In this week's worldwide wrap, Apple's latest iOS update has users excited to be rude to one another, while experts warn that killer robots could be just a few years away.
iOS 9.1 gives users the middle finger emoji
The most talked-about feature of Apple's latest mobile software update is the 150 new emoji it brings, specifically one of a popular rude hand gesture.
"After years of fudging angry faces, aubergines and fists together, now you can tell people how you really feel with just one character: a middle finger emoji," writes Samuel Gibbs for The Guardian.
Via: The Guardian
Killer robots 'a few years away'
Lawyers, activists and experts in artificial intelligence gathered at the United Nations on Tuesday to issue a warning against an increasing reliance on cheap drones and artificial intelligence that can be unpredictable in the real world.
Representing the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, the group said the resources for creating "killer robots" that would take root on battlefields and national borders would become cheaper over time.
Via: The Guardian
US govt wants national drone registry by Christmas
The US government is cracking down on drone users following reports of drones interfering with commercial aircraft and firefighting helicopters.
The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration will require users to register drones before they may fly them in US airspace.
Via: Wired
Tesla autopilot drives dangerously
Videos posted online show Tesla's self-drive mode causing cars to speed and otherwise drive dangerously.
One shows a car suddenly swerving off the road, while another shows the car swerving toward an oncoming vehicle.
Via: BBC News
E-reader lets users read underwater
Barnes & Noble's newest Nook e-reader is waterproof.
The Nook Glowlight Plus can be submerged unharmed in up to 3 feet (0.9m) of water for up to 30 minutes, allowing users to read in the bath or swimming pool without worry.
Via: Mashable
Airbnb apologises for passive-aggressive ads
Accommodation Web site Airbnb came under fire this week for a series of San Francisco street advertisements boasting about the company's tax contributions and suggesting uses for the money.
Many felt the ads patronised public servants, with one San Francisco resident pointing out how little the tax contribution is compared to the company's suggestions as to what could be done with it.
Via: SF Weekly
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