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Volvo’s electric XC40 will use an Android infotainment system

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This being Volvo, there’s also a safety angle. Google Maps data will help improve the XC40’s driver assistance by identifying curves and speed limits. You can also expect some tie-ins to existing services, such as Volvo On Call’s ability to find your car in the parking lot or share it with friends using a virtual key.

Volvo officially takes the wraps off the electric XC40 on October 16th. It still has to answer key questions about range, availability and price. However, what info it has dribbled out so far suggests that it’s using the electrification as an opportunity to rethink some aspects of the overall XC40 design.

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Intel discontinues its processors with AMD graphics

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The move isn’t exactly unexpected. Kaby Lake-G was an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” design meant to counter NVIDIA’s laptop graphics by mating an 8th-generation Core processor with an AMD GPU that could outperform Intel’s then-current integrated video. Few PC makers saw fit to use it, though, and follow-ups to those systems that did arrive frequently used the Intel/NVIDIA combo.

There’s less pressure to make strange bedfellows as it is. Intel is planning its own high-performance graphics architecture (Xe), and it’ll be available in everything from basic mobile PCs through to dedicated GPUs for desktops and servers. There won’t be much point to using AMD GPUs when Intel’s in-house hardware should be good enough in the near future. Meanwhile, the Iris Plus graphics in Intel’s Ice Lake processors provides pretty adequate 3D performance as well, so the company has some options until Xe arrives.

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Google is reportedly testing a 5G version of the Pixel 4

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Whether or not you’ll hear about a 5G variant at Google’s October 15th event is another matter. Test production suggests it’s still early, and Nikkei‘s contacts said Google might wait to unveil a 5G version in spring alongside a new budget Pixel phone (the Pixel 4a?). Not that there’s much of a rush to do so. Carriers’ 5G networks are still hard to find, and existing cellular chipsets frequently demand compromises in battery life.

Google hasn’t commented on the claimed leak. However, a spring 5G update might make sense beyond waiting for the technology to mature. By spring 2020, all of Google Fi’s carrier partners (Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular) will have 5G running in some capacity. A 5G Pixel 4 would serve as a showcase for those upgrades, and might keep people subscribed to Fi where they’d otherwise be tempted to leave for other providers.

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Apple may launch its AR headset with third-party help early next year

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Kuo has said in the past that Apple plans to market the headset as an iPhone accessory. It will reportedly wirelessly offload computing, networking and location-related tasks to the iPhone. In this way, Apple hopes to keep the device thin and light. Without providing additional context, Kuo adds Apple will work third-party brands to launch the accessory. 9to5Mac suggests Kuo means we could see a slate of different iPhone-compatible AR headsets from a variety of brands. MacRumors, meanwhile, indicates the headset is a single product. Based on these interpretations, one possibility is that you’ll be able to buy the headset from both Apple and several other companies. Each headset may feature different styling, but they’ll all use the same underlying components and technology, and they’ll all be compatible with the iPhone.

In the same report, Kuo reiterates his prediction that Apple will launch a new low-cost iPhone SE model sometime in the first quarter of 2020. In a separate report from earlier in the week, Kuo said the “iPhone SE2” will feature Apple’s latest A13 chip inside the frame of an iPhone 8, making it a lower-cost alternative to the iPhone 11.

Kuo also says Apple’s new iPad Pro will feature a time-of-flight camera. While we’ve seen images of the new triple camera iPad Pro before, this is the first time the analyst has specifically mentioned the refreshed model will feature a 3D sensor. A time-of-flight camera measures the amount of time it takes for a laser or LED to bounce off objects in a room (the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera works in much the same way). Once it measures travel time, the sensor is able to map 3D space accurately. Apple will likely use the sensor to boost the iPad Pro’s ARKit capabilities. The company could also use the sensor to create portrait mode photos with smoother depth-of-field effects.

Lastly, Kuo mentions that Apple will release a scissor key MacBook sometime in the second quarter of 2020. Unfortunately, he doesn’t specify the exact model Apple plans to refresh with its new, more reliable keyboard. That said, Kuo has said in the past that Apple plans to ditch its troubled butterfly keyboard mechanism. As always, all the usual caveats apply to reports of this type. Even if the note is accurate, Apple’s plans could change significantly between now and the second half of next year.

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800,000 Californians could be without power by the end of the day

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Why cut the power?

