Techlife News #343

EMPOWERING EVERYONE According to Apple, “technology is most powerful when it empowers everyone”. Accessibility features on iOS, macOS and Apple’s other operating systems have long been regarded as the very best in the industry, winning awards such as the AFB’s PrestigiousHelen Keller Achievement . To celebrate last week’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple renewed focus on itsAccessibility site , sharing some of the tools and features it was developing to empower its users. Below, we’ve delved deeper into the Cupertino firm’s commitment to accessibility and discovered why it deserves its unbeatable reputation. THE BIGGER PICTURE For users who are blind or struggle with their sight, accessing the internet, watching videos and sending text messages can be a struggle. However, Apple’s software allows you to write a text or email without even seeing the screen.…

Forget the gray, green and brown dinosaurs in the “Jurassic Park” movies. Paleontologist Jack Horner wants to transport people back in time to see a feathered Tyrannosaurus rex colored bright red and a blue triceratops with red fringe similar to a rooster’s comb. Horner, who consulted with director Steven Spielberg on the “Jurassic Park” films, is developing a three-dimensional hologram exhibit that will showcase the latest theories on what dinosaurs looked like. He is working with entertainment company Base Hologram to create an exhibit that will let people feel as though they’re on an archaeological dig, inside a laboratory and surrounded by dinosaurs in the wild. “I’m always trying to figure out a good way to get the science of paleontology across to the general public,” Horner said in a recent interview…

Long emergency stopping distances, difficult-to-use controls and a harsh ride stopped Tesla’s Model 3 electric car from getting a recommended buy rating from Consumer Reports. While the magazine said the car has exhilarating acceleration and handling, testers were troubled by its 152-foot average stopping distance from 60 miles per hour in emergency braking tests. The magazine said the distance was worse than any modern car it has tested, and is about 7 feet longer than a Ford F-150, a full-size pickup truck that weighs about twice as much as a Model 3. Tesla said in a statement that its own tests found 60-to-zero braking distances averaging 133 feet. It says stopping distances are affected by road surface, weather, tire temperature, brake conditioning and other factors. It also says it continually does software…

Why are we checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, then Facebook again when we just wanted to check the weather? Turns out, smartphone addiction is by design. Think of the constant stream of notifications, color schemes in apps and all the “likes,” followers and in-game trophies. Our phones and apps are designed to give us short-term, feel-good rewards, so we’ll use them longer — at the expense of reading, enjoying the moment or simply being bored. Some companies are relenting in response to concerns from customers and experts. Google’s next operating system , for instance, will come with a “wind down” mode; the screen will automatically fade to grey at a designated time before bed. Another feature will automatically put your phone in “do not disturb” mode if you flip it face down on…

Lisa Meyer’s hair salon is a cozy place where her mother serves homemade macaroons, children climb on chairs and customers chat above the whirr of hairdryers. Most of the time Meyer is focused on hairstyles, color trends and keeping up with appointments. But now she’s worried about how the European Union’s new data protection law will affect her business as she contacts customers to seek permission to store their details. Even though she supports the law, Meyer fears it may cut her mailing list by 90 percent as people choose to withhold their data or simply overlook her emails. “It will be difficult to market upcoming events,” she said at her shop, Lisa Hauck Hair & Beauty in London. Businesses from pizza parlors to airlines across the EU’s 28 countries are bombarding customers…

Microsoft promised to give users worldwide the same data and privacy rights Europeans will get under new regulations there. That’s in contrast to some of its tech rivals, who are hedging on how much privacy protections will change for Americans and other non-Europeans. Microsoft’s move means no matter where you live, you’ll be able to see what information the company collects about you and correct or delete it if necessary. You’ll also be able to object to the use of data for marketing and other purposes. You can exercise the rights by using online tools or contacting the company directly. New European rules, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, take effect Friday (25), but U.S. tech companies haven’t generally embraced them outside of the European Union. Facebook, for instance, has said it’s…