Tech News Today For March 3, 2017
Tech News for Friday March 3, 2017
New data from Futuresource Consulting shows that Chrome OS has continued to dominate in the US K-12 education market, pushing Apple’s iOS down from 19 to 14 percent and MacOS down from 6 to 5 percent. Chrome OS grew from 50 percent to 58 percent market share in the past year, with the success attributed partially to the low cost of hardware, but also to Google’s expansive software suite. Read more at nytimes.com.
Running out of storage on your hard drive? You could try keeping your data on your DNA. Researchers have learned how to efficiently code an entire operating system, a short film, an Amazon gift card and a bunch of other stuff onto a single nucleotide. So, no more worrying about storage limits or figuring out how to watch all your old VHS tapes because we're not likely to upgrade our DNA anytime soon. Read more at wsj.com.
If you like for your deliveries to be inspired by Wall-E, then you might want to move yourself to Virginia, which is now the first state to allow for delivery robots to roam the sidewalks and crosswalks freely. New legislation passed in the state limits the autonomous delivery robots to 10 miles per hour and no more than 50 pounds of cargo. There are no line of sight requirements like drones currently enjoy, however a person is required to monitor the path and take over the controls if things wrong. Read more at recode.net.
Do you struggle to find a private jet available to take you to your mansion in the Hamptons at a moment's notice? There's an app for that. JetSmarter is a company with a private valuation to $1.5 billion and the ambition to become the Uber for Jets. It's unclear today if by "The Uber of Jets" means being able to summon a jet with an app or being able to flaunt rules and regulations in order to succeed. The Verge reports that before reviewing the service, JetSmarter asked their reporter to sign a contract and asked for a credit card number. The contract stated that if the reporter didn't show up for the ride or if the reporter didn't write a flattering piece about the company, they would charge the credit card in the amount of $2000. Read more at theverge.com.
Rick Osterloh, Google’s SVP of hardware, says that we can expect a successor to the Google Pixel phone sometime this year, though he has no date to share at the moment. Osterloh says to expect the Pixel brand to remain focused on higher end premium devices, quashing rumors of a possible lower cost Pixel. Osterloh also clarified on Twitter that his quote from Mobile World Congress where he said Google has no plans for Google-branded laptops was misinterpreted. How now says Google branded Chromebooks aren’t dead but they have no plans to share at this time. Read more at cnet.com.
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