EU’s stricter disinformation guidelines get support from Google, Meta and Twitter

Some of the biggest names in tech have signed up for the European Union’s escalating war against disinformation. The EU has published a tougher Code of Practice on Disinformation with commitments from 34 companies and organizations, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Twitch and Twitter. The stronger guidelines are meant to both refine the existing code while expanding it to deal with lessons learned in recent years, including from the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Participants in the updated code have promised better efforts to strip disinformation purveyors of revenue, such as removing ads. The signatories also have to tackle bots, fake accounts and deepfakes used to spread bogus claims. Supporters will have to create transparency centers and task forces to show how they’re implementing the code (backed by improved monitoring), and provide better data access to researchers. They’ll have to more clearly label political ads, too. Users will get better tools to spot and flag false claims, while expanded fact-checking will cover all EU countries and languages.

Those agreeing to the code have six months to implement the necessary changes. They’ll share their first implementation reports at the start of 2023.

The EU first published the code in 2018, and asserts that it helped fight disinformation surrounding elections, the pandemic and Ukraine. However, there’s little doubt that the situation has changed in the four years since. Bots have become a significant problem, and disinformation more frequently spreads through livestreams in addition to recorded media and social network posts. In theory, the revised approach will not only more catch more attempts to peddle fake info, but do more to discourage that peddling in the first place.

As before, the code is strictly voluntary. This won’t stop sites that either turn a blind eye to disinformation campaigns or don’t feel they can adequately clamp down on bad behavior. With numerous tech giants involved, though, this could make it considerably harder for fakers to gain much traction in Europe and beyond.

Dolby team-up promises more immersive car audio

You might not have to buy a Lucid Air or Mercedes to listen to spatial audio in your car. Dolby and Swedish firm Dirac are collaborating to demo more immersive in-car audio technology. The partnership melds Dirac’s optimization algorithms with Dolby Atmos support to deliver 3D sound as well as improve audio quality across the board. The combo can compensate for poor cabin acoustics (such as reflective surfaces and awkward speaker placement) while promising advanced sound staging normally reserved for home theaters.

The two companies are showcasing their teamwork in demo cars, but you may have to wait a while to hear it in a vehicle you can drive. The first car to take advantage of Dolby and Dirac tech is the Nio ET7. The electric sedan won’t come to Europe until later this year, and the Chinese brand has yet to commit to a North American expansion.

Still, the efforts might go some way toward democratizing Atmos and quality car audio. You might not need to buy a luxury car (or a pricey option package) to listen to spatial sound or otherwise enjoy the quality you normally get at home. Audio performance could be a particularly strong selling point as self-driving cars rise to prominence. If your car is going to be a lounge on wheels, you’ll probably want the speaker system to match.

Apple faces another iPhone ‘Batterygate’ legal claim, this time in the UK

Back in 2017, Apple admitted that it released an update to slow down older iPhones with aging batteries to prevent them from suddenly shutting down. It’s been five years since then, but Apple still isn’t done dealing with its repercussions. According to The Guardian, the tech giant is now facing a legal claim in the UK filed by a consumer rights campaigner named Justin Gutmann at the Competition Appeals Tribunal. Gutmann argued that Apple didn’t disclose that it was going to deliberately throttle users’ phone before it did so and that the company didn’t give them the option to disable the setting. 

The complaint covers the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X models. If you’ll recall, the company originally released the update that intentionally slows down devices for the iPhone 6, 6s and SE before it expanded the feature’s reach to more devices. Guttman’s complaint said Apple introduced the slowdown feature to disguise the fact that older batteries could no longer cope with new OS updates. “Instead of doing the honourable and legal thing by their customers and offering a free [battery] replacement, repair service or compensation, Apple instead misled people by concealing a tool in software updates that slowed their devices by up to 58 percent,” Guttman said. 

If Guttman wins, Apple may have to pay damages totaling up to £750 million to over 25 million people who purchased the affected phones in the UK. The company was previously fined €10 million in Italy over the same issue and for failing to provide customers with the necessary information for maintaining and replacing batteries. In 2020, it also agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle one of the US lawsuits it faced over the iPhone slowdown, which earned each claimant who took part up to $25. 

