TGIF. It’s going to be a scorcher out there, so why not take shelter indoors and read up on some things that happened overnight in the tech world.
1. New leaks for the iPhone 15 Pro
With no shortage of rumours about the 2023 iPhone, 9to5Mac has yet another mug of tea. The publication is reporting that, thanks to renders of the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro it received, there will be some significant changes to the design and features of Apple’s flagship smartphone. Seems like we can expect curved edges, slimmer bezels, a way larger camera bump (trying to match Samsung’s 200MP???) and a USB-C port at the bottom in what The Verge is noting otherwise appears to be a refined version of the iPhone 14 Pro.
2. Japan’s new H3 rocket takes to the skies
It’s been a long road, but the time has finally come for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to light the 63.09 m-tall candle known as the H3 launch vehicle. Should all go as planned, the H3 medium-lift rocket will blast off within a brief seven-minute launch window that opens on Friday, February 17 at 12:37 pm AEDT. JAXA’s broadcast of the launch, available at the livestream below, is scheduled to begin at 11:45 am AEDT.
3. Researchers poke holes in new crypto tokens
If you were seeking any more reasons to be sceptical of the crypto market, here you go: Nearly a quarter of new coins minted on the blockchain that attained any value in 2022 fit the on-chain characteristics of a pump-and-dump scheme, according to a report chapter from blockchain tracking and analysis group, Chainalysis. The firm looked at all of the 1.1 million-plus new coins launched on blockchains in 2022. Most of them, unsurprisingly, never attained any meaningful hold in the market — fizzling out with just a handful of trades to show for the effort.
4. Another Tesla recall
Another day, another bit of Elon news, but this time it’s Tesla. Per NBC Bay Area, Tesla is voluntarily recalling 362,758 vehicles equipped with the company’s experimental driver-assistance software, which is marketed as Full Self-Driving Beta or FSD Beta, in the U.S.. A recall notice issued on Thursday says Tesla will deliver an over-the-air software update to cars to address the issues. Gizmodo Australia has reached out to the local post of the EV giants to see if any Aussie vehicles are affected. Tesla Australia issued three recalls in November.
NEW: Tesla is recalling more than 362,000 vehicles, saying its full self-driving beta software may cause crashes. https://t.co/EGlPCt7khe
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) February 16, 2023
5. Declaration on responsible use of AI in the military
Reuters is reporting that the U.S. government issued a declaration on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military, which would include “human accountability”. “We invite all states to join us in implementing international norms, as it pertains to military development and use of AI” and autonomous weapons, the report quotes Bonnie Jenkins, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, as saying. The hero pic used for the article was that of Boston Dynamics’ robotic dog spot, so we used it too (we love spot). Boston Dynamics, the DARPA-backed robotics company known for uncomfortable videos where nearly 91 kg humanoid robots perform backflips, uncomfortable dances, and various forms of horrifyingly aggressive parkour, said back in October it isn’t interested in weaponising its robots.
BONUS ITEM: Just a small tiny fossil from only 166 million years ago, no big deal.
Have a great weekend.