HomePod Devs Stumble Upon Next iPhone Design Clues

Developers combing through the code for the Apple HomePod have found clues to what appear to be features in the next generation of iPhones, and they tweeted their discoveries on Sunday. The firmware for HomePod, Apple's $349 smart speaker expected in December, apparently contains much of the codebase for future iPhones. One of the goodies in the HomePod's code is a new biometric method for unlocking an iPhone. The use of facial recognition to unlock a phone has been around in the Android world for more than a year, and reactions have been mixed.

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Why Facebook's Willow Beats Apple's Saucer

Facebook knocked it out of the park with its financials last week, and a lot of its success comes from Zuckerberg's unique focus. Unlike other firms that jump from project to project, ranging widely from what makes them money -- like Google -- Facebook stays close to what made it successful. There is no stronger evidence than when you compare the two office projects from Apple and Facebook. The huge Apple Flying Saucer is nearing completion. Facebook recently announced it too was building a new showcase site, called "Willow."

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The Elusive Total Linux Convergence Dream

Regular readers know that I usually stick to the well-charted territory of essential terminal commands and practical overviews of Linux history, since they are immediately useful to newcomers. Thankfully, the basics don't change very quickly -- but that's not to say that Linux is a stagnant ecosystem. Far from it. Although most current events in the Linux community have little direct impact on the average desktop user, one recent development that very much does is Canonical's decision to end development of Ubuntu's flagship Unity desktop.

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Amazon's Secret 1492 Health Team Sets Sail

A secret Amazon team, dubbed "1492," reportedly has been working on a skunkworks project devoted entirely to healthcare. The unit has been developing hardware devices and software applications related to electronic medical records, telemedicine and other health-related issues. The "1492" moniker refers to the year that Christopher Columbus made his voyage to the Americas, but perhaps the Amazon team missed the irony that Columbus actually did not realize he had "discovered" a new continent and thought he was somewhere else.

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SparkyLinux 5: Great All-Purpose Distro for Confident Linux Users

When I first reviewed the Game Over edition of SparkyLinux several years ago, I called it one of the best full-service Linux distros catering to game players you could find. That assessment extends to last month's release of the non-gaming edition of this distro. The latest edition of SparkyLinux, version 5.0 "Nibiru," finds its true calling as a Linux distro that falls between those that are beginner-friendly and those that require some amount of Linux knowledge. SparkyLinux 5.0 is based on the testing branch of Debian.

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Flash Flames Out - but It Will Smolder for a While

Adobe on Tuesday announced its decision to pull the plug on its much maligned Flash format, citing the growing use of HTML5, WebGL and Web Assembly open standards. Helper apps have evolved over time to become plugins, which then further evolved to become open Web standards, Adobe noted. However, because gaming, education and video have come to depend heavily on Flash over the years, its phaseout will be gradual. The company will continue to update and maintain it until 2020.

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Who's Right About AI? Musk's Dire Warnings Meet Zuckerberg's Cheerful Optimism

Two of Silicon Valley's most influential visionaries, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, this week engaged in a public spat over the future of artificial intelligence and whether the government should take the wheel to counter the threat this emerging technology might pose to mankind. Musk, a longtime advocate of AI, has expressed serious concerns over the years about the potential for the technology to accelerate faster than society can learn to manage its growth. He has raised fears that intelligent machines could pose a risk to civilization if not properly regulated.

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Facebook Adds Hardware, Software Vetting and 4K to 360 Live

Facebook on Tuesday announced several updates to its live-streaming platform, including a new hardware and software vetting program used to create 360-degree video. Through its new Live 360 Ready Program, Facebook will review hardware and software and approve products that work well with its Live 360 offering. Products deemed "ready" for Live 360 will be allowed to display a Facebook Live logo on their packaging or website. Facebook has approved 11 cameras and seven software suites so far.

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Microsoft Releases Long-Awaited Security Tool, Sets Linux Preview

Microsoft has released its long-awaited cloud-based bug detection tool, previously code-named "Project Springfield." The Windows version became generally available, and a new Linux version became available as a preview last week. The tool, Microsoft Security Risk Detection, uses artificial intelligence to hunt down security vulnerabilities in software that is about to be released. Microsoft Security Risk Detection will help developers do fuzz testing, said David Molnar, the Microsoft researcher in charge of the group that developed the tool.

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Microsoft Adds AI to HoloLens Silicon

The next version of Microsoft's HoloLens may be better at navigating reality than the current version of the mixed-reality headset, thanks to a new coprocessor the company announced Sunday. The second version of HoloLens' custom multiprocessor -- called a "holographic processing unit," or HPU -- will incorporate artificial intelligence technology, Harry Shum, executive vice president of the Artificial Intelligence and Research Group, said at the annual CVPR computer vision event. The new HPU will enable HoloLens to do the kind of deep learning processing that typically is done only in the cloud.

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The 5 Technologies We Need to Change the World

I just finished reading an interesting hard science fiction book called The Punch Escrow. The story takes place several decades in the future, and it revolves around the idea of quantum foam and teleportation. It points out why teleportation never may be practical, but it brings up the idea of human 3D printing, which could be used more effectively for space exploration. However, it also would have a massive number of other uses, both good and bad, which got me thinking about what else could change our future in a massive way.