It’s become evident that overhead power lines are to blame for some of California’s worst wildfires. Sparks from those power lines have ignited some of the largest and most deadly fires in recent history, including the Camp Fire in Paradise, California.

As the state enters peak wildfire season, officials are keeping a close eye on local weather conditions. With low humidity and high winds forecasted, the National Weather Service has issued red-flag fire danger warnings in parts of the state. Taking a proactive approach, PG&E has decided to cut power in order to minimize fire risks.

When, where and for how long?

As of this morning, more than 500,000 PG&E customers are without power. The outages will roll out throughout the day, and they’re expected to impact 34 counties. A full list can be found on the PG&E website.

The company says the outages could last several days, possibly extending until next Tuesday. The utility plans to begin restoring power beginning Thursday, but technicians will have to carefully inspect the lines and repair damage before power is restored. That process can’t begin until the winds have died down, and it could take several days.

What does this mean for Californians?

According to The New York Times, the primary mass transit systems in the San Francisco Bay Area — BART and Caltrain — plan to remain open. Some schools in San Jose and Oakland have closed, and the University of California, Berkeley, canceled classes today. Police officers have been called in to direct traffic, and shoppers are wiping shelves clean of batteries, water and other supplies.

Tesla issued warnings to its EV customers to charge their batteries fully ahead of the outages, and its PowerWall home battery packs are running Storm Watch to store excess power before the lines go down.

PG&E has set up 30 facilities with the essentials: bottled water and outlets to charge electronic devices.

What does PG&E have to say?

“The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our most important responsibility, which is why PG&E has decided to turn power off to customers during this widespread, severe wind event. We understand the effects this event will have on our customers and appreciate the public’s patience as we do what is necessary to keep our communities safe and reduce the risk of wildfire,” said Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president of Electric Operations.

For more info, PG&E customers can visit pge.com/psps and update their contact info to receive automated alerts via calls, texts and email.

Is this the new norm?

PG&E has come under intense scrutiny for its role in past wildfires. The company filed bankruptcy in January due to tens of billions of dollars in wildfire liabilities. Its $30 billion recovery plan includes proactively removing trees, brush and debris around electrical wires and increased use of “grid de-energization” — that is, outages like this one.

So, in short, yes, planned “Public Safety Power Shutoffs” will likely become a more common occurrence for Californians. For that reason, some are calling for electric utilities to bury power lines, but that would be a massive, costly and lengthy process.

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Bigger, slightly better, still great

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The competition

It’s a fact of the industry that tablets just aren’t as big a deal as they used to be, but there are handful of alternatives to consider. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S5e is probably the 2019 iPad’s closest competitor, and it packs a beautiful, 10-inch Super AMOLED screen, a mid-range Snapdragon 670 chipset, and runs Android Pie. Samsung gets points for using a punchier display here, not to mention embracing a more modern design with smaller bezels. Still, considering its $400 price and the relatively disappointing state of Android tablet apps, it’s not as easy to recommend as the iPad.

Amazon also has a new 10-inch tablet of its own, but it’s not exactly fair to compare it to the iPad; the Fire HD 10 costs $149 and has low-end specs to match. If you have the money to spend, the iPad is the more capable option.

Amazon Fire HD 10

Strangely, the iPad’s biggest competition this year is… a handful of other iPads. If you were considering picking up a 128GB model, that will set you back $429. At that point, though, you’re faced with another question: If you’re going to spend that much, should you spring for a 128GB iPad or a 64GB iPad Air? Long story short, if you feel like you need a little extra oomph, a little more horsepower, the Air is the safer choice. Unless you’re into the idea of a more portable tablet, in which case the new, more powerful iPad mini might be the way to go.

iPad fans in particular are spoilt for choice at the moment, and I’m never going to complain about having more options. That said, picking out an iPad — a device you’re probably going to use for at least a couple of years — isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. The lines dividing these tablets are getting blurrier, and honestly, anyone who needs more than just the essentials might be better off saving up for the Air.

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‘Uber Pet’ will let drivers know your furry friend is coming too

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You’ll pay a “small surcharge” to ride with your furry friend, though. You’ll see the fee on your receipt and Uber’ll add it to the upfront price if you choose that option.

It could help both riders and drivers avoid any unwanted surprises. It might give you peace of mind that a driver is happy to have a pet in their car and won’t cancel as soon as they see your dog or cat (or another animal). Drivers can opt out of Uber Pet if they’d rather not ferry them around, but those who don’t mind doing so will get a cut of that surcharge.

