Honda’s 2023 Accord Touring will be its first car with Google apps built-in

Honda is joining the ranks of automakers embracing Google’s services. As teased last year, the company has announced that the 2023 Accord sedan’s high-end Touring trim will be the brand’s first car with Google built-in as standard. You’ll have out-of-the-dealership access to Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Play Store on the vehicle’s 12.3-inch infotainment display. You can tweak the climate control, navigate or download a favorite music app without relying on your phone.

There’s no mention of pricing for the Google features. GM offers three free years of Google built-in access for vehicles like the GMC Yukon, but requires a $15 monthly subscription after that. You won’t lose all functionality after that, though. The Accord Touring will also support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with a 15W wireless charger to keep your phone running.

Honda hasn’t said which other cars will adopt the functionality. It won’t be surprising if the Prologue EV and other future models use the technology, however. A handful of rivals already use some form of Google built-in, including Volvo, its Polestar offshoot, GM’s brands and Renault. Ford will also use the platform starting in 2023.

Google has strong incentives to bring its apps to as many cars as possible — to an extent, it’s racing against time. Amazon Alexa is already available in some cars, and manufacturers are gaining more control over it thanks to Custom Assistant. Apple doesn’t (currently) have a standalone platform for cars, but its new generation of CarPlay can effectively take over your dash. If Google doesn’t win enough partners, it risks losing influence in the automotive world.

Not everyone is happy about expansions like these. Senator Elizabeth Warren has called on the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department to investigate Big Tech’s expansion to cars. She’s concerned Google and others might stifle competition by requiring service bundles and otherwise discouraging the use of third-party apps. Honda won’t be affected by this political pressure in the near term, but it may get more control over app selection if regulators decide to act.

Congress introduces bill to ban TikTok over spying fears

American politicians aren’t just restricting access to TikTok — they now hope to ban it outright. Members of the House and Senate have introduced matching bills that would block transactions from any social media company in or influenced by China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea or Venezuela. The ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act (Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party) is meant to shut down access to TikTok and other apps that could theoretically funnel American user data to oppressive governments, censor news or otherwise manipulate the public.

The rationale echoes what US political leaders have argued for years. While TikTok has taken efforts to distance its international operations from those in China, such as by storing US data domestically, critics have argued that parent company ByteDance is ultimately at the mercy of the Chinese government. TikTok could potentially profile government workers and otherwise surveil Americans, according to the often-repeated claims.

Republican bill co-sponsors Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mike Gallagher tried to draw links between some ByteDance leadership and the Chinese Communist Party in an opinion piece in The Washington Post this November. At the time, 23 directors had previously worked for state-backed media, and “at least” 15 employees still did. The bill is also sponsored by House Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi.

In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson said it was “troubling” that members of Congress were putting forward legislation to ban the app rather than waiting for a national security review to wind down. The bills will “do nothing to advance” national security, according to the company. The firm added that it would “continue to brief” Congress on plans developed under the watch of security officials. The social network has consistently denied plans to track American users or otherwise deliberately assist Chinese surveillance efforts in the country.

TikTok already faces some legal action. The states of Maryland and South Dakota have banned TikTok on government devices over security concerns. Indiana, meanwhile, sued TikTok for allegedly deceiving users about China’s data access and child safety violations. That lawsuit would fine TikTok and demand changes to the service’s info handling and marketing claims.

Whether or not the bills become legislation isn’t certain. President Biden revoked former President Trump’s orders to ban TikTok downloads, and instead required a fresh national security review. He’s not expected to override his own order. And while the bill sponsors characterize the measure as bipartisan, it’s not clear the call for a TikTok ban has enough support to clinch the necessary votes and reach Biden’s desk. To some degree, the ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act is more a signal of intent than a practical attempt to block TikTok.

Apple releases iOS 16.2 with always-on display changes and tighter security

Apple is finishing 2022 by releasing major software updates for its devices. The upgrades are headlined by iOS 16.2, which should be particularly useful for the security-conscious. The new version adds an Advanced Data Protection option that brings end-to-end encryption to more of your iCloud data, including device backups, Messages content, notes and photos. And like it or not, Apple is limiting AirDrop sharing — you’ll now have 10 minutes to swap files with “everyone” before the feature reverts to contacts-only. The restriction first arrived in China, allegedly in a bid to appease officials trying to stymie protests, but may be useful if you’re worried someone might push unwanted content to your device.

This is also a particularly important update if you’re an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max owner. You can now hide your wallpaper and notifications when the 14 Pro’s always-on display kicks in. Yes, that makes it behave more like some Android phones, but it could also reduce distractions (some say it still looks like the phone is awake with the wallpaper on) and bolster privacy. Live Activities are now available for MLB, NBA and Premier League games on all iPhones courtesy of the TV app, although you’ll need one of the 14 Pro models to see them on your home screen through the Dynamic Island.

Other improvements largely focus on new apps and expected revisions. The long-promised Freeform digital whiteboard app is finally here, offering a visual collaboration tool for brainstorming sessions and meetings. Apple Music’s karaoke mode is now available and the Weather app now includes a news section. If you use your iPhone to control a smart household, you’ll be glad to know that Apple has given the Home app with a new architecture that promises to be faster and more reliable. This may be helpful now that Matter devices are ready (Apple added Matter support in iOS 16.1).

