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DoJ pushes Google and Apple to ID 10,000 users of a gun scope app

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The app in question is Obsidian 4, which controls rifle scopes by American Technologies Network (ATN) Corp. It has more than 10,000 downloads on Google Play, and it’s unknown how many times it’s been downloaded through the App Store. As Forbes explains, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department is investigating illegal ATN scope exports. In theory, figuring out where the app is in use might indicate where the hardware has been shipped.

But privacy experts note that, for starters, a lot of innocent people could have their data swept up as part of this request. Information like phone numbers and IP addresses could be used to locate users, and it’s hard to say how the government might use that intel. This could also set a chilling precedent for data requests from other types of apps, like dating and health apps. Because the request is so broad, Apple and Google may fight it, but the fact that ICE even asked is a bit unsettling.

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Nintendo won’t deliver NES and SNES games to Switch on a regular schedule

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The console maker didn’t explain why it’s shifting its strategy, although it may be a combination of a more established selection and avoiding conflicts. While Switch Online doesn’t have absolutely every retro game players would crave, it now has a decent selection. There’s less of a rush to fill things out. Moreover, Nintendo might not want to risk overshadowing classic games by releasing them at the same time as major Switch titles. This gives them both more room to breathe, even if fans will be less than thrilled.

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CDC warns against vaping until it figures out what’s making people sick

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There are a lot of rumors and unsubstantiated chatter around the risks of vaping, and the CDC admits it has plenty of questions. It says it’s too early to pinpoint a single product or substance common to all cases. It’s also unclear what role THC-containing products play in the illness, as many patients report vaping both THC- and nicotine-containing products. In the meantime, the CDC cautions anyone who uses e-cig products to beware of symptoms, like cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, abdominal pain or fever. And in case you needed a reminder, the CDC says you “should not buy these products off the street.”

Earlier this week, Michigan became the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes, and San Francisco was the first city to ban e-cig sales. No matter how vaping is implicated in this CDC investigation, e-cigs have been tied to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease, and manufacturers have been scrutinized by the Federal Trade Commission, FDA and the House and Senate over concerns that e-cig advertising targets teens. While it’s too soon to say what’s causing this apparently vaping-related lung illness, the CDC is concerned enough to advise against it.

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Panasonic’s high-contrast dual LCD does a great impression of an OLED

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What you’re looking at here is not an OLED but a complicated dual panel LCD monitor. It has a 4K outer panel with a monochrome inner panel that modulates an LED backlight. The system, which is made up of multiple optical sheets and layers, can dim the picture at the pixel level, the kind of thing that OLED screens are known for. Again on the OLED comparison, Panasonic claims it can reach a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. It can also crank up brightness to 1000 nits while covering 99 percent of the DCI P3 color standard.

The monitor, unfortunately named “Megacon” for “mega contrast”, is an incredibly thick prototype due to all the layers involved, which speaks to Panasonic’s “mastering monitor” aspirations. They’re often hefty displays. In its press release, Panasonic added that its prototype has a very wide viewing angle without losing color accuracy.

In person, it was a convincing demonstration of a fixed demo. Panasonic’s demo reel was heavy on the contrasts and dark scenes to showcase the depths of its prototype’s blacks. Lots of moody black horses, vivid reds and stark landscapes. We’d love to see something that showed of the subtle range of colors and tones apparently available to this monitor. And experts might feel the same. The technology is likely the realm of Hollywood productions and TV serials for now, but it’s proof that LCD isn’t going quietly into the night.

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Smart is the first car brand to switch to an all-EV lineup

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The cars themselves are still easily recognizable on the outside, although there’s no doubt that they’re designed for electric powerplants with fronts that are designed to cool electric motors. You’ll notice more changes underneath. Neither the Fortwo nor the Forfour is a beast with a 41kW continuous output motor, an 81MPH top speed and a modest 0-62MPH time of 11.6 seconds (12.7 for the four-door). The range is healthy relative to the size of the cars, though. You’ll get a peak 99 miles of range (95 for the Forfour). While that’s based on the generous NEDC testing cycle, it’s still a sizeable jump over the 57 miles you saw from the Fortwo Electric Drive. It’s enough for the urban environments Smart calls home, and a charge from 10 percent to 80 percent takes 40 minutes without requiring a DC charger.

