The Trump administration has yet another not-so-great idea regarding social media collection and visas, HP has created a zero-g printer for the International Space Station, and Apple plans on replacing Intel chips in its Macs with its own from 2020 and beyond.
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From LinkedIn – The latest proposal from the U.S. State Department is a doosy – nearly all applicants for a visa to enter the US, which is an estimated 14.7 million people per year, will be asked to submit their social media usernames for the past five years. This would cover 20 social media platforms such Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Reddit, etc.,. Basically, what this new proposal does is add another requirement for those applying to visit the United States for business or vacation from countries that the U.S. doesn’t grant visa-free travel. This includes countries such as India, Mexico, Brazil, and China. The U.S. is already suffering from what is being called the ‘Trump Slump’, with foreign tourism declining since Trump has been in office. this certainly won’t help.
From Google Trends – HP is sending a printer into space. You might find it odd that we are celebrating this feat, but think about it. Us folks on the planet surface have never had to worry about this specific issue that those on the International Space Station might – you know, zero gravity. HP couldn’t just send a regular inkjet up there, so it teamed up with Canada’s world-class zero-gravity research facilities to create a brand new HP Envy printer that accounts zero-gravity environments. This includes features such as a special ‘tongue’ that captures paper as it gets printed, so that it doesn’t immediately float away. The printer was sent up yesterday during a SpaceX resupply mission, and if all goes well, HP plans on sending as many as 50 more.
And from Reddit – Apple is apparently planning to start using its own processors in Macs and Macbooks rather than Intel chips starting as early as 2020, reports Bloomberg. This initiative currently has the code name ‘Kalamata’ and is still in early development stages, and is part of a larger strategy to bring more of its supply chain in-house so that all of Apple’s devices, Macs, iPhones, iPads, etc., can work more seamlessly. This has come as a big blow for Intel. Apple makes up for about 5 per cent of Intel’s annual revenue, and Intel shares dropped 9.2 per cent following this reveal. But veterans in the tech industry may recognize this story, Intel helped revive the Mac back in 2006 when Apple stopped using its own processors and turned to Intel, and this isn’t even the first time these reports have surfaced, so we’ll have to wait and see if this actually does happen.
That’s what’s trending this week. Hashtag Trending is produced by IT World Canada. Today’s episode is sponsored by the IT World Canada Podcast Network. Check out our latest podcast, Cyber Security Today, for daily updates on the threats posed to your business and what you can do about it. Add it to your Alexa Flash Briefing or find it on your podcast service of choice.
