Apple introduced global price rises for the iPhone 14 range, with only China and the US escaping the hikes. Now a new iPhone 15 leak claims costs are going up a lot more, and it looks like no one will escape the increases this time.
In a new tweet, popular anonymous industry insider LeaksApplePro has revealed that Apple’s widely leaked new flagship, the iPhone 15 Ultra, “will cost substantially more to manufacture than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.” While he doesn’t give away how much this is, it opens the door for price rises across the range. Apple’s iPhone 15 Flagship May Cost You PKR 1 Million
For those unfamiliar with the iPhone 15 Ultra, it is expected to replace the Pro Max in Apple’s next iPhone lineup. And “replace” is the critical part of this.
Apple’s iPhone 15 Flagship May Cost You PKR 1 Million
Researchers have developed an alternative positioning system that is more robust and accurate than GPS, especially in urban settings.
An alternative positioning system that is more robust and accurate than GPS, especially in urban settings has been developed by researchers of Delft University of Technology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and VSL. The working prototype that demonstrated this new mobile network infrastructure achieved an accuracy of 10 centimeters. This new technology is important for the implementation of a wide range of advanced location-based applications, including autonomous vehicles, quantum communication, and next-generation mobile communication systems. The results will be published today (November 16) in the journal Nature.
Illustration of the hybrid optical-wireless network for robust decimeter-level positioning in urban environments. Credit: TU Delft/Stephan Timmers
These days, much of our vital infrastructure relies on global navigation satellite systems such as GPS (United States) and Galileo (European Union). Yet these navigation systems that rely on satellites have significant limitations and vulnerabilities. When received on Earth, their radio signals are weak, and accurate positioning is not possible when the radio signals are reflected or blocked by buildings.
“This can make GPS unreliable in urban settings, for instance,” says Christiaan Tiberius of Delft University of Technology and coordinator of the project, “which is a problem if we ever want to use automated vehicles. Also, citizens and our authorities actually depend on GPS for many location-based applications and navigation devices. Furthermore, so far we had no back-up system.”
An atomic clock
One of these innovations is to connect the mobile network to a very accurate atomic clock, so that it can broadcast perfectly timed messages for positioning, just like GPS satellites do with the help of the atomic clocks they carry on board. These connections are made through the existing fiber-optic network.
“We had already been investigating techniques to distribute the national time produced by our atomic clocks to users elsewhere through the telecommunication network,” says Erik Dierikx of VSL. “With these techniques, we can turn the network into a nationwide distributed atomic clock – with many new applications such as very accurate positioning through mobile networks. With the hybrid optical-wireless system that we have demonstrated now, in principle anyone can have wireless access to the national time produced at VSL. It basically forms an extremely accurate radio clock that is good to one billionth of a second.”
Furthermore, the system employs radio signals with a bandwidth much larger than commonly used. “Buildings reflect radio signals, which can confuse navigation devices. The large bandwidth of our system helps sort out these confusing signal reflections, and enables higher positioning accuracy,” Gerard Janssen of Delft University of Technology explains. “At the same time, bandwidth within the radio spectrum is scarce and therefore expensive. We circumvent this by using a number of related small-bandwidth radio signals spread over a large virtual bandwidth. This has the advantage that only a small fraction of the virtual bandwidth is actually used and the signals can be very similar to those of mobile phones.”
Reference: “A hybrid optical-wireless network for decimetre-level terrestrial positioning” 16 November 2022, Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05315-7
JPMorgan Chase has acquired the technology behind failed merchant-backed mobile payment service CurrentC.
MCX, a QR code-based mobile wallet joint venture launched by big-ticket US retailers to take on Apple Pay and circumvent credit card fees, hit the buffers after one if its biggest proponents Walmart began the rollout of its own mobile payments service to nearly 600 stores in Texas and Arkansas in May last year. With Walmart going its own way, MCX announced the loss of 30 jobs and the postponement of plans for a nationwide roll-out in favour of forging relationships with major banks.
Chase - one of the first US banks to commit to the merchant venture - says the acquisition will help it to expand the availability of its own-branded Chase Pay service to a wider network of retail merchants.