In a statement sent to The Guardian, Apple said:

“We have never – and would never – do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”

Ferrari says 60 percent of its lineup will be electrified by 2026

Ferrari has announced at an investor presentation that it will 60 percent electrified by 2026, including the EV it promised last year. At that point, 40 percent of its cars will be combustion and 60 percent will be either hybrid or all electric. The eventual aim is to become carbon neutral by 2030, but even then, it will continue to develop internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. 

By 2026, Ferrari will offer “three powertrains with distinctive driving emotions,” it said. It’ll borrow hybrid powertrain tech from its F1 and other racing experience, while its electric engines will be “designed, handcrafted and assembled in Maranello to ensure a unique driving experience also derived from racing solutions.”

Ferrari unveiled its first production plug-in hybrid, the SF90 Stradale, back in 2019. It now has four separate model lineups with the Stradale and 296 GTB plug-in V6 hybrid, along with the pure ICE 812 Superfast V12 and Roma V8 models. So in effect, half its lineup is already electrified, as Autocar points out. That mix will soon change, though. The luxury automaker also confirmed that it’s much-anticipated Purosangue SUV will arrive in September as a pure ICE vehicle, to start with. 

As for the EV set to arrive in 2025, Ferrari is aiming to have “strong commonalities” with its current combustion engines. “The first electric Ferrari will be rooted in our racing heritage and will draw from a broader technical reservoir while preserving all its authenticity and consistency,” said CEO Benedetto Vigna, adding that it will be “really unique from many different points of view.” 

The batteries will also be assembled by Ferrari in Maranello in dedicated e-building facility “where electric engines, inverters, and batteries will be designed, handcrafted and assembled,” the company said. It also revealed that it would limit self-driving autonomy to “Level 2/2+” and that “connectivity is first and foremost provided to enhance the ownership experience and the relationship with the client.”

The Morning After: First look at the transparent Nothing phone

As suspected, the first phone from Nothing — Carl Pei’s new company — is going all in on the transparent gadget look. This seems to be Nothing’s design aesthetic, matching its wireless ear(1) headphones from last year.According to snippets of video fr…

Uber expands its airport reservation service globally

Uber is rolling out its airport reservation service to more locations not only in the US, but also in other countries just as people are becoming more comfortable with traveling again. The service’s Reserve at Airports service rolled out to over 20 airports across the US in 2021, giving arriving passengers the power to reserve Uber Black and Uber Black SUV rides for up to 30 days in advance. Now, the service is available at 55 airports around the world, 39 of which are in the US (a full list is at the bottom of this article). 

Uber’s Reserve service has special tools ordinary rides don’t have access to. In addition to allowing customers to reserve a ride 30 days in advance, it can also track their flight information and automatically adjust their reservation time. That way, they can be sure a driver is waiting for them by the time they land, even if their flight gets delayed. Drivers can also wait for passengers for up 60 minutes without extra charge, giving them ample time to get their luggage or grab a bite before stepping out of the airport. Plus, passengers don’t have to lug around heavy suitcases for long, since their rides will pick them up at the curb.

The company originally launched its Reserve option back in 2020 to help customers “meet those moments that call for more assurance.” It matches passengers with drivers from the start, even if they reserve a month in advance, and it also presents them with an exact fare when they book. The service will certainly be more expensive than a bus ride, but it does sound like a great option for those who don’t want to have to worry about catching a cab the moment they arrive at their destination. 

The new additions to the list of airports where passengers can schedule pick-ups are: Austin (AUS), Burbank (BUR), Indianapolis (IND), Jacksonville (JAX), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Minneapolis – St. Paul (MSP), Milwaukee (MKE), Montreal (YUL), Oakland (OAK), Orange County (SNA), San Antonio (SAT), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO), San Jose (SJC), Tampa Bay (TPA), Vancouver (YVR), Bologna (BLQ), Cape Town (CPT), Johannesburg (JNB + HLA), Milan (LIN + MXP), Nice (NCE), Paris (CDG), Rome (CIA + FCO).

