Every day we wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for work. Following are a handful of stories from around the tech world condensed to fit into one single cup of coffee. These are the things you need to know before you step foot out of your door (or in front of a webcam) and into the real world this morning.
So sit back, grab a cup, and start your morning off right with a few “Quick Bytes” from Innovation & Tech Today.
New Products Unveiled at Apple Keynote Event
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a series of new products at the Apple Keynote event at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California Tuesday.
Some of the highlights included:
-The new Mac Studio and Studio Display
-The next-generation iPhone SE which features an A15 Bionic chip and 5G
-Two new green shades for the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro
-A new iPad Air in a range of colors equipped with Apple’s new M1 chip and a new ultra-wide front camera
Government-Backed Digital Currency Could be Implemented in the Near Future
The Biden Administration announced a government-backed digital currency could be on the horizon. President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday tasking the federal government with researching potential uses for a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency, or CBDC.
The move toward a government-back cryptocurrency has moved from hypothetical to research gathering as various government agencies are set to submit reports on design, security, and financial/societal impacts of a CBDC.
“My Administration places the highest urgency on research and development efforts into the potential design and deployment options of a United States CBDC,” the executive order said.
However, the news came as part of the larger order titled “Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets,” which is aimed at exploring the possibility of new cryptocurrency regulations. The price of Bitcoin rose after the order was issued, following a downturn in recent weeks.
U.S. Spy Satellites to Orbit the Moon
The US military is planning to send spy satellites to orbit the moon. A video titled Cislunar Highway Patrol System (CHPS) published last week by the US Air Force Research Lab explains the plan to extend the current range of satellites 10 times beyond the 22,000 above the earth, the height at which most satellites currently orbit. The mission would take the U.S. military’s reach to the far side of the moon and cislunar space.
Manned lunar missions will be resuming in the next 5-10 years after a decades-long hiatus, but the long-awaited missions may not be strictly for research purposes.
‘It’s the first step for them to be able to know what’s going on in cislunar space and then identify any potential threats to US activities,’ Brian Weeden, director of program planning for the Secure World Foundation told Ars Technica.
Since the U.S. planted its flag on that historic day in 1969, Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), China, Japan, Luxembourg, the European Union, and India have touched the moon’s surface. A lot of competition has arisen during the years away, and now the U.S. is seeking to reclaim its dominance around lunar airspace.
Amazon is the Latest Big Tech Company in Hot Water with Congress
The House Judiciary Committee has determined Amazon lied to Congress about using third-party seller data to develop its own products. Prosecutors are now being asked to investigate Amazon for criminal obstruction of Congress.
The hearing was part of a larger antitrust investigation into some of the biggest tech companies in the world including Meta, Alphabet, and Apple, along with Amazon.
“Amazon lied through a senior executive’s sworn testimony that Amazon did not use any of the troves of data it had collected on its third-party sellers to compete with them,” the Committee reported to the Department of Justice.
Amazon had multiple opportunities to disclose its practices but attempts by the Committee to get Amazon were ignored or rebuffed.
“Amazon has declined multiple opportunities to demonstrate with credible evidence that it made accurate and complete representations,” the Committee’s letter stated. “Amazon’s failure to correct or corroborate those representations suggests that Amazon and its executives have acted intentionally to improperly influence, obstruct, or impede the Committee’s investigation and inquiries.”
