Techlife News #335

Self-driving car spinoff Waymo will buy up to 20,000 electric vehicles from Jaguar Land Rover to help realize its vision for a robotic ride-hailing service. The commitment announced Tuesday marks another step in Waymo’s evolution from a secret project started in Google nine years ago to a spin-off that’s gearing up for an audacious attempt to reshape the transportation business. The Jaguar deal will expand upon a fleet of self-driving cars that Waymo has been gradually building in partnership with Fiat Chrysler since 2015. Waymo initially equipped about 600 Pacifica minivans with its self-driving technology before negotiating to buy “thousands” more of the vehicles. The minivans will be part of a ride-hailing service that Waymo plans to launch in Phoenix later this year. If all goes well, Waymo expects to expand the service…

Autonomous vehicles get all the headlines, but automakers are gradually adding advanced electronic safety features to human-driven cars as they step toward a world of self-driving vehicles. Car and tech companies are rolling out laser sensors, artificial intelligence, larger viewing screens that show more of the road, cameras that can read speed limit signs, and systems that slow cars ahead of curves and construction zones. Many of the new features repurpose cameras and radar that already are in cars for automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection and other safety devices. The companies also are keeping a closer watch on drivers to make sure they’re paying attention. On Monday, Arizona’s governor suspended Uber’s self-driving vehicle testing privileges after one of its autonomous vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian last week. But auto engineers and industry…

Mozilla, Tesla and other companies are distancing themselves from Facebook following revelations of a major leak of user data to political consultants associated with the 2016 Trump campaign. While the actions will not likely be permanent and won’t have much of an effect on Facebook’s bottom line, they’re the latest fallout the social-media giant has to contend with from the ever-spiraling scandal — along with a tumbling stock price and a #deletefacebook movement. “We’re taking a break from Facebook,” Mozilla said in a blog post. The company, which created the Firefox web browser, said it is “pressing pause” on its Facebook advertising and won’t be posting on its Facebook page. But it did not delete its page and said it will consider returning if Facebook takes stronger actions to protect users’ data…

To get an idea of the data Facebook collects about you, just ask for it. You’ll get a file with every photo and comment you’ve posted, all the ads you’ve clicked on, stuff you’ve liked and searched for and everyone you’ve friended — and unfriended — over the years. This trove of data is used to decide which ads to show you. It also makes using Facebook more seamless and enjoyable — say, by determining which posts to emphasize in your feed, or reminding you of friends’ birthdays. Facebook claims to protect all this information, and it lays out its terms in a privacy policy that’s relatively clear and concise. But few users bother to read it. You might be surprised at what Facebook’s privacy policy allows — and what’s left unsaid. Facebook’s…

A federal appeals court has overturned a decision in a long-running legal battle over whether Google infringed on Oracle’s Java programming language to build its hugely popular mobile operating system, Android. The court said Google’s use of Java was “not fair” and sent the case back to trial to determine damages. Oracle had originally sought $9 billion. The court said Android helped Google earn $42 billion in advertising revenue since the first Android phone went on sale in 2008. Oracle hailed Tuesday’s ruling, saying the opinion by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal District upholds fundamental principles of copyright law. A Google spokesman said the ruling was disappointing and that it would make apps and online services more expensive. The company is considering its options.…

As Tim Cook took center stage for Apple’sfirst event of the year , he began to lead a discussion on education, saying “At Apple, we care deeply about education because we love kids and we love teachers.” Cook stated that education has been a huge part of Apple’s identity for 40 years, explaining “We had a unique insight into how technology could inspire kids to unleash their creative genius. And we believed that technology could help teachers deliver a unique and personalized learning experience to all kids. We’ve never stopped believing this, and we’ve never stopped working on it.” “iPad opens up new opportunities for learning, both inside the classroom and beyond.” Taking it out of California to host at a high school in Chicago, Apple promised to focus its latest products…