“When we think about ‘fintech’, we go through a ‘build/buy/partner’ evaluation to decide how we can get to market most efficiently,” says Jennifer Roberts, head of Chase Pay. “MCX has been an important partner, and their technology complements ours, so we’re thrilled to deepen our relationships with the merchant community through the purchase of this technology. This will help us get to market faster.”
Chase Pay launched in November 2016 with a handful of initial merchants, including Best Buy. Other MCX merchants such as Walmart, Shell, Phillips 66, and Wakefern will enable Chase Pay as a payment option over the next year or more, she says.
Southwest is the nation’s most consistently profitable airline, which is amazing considering the carrier has operated for years with antiquated technology. It’s finally updating its systems. There may be hiccups short-term, but over the long term, that should be good news for investors and customers.
— Rachel Bronstein
The pneumatic tubes and paper tickets have got to go.
In its 45 years of flying, Southwest Airlines Co. has been known for its lean operations and vaunted “20-minute turns” —the time between a jet getting to a terminal and pulling away for the next flight. The airline’s low-cost, no-frills, single-model fleet and mostly direct service meant Southwest didn’t need the tablet-toting mechanics, bag scanners for ramp workers and other technological advances that swept the industry.
That’s about to change as the airline says goodbye to its antiquated systems. Southwest is spending as much as $300 million to bring new technology to the airport ramp and other operations. That adds to the $500 million the airline has devoted to a new reservation system — the airline’s biggest tech update ever. Southwest expects to recoup its investments by 2020.
“We’re looking for minutes,” Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven said in an interview. “How do I save a minute here, a minute there? In 2017, we are more deliberate in our continuous improvement efforts.”
Those efforts have become more critical over the past five years as Southwest has acquired another airline, begun flying larger planes, started overseas flights, built international terminals and expanded service at its home airfield in Dallas. The changes have added complexity, doubling the carrier’s turns to a costly 40 minutes. And this year, Southwest will add $700 million in expenses from two new labor contracts and a third under negotiation, according to a JPMorgan Chase & Co. estimate.
“Southwest’s approach was so successful for so long that it has taken them time to recognize where there’s room for improvement,” said Samuel Engel, aviation vice president at consulting firm ICF International. “Sometimes you look back and realize, ‘There have been innovations and we need to catch up.’” Southwest has been the second-best stock in the Dow Jones Transportation Average, and the best airline, with a 44 percent gain for the six months through Tuesday.
RESERVATION SYSTEM
The new domestic reservation system will replace 30-year-old technology this year, giving Southwest the same ability as rivals to accept foreign currency, recover faster from storms, and more easily change prices and schedules. Southwest also will be able to tighten the timing of flights for connecting passengers, which have increased 11 percent since 2012.
On the tarmac, mechanics and other workers will get tablets that receive real-time information so they can start addressing problems in the first five minutes of an aircraft’s turn. Other tools will let Southwest better match airport staffing to flight-schedule changes.
No longer will ramp personnel have to use pneumatic tubes — a technology that preceded the Wright Brothers’ first flight by about 50 years — to send notes in canisters about luggage and other cargo to workers who calculate critical jet weight and balance and carry the data back to the plane. Instead, the information will be sent electronically. Digital transmissions also will replace printouts for personnel who transport bags to and from planes. The upgrades will start rolling out this year, with more improvements through 2020, when they are expected to boost earnings about $100 million a year.
‘ADDED COMPLEXITIES’
“We’re pretty manual on the ramp,” Van de Ven said. “We have great capabilities, but added complexities. We have to be able to manage through them better.”
New technology had received a lower priority than initiatives like acquiring low-cost rival AirTran Airways in 2010, which put Southwest in Atlanta. The airline then turned to revamping its international and domestic reservation system before upgrading operations.
“It does add up over time,” said Savanthi Syth, a Raymond James Financial Inc. analyst. “It gives them scalability for future service. Southwest is definitely, more and more every day, looking more like a network carrier.”
The upgrades will give Southwest additional information to identify bottlenecks in getting passengers on and off planes. The airline already has added an exit stairway from the rear door to the tarmac on some jets. The procedure, in place at 13 airports, isn’t used at particularly congested cities or when the weather is bad.
