Google’s self-driving vehicle division says it’s bringing autonomous trucks to the Phoenix area. Waymo announced Wednesday that its self-driving tractor-trailers will start driving on freeways this week and will expand to more routes over time. Waymo’s self-driving passenger vehicles are ubiquitous in the eastern Phoenix and its suburbs, where the company conducts extensive testing and…
New OK for Out-of-Sight Flights Expands Ohio Drone Research
Researchers will expand testing of defense-related drone technology with new permission to fly beyond their line of sight in a limited area of Ohio. The Federal Aviation Administration authorized that after the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the state developed new technology called SkyVision, which functions as sort of air traffic control system for…
Driver’s License? There’s an App to Carry That in Louisiana
Louisiana residents can now carry their driver’s license on their smartphone. News outlets report a new phone app, created through a 2016 state law, offers a digital version of the Louisiana driver’s license, allowing motorists an option aside from carrying a physical license. The smartphone app is called LA Wallet . Though the app is free to…
New Fishing App Launched in Alaska
An Alaska resident has created a smartphone app designed to connect anglers and guides with each other and to a hub of local fishing information. Jim Voss launched his app Alaska FishTopia this summer, aiming for it to be the central source of angling information on the Kenai Peninsula, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south…
Apple, Samsung Settle 7-Year Battle Over Smartphone Design
Apple and Samsung have finally settled a seven-year battle over smartphones that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The bitter rivals notified U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh of the truce in a notice filed Wednesday. Terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed. The resolution comes a month after a jury concluded Samsung owed Apple…
Univ. of Alabama Students Can Use ID Card on Apple Watch
No more ID cards for University of Alabama students with an Apple Watch or iPhone. Apple said in a statement said only have to raise their wrist to gain access to places including the library, dorms and events, pay for snacks, laundry and dinners around campus, the Tuscaloosa News reported . The software was presented this week…
ZTE Stock Falls After US Penalties Over Iran, North Korea
Shares in ZTE Corp. fell 42 percent Tuesday in Hong Kong on their first trading day after the Chinese telecoms equipment maker agreed to pay a $1 billion penalty to the U.S. government and replace its top managers. Shares resumed trading following a two-month suspension after Washington accused state-owned ZTE in April of reneging on…
Survey: YouTube Tops Teen Social Media, as Facebook Fades
YouTube is dominating social media use among teenagers, as Facebook fades from popularity, according to a new survey. A Pew Research Center survey shows that 85 percent of U.S. teens, ages 13 to 17, use YouTube, compared with 72 percent for the Facebook-owned Instagram and 69 percent for Snapchat. Use of the main Facebook service…
Apple Set to Preview Updates for iPhones, Siri and More
Apple is expected to preview new capabilities for its Siri digital assistant and showcase other upcoming software features to help build anticipation for the next iPhones. The peek at the new software will come Monday at a gathering in San Jose, California, for thousands of app developers and other computer programmers looking to create their…
Jury Says Samsung Must Pay $539M for Copying Parts of iPhone
A jury has decided Samsung must pay Apple $539 million in damages for illegally copying some of the iPhone’s features to lure people into buying its competing products. The verdict reached Thursday is the latest twist in a legal battle that began in 2011. Apple contends Samsung wouldn’t have emerged as the world’s leading seller…