It’s worth noting this doesn’t bring about any changes to Uber’s service animal policy. Riders with service animals won’t be expected or required to select Uber Pet or pay the surcharge.

Uber Pet

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Roblox’s ‘Seuss World’ lets kids raise and trade virtual pets

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Roblox is a massive multiplayer online platform where you can make your own games. It encourages kids to learn how to code and even held an event last year that challenged children to develop their own game based on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. If you want to try raising pets in a Seussian world, you’ll of course have to have access to platform, which is currently available for PC, Mac, iOS, Android and Xbox One.

Here’s a peek at the pet simulator if you want to know what to expect:

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Sony’s PlayStation 5 will arrive late in 2020

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An upgraded DualShock is incoming.The PlayStation 5 officially launches ‘holiday 2020’

It’s official: Sony isn’t going crazy on the naming convention. The PlayStation 5 will land near the end of 2020, and the company is detailing how it’ll upgrade the next-gen console’s controllers. A lot of it is to do with haptics, with more refined vibrations and rumbles meant to better represent your in-game world. New adaptive triggers on the L2 and R2 buttons will offer something close to force feedback, representing, say, the tension of a bow-string or the pushback from the accelerator pedal.

Gaming rival Nintendo also tried out advanced haptics in the Switch, but it never quite took off. The company dropped the feature from the cheaper Switch Lite. It’s a little too early to draw conclusions on Sony’s application, though. It’s over a year away.

Ahead of those Apple tracker rumors, Tile has several new models.Tile’s latest Bluetooth tracker is a tiny waterproof sticker

Tile is so well-known for its Bluetooth trackers that it’s practically synonymous with the category. But until now, they could only be attached via a keychain or slipped into a pocket. The Tile Sticker solves that with a little glob of adhesive and an even smaller profile (27mm in diameter and 7.3mm thick). It’s also waterproof for tracking devices and bikes outdoors. The Sticker will cost $39.99 for a pack of two or $59.99 for a pack of four.

The company also revealed an even more slender, credit-card sized Tile Slim. The new model has a 200-foot range (double that of the original), has a three-year battery life and is waterproof. The Slim costs $29.99 for a single unit. And it’s going straight into my wallet.

Come for the Colorshift paint job; stay for the SpotMini cameo.Essential’s ‘Project Gem’ phone promises a ‘radically different formfactor’

Wondering what’s next after the PH-1? Apparently Project Gem, an Android device with an unusually skinny formfactor that will “reframe your perspective on mobile.”

Fun vs. profits.Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass will be totally different stores

Google and Apple both offer $5 subscription plans to access mobile games. But not only is the experience of each service different, so is the underlying business model — and that drastically impacts the content you can expect on each one. Jessica Conditt spoke to a few developers to see what they think of these diverging paths.

At least not in the US.You can see ‘Gemini Man’ in 120 fps or 4K, but not both

Almost all HFR (high frame rate) 3D screenings stateside will be projected at 60 fps, despite distributor Paramount urging theater chains earlier this year to get ready for the flick. 14 locations will have the 120 fps showing, but only in 2K resolution. If you want both, try theaters in the UK or “select” locations in Asia.

And that’s not all.Instagram updates bring dark mode to iOS 13 and Android 10

This week, Instagram added a nifty dark mode on Android and iOS. Its developers also changed up the story camera, and you probably can’t guess who they took inspiration from (you definitely can). Finally, Instagram killed the Following activity feature, so you can like and comment on posts without your friends instantly seeing every update.

But wait, there’s more…

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Apple removes Taiwan flag emoji from iOS in Hong Kong

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This isn’t the first time Apple has caused controversy amid the pro-democracy protests, nor has it been the only US company to do so. Earlier this week the tech giant was criticised by China’s state newspaper for allowing an app on its App Store that tracks the movement of police around Hong Kong, while the NBA and Activision Blizzard have also run afoul of China’s political landscape.

It is still possible to use the Taiwan flag emoji, however. Apparently it still displays in apps and on websites, and you can bring it up by typing the word “Taiwan” or by copying and pasting it. If somebody from outside the Hong Kong or Macau regions sends the emoji to users within those areas it will still appear, although that’s not possible on iPhones in mainland China.



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