PAPER TICKETS
And in May, the new reservation system will allow Southwest to get rid of its last paper tickets by issuing electronic versions to people traveling on employee guest passes. While the travel currently is booked online, the passengers need paper tickets, an irritating expense for transactions that don’t generate revenue.
In some ways, Southwest has been a victim of its own success. Its longer aircraft turnarounds in part came as the carrier added the Boeing Co. 737-800, the airline’s largest plane, to its 737-only fleet. The carrier also has begun traveling farther, flying fewer empty seats and, unlike many rivals, not charging for as many as two checked bags. Such factors mean more luggage on planes, increasing loading and unloading times.
“To be real blunt, up until about 2010 it all worked pretty well,” Van de Ven said, describing Southwest’s old-school ramp operations. “We had a fantastic run in terms of low costs, given the technical infrastructure we had, and we’re at that point that we need to make some investments.”
A bald New Zealand convicted murderer has won a court battle to wear a toupee in prison, by arguing that it was within his human rights.
Philip John Smith's hairpiece was taken away when authorities recaptured him after he fled the country, using the toupee as part of a disguise.
But he argued that his toupee was an "artwork" essential to his self-esteem.
A High Court judge in Auckland ruled that his "fundamental right to freedom of expression was ignored".
Smith is serving a life sentence in prison.
He was convicted and imprisoned in 1996 for murdering the father of a boy he had previously sexually abused.
He also has a string of other convictions, including extortion, aggravated robbery and sexual offences.
'Belittled, degraded'
In November 2014, while on temporary release for work, Smith fled to South America with an illegally obtained passport. He was soon caught in Rio de Janeiro by Brazilian authorities and deported home.
He quickly became an object of public ridicule in New Zealand when it was revealed that he was bald and had worn a wig while escaping.
Smith pointed to the media attention as part of his legal case to win back his toupee, saying he felt "belittled, degraded and humiliated".
He argued that the custom-made hairpiece was an "artwork" that was important for his self-esteem and self-confidence.
The convict, who represented himself in court, also accused prison officials of acting in an "arbitrary and discriminatory" way by confiscating his hairpiece as "payback".
High Court judge Edwin Wylie released his decision on Thursday siding with Smith, but declined his request for damages.
The court battle was the latest twist in a case that has gripped New Zealand and sparked calls for an overhaul of prison regulations.
Questions have been raised on how Smith was able to obtain a passport - which he applied for under a different name - and flee the country, as well as on the corrections department's temporary release programme.
Emma Watson is taking legal action after dozens of private images of her appeared online.
A spokesman for the Beauty and the Beast star confirmed the pictures - which show her trying on various outfits - were stolen.
"Photos from a clothes fitting Emma had with a stylist a couple of years ago have been stolen," her publicist said.
"They are not nude photographs. Lawyers have been instructed and we are not commenting further."
News of the theft comes a week after Watson sparked fierce debate over whether she was anti-feminist for exposing part of her breasts in a Vanity Fair photoshoot.
The actress was previously threatened in 2014 with a leak of nude images, after a speech she gave on gender equality as a UN Ambassador for Women.
Speaking at a Facebook event in 2015, she said: "I knew it was a hoax, I knew the pictures didn't exist.
"The minute I stepped up and talked about women's rights I was immediately threatened - within less than 12 hours I was receiving threats."
Last month, a man in the US was jailed for nine months for hacking into the online accounts of celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, and stealing private information, including nude videos and photos.
A Canadian sex-toy maker has been accused of tracking data on the intimate habits of thousands of its customers.
The Ottawa-based company, Standard Innovation, has agreed a collective payout up to a total of C$4m (£2.4m) for users in the US, where the lawsuit was filed.
But where does that leave other sex-toy users?
Are there new forms of protection that people should now consider?
The case against the Canadian sex toy
In Standard Innovation's case, an app was at the root of the problem.
The We-Connect app connected to its We-Vibe vibrator, and the data collected was sent back to the company, including details on temperatures, settings and usage.
A class-action lawsuit was filed in September 2016 by customers who alleged the company violated their privacy rights.
This week, the company agreed its payout for US customers who bought the product before 26 September last year.