The interior may represent the most conspicuous change. The new models’ infotainment systems revolve around your mobile devices — the eight-inch touchscreen is really a host for whatever your phone is doing (the press shots clearly illustrate Apple CarPlay support). Given the fairly rudimentary in-car tech of Smarts past, that’s likely a good thing. Smart’s companion mobile app continues to offer services ranging from remote management to car sharing and parking, but there’s now a streamlined interface and an Apple Watch app to put basic battery and climate control features on your wrist.

Smart EQ Fortwo interior

It’ll be simpler to buy a Smart as well. You’ll still have the usual base, Passion, Pulse and Prime models, but you now have just three equipment packages to choose from. The default Advanced package includes the phone tie-ins, while Premium throws in a rear-facing camera as well as a panoramic roof (or a draught stop on the Fortwo cabrio). Go with a Premium package and you’ll get illumination upgrades that include full LED lighting as well as rain and light sensors.

Pricing isn’t available at this stage. However, you can safely assume these cars won’t be available in the US. Daimler conspicuously pulled the Smart brand from North America, in part because it wasn’t a great fit. Microcars make more sense in dense European cities than sprawling North American highways, and the Forfour has never been available in the region. Even so, this shows that Daimler is serious about electrifying its vehicles, and hinting that it’s really just a matter of time before its cars ditch combustion power.

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Free ‘Celeste’ update adds 100 levels and 40 minutes of music

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There are “new mechanics and items to discover and play with,” according to Thorson, and you’ll have to complete Chapter 8 to unlock these levels. There are no B- or C-Side variants to this batch of stages, though.

You might have to wait a little longer to try the levels on Xbox One. “We apologize, but coordinating this patch across all consoles was challenging for our tiny studio,” Thorson wrote in a blog post. “If it doesn’t make the 9th, it will release soon after.” Meanwhile, now that the team has finished work on Chapter 9, production on delayed limited-edition physical copies of Celeste will start soon.

Alongside the DLC release date, Thorson revealed he and his colleagues opened a new studio called Extremely OK Games. “On TowerFall, my collaborators took a larger role than I anticipated, and on Celeste, it was obvious that calling ourselves Matt Makes Games had become silly,” he said. The team is now working on a game with the codename EXOK1.

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Google bans ads for unproven medical treatments

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According to The Washington Post, the change was made in response to outcry over online marketing by stem cell clinics touting unapproved treatments for everything from joint pain to Alzheimer’s. At best, many of the clinics are a waste of money. At worst, they can be extremely dangerous.

The policy includes a list of unapproved substances that cannot be advertised, including those with ephedra, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) used for weight control and herbal and dietary supplements with active pharmaceutical or dangerous ingredients. It also details how health-related advertising varies from country to country.

Google does acknowledge that “good actors” are doing important research that may lead to important breakthroughs, and the company says it will still allow advertising for clinical trial research. “Digital advertising helps fuel an open internet for people all over the world — allowing billions of people to ask questions, find answers, and discover new ideas,” Google Policy Advisor Adrienne Biddings wrote in a blog post. “We know the digital ads ecosystem can only flourish if it’s a place that is safe and trustworthy for users.”

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Apple tries to clear up Google’s claims about iOS vulnerabilities

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Apple reiterates that the vulnerabilities Google highlighted were fixed in February. It says the attack affected fewer than a dozen websites that were targeted at the Uighur community. Apple believes the website attacks were only operational for about two months, not two years, as the Google security researchers wrote. Apple reportedly fixed the issue within 10 days of learning about it.

