Apple vows to end mining and use only recycled materials

by Steven Musil - CNET Apple plans to one day stop mining the earth for rare minerals and metals and start using 100 percent recycled materials for its products. The tech titan made the announcement Wednesday, just ahead of the annual Earth Day celebration Thursday, in its 2017 Environment Responsibility Report. The chief reason cited for the shift is the affect electronics manufacturing is having on the planet. "Climate change is undeniable," the company said in its report. "Earth's resources won't last forever. And technology must be safe for people to make and use. We don't question these realities -- we challenge ourselves to ask what we can do about them in every part of our business." The pledge underscores Apple's increasing tendency toward being a tech company focused on the greater good. Since Tim Cook took over as Apple's CEO in 2011, he has been expanding Apple's voice on issues like labor rights, equal pay and the environment. As lofty as Apple's recycling goals are, though, the company admits it isn't quite sure how it's going to achieve it. "We're actually doing something we rarely do, which is announce a goal before we've completely figured out how to do it," Lisa Jackson, Apple's VP of environment, policy, and social initiatives, told Vice. "So we're a little nervous, but we also think it's really important, because as a sector we believe it's where technology should be going." Most of what's inside the iPhone right now doesn't come from recycled material, Jackson said. But the goal is to combine recycled metals bought from suppliers with those taken from old Apple products returned by customers. "We are committing as a company to not necessarily having to source from the earth for everything that we need," Jackson said. Less than 16 percent of global e-waste was recycled in 2014, according to a United Nations University report (PDF) released earlier this year. The amount of electronic waste in Asia alone has risen 63 percent in the last five years, the report found. https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-vows-to-end-mining-use-only-recycled-materials-earth-day/

Facebook team working on brain-powered technology

Dave Lee North America technology reporter -BBC Facebook says it is working on technology to allow us to control computers directly with our brains. It is developing “silent speech” software to allow people to type at a rate of 100 words per minute, it says. The project, in its early stages, will require new technology to detect brainwaves without needing invasive surgery. "We are not talking about decoding your random thoughts,” assured Facebook's Regina Dugan. Facebook F8: Four things worth your attention Zuckerberg addresses 'Facebook killing' "You have many thoughts, you choose to share some of them. "We’re talking about decoding those words. A silent speech interface - one with all the speed and flexibility of voice." Ms Dugan is the company’s head of Building 8, the firm’s hardware research lab. The company said it intends to build both the hardware and software to achieve its goal, and has enlisted a team of more than 60 scientists and academics to work on the project. On his Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg added: "Our brains produce enough data to stream four HD movies every second. "The problem is that the best way we have to get information out into the world - speech - can only transmit about the same amount of data as a 1980s modem. "We're working on a system that will let you type straight from your brain about five times faster than you can type on your phone today. "Eventually, we want to turn it into a wearable technology that can be manufactured at scale. Even a simple yes/no 'brain click' would help make things like augmented reality feel much more natural. "Technology is going to have to get a lot more advanced before we can share a pure thought or feeling, but this is a first step." Other ideas detailed at the company’s developers conference in San Jose included work to allow people to “hear” through skin. The system, comparable to Braille, uses pressure points on the skin to relay information. “One day, not so far away, it may be possible for me to think in Mandarin, and you to feel it instantly in Spanish,” Ms Dugan said. With these announcements, Facebook is envisioning technology that is far in advance of anything currently possible. To achieve sophisticated brain control with today's technology requires the implanting of a computer chip into the brain, something Ms Dugan joked "simply won't scale". There are already external brain-control technologies on the market, but these are simplistic in comparison. Electroencephalogram tech - known as EEG - can monitor electric impulses in the brain, but only for very basic, structured output - such as moving a dot up or down a computer screen. "We'll need new, non-invasive sensors that can measure brain activity hundreds of times per second," Facebook said in a statement. "From locations precise to millimetres and without signal distortions. Today there is no non-invasive imaging method that can do this." http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39648788

Credit card with a fingerprint sensor revealed by Mastercard!? - 2017 Tech News

By Samantha Smith Technology reporter - BBC A payment card featuring a fingerprint sensor has been unveiled by credit card provider Mastercard. The rollout follows two successful trials in South Africa. The technology works in the same way as it does with mobile phone payments: users must have their finger over the sensor when making a purchase. Security experts have said that while using fingerprints is not foolproof, it is a "sensible" use of biometric technology. 'Nine changes' Mastercard's chief of safety and security, Ajay Bhalla, said that the fingerprint technology would help "to deliver additional convenience and security. It is not something that can be taken or replicated." However, fingerprint sensors can be compromised. Karsten Nohl, chief scientist at Berlin's Security Research Labs, told the BBC: "All I need is a glass or something you have touched in the past." He adds that if that information is stolen, "you only have nine fingerprint changes before you run out of options". But Mr Nohl is cautiously optimistic about the technology, saying it is "better than what we have at the moment". "With the combination of chip and PIN, the PIN is the weaker element. Using a fingerprint gets rid of that." "Fingerprints have helped us avoid using terrible passwords, and even the most gullible person is not going to cut off their finger if [a criminal] asks nicely." No scanner needed The cards are thought to be the first to include both the digital template of the user's fingerprint and the sensor required to read their fingerprints at the point of sale. Previous biometric payment cards only worked when used in conjunction with a separate fingerprint scanner. That limited their usefulness, as only stores with the correct equipment could accept them. Having both the data and the scanner on the same card means that they should be accepted everywhere a normal chip and PIN payment card can be used. But the biometric verification can only be used for in-store purchases: online and other so-called "card not present" transactions will still require further security measures. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39643453

Google revamping it's search bar

Nelson Burrell (@Nelson_Burrell) has shared a Tweet with you: "google: The next stage of our redesign—a new Google bar that will enable you to navigate quickly among our services http://t.co/ghvefZbe" --http://twitter.com/google/status/141658175614103553

Samsung galaxy nexus, without ice cream?

Nelson Burrell (@Nelson_Burrell) has shared a Tweet with you: "gadgetlab: It's Samsung Galaxy Nexus teardown time! What's inside? No ice cream. #iceCreamSandwich http://t.co/fyCYDQjb by @mj_isaac" --http://twitter.com/gadgetlab/status/141640204753711104

Kindle beats iPad!

Nelson Burrell (@Nelson_Burrell) has shared a Tweet with you: "TechCrunch: The Kindle Fire Bests The iPad At Best Buy, Becomes The Retailer's Best Selling Tablet http://t.co/qZNmdiZ8 by @mjburnsy" --http://twitter.com/TechCrunch/status/141633842145525760

Google I/O now in June!

Google I/O pushed to June 2012 – another day tacked on