BMW digital key for Android smartphones. | Image source: BMW
Some Android phones can now provide simple and secure keyless access to the car, allowing car owners to lock, unlock and even start their car. According to Google, Pixel 6 and 6 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 series compatible with BMW cars provide digital car keys in certain countries. Using the BMW digital key, customers can easily unlock and lock the car by simply holding their smartphone to the driver's door handle. The engine can also be started by putting the mobile phone in the wireless charging bay of the car. The digital key can be easily configured via the My BMW app and stored on the secure element of the smartphone. BMW said that in the next version, it will be possible to pass the key to five friends, adding that it will also introduce ultra-wideband-based BMW Digital Key Plus functions for Android smartphones in the future. In another update, more than 3,00,000 Android devices downloaded banking Trojans after becoming victims of malware that bypassed Google Play restrictions.
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NASA selected three American companies—Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman—to develop the design of the space station and other commercial destinations in space where people can visit, live, and work. The space agency stated that it is trying to maintain an uninterrupted low-Earth orbit (LEO) presence by transitioning from the International Space Station to other platforms. Blue Origin and Sierra Space have teamed up to develop Orbital Reef, a commercially owned and operated space station that will be built at LEO, which will begin operations in the second half of this decade. The commercial LEO destination of Nanoracks, in collaboration with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin, is called Starlab. Its goal is to launch in a single flight as a continuous manned commercial space station in 2027. Northrop Grumman (Northrop Grumman) in the LEO modular commercial destination design, using proven elements to provide basic modules for extended functions. This week, NASA canceled the spacewalk because the menacing space junk may pierce the astronaut’s spacesuit or damage the International Space Station.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) said it is working with Pfizer to create an innovative, cloud-based solution that has the potential to improve the way new drugs are developed, manufactured, and distributed for clinical trials. It pointed out that the cloud computing platform is helping Pfizer enhance its continuous clinical manufacturing process by integrating predictive maintenance capabilities built with AWS machine learning (ML) services. In addition, AWS is working with Pfizer to develop a prototype solution for detecting abnormal data points in its continuous clinical manufacturing platform for solid oral drugs. In addition, Pfizer scientists will work with AWS professionals to explore how researchers in the Pfizer Pharmaceutical Science Small Molecule Team can use AWS analysis and machine learning services to extract and mine information from old documents. In another development, AWS introduced two new custom computing chips designed to help its customers reduce the cost of using Intel and Nvidia chips.
Social audio application Clubhouse adds support for 13 new languages on Android, including Arabic, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Persian/Persian, Hausa, Igbo, Marathi, Nepalese Languages, Somali, Thai, Turkish and Yoruba. Clubhouse pointed out that these languages will be available on iOS in the future. The "interest" function of the app has also been updated to a "theme" for iOS and Android users. "Themes can help you find rooms, clubs, and people with common hobbies or related expertise," Clubhouse said, adding that these themes will be broader, more helpful, and available in more places. The themes will appear in the user's profile, although they can choose to hide them with a simple click. The theme will be more detailed and detailed, allowing users to quickly find what they are looking for on the platform. Recently, Clubhouse announced the closed captioning feature for iOS users and launched the first wave of local language support for Android users.
Signal has introduced an in-app donation feature that allows its users to donate a certain amount of funds every month to pay for the development, server and bandwidth costs of messaging applications, which was developed by the non-profit organization Signal Foundation. According to the company, The current monthly donation price starts at 200 rupees per month, and users can use Google Pay or Apple Pay to make donations. Users who become Signal maintainers will receive a "start", "planet" or "sun" badge based on their contribution. "We have established these subscription services, and they will only renew when you use Signal within a month. If you stop using Signal or uninstall the app, they will be automatically cancelled after the next cycle," Signal co-founder Moxie Marlinspike explained in a blog post. He pointed out that the donation process uses Signal's anonymous voucher scheme to ensure that users' payment information is not associated with their accounts. In another development, WhatsApp recently received regulatory approval to double its payment service users in India to 40 million.
Qualcomm and Google Cloud have joined forces to accelerate the latter's neural network development for mobile, IoT, automotive and XR platforms. A joint statement stated that the two are collaborating to develop Google's Neural Architecture Search (NAS), enabling the two companies to create and optimize artificial intelligence (AI) models automatically rather than manually. Qualcomm is the first chip manufacturer to provide Google Cloud Vertex AI NAS. The technology will first be available on the newly released Snapdragon 8, Gen 1 mobile platforms, and then in Qualcomm's product portfolio. "Google Cloud's Vertex AI NAS will enable Qualcomm Technologies to bring high-precision, low-latency AI to low-power devices such as the Internet of Things, medical imaging, automobiles, and mobile devices, while ensuring memory and energy efficiency," Vice President June Yang , Google Cloud said, cloud artificial intelligence and industry solutions. This week, Qualcomm released a new top smartphone chip for high-priced Android phones.
Sony’s first professional drone, Airpeak S1, launched last year is now available to customers. Airpeak S1 is the world's smallest drone and can be equipped with a full-size mirrorless and interchangeable lens Alpha camera. It is designed for cinematographers and other visual narrative professionals and is compatible with various Sony camera bodies. The drone includes an application based on Airpeak Flight iOS, which integrates and monitors all hardware related to the drone, and provides real-time status display and screen updates for the operator. For multi-person operation, Airpeak S1 also includes a dual operation mode, one user operates the drone, the other operates the PTZ and camera, and each user can monitor the content being recorded. The retail price of the drone is approximately US$9,000 (approximately 670,000 rupees) and is available for pre-sale. In another update, paramedics carrying jetpacks, border police driving flying cars, and urban workers commuting by drones are part of the advanced air transportation market, which is expected to reach $17 billion by 2025 and by 2035 It will reach 110 billion U.S. dollars in the year.
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Printable version | December 8, 2021 1:57:26 PM | https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/weekly-bytes-android-phones-functioning-as-car-key-nasa -picks-firms-to-develop-space-stations-and-more/ article37835449.ece
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