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Tesla’s crash test lab video shows real and virtual Model 3 wrecks

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Like other automakers, Tesla relies on computer modeling to find problems long before a fully-built sedan or SUV goes crashing into a wall, but it also shows off the Model 3’s specially-designed front passenger airbag that wraps around the occupant to keep them from making contact with the interior. Honda has announced a new three-chamber airbag design to reduce head and neck rotation that will be in 2020 vehicles, but this is in car’s now.

Tesla’s tweet about the video notes that the Model 3 specifically is “among the safest cars on the road” — we’ll see if that satisfies NHTSA and IIHS officials who have taken issue with the company’s wording in the past when referring to the car’s capabilities.



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Twitter outlines when it would restrict world leaders’ tweets

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Don’t expect harsh action in other cases, though. Twitter reiterated that it would leave violating tweets online (with a notice) if there’s a “clear public interest” to do so. The aim is to create a space for public conversation and information, the company said, and it wants to ensure that people can join in that conversation “freely and safely.” It’s also not worried about the implied message of a given tweet. Twitter wants to focus on the actual language of a tweet, not “all potential interpretations.”

Commentary on issues, declarations of foreign policy and chats between public figures are “generally” not violating rules by themselves, the company said.

Critics aren’t likely to be happy. They’ve argued that politicians enjoy a double standard on Twitter where ban-worthy behavior results in a slap on the wrist. Moreover, they’ve contended that politicians sometime provoke violence by attacking entire cultures, the media or opposing political parties. Twitter’s update clarifies its rationale — it doesn’t necessarily make that rationale more palatable to skeptics.

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NASA demos spacesuits for its Moon and Mars missions

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Designing a modern spacesuit is one of the many challenges that NASA faces in its return to the Moon, which it has promised will happen by 2024. The larger suit designed for use on the surface of the Moon is the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU). It has more shoulder mobility than past suits, which allows astronauts to reach overhead and across their bodies, something they apparently couldn’t do before. It still looks pretty cumbersome — the astronaut wearing it struggled to get up a few stairs and pick up a rock. But given that it will withstand the extremes of space, those kinds of tradeoffs are understandable.

NASA doesn’t only plan to use these suits on the Moon. It will also modify them for future Mars missions. And it promises the spacesuits will fit all of its astronauts, so that it won’t run into any mishaps like having to cancel the first female spacewalk due to an ill-fitting suit.



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Facebook expands its reward program for data abuse reports

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This might not go as far as some would like, since the permission requirement leaves researchers in a tough spot. While this increases the chances that a third party will be aware of and fix a data flaw, it also creates problems if the app or site creator doesn’t consent to testing. This doesn’t stop tests, but an investigator may have to accept that neither Facebook nor the third party will pay up.

So long as most companies cooperate, though, this could lead to more disclosures and better controls for your data. Facebook has a strong financial motivation to pay more, too. Whatever it spends on bounty rewards it might save by avoiding government fines for its data security.

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Sony’s 360 Reality Audio launches this fall with 1,000 tracks

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Curiously, the company also partnered with Amazon and Google to deliver 360 Reality content on the Echo Studio and Chromecast. That makes sense, but it makes me wonder how those experiences will differ from the more complex speaker setup Sony demands.

“The first time we heard a demo [of 360 Reality Audio], we were very impressed,” said Tapas Roy, Amazon’s head of engineering for the Echo Studio, at Sony’s launch event today. “It was truly immersive, with music coming from every direction. And we we realized it was replaying the intent that content creators had.”

As we previously covered, 360 Reality Audio files will be compliant with the open MPEG-H 3D Audio standard. Sony is also working together with Fraunhofer IIS to ensure compatibility. Thankfully, this won’t be like the MIniDisc all over again — by opening up the standard, Sony is making it more compelling to partners.

Developing…

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Instagram gives you more control over data shared with third-party apps

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The new controls will take a while to roll out — they’ll reach devices within the next six months.

This is arguably a reaction to closer scrutiny of Instagram’s behavior. While most of Facebook’s privacy issues have revolved around its core service, Instagram has had problems with overreaching advertisers and data abuse from third-party apps. These improved measures won’t necessarily help Instagram avoid another privacy fiasco, but they should remind you to be cautious and ditch old apps that might be scooping up more info than you’d like to provide.

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Logitech unveils its first mouse and keyboard built for Chrome OS

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The M355 is more of a garden variety mouse with basic buttons, a rubber scroll wheel and the option of using either Bluetooth or Logitech’s usual USB receiver. It lasts up to 18 months on battery, so it’s far from an energy hog.

Both devices are available today, and appear to be priced right for their modest feature sets at $50 for the K580 keyboard and $30 for the M355. You can certainly get more powerful mice and keyboards, but Logitech is clearly wagering that the cost and no-fuss designs will be appealing to Chromebook buyers looking to expand beyond basic input.

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'Control' will let you photograph its beautiful Brutalist setting

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Remedy Entertainment's Control quickly found a fanbase thanks in part to its strikingly eerie design. One of the most-requested features from players is a photo mode to help them capture the Oldest House's shifting Brutalist architecture in their own…

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Google’s Daydream VR experiment is over

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“[There hasn’t] been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we’ve seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset,” a Google spokesperson told Engadget in a statement. “So while we are no longer selling Daydream View or supporting Daydream on Pixel 4, the Daydream app and store will remain available for existing users.”

Google cited “clear limitations constraining smartphone VR from being a viable long-term solution.” Namely, when people dropped their phones into headsets, that prevented them from using other apps. The company plans to continue working on augmented reality with features such as AR walking directions in Maps, AR experiences in Search and Google Lens.

The writing’s been on the wall for Google’s smartphone VR ambitions for a while. The Pixel 3a and 3a XL Google released earlier this year don’t work with Daydream either. Hulu dropped support for Daydream VR last month and earlier this year, Google shut down its Spotlight Stories VR studio. It also wound down the Jump VR platform in June.

Here’s Google’s full statement:

We saw a lot of potential in smartphone VR—being able to use the smartphone you carry with you everywhere to power an immersive on-the-go experience. But over time we noticed some clear limitations constraining smartphone VR from being a viable long-term solution. Most notably, asking people to put their phone in a headset and lose access to the apps they use throughout the day causes immense friction.

There also hasn’t been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we’ve seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset. So while we are no longer selling Daydream View or supporting Daydream on Pixel 4, the Daydream app and store will remain available for existing users.

We’re investing heavily in helpful AR experiences like Google Lens, AR walking navigation in Maps, and AR in Search that use the smartphone camera to bridge the digital and physical worlds, helping people do more with what they see and learn about the world around them.

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