Instagram names new boss: Facebook veteran Adam Mosseri
Instagram's new boss is Adam Mosseri, a 10-year veteran of Facebook — the company that owns Instagram. More recently, Mosseri ran Facebook's news feed before moving to Instagram's product division in May. In an online post, he said he was excited to take on the role and promised to maintain Instagram's core values.
‘No-selfie zones’ suggested to prevent fatal accidents at tourist spots
OK, it's highly unlikely you're going to succumb to a nasty accident with your next selfie effort, but the rising number of cases where selfie-takers are putting themselves in unnecessary danger has led researchers to suggest banning the practice at some tourist spots.
Some iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max handsets appear to have charging issues
Some owners of Apple's new iPhone XS and XS Max handsets are apparently having problems charging their devices using the cable. In such cases, the charging process fails to begin automatically when the screen is off, or stops after a short time. Apple has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.
Nintendo wins battle against Tokyo’s Mario-inspired go-kart tourist attraction
Nintendo has won a copyright case against MariCar, provider of a hugely popular Tokyo tourist attraction that lets you go-kart around the city's streets wearing costumes inspired by Nintendo's famous video game characters. The court's decision may force MariCar off the road, though a hasty rebranding exercise could save it.
Fujifilm’s new SQ20 instant camera is the first to include video
Fujifilm's new Instax Square SQ20 instant camera is a hybrid device offering digital shots as well as instant prints using the Instax film system. It's the first Instax to offer video, though it's mainly for fancy photo effects. The camera starts shipping on October 20 for $200.
Uber agrees to pay $148 million for 2016 hack and cover-up
Uber has agreed to pay $148 million for failing to immediately come clean about a 2016 hack that resulted in the theft of personal data belonging to 57 million of its riders and drivers worldwide. Uber had hoped to cover up the security breach and paid the hackers $100,000 to destroy the stolen data.
Amazon is opening a new brick-and-mortar store with a twist
Adding to its physical book stores and Amazon Go grocery outlets, the online shopping giant is opening a new retail store in New York City that only sells items that have been rated four stars and higher on its site. Amazon 4-star, as it's called, will offer products from across its range, with better prices for Prime members.
Kodak relaunches Ektachrome film after 6-year absence
After a six-year absence, Kodak has relaunched its Ektachrome 100 film for photographers and filmmakers. The company stopped making the color transparency film in 2012 citing falling sales amid growing pressure from the digital camera market, but has brought it back following growing calls from film photographers.
This is surely the coolest way yet to solve a Rubik’s Cube
If your attempts to complete the Rubik's Cube usually end with the thing flying out of the window or against a wall, then what you need is one that solves itself. A Japanese creator has just created such a cube, squeezing a tiny computer and motors inside the world's most frustrating toy.
Delta tech issue grounds planes, could affect Wednesday flights
A "technology issue" that temporarily grounded all Delta planes across the U.S. on Tuesday night has been resolved. The carrier says disruption from a knock-on effect is expected to be "minimal," but it's advising anyone flying on Wednesday to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.
Esports protest sees soccer fans hurling controllers and consoles onto field
Soccer fans in Switzerland annoyed at the game's growing involvement in esports staged a protest on Sunday that saw them throw controllers and consoles onto the field during a game, forcing the ref to stop play. But with esports a huge business and money to be made, regular sports look set to cozy up to the platform.
Microsoft and Shell build A.I. into gas stations to help spot smokers
Microsoft and Shell have teamed up to incorporate artificial intelligence into gas stations as part of a system that's capable of quickly identifying someone who's smoking or about to smoke. The platform uses multiple cameras, local computing power, and Microsoft's cloud intelligence system to do the job.
Instagram’s co-founders have resigned from the Facebook-owned company
In a move no one was expecting, Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are stepping down from their roles as CEO and chief technology officer, respectively. Systrom said in a statement that they were both "planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again."
A Japanese spacecraft just landed two rovers on an asteroid
Japan's space agency has succeeded in landing two rovers on the surface of an asteroid around 200 million miles from Earth. The deployment is part of the ambitious Hayabusa 2 mission aimed at unlocking some of the enduring mysteries of our solar system, and involves getting samples from the space rock back to Earth.
Roll over, SpotMini — here comes the ALMA robo-dog
If two robo-dogs met on the street, would one attempt to sniff the mechanical components located at the rear of the other? We have no idea, but with Robotic Systems Lab's robo-dog recently showing off its improved skills, and SpotMini hitting the market in the coming months, we may soon find out.
How much!? Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones hat fetches $520,000 at auction
Described by the auctioneer as "a globally recognized cinematic treasure," the fedora worn by Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in the 1981 blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark has gone under the hammer for more than $500,000. The hat featured in many of the movie's key scenes, and includes Ford's signature on the inside.
