientation, allow it to maneuver and orient its transmitters to submit data to Earth, are fuel-powered. Once fuel on the spacecraft runs out, NASA will shut down communications, and Kepler will be just another piece of space junk.

Don’t despair, though. Kepler’s successor, TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is scheduled to launch on April 16th. It will continue its predecessor’s work, searching for exoplanets to add to our database.

Source: NASA (1), NASA (2)

Bali plans to shut down mobile internet for its New Year

You might turn off your home internet or cell network on occasion to disconnect and have some down time, but it’s likely that your country isn’t doing it for you. According to The Guardian and the BBC, Bali is shutting off the net country wide for 24 hours this coming Saturday in recognition of Nyepi, or Balinese New Year.

Apparently, Indonesia is one of the world’s most connected nations; its government even shuts down the international airport on the day of silence. According to The Guardian, a spokesperson from the Bali communications ministry, Nyoman Sujaya, told the Bali-based Tirto.id: “It was agreed that internet on mobile phones will be cut. All operators have agreed.” This will mark the first time getting such agreement, as last year’s request was denied, reports The Guardian. WiFi connections will still be available at hotels, and for strategic services like security, aviation, hospitals and disaster agencies, while home WiFi is still under consideration to be shut down for the day.

“If the internet is disconnected, people will not die,” joked Balinese governor Made Pastika to reporters on site. “I will turn off my gadgets during Nyepi.”

Via: The Verge

Source: The Guardian

Think tank’s new task force will forecast AI’s challenges

Alexa’s creepy laugh will probably be the least of our artificial intelligence worries. To properly understand the challenges that AI will bring, defense and foreign policy think tank Center for a New American Security (CNAS) has established a task force headed by former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert O. Work and Dr. Andrew Moore, dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

“We find ourselves on the leading edge of new industrial and military revolutions, powered by AI; machine learning; and autonomous, unmanned systems and robots,” Secretary Work said in CNAS’ press release. “The United States must consider and prepare for the associated national security challenges – whether in cybersecurity, surveillance, disinformation, or defense. CNAS’ AI Task Force will help frame the policy issues surrounding these unique challenges.”

The task force is part of CNAS’ larger initiative on AI and global security with a roster full of individuals from the academic and tech communities, including members from Duke, Princeton and George Mason along with Cisco, BAE and PNC Bank. If you’re interested, CNAS has a smattering of podcasts about AI that likely overlap with what its task force will address.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Center for a New American Security

Casio revives its musical, game-playing calculator from the ’80s

Back in 1980, Casio released a musical, game-playing calculator cleverly named the MG-880. Apparently, kids went wild for the thing, playing a mini Space Invaders-inspired game with just numbers on the LCD screen. Now, Casio is releasing a revival of the calculator — the SL-880 — in Japan on March 23rd.

So far, the price point is to be determined, though the expected retail price may be around JPY 2,000. Sales outside Japan are yet to be determined, too. According to the Japanese-language press release, “The calculator is equipped with a simple and fun shooting game that intercepts approaching ‘number’ invaders by pressing the decimal key as many times to match the numbers in the target.” The device will also work as a basic calculator, with a tax function, battery and solar power options and an extra-large number display.

Source: Casio

Wirecutter’s best deals: Save over $200 on a 13-inch MacBook Pro (2017)

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

Motorola Moto G5 Plus 64 GB

Street Price: $250; Deal Price: $210

In recent months, Amazon has had some nice offerings for Prime members. Not least on the list was the removal of lock-screen ads for its discounted exclusive phones, offering the same discounted pricing as before sans-ads for those with Prime. At $210 for the higher spec 4GB RAM 64GB storage Moto G5 Plus, this is around $40 off the usual street price. With this discount, it’s a lot of phone for the money.

The Motorola Moto G5 Plue 64GB is a specced out variant of our top pick in our guide to the best budget Android phone. Ryan Whitwam wrote, “The Motorola Moto G5 Plus has better performance, cleaner software, and better build quality than other budget phones. Unlike most cheap unlocked phones, it works on all major US carriers, including CDMA-based Sprint and Verizon. It’s only splash-resistant, not fully water-resistant like some older Moto G phones, and its camera is lacking compared with those of more expensive phones, but it’s still the best cheap phone for most people.”