The company has simultaneously released iPadOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1. Not surprisingly, these bring cross-platform feature additions like Advanced Data Protection, Freeform and the revised Home app. WatchOS 9.2, meanwhile, adds the Home update as a workout for cyclists and runners wanting to improve their performance on a previously-completed route. These updates won’t offer as many conspicuous changes as on the iPhone, but they should still be worthwhile if you’re immersed in Apple’s ecosystem.

Scientists achieve fusion ignition, a major milestone in clean energy production

Scientists have just crossed one of the most important thresholds in the quest for fusion energy. A team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has created the first known fusion reaction with a net energy gain — that is, it produced more energy than it consumed and resulted in ignition. The researchers achieved the feat on December 5th, when they used 192 lasers at the National Ignition Facility to blast a cylinder containing frozen hydrogen surrounded by diamond.

The reaction, which generated a flurry of X-rays, struck a fuel pellet of deuterium and tritium with 2.05 megajoules of energy. That, in turn, led to a wave of neutron particles and 3.15 megajoules of output. That gain was ‘only’ equivalent to about 1.5lbs of TNT, but that was enough to meet the criteria for fusion ignition.

The development has been a long time coming. The National Ignition Facility started work in 2009, but it wasn’t until 2014 that the installation’s laser-based fusion technology produced a meaningful volume of energy. Progress accelerated in the past year, however. Lawrence Livermore generated a much larger amount of energy in a test last August, producing an output equivalent to 70 percent of the energy needed to perform the reaction. An attempt in September generated 1.2 megajoules using the 2.05-megajoule blast.

The lab and the Energy Department are quick to caution that “many” advancements are still necessary before fusion reactors are practical enough to power homes. During a presentation, scientists said they needed to improve the number of reactions per minute, simplify the process and otherwise make it easily repeatable. The net energy gain also doesn’t include the entire system required to run the laser systems. And of course, the developers need to improve scaling — a reactor would have to power enough households to justify its existence.

The National Ignition Facility also isn’t intended as a generator research program. It’s using fusion to test and maintain the US nuclear arsenal. Other organizations and companies will need to cooperate on civilian uses.

The Energy Department is in the midst of rebooting a coordinated fusion power effort, however. During the event, officials also noted that a functional plant wasn’t as far off as you might think. While they didn’t commit to a timeframe, they said it was less than the 50 or 60 years they might have predicted in the past. You might see the first commercial fusion reactor in your lifetime, to put it another way.

The technology could be vital to limiting global warming and otherwise fighting climate change. While renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are more eco-friendly than coal, they don’t always meet demand and can require large amounts of land. Solar also isn’t as effective in regions where sunlight can be limited. Sufficiently powerful fusion reactors could achieve the dream of clean powerplants that have enough capacity to serve large populations without the radioactive waste of nuclear facilities.

Netflix is producing a live action ‘My Hero Academia’ movie

Netflix’s penchant for live-action manga remakes isn’t going away any time soon. The streaming service has revealed that it’s partnering with Legendary Entertainment on a live action My Hero Academia movie. Anime and manga adaptation veteran Shinsuke Sato (Alice in Borderland, Bleach) will both direct and executive produce, while Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s Joby Harold is writing the screenplay.

The manga and the anime it fostered both revolve around Deku, a boy who aches to join the UA High School and become a superhero despite missing the natural powers that most humans have by that point. Both the manga and the still-running anime offshoot have been successful, with the manga racking up over 65 million sales so far.

There’s no mention of casting or a release window for the Netflix project. Toho, which handles the anime, will distribute the movie to Japanese theatres. As IndieWireexplains, this comes four years after Legendary said a movie was in the works.

As with earlier adaptations, Netflix has multiple incentives to create a My Hero Academia title. It’s tapping into a large fanbase, sometimes for anime productions it already offers. This also gives it a way to reel in customers who would otherwise stick to anime-centric rivals like Crunchyroll, which recently lowered prices in some countries.

Whether or not it’ll be worth watching is another matter. Netflix doesn’t have the best track record for live action takes on manga and anime. The Cowboy Bebop series misunderstood its source material and generally struggled despite a top-tier cast and intriguing premise. There’s also the question of the format. A movie doesn’t allow as much room for story development as an episodic show, so My Hero Academia may have to rush through the narrative.

The first Matter smart home devices are here

It took a couple of months, but the first smart home devices to support the Matter standard are finally ready. As promised in November, Eve Systems is updating the Eve Energy plug and two sensors, the Eve Door & Window and Eve Motion, with Matter support. The free firmware lets the previously HomeKit-only hardware talk to any controller that supports the new technology, including Samsung’s SmartThings app as well as upcoming support through Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

As The Vergenotes, the update currently requires the not-yet-official iOS and iPadOS 16.2 upgrades that could arrive this week, and you’ll have to enlist in an early access program. You won’t need Apple products for much longer, though. Matter-capable products should arrive in the first quarter of 2023 alongside an Android version of Eve’s app. The entire roster of 14 Eve devices should support Matter “over time,” according to the company. You’ll only have simple functionality on other control platforms at first, but the Android app should expand support.

Matter is a bid to end the compatibility headaches that still plague the smart home world, where you may need certain apps or smart speakers to use your preferred gear. Ideally, you won’t have to worry about whether or not a bulb or thermostat will fit into your existing setup — so long as you see the Matter badging, it should work.

The catch, of course, is that more vendors will need to follow suit. While Matter-ready apps, hubs and network routers are coming relatively quickly, the end devices aren’t expected to arrive in force until 2023. Major smart home brands like Signify (Philips Hue) have already pledged support, though, so it’s more a question of time than desire.