Instagram feature that lets you reshare others’ posts may be on its way
Despite constant calls from many of its billion-plus users, Instagram has always refused to offer an option that lets Instagrammers reshare others' posts that appear on their feed. New reports suggest that this state of affairs could be about to change.
Tesla says dash cam feature using car’s built-in cameras is coming soon
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is promising the next version of Autopilot, which is expected imminently, will include a dash cam feature that uses the car's built-in cameras. It's a feature many Tesla drivers have long been asking for, with Musk saying it's currently going through final testing and will launch with Autopilot 9
Moxi the ‘friendly’ hospital robot wants to help nurses, not replace them
Moxi is a "friendly" hospital robot from Texas-based Diligent Robotics. The wheel-based bot aims to free nurses from routine tasks so they can spend more time with patients. Trials at several medical facilities begin this week, giving its creators their first glimpse of Moxi in a real-world environment.
YouTube has a new destination for gamers as it plans to shutter gaming app
YouTube is retiring its gaming app early next year to focus on developing a brand new gaming destination on its main site. YouTube Gaming for iOS and Android launched in 2015 to take on video-gaming platform Twitch, but an apparent lack of interest in the app means support for it will end in March 2019.
Lyft offers some fun stats to celebrate its 1 billionth ridesharing journey
Lyft cars have made a billion journeys since its ridesharing service launched six years ago. Announcing the milestone on Tuesday, September 18, the firm revealed some fun stats about its rides. One person, for example, has so far paid for 9,000 rides, and the longest journey took a driver 640 miles.
Japanese billionaire faces tricky task of choosing 8 artists for his moon trip
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has been named as SpaceX's first-ever paying passenger for a planned trip to the moon in 2023. The entrepreneur, who made his fortune in online fashion retail, says he wants to take eight artists with him. But how will he choose them? And will they accept his invitation?
A lot less clutter! Twitter relaunches purely chronological timeline
If you still miss the reverse-chronological timeline that Twitter ditched two years ago and are fed up with all of the extra tweets in your timeline, there's some good news for you. You now have the option to once again see the most recent tweets first without any of the algorithm-generated clutter.
Facebook is paying cash rewards if you find vulnerabilities in third-party apps
Determined to put its recent data scandal firmly behind it, Facebook says it's expanding its bug bounty program to third-party apps and websites that could potentially misuse its data. Researchers are invited to report vulnerabilities they find with services that let people log in with their Facebook credentials.
SpaceX to send Japanese billionaire on moon trip, but he won’t be going alone
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has named Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa as the first paying passenger for the company's ambitious 2023 moon mission aboard the Big Falcon Rocket. If all goes to plan, Maezawa will become the first person to make the lunar trip since the last Apollo mission in 1972.
Twitter makes it easier to find and watch live broadcasts
Twitter is promoting livestreams and broadcasts on its service. Rolling out globally, live video broadcasts from accounts that you follow will now appear at the top of your timeline. They'll only start playing when you tap on them, and you can hide them from your timeline in a couple of taps.
Startup inks ‘world’s largest deal’ for driverless grocery deliveries
An increasing number of companies are exploring the possibility of delivery services using autonomous vehicles. California-based startup Udelv already has experience of running a trial in San Francisco, with Oklahoma City all set to become its next destination for a grocery delivery service.
7 drone crashes that will make you fly your bird more carefully
Whether you're a rookie drone pilot or experienced pro, sooner or later you're bound to slam your flying machine into a hard surface or get it tangled in a tree. To help you avoid such a calamity, we've pulled together some videos of spectacular drone crashes and tips on how to avoid them.
Inbox is out — Google to shut down experimental email app in March 2019
Google's Inbox app is shutting down in March 2019. The web giant said the app had been useful for trying out new ways to make email more efficient, but that it now wanted to focus entirely on improving Gmail. Inbox launched in 2014 and introduced new features such as smart reply, nudges, and snoozing emails to later.
Don’t wait to buy that new iPhone battery — prices are going up
If you've been thinking about replacing your iPhone battery but haven't gotten around to it yet, you'd better get your skates on. Battery replacement fees for all out-of-warranty iPhones are set to go up at the end of the year. The cost will increase by between $20 and $40, depending on the iPhone model.
Don’t be duped by fake rideshare drivers, safety campaign urges
"Make sure you get in the right car!" That's the message to rideshare passengers from a new safety ad urging them to check the details of the car and driver to ensure they're genuine. Cases have emerged where passengers have been assaulted after getting in a car with someone posing as a rideshare driver.