AncestryDNA DNA Testing Kit

Street Price: $80; Deal Price: $70

Interested in exploring your heritage? At $70, this is a great price for the AncestryDNA ancestry test, the top pick in our DNA ancestry test guide. This service states a suggested full price of $100, but has promotions so often that $80 is a more realistic street price for it. The $70 price is rarer, matching the low we’ve seen, so grab it while it lasts.

The AncestryDNA DNA Ancestry Test is our top pick in our guide to the best DNA ancestry test. Amadou Diallo wrote, “AncestryDNA is our pick for those who want to learn about their relatively recent ethnic roots or are seeking to connect with unknown relatives. Though all of the DNA services we tested provided broadly similar results for the ethnic origins of our panel of testers, AncestryDNA did a better job than its rivals of presenting this data in a clear manner while placing the information in a useful historical context. And for those seeking distant cousins or even biological parents, the company’s claimed DNA database of 5 million customers—two and a half times larger than its closest competitor—increases the odds of successful family matches. Unlike the other services we tested, however, AncestryDNA cannot track your maternal and paternal heritage independently or trace your ancient migration path out of Africa, so although its clarity makes it a superior choice for most people’s needs, it may not satisfy more dedicated amateur genealogists.”

Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 7/8 Plus

Street Price: $60; Deal Price: $50

If you own an iPhone 7 Plus or 8 Plus and find yourself constantly battling your phone battery, the Mophie Juice Pack Air is a nice option and one of the few available for Plus users. At $50 for the onyx black or the blue color, it’s around $10 off the recent pricing we’ve seen for it.

The Mophie Juice Pack Air is our battery case pick for iPhone 7 & 8 Plus in our guide to the best iPhone 7/8 and 7/8 Plus cases. Nick Guy wrote, “The larger battery in the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus means you’re less likely to need a battery case for it, but if you do, your only MFi-certified option so far is Mophie’s Juice Pack Air. Available in five colors, the Juice Pack Air houses a 2,420 mAh battery. In our tests, it provided 60 percent of a full charge in just over an hour and a half to the iPhone 7 Plus, and about 62 percent to the iPhone 8 Plus. We appreciate that Mophie has simplified its lineup compared with previous generations and has added wireless charging, magnetic mounting, and extra shock protection to its base-level battery case, but like every other non-Apple battery case so far, the Juice Pack Air still uses Micro-USB for charging and lacks a headphone jack, meaning you won’t be able to use wired headphones, whether the Lightning-connector type or the traditional kind.”

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017) with 256 GB storage

Street Price: $1500; Deal Price: $1280

This $1280 price, available for both the space gray and silver colors, is still the best deal we’ve seen on the 2017 MacBook Pro (13-inch, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD) without Touch Bar. It presently sells for $1500 via Apple, so this is over $220 off. While updates to next gen processors are likely coming eventually to the MacBook Pro line, this matches the lowest price we’ve seen for what is currently the most updated version of this laptop. We’ve also found Electronics Valley to be a very reliable seller historically, so you’re safe on that front.

The MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017) with 256 GB storage is our best all-around pick in our guide to which MacBook to buy. Dan Frakes wrote, “Most people who want a great general-use Mac laptop for their only computer should get either the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, two Thunderbolt 3 ports) or the MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2015) with 256 GB of storage. The 2017 model offers slightly better performance and the future-proofing of USB-C connectivity…”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursday, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go here.

Airbnb makes it easier to find accessible rentals

Airbnb is making quick use of the travel accessibility startup it bought a few months ago. The rental service has introduced 21 filters that help you find disability-friendly listings that meet your exact needs. You can look for ramps, wide hallways, roll-in showers and other features that can help if you use a wheelchair or otherwise have special mobility requirements. Previously, Airbnb had a simple “wheelchair accessible” filter that frequently left glaring omissions.

It’s one of a “series of steps” Airbnb is taking to make travel more accessible, including plans to “improve and expand the filters” over time. It’s working with groups such as the National Council on Independent Living and the California Council of the Blind.

The travel news is coming hot on the heels of lawsuits against Lyft and Uber over a lack of accessibility options for their rides, and underscores a recurring problem in the tech industry at large: a tendency to overlook the needs of those outside its own demographic. Airbnb is acknowledging that travelers sometimes need special accommodations, and that they shouldn’t have to rely on a hotel to ensure a pleasant stay.

Source: Airbnb

iPhone Users in Iran Now Unable to Access the App Store

It appears the App Store is no longer accessible to iPhone and iPad users in Iran, with Apple apparently implementing a countrywide IP ban.