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Cortana Makes Smart Thermostat a Glas Act

Microsoft and Johnson Controls have unveiled Glas, a smart thermostat that runs on Microsoft's Windows 10 IoT Core, a special OS designed specifically for smaller devices. Glas also utilizes Microsoft's smart voice assistant Cortana and its Azure Cloud to help users save energy while monitoring air quality in the home. Heating and cooling of a residential home accounts for around 48 percent of energy use, making it the largest energy expense for most families, noted Johnson Controls, a provider of HVAC, fire and security systems.

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Open Source Flaw 'Devil's Ivy' Puts Millions of IoT Devices at Risk

Millions of IoT devices are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks due to a vulnerability initially discovered in remote security cameras, Senrio reported this week. The firm found the flaw in a security camera developed by Axis Communications, one of the world's biggest manufacturers of the devices. The Model 3004 security camera is used for security at the Los Angeles International Airport and other places, according to Senrio. The problem turned out to be a stack buffer overflow vulnerability, which the firm dubbed "Devil's Ivy."

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CoreOS, OCI Unveil Controversial Open Container Industry Standard

CoreOS and the Open Container Initiative on Wednesday introduced image and runtime specifications largely based on Docker's image format technology. However, OCI's decision to model the standard on Docker's de facto platform has raised questions. Some critics have argued for other options. Version 1.0 provides a stable standard for application containers, according to CoreOS CTO Brandon Philips. Having a standard created by industry leaders should spur OCI partners to develop further standards and innovation, he said.

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Has Photobucket Painted Itself Into a Corner?

Various celebrities over the years have "broken the Internet" when risqué photos or shocking revelations surfaced, with or without their knowledge or approval. Photo hosting service Photobucket may have surpassed Kim Kardashian's most notorious stunts, though. The company recently changed its user agreement for the hosting of images on third-party sites, and as a consequence truly may have broken the Internet. Photobucket users in recent weeks have been receiving emails with this message: "Some features on your account will be disabled."

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Microsoft Rolls Out Linux Support in SQL Server 2017 Release Candidate

Microsoft has announced the availability of its first public release candidate for SQL Server 2017, which includes full support for Linux. SQL Server on Linux improves on earlier previews with several key enhancements, including active directory authentication; transport layer security to encrypt data; and SQL Server Integration Services that add support for Unicode ODBC drivers. SQL Server 2017 has demonstrated faster performance than competitive databases or older SQL Server versions with new benchmarks, Microsoft said.

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Google's Ugly Duckling Glass Becomes Enterprise Swan

Google's augmented reality goggles were a flop several years ago -- when intrepid explorers wore the devices in restaurants and bars, sparking reactions ranging from disapproval to outright violence -- but they have become very welcome in the workplace. Their success in a host of business settings led The Team at X on Tuesday to announce an expansion of its Glass Enterprise Edition program. The latest version of Glass looks like a pair of safety glasses, but it's really a small, lightweight wearable computer with a transparent display.

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New AI Assistant Digs Up Specialized Info for Makers

Avnet last week unveiled a beta version of Ask Avnet, a virtual assistant that combines AI with on-demand access to industry experts. Ask Avnet targets "engineers, designers, hobbyists, makers and purchasing specialists across the electronics supply chain -- which includes the product manufacturing chain," said Kevin Yapp, SVP for digital transformation at Avnet. Ask Avnet gathers information from the company's Web-based ecosystem -- including Avnet.com, element14.com and Hackster.io -- and soon will include access to other Avnet properties.

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10th Anniversary iPhone Buzz: Late, Expensive, Possibly Awesome

With September fast approaching, speculation has begun to roil about the next generation of iPhones, particularly the iPhone 8, or whatever Apple decides to name its special 10th anniversary edition of its smartphone. However, fans aching to get their hands on the iPhone 8 may have to ache longer than those upgrading to the expected new iPhone 7s and 7s Plus models. The iPhone 8 won't ship until the November-December time frame, according to a new report, and even then it will be available only in low numbers.

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SharkLinux OS Is Destined for Success

SharkLinux OS is one of those very rare newcomer distributions that has "Future Big Winner" written all over it. Over my many years of reviewing Linux software and distros for Linux Picks and Pans, I have found that the story of what spurred the developer to create the distro often showcases the driving power that enables open source software. That is the case with SharkLinux OS, which has an interesting back story -- a tale of innovation and ingenuity. SharkLinux OS delivers a good performance early in its development cycle.

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HP Is Back: Should It Rename Itself Compaq?

HP just took over the PC market worldwide. You probably don't get how incredible this is, so here's an analogy: It's as if a crooked referee put a bunch of lead on an overweight racer and shuffled him to the back of the pack, but in the end, the guy finished first. You'd seriously want to look under his T-Shirt to see if you'd find Superman's costume. This isn't Apple coming up with an iPod or iPhone and flanking the market -- this is a firm that simply pushed on the gas pedal at a time when everyone said it was going in the wrong direction.