Sony Honda Mobility Inc. is the new name of Sony and Honda’s EV business

After Sony and Honda announced plans to form a separate company for their joint electric vehicle partnership, they’ve now given it a name. Yes, the new business is called Sony Honda Mobility Inc. and will be established in Tokyo before the end of 2022, with EV sales set to start in 2025, Sony said in a press release.

Each company holds an equal 50 percent share, with Honda executive Yasuhide Mizuno appointed chairman and CEO, and Sony EVP Izumi Kawanishi president and COO. As Sony detailed previously, the partnership will utilize “Honda’s cutting edge environmental and safety technologies, mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology, and after-sales service management experience.” Meanwhile, Sony will contribute “imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network and entertainment technologies.” 

Honda is far behind rivals in EV development, with its only electric car being the Honda E — but it’s accelerated its plans of late. Earlier this year it unveiled a partnership with GM to co-develop a series of affordable EVs using a global architecture and GM’s Ultium battery technology. The aim is to have Honda and Acura SUVs going on sale in North America by 2024. 

Honda also announced plans last year to shift its entire vehicle lineup to EVs and fuel-cell vehicles by 2040. As part of that, it’s going to invest $40 billion and launch 30 new EVs by 2030. Sony, meanwhile has already showed not just one but two electric vehicles of its own design, the Vision-S EV and Vision-S 02 electric SUV. It’s not clear how all Sony Honda Mobility fits into all these plans, but we should be learning more about it in the near future.

Tesla hikes prices across all of its models by up to $6,000

Tesla has significantly boosted prices across its EV lineup, according to changes in its online configurator spotted by Electrek. Most of the models affected are long-range versions, with the Model X AWD Long Range jumping the most, up $6,000 from $114,990 to $120,990. It’s the latest in a series of price hikes for Tesla EVs this year. 

The AWD Long Range Model S price also increased significantly by $5,000 from $99,990 to $104,990. The Model Y Long Range and Performance prices went up by $3,000 and $2,000 to $65,990 and $67,990 respectively. Just one Model 3 version was effected, the Long Range, jumping $3,500 from $54,490 to $57,990.

The Elon Musk-owned company didn’t explain the changes, but high inflation, electronics shortages and other issues could be to blame. Last week, CEO Elon Musk reportedly said he might reduce Tesla’s workforce due to to high inflation. Other EV manufacturers like Rivian and Lucid have also boosted prices recently. (GM, however, significantly lowered the price of its Bolt EV last week to $26,595.) 

Elon Musk’s Boring Company will build a 34-mile tunnel network underneath Las Vegas

The Boring Company’s underground transportation system will be more expansive than what it originally planned. The Elon Musk-founded company has just received approval from the city to bring its underground transportation system called the Vegas Loop to city limits. When Clark County Commissioners first approved the Vegas Loop, it was supposed to be a 29-mile tunnel network connecting 51 stations. Now, the network will span 34 miles and have a total of 55 stations, including ones that will serve the Harry Reid International Airport and the Allegiant Stadium.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Boring Co. President Steve Davis said tunneling in downtown Las Vegas could begin in 2023: “This is step two and there are eight steps for us to be opening. There’s a long way to go and a lot of work to do. But if I were to guess on the spot I would guess we’d have machines in (the ground) next calendar year.” According to the publication, the downtown stations include the Strat, Fremont Street Experience, the Slotzilla attraction, the Garage Mahal at the Circa Resort and the Plaza Hotel. Boring could add other stations in the future, as well, with each one costing anything in between $1.5 to $20 million to build. 

Davis also said a ride from Fremont Street Experience downtown to Reid International would cost about $12 and take around eight or nine minutes. Before Boring’s monorail system could shuttle people to and from downtown Las Vegas, though, it has to secure a bunch of permits and design approvals first. As The Verge notes, only 1.7 miles of the Vegas Loop are operational at the moment underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). That said, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill said he expects more portions serving parts of the Resort Corridor to be operational sometime in 2023.