According to Bleeping Computer, Iranians have been unable to access the App Store since approximately noon GMT, and when attempting to use the App Store, they’re receiving a message that the store is unavailable in the country.

All Iranian IPs appear to be unable to use the App Store at the current time. Iranian security researcher Meysam Firouzi told Bleeping Computer that he was able to connect to the App Store when using a VPN, even though he has an account with Iranian details.

Because of U.S. sanctions, Apple does not sell its products in Iran nor is there an Iranian App Store, but there are millions of iPhones in the country that have been smuggled from places like Dubai and Hong Kong. iPhone users in Iran have previously been able to access the App Store by setting their devices to other regions.

Back in August, Apple began removing apps from its App Stores created by Iranian developers for Iranian citizens, such as Snapp, a popular app for an Uber-like ride hailing service popular in Iran. Apple has now gone one step further and appears to be preventing all users with an Iranian IP from accessing the App Store entirely.

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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Quick Takes: Fitbit Executive Says He Hasn’t Met Anyone Passionate About Owning an Apple Watch

In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.

Thursday, March 15

1. Fitbit’s financial chief knocks the Apple Watch: “I have yet to meet anyone who owns an Apple Watch who’s passionate about the product,” said Fitbit’s chief financial officer Bill Zerella. “If you don’t have an Apple phone, you’re not buying an Apple Watch… 80% of the world is Android, not Apple.”

Apple Watch Series 3 and Fitbit’s new Versa smartwatch
Commentary: Not only is the Apple Watch the world’s most popular smartwatch, but it’s the best-selling wearable, ahead of Fitbit. Apple Watch also has a customer satisfaction rate well above 90 percent.

2. iHeartMedia has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection: The company operates Apple Music rival iHeartRadio, which provides free streaming of thousands of live radio stations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The move will allow the company to restructure more than $20 billion in debt.

Commentary: iHeartMedia’s day-to-day operations of its businesses are not expected to be dramatically affected, according to reports, so iHeartRadio should remain available for at least the foreseeable future.

3. What the HomePod should become: MacStories’ Ryan Christoffel argues that the HomePod isn’t a bad product today, but could evolve into a great one by becoming a true hub for all Apple-centric needs.

If Siri knew all things about your Apple devices and services, and could interact with them all, then HomePod would be the perfect vehicle to tap into that power. You could ask Siri on the HomePod to:

– Check your iPhone’s battery charge.
– Play an audiobook.
– Add a show to your Up Next queue.
– Download a specific app to your iPhone.
– Pause or resume Apple TV playback.
– List upcoming birthdays for your contacts.
– Provide a delivery status on your Apple Store order.
– Put all your devices in Do Not Disturb mode.
– Play a specific movie or show on the Apple TV.
– Or on the bedroom TV, or the iPad, or iPhone.
– Locate your iPhone or iPad.
– Each device could play a ding if it’s nearby, and if not, HomePod could offer to load a map on your nearest device.
– Make a phone call.
– Switch your AirPods to the Apple TV.
– Set an Apple Store support appointment.
– Open an app on a certain device.
– Put a screensaver on the TV.

None of these things can currently be done by HomePod, but I think they would all be reasonable to expect from an upgraded Siri. None of these would infringe on the company’s user privacy stance, because the data at play in these requests is already available to Apple.

Commentary: While the HomePod has received rave reviews about how it sounds, the consensus is that the speaker isn’t as smart as the Amazon Echo or Google Home. Being able to complete these tasks would be a huge step forward.

4. Siri co-founder Dag Kittlaus responds to claim that Siri was a “disaster” when it first launched on iPhone 4s: “This statement, wholly false, was made by the architect and head of the biggest launch disaster in Apple history, Apple Maps. In reality Siri worked great at launch but, like any new platform under unexpectedly massive load, required scaling adjustments and 24 hour workdays.”

This statement, wholly false, was made by the architect and head of the biggest launch disaster in Apple history, Apple Maps. In reality Siri worked great at launch but, like any new platform under unexpectedly massive load, required scaling adjustments and 24 hour workdays.

— Dag Kittlaus (@Dagk) March 14, 2018

Commentary: “After launch, Siri was a disaster,” said former Apple executive Richard Williamson, who was reportedly fired in 2012 following the botched launch of Apple Maps. “It was slow, when it worked at all. The software was riddled with serious bugs. Those problems lie entirely with the original Siri team, certainly not me.”

For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

Tag: Quick Takes
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