Under the deal, those who used the We-Connect app will be paid up to C$10,000 each.
Customers who bought the toy, but did not activate the accompanying app, will receive up to US$199 each.
The settlement only applies to customers in the US, and Standard Innovation says it has since enhanced its privacy notice and app security.
Why would you need an app to use a sex toy?
According to Ann Summers, a British retail chain that specialises in sex toys, the market is becoming increasingly hi-tech.
"Our company has been around since the early 1970s," said spokeswoman Kyrsty Hazell-Page. "Back then, products didn't even vibrate. Then they moved from battery-powered to USB-charged, then came apps and now virtual reality is the next big thing."
The We-Connect app allowed users to control the device's intensity via their mobile phone.
It also enabled a user to allow another user to activate the product from afar via Bluetooth technology.
Standard Innovation said the data it collected was for market-research purposes, but some users felt violated, as the information is particularly personal.
The lawsuit also voiced concerns that the information could be linked to the email address they provided to the company.
The company has since said there has been no breach of our customers' personal information or data.
It says it has also changed its privacy practices, and says "data is used in aggregate and anonymous form that does not personally identify any individual".
At Ann Summers, Ms Hazell-Page said the industry was learning from the case: "We have to be really mindful as it is really important that we protect customers' safety and data in everything we do."
The retain chain, which sells We-Vibe products, said, "We are satisfied with the security changes undertaken by them in September".
How did users find out?
Two hackers at Def Con, a US hacking convention, gave a talk at the August 2016 event called The Internet of Vibrating Things, in which they demonstrated how data is sent from the We-Vibe device to Standard Innovation.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionA Hacked By Def Con event at Tribeca Film Festival in 2016
The pair, who go by the names of Goldfisk and Follower, also showed how third parties could intercept the data, or even take control of the vibrator and commit what they called "potentially sexual assault".
How risky are sex apps?
"Cybersecurity issues are now in all area of life," said cybersecurity specialist Jessica Barker, who runs website Cyber.uk.
More and more products are being invented with internet compatibility, from light switches to fridges, creating what has called "the internet of things".
"In general, the more connect we are the more this opens us up to vulnerabilities, which all sorts of people could take advantage of," said Ms Barker.
New EU data-protection laws are expected to have an effect, as, from May 2018, companies could face huge fines if they misuse personal data or fail be transparent about its usage.
The law is designed to protect EU citizens but companies based outside the union will also have to comply if they are serving EU consumers.
However, Ms Barker says intelligence agencies "do not have the resource or the will" to be monitoring the average person's sex life.
"What people need to be more concerned about is cybercrime," she said. "If a product can take video footage, this could be used to extort you. We have seen this already in what we call sextortion cases."
This is when a person consents to sending someone sexual images but the recipient turns out to be a fraudster, or possibly part of a criminal gang, who then threatens to release the footage unless they receive a payoff.
Clicking on a suspect file sent via email can also lead to malware infecting a computer, and could allow someone to hack into the machine's camera.
This is not a new crime. One of the most famous cases came in 2013, when Jared James Abrahams, a 20-year-old computer-science student from California, hacked and threatened two dozen women, including a winner of the Miss Teen USA beauty pageant. He was later sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Ms Barker recommends covering the camera lens on your laptop, either by using a sticker, a piece of tape or a widget sold for this purpose.
Kellyanne Conway, an advisor to US President Trump, was mocked earlier in the week for comments suggesting that microwaves could be used as cameras to spy on people.
"I'm not Inspector Gadget," she later told US news network CNN. "I don't believe people are using their microwave to spy on the Trump campaign. However, I am not in the job of having evidence."
Image copyrightASSOCIATED PRESSImage captionKellyanne Conway told the media "I am not Inspector Gadget", after criticism of her comments on technology surveillance
Technology website Wired looked into the matter and concluded: "Microwave ovens are not an effective spy tool."
Wired referred specifically to the idea of microwaves as cameras. It said the microwave would have to have an outward-facing webcam built into its design before it could be taken over by outside forces.
There are no known microwaves with webcams on the market.
However, the idea has been mooted on online forum Reddit, where a user once asked if one could be created so that you could check on your dinner from a device in another room.
