Apple has over 200 people testing self-driving cars

Apple appears to be gradually accelerating its self-driving car program and now has over 200 people testing its vehicles.

Data from the California DMV (via macReports) indicates that Apple has 201 people testing autonomous driving features on public roads. Apple currently has a fleet of 67 vehicles.

The overall size of Apple’s self-driving fleet hasn’t changed much since 2021 but its number of testers is gradually increasing. Apple added 51 testers in 2022 and an...

23 March 2023 | AI

BT taps AWS Wavelength to kickstart ‘new generation’ of IoT benefits

BT is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to kickstart a “new generation” of IoT benefits.

The UK’s largest telco by subscribers will use AWS Wavelength – which embeds compute and storage services within 5G networks – to enable ultra-low latency applications.

Alex Tempest, MD for BT Wholesale, said:

“As we continue to build best-in-class 5G infrastructure for the UK, launching the AWS Wavelength service for our business and wholesale...

20 March 2023 | 5G

Apple open-source code references ‘realityOS’

A reference to realityOS has been spotted in Apple’s open-source code.

RealityOS is the operating system that Apple is widely expected to use on its upcoming mixed-reality headset. However, it may end up being named xrOS (a reference to “extended reality”) when it reaches consumers’ faces.

This week, Apple posted various bits of code on GitHub with numerous references to realityOS:

https://twitter.com/aaronp613/status/1636096450097721344

Apple’s...

16 March 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Apple’s AR/VR headset plan causes internal divisions

Internal divisions are reportedly arising at Apple over its much-anticipated AR/VR headset.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams are said to be pushing to launch the headset as soon as possible, even if its design isn’t optimal.

Designers at Apple are said to have disagreed with their leadership and want to wait until it's feasible to launch a product that is lighter and less expensive. Current price estimates for the headset are between $2,000 and...

13 March 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Why smart technology is needed to transform the UK’s water sector

A woman holding a glass of water.

The water system across England and Wales is entirely dependent on the streamlined use of technology, with tens of thousands of sensors already used to track and flag blockages and flooding risk, and complex data collection mechanisms used to monitor changing water quality.

Additionally, data is already used to identify vulnerable customers and deliver tailored services to those that need additional support. But with large ageing pipelines operating in the context of increasing...

8 March 2023 | Environment

Minima and Inferrix partner to boost security on millions of connected devices

Minima and Inferrix, both innovators in blockchain and IoT infrastructure, have joined forces to spearhead a ground-breaking innovation in IoT connectivity and asset management for smart buildings and smart cities.

Through their partnership, Minima's cutting-edge decentralised mobile native blockchain technology will potentially be integrated with Inferrix's impressive array of IoT edge and AI products. These include wireless sensors, controllers, and intelligent gateways designed...

8 March 2023 | Applications

Apple’s new HomeKit architecture returns in iOS 16.4

Apple is re-releasing its new HomeKit architecture in iOS 16.4 after it was pulled in an earlier version.

The architecture initially debuted in iOS 16.2 but users quickly ran into problems with devices getting stuck “updating” or becoming entirely unresponsive.

Apple decided to pull the update while it investigated the issues. iOS 16.3 and iOS 16.3.1 arrived without any sign of the new HomeKit’s return.

Anyone eager to get started with the new HomeKit...

17 February 2023 | IoT

Amazon’s robotaxis hit the streets of California

Robotaxis from Amazon’s self-driving vehicle biz Zoox are now on the streets of California.

Zoox’s vehicles are purpose-built for autonomous driving and do not feature any manual controls.

The company’s full-time employees are the first to take advantage of the autonomous shuttle service.

Jesse Levinson, Co-Founder and CTO of Zoox, commented:

“Getting to be the world’s first passenger in a robotaxi with no manual controls on open public...

14 February 2023 | Applications

Matter creator CSA announces healthcare working group

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has announced the creation of a working group focused on accelerating the adoption of Matter for healthcare purposes.

Matter was released by the CSA last year with the promise of providing an interoperable standard that will finally unlock the full potential of the smart home.

The CSA’s member list is nearing 600 organisations – including Apple, Google, Amazon, Huawei, Samsung, IKEA, Schneider Electric, Signify, Bosch,...

10 February 2023 | Applications

Anker admits Eufy cams weren’t encrypted

Anker has finally acknowledged that its Eufy smart cameras weren’t end-to-end encrypted.

In November, security researcher Paul Moore highlighted that Eufy cameras were uploading data even when cloud upload settings were disabled. However, an even more concerning finding was that camera streams could be watched live through external video players.

Anker promoted local storage and end-to-end encryption as core features of its security cameras. Several publications have...

1 February 2023 | Applications