Apple to launch new iPads May 7th, record number of public EV chargers installed
Apple has told us it’s going to be launching something new on May 7, and all the signs point to that something being new iPads. Now a new report lists the specific models and accessories we’ll be getting introduced to on Tuesday. This report comes from well-known Apple tipster Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, and it rounds up some of the rumors we’ve already been hearing. Gurman says we’ll get a new pair of iPad Pro models: the 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes will be the same as the current iPad Pros, but they’ll be the first Apple tablets to switch to OLED. Tech Radar
An AI-controlled warplane has taken a senior air force leader for a ride in a groundbreaking test flight over California. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall sat in the cockpit as the experimental F-16 jet, called Vista, flew lightning-fast manoeuvres at more than 550mph over Edwards Air Force Base. It went nearly nose to nose with a second human-piloted F-16 as both raced within 1,000 feet of each other, twisting and looping to try to force their opponent into vulnerable positions. Sky News
A record number of public electric vehicle charging stations were installed in the UK this quarter, as charging companies struggle to keep up with the growing number of plugin cars on British roads. Almost 6,000 new EV chargers were installed in the UK during the first three months of 2024, according to quarterly figures from data company Zapmap and published by the UK’s Department for Transport. Approx. 25% (about 1500) were DC fast chargers. Electrek
Two Nasa astronauts are due to head for the International Space Station aboard a new spacecraft. Boeing’s Starliner will blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, in its first crewed test flight. The mission has been delayed for several years because of setbacks in the spacecraft’s development. If it is successful, it will become the second private firm able to provide crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Nasa no longer wants to own and operate such vehicles, preferring now to buy the service from the commercial sector. BBC
Bereaved parents and abuse survivors who have endured years of “preventable, life-changing harm” linked to social media say they have been denied a voice in official discussions about holding tech firms to account. Mariano Janin, whose daughter Mia, 14, killed herself after online bullying, and the parents of Oliver Stephens, 13, who was murdered after a dispute on social media, are among those who have accused Ofcom of excluding them from a consultation process for tackling online harms. The Guardian
Scotland Yard has banned officers from using a controversial facial recognition search engine after it was accessed thousands of times from Metropolitan Police computers. PimEyes, which allows users to upload photographs of people and match them with images of the same individuals elsewhere on the internet, has given rise to concern from privacy campaigners that it could be used by stalkers or to carry out surveillance. MPs have warned that the technology is “invasive and dangerous” and called for it to be banned from open access. i
The chairman of Darktrace has said Britain has a “culture problem with business”, just days after overseeing the cyber security company’s £4.2bn sale to US private equity giant Thoma Bravo. Gordon Hurst, who has spearheaded the Darktrace board since 2021, said UK companies were struggling to compete with US rivals because of stricter rules over executive pay and a lack of support for entrepreneurs. Telegraph