Google responded with the following statement:

“Project Zero posts technical research that is designed to advance the understanding of security vulnerabilities, which leads to better defensive strategies. We stand by our in-depth research which was written to focus on the technical aspects of these vulnerabilities. We will continue to work with Apple and other leading companies to help keep people safe online.”

Still, Apple says, security is one of its top priorities. “Regardless of the scale of the attack, we take the safety and security of all users extremely seriously.” Google researchers pointed to other iOS security flaws earlier this summer, and Apple recently had to re-fix a bug that let users jailbreak phones. If nothing else, this is a reminder that cybersecurity is an ongoing battle.

Update 9/6/2019 3:25PM ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from Google.

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Lotus’ EV supercar hints at the automaker’s future

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Increasingly it’s become difficult for smaller automakers to go it alone. Enter Geely. The Chinese company’s ownership of Volvo has helped that brand grow sales and deliver an impressive stable of new and updated vehicles. Now it’s infusing Lotus with the cash it needs to do the same thing.

“Think about the ambitious business plan that we got, we could never hope to invest the sort of money on new product development,” said Lotus CEO, Phil Popham. “We’re investing multiples of our revenue to the course over the next three to five years on the product development alone.”

It’s not just money, Geely gives Lotus access to technology from other subsidiaries including engineering resources. “It’s like going into a candy store,” Popham said. That also means that Lotus doesn’t have to start from scratch when working on infotainment and ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems). But Popham noted that you won’t see a generic infotainment system from another Geely property just badged with Lotus branding.

Lotus Evija

But it’s a two-way street, Lotus has decades of aerodynamics and road dynamics experience it can share with the Geely group.

That’s all well and good, but for right now Lotus is showing that it’s thinking about the future in a very big way. It’s Evija supercar is touted as the world’s most powerful electric car with a goal of 1972 horsepower. It’s a bold plan of action but probably a smart one.

This car has put the automaker back into the spotlight. The car’s design, while a bit more busy than earlier Lotus offerings, still exudes the automaker’s classic aesthetic with an eye-catching ode to a bright and shiny future. Throw in a top speed of over 200 miles an hour, a zero to 62 time of under three seconds and a $2.1 million price tag and it’s gotten everyone’s attention.

Only 103 units will be sold. Which is typical of these types of vehicles. Fortunately for those of us that want Lotus styling and handling without ponying up the GDP of a small city, the automaker is already working on another sports car it’ll show off at the end of 2020.

But it won’t be electric. The automaker is embracing EVs but it’s not ditching combustion engines anytime soon. The plan is to have a two-pronged approach; electric and gas. At least for the foreseeable future.

Lotus Evija

For now, an influx of investment will keep this automaker going for years to come and if Lotus can ride that Geely cash wave the way Volvo has, the next few years are going to be very exciting for fans of British sports cars. And while investment is great, it still comes down to what you do with it. For Popham, “it’s all about the driving experience.” Which is what you want to hear from someone running Lotus.

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Harvard scientists have found a better way to 3D print organs

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The team was able to successfully create cardiac tissue that could beat synchronously over a seven-day period. In a video demonstration, the team illustrated how they created hundreds of thousands of organ building blocks derived from stem cells. They then compacted the stem cells into a mold. Next, they rapidly patterned sacrificial ink within the matrix using embedded 3D printing. The sacrificial ink was later removed to reveal channels that can function as blood vessels. Open lumens in the blood vessel were lined with endothelial cells, to more closely mimic the real thing.

The field of bioprinting, or using 3D printers for organ and tissue engineering, is still very much in its early stages. Unlike 3D printing bones or skin, 3D printing organs also require replicating vast networks of vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to our organs. Scientists say that the SWIFT method can work with any type of cell, including organoids, embryoid bodies and multicellular spheroids. While the technology is still in its early stages, it could pave the way for lab-grown organs in the near future.

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