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Fedora 26 Powers Up Cloud, Server, Workstation Systems

The Fedora Project has announced the general availability of Fedora 26, the latest version of the fully open source Fedora OS. Fedora Linux is the community version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, or RHEL. Three distinct editions target different users. Fedora Atomic Host edition is an operating system for running container-based workloads. Fedora Server edition installs the Fedora Server OS on a hard drive. Fedora Workstation edition is a user-friendly operating system for laptops and desktop computers, suitable for a broad range of users.

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Alteryx CCO Olivia Duane Adams: Women Do Think Differently

Analytics is "about having a sense of curiosity -- the ability to look at data and say, 'what is it telling me?'" said Olivia Duane Adams, chief customer officer at Alteryx. "I define analytics as 'the ability to ingest any and all relevant sources of data that might help answer a question being asked.' Analytics is the ability to use all the data you have to answer a question, or at least to drive insight to get to a better answer. Analytics is everywhere, and that's because data is everywhere."

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Hyperloop One Test: Beginning of a New Transportation Era?

Hyperloop One on Wednesday announced that it had conducted a successful first test of a specially designed vehicle to travel in a vacuum environment. The company achieved controlled propulsion and levitation of a Hyperloop One vehicle at 70 mph on a 315-foot test track in the Nevada desert. The test vehicle reached nearly 2Gs of acceleration during its brief 5.3 second test run on the specially built track. A comparison has been drawn between the Hyperloop accomplishment and the Wright Brothers' first test flight in December 1903.

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Microsoft Makes Room for Ubuntu at Windows Store

Microsoft has announced the availability of Canonical's Ubuntu Linux distro as a free download in the Windows Store. It can be installed on any Windows Insider build, said Microsoft Senior Program Manager Rich Turner. There are some distinct advantages to using the Windows Store version of the Ubuntu Linux Distro: The software can be downloaded faster and more reliably due to the use of a sophisticated block-based download mechanism; and the store version has been enhanced to support running multiple distros side-by-side and simultaneously.

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Gadget Ogling: Show and Tell, Fidget Folly, and Connected Nightlights

The Echo Show is the first in Amazon's line of smart speakers to incorporate a screen, and it seems very much more "speaker with a display" than "tablet with better audio and microphones." It has all the functionality of Echo, including access to Alexa, Amazon's voice-operated assistant. The screen can, for example, provide a more detailed weather outlook than what Alexa spouts out, and it can keep you more on track when you're working through a recipe by displaying each step as you need it. It can display song lyrics too.

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Microsoft Aims to Boost Internet Connectivity in US Heartland

Microsoft has unveiled an ambitious five-year plan that would use technology found in the television white space spectrum to develop affordable broadband Internet access for at least 2 million consumers, at total cost of $8 billion to $12 billion. The aim is to bridge the technology gap between urban and rural American communities. The spectrum is a currently unused portion in the 600 Mhz frequency range designated for UHF television bands, which allows wireless signals to travel over hills and through buildings and trees into rural areas.

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The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard Shows Which Bits Are Boss

If you've ever been curious enough to look through your system's root directory, you may have found yourself a little overwhelmed. Most of the three-letter directory names don't tell you much about what they do, and if you ever needed to make important modifications, it would be tough to know where to look. I'd like to take those of you who haven't ventured much into your root directory on a brief tour. Before we embark, here are a couple of tools that will allow you to dig through anything interesting you find on your own later.

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Could Tech Nerf North Korea?

When a hostile country regularly lobs missiles into the ocean with the stated objective of transforming a U.S. state into a radioactive cloud, we have a problem. One "oops" and we could suddenly become a 49-state nation again. However, approaches to North Korea largely have been in-the-box thinking: economic sanctions that require China's cooperation; military and assassination options that would trigger retaliation that likely would result in a lot of us glowing at night; and revolution efforts that have little or no chance of succeeding.

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Trustify President Jennifer Mellon: Diversity Is Good Business

"My team has always, from day one, been 70 percent female," said Trustify President Jennifer Mellon. "You know, we're not a flower delivery service -- we're doing private investigation. It's not a space women often lead in, so I'm really proud of that. We did a self-disclosure report early on, and over 45 percent of my team identified with a protected minority population -- including LGBT, race, ethnic and religious minorities -- and I'm really proud of that. We've succeeded because we look like our consumer."

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IoT Fuels Growth of Linux Malware

Malware targeting Linux systems is growing, largely due to a proliferation of devices created to connect to the Internet of Things. That is one of the findings in a report WatchGuard Technologies released last week. The report, which analyzes data gathered from more than 26,000 appliances worldwide, found three Linux malware programs in the top 10 for the first quarter of the year, compared with only one during the previous period. "Linux attacks and malware are on the rise," wrote the coauthors of the report.

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The Stupidly Dangerous Politics of Blame

I hope that, like me, you are off this long holiday weekend and have a chance to think about the drama that now surrounds the U.S. administration. What I find fascinating isn't that the government is a bit of a mess but that the accidental transparency of this administration is focusing us more on the visibility of the problems rather than on the problems themselves. President Obama knew about the Russians hacking the election, but largely sat on the information. President Trump likely wanted to do the same thing, but leaks made it impossible.

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