Apple's Safari Technology Preview released for developers to test and tweak new functions

Apple announced the Safari Technology Preview for developers is available today which focuses on new functionalities to the Safari browser. Available today, Safari Technology Preview brings the latest layout technologies, visual effects, and developer tools that provide input on how they are implemented and deliver an even better user experience across Apple devices.

Apple says Safari beats Chrome and Firefox in benchmarks, performing 1.15x faster in Jetstream, 2.2x faster in Speedometer and 6.0x faster in JSBench. Safari can browse the web up to two hours longer than Chrome and Firefox, it can also watch Netflix videos up to four hours longer.

In Safari Technology Preview developers can get the latest web technologies, including HTML, JavaScript and CSS and WebKit. They can get access to the latest versions of Web Inspector and Responsive Design Mode to modify, debug, and optimize their websites. Apple is making this available so devs can integrate into their websites for improved compatibility. A Bug Reporter is also available to send feedback directly to Apple about issues and enhancement requests. 

Takata's airbag recall cost could reach $24 Billion

Takata is the provider of airbags for various carmakers and is facing a massive recall of its airbag inflators which have proven defective on various vehicles. The cumulative recall of the inflators is expected to cost the company $24 billion. 

A source told Bloomberg that the comprehensive callback of Takata's airbag inflators would cost about 2.7 trillion yen ($24 billion) and involve the recall of 287.5 million airbag inflators. Takata and the automakers still have to determine how the costs are shared, the person said. Takata has declined to comment as of this time.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Takata airbag inflators have caused nine fatalities in the U.S. by rupturing and spraying plastic and metal shards at motorists. The regulator is investigating all Takata inflators that use a chemical propellant that's been banned from future modelsand gives the company until as long as the end of 2019 to determine the root cause of the flaw or prove the inflators are safe.

Source: Autonews

Twitter adds image descriptions to mobile apps

Helping out the more visually impaired, Twitter is introducing image descriptions—also known as alternative text or alt text—into its Android and iOS apps. The social network wants their content to be as accessible to as wide an audience as possible. To enable the feature, head over to the accessibility settings of Twitter app and switch the slider to on for the “compose image descriptions” option. So, the next time you compose a tweet with an image, there’ll be an add description button. The descriptions can be up to 420 characters. For those who are visually impaired, you’ll see these descriptions via the assistive technology on your devices.

Source: Twitter

Samsung brings the Gear VR to a new rollercoaster ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Samsung and Six Flags Magic Mountain bring thrill seekers into an entirely different world with the new ride. The tech giant is bringing the Gear VR to the new rollercoaster ride called “The New Revolution Virtual Reality Coaster.” Riders have to wear the Gear VRs while on the rollercoaster while a virtual reality video is shown onscreen. The ride’s speed is 55mph and has the first giant loop in the world that is 45 feet in diameter and 90 feet high. Located at Six Flags Plaza, it has 3,457 feet of twisted steel track you’ll be “racing” in while “saving the planet.”

During the soft launch, Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Season Pass Holders got to see a VR video of a futuristic battlefield in a planet threatened by an alien invasion. Another one of the videos you’ll watch while on the ride is being a co-pilot of a fighter jet that takes off from the edge of a building. Your aircraft will fly through the city and go up, down, and twist along the track. The ride will be officially open to the public on April 21^st.

Source: Samsung | Via: Android Community