Month: July 2021

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  The front of the MagSafe Battery Pack. [credit: Apple ]

Confirming previous rumors, Apple has begun selling a magnetic battery pack for MagSafe-equipped iPhone models. Dubbed simply the "MagSafe Battery Pack," it costs $99 on Apple's online store.

MagSafe is a new feature (with an old name) for the iPhone 12 lineup. Supported phones contain magnets on the back that can be used to attach accessories, including this one. Here, MagSafe ensures that the charger and the iPhone's charging coils are properly aligned.

The battery pack charges the iPhone at 5 W while unplugged or 15 W while plugged in. If we're deciphering Apple's ad copy accurately, the MagSafe Battery Pack itself can be charged at up to 15 W. But when the pack is attached to an iPhone and you charge both simultaneously, you can charge at 20 W.

(credit: NASA)

Jupiter's moon Europa, a large world with a vast sub-ice ocean, is thought to be one of the best candidates for hosting life elsewhere in the Solar System. NASA has considered sending a lander to the moon's surface to see if its ice contains chemicals indicative of the presence of life, but that project is still in the evaluation phase.

A paper released on Monday explains what that mission will require in order to have a decent chance of finding these chemicals. To discover any pristine material, the lander will need to carry a drill capable of going at least a meter below the moon's surface.

Reshaping the surface

The gravitational strains placed on Europa by Jupiter and its other large moons are the energy source that keeps part of the moon's water liquid. But the liquid portion of Europa—thought to be a moon-wide ocean—is tens of kilometers below the ice on the moon's surface. So detecting evidence of life isn't a matter of peering down from orbit.

Enlarge / The red panda of the Internet just keeps getting better. (credit: Kiszon Pascal via Getty Images)

Today, Mozilla launched Firefox 90. The newest version of Mozilla's increasingly privacy-focused browser adds improved print-to-PDF functionality, individual exceptions to HTTPS-only mode, an about:third-party page to help identify compatibility issues introduced by third-party applications, and a new SmartBlock feature that cranks up protection from cross-site tracking while making sure site logins still function.

There's also a new background updater for Windows, which allows a small background application to check for, download, and install Firefox updates while the browser is not running.

SmartBlock 2.0

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  SmartBlock 1.0 prevented using Facebook authentication to log into other websites—for example, Etsy. [credit: Mozilla ]

The newest version of Mozilla's built-in SmartBlock privacy feature makes it easier for users to keep their tracking protection settings cranked up, without breaking individual websites. The updated version seems to especially target Facebook login, which is increasingly used around the web as a third-party authentication and login tool.

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  The i3's shape is a bit like Marmite: You either like it or you don't. [credit: Jonathan Gitlin ]

The BMW i3 has reached the end of the line. Two weeks ago, BMW confirmed that this is the last month the company will be making its quirky and often misunderstood electric vehicle for US customers. In doing so, the automaker acknowledged what many EV owners, enthusiasts, and observers have long believed: The company, which was once lauded as a leader in electrification, has squandered the last eight years.

I don’t say this lightly or without experience—I owned a 2014 BMW i3 for nearly five years. It was my first electric vehicle, and I loved it. Sometimes, I wish I hadn’t sold it. Other times, I’m glad I did. It wasn’t perfect, but it was unique and fun to drive, and it felt years ahead of its time.

The i3 was a polarizing car. Its upright, narrow body rolled on skinny tires, and its layered design was loved or loathed, depending on the customer. But no matter how you feel about the i3, it was a car made by a company with a clear vision of the future, pursued with tenacity and purpose. BMW pitched the i3 as the foundation of an entirely new line, and BMW could have seriously iterated on the design. There was talk in the early days of how easy it would be to simply drop a new carbon fiber reinforced plastic body onto the brilliantly engineered aluminum chassis, creating a suite of models that would explore a wide range of electrified mobility.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Ronald Martinez)

On Monday, AT&T announced the end of data slowdowns for smartphone users who purchase "unlimited" data—but the perk is only for customers who buy AT&T's most expensive mobile plan. AT&T will continue to sell two other "unlimited" plans that can be put into a slow lane.

AT&T advertises three "unlimited" plans, each with different limits. The Unlimited Elite plan's advertised price is $85 per month for one line, while AT&T's "Unlimited Extra" plan is $75, and the "Unlimited Starter" plan is $65.

None of those plans come with unlimited data of the high-speed variety, but that will change this week. In a press release that says customers will soon be able to "stay in the fast lane with unlimited high-speed data," AT&T said that purchasers of the priciest plan "will now enjoy AT&T's high-speed data regardless of how much data they've used." AT&T said it will "start rolling out this enhancement this week and Elite customers everywhere will soon receive a text notifying them when the benefit has been added." While the change will be made with no extra fees for people who already buy the most expensive plan, other people will have to pay more to get onto the only plan with AT&T's new "fast lane" perk.

Enlarge / Roscosmos Head Dmitry Rogozin gives a press briefing after the failure of the MS-11 mission. (credit: Alexei FilippovTASS via Getty Images)

After Sir Richard Branson's spaceflight this weekend, the leader of Russia's main space corporation, Roscosmos, offered some kind words about the achievement on Twitter. Dmitry Rogozin called the flight a "landmark" in terms of technology development and expanding the number of humans able to see Earth from space.

Then Rogozin went a step further, lamenting the fact that Russia's "billionaire oligarchs" spend their money on yachts and vanity projects rather than the development of space technology and increasing humanity's knowledge of space.

This is a notable comment from Rogozin, who in the past has been critical of one particular billionaire spending his money developing space technology: SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Among other remarks, Rogozin has said that NASA should not get too cocky about its newfound access to space in case SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle "breaks." He has also said that SpaceX is "gentle" for getting to work in the balmy conditions of South Texas, while Russian engineers and technicians work in the depths of Siberia during the winter.

Enlarge (credit: Google)

Google Meet was rushed out the door to meet the video-conferencing needs of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the service's launch presented a deal for free users: a video call limit of 24 hours for group calls. Today, 9to5Google confirmed that Google's pandemic promotion is over, and Google Meet now limits free users to 1-hour group video calls.

Meet was originally supposed to have uncapped video calls from its April launch until September 30, 2020, but Google ended up extending the deadline twice. Google Meet's new monetization plan is laid out across these two support documents.

The meeting host's status determines the video call limits. Free users can do 1-to-1 video chats for 24 hours, and group calls are capped at 100 participants and a 60-minute duration. At 55 minutes, you'll get a warning message. Google's paid account offering, Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), has many tiers that lift these requirements. The lowest tier of Google Workspace—the $6 per user, per month "Business Starter" level—will lift the time limit. The $12 per user, per month "Business Standard" level will bump you up to 150 participants and add extra features like noise cancellation, hand raising, breakout rooms, and meeting recordings. The $18 "Business Plus" tier of Workspace adds attendance tracking and a 250 participant limit.