Apple Said to Repair Faulty MacBook Pro With Keyboards Issues

Mac has formally recognized that there are issues with its "butterfly" mechanism incorporated with the keyboards  of the recent MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. The organization is currently offering a extended keyboard benefit program for PCs influenced by the issue, by means of  iMore. 

The service agreement covers substitution of at least one keys or the entire keyboard, contingent upon the degree of clients' issues, and it conceals qualified laptops to four years after the computer was purchased at retail. (Each MacBook and MacBook Pro model with the butterfly  switches seems to be included.) That's drastically longer than the restricted warranty the PCs send with or even Apple's extended AppleCare Plus. 

As per Apple's administration page, the program covers the accompanying issues: 

Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly
Letters or characters don't show up 
Key(s) feel "sticky" or don't react in a consistent way 

Grumblings from clients about Apple's ongoing workstation consoles have developed in the previous many months, with individuals saying that the keyboards have a tendency to fail totally while experiencing dust and the delicate plan makes them hard to repair. And keeping in mind that it's absolutely taken longer than most clients would presumably have preferred, it's great to see Apple is at last finding a way to take care of the issue.

SpaceX: USAF Awarded SpaceX The Contract To Send Air Force Classified Satellite To Space

SpaceX has won a $130 million contract to send a classified Air Force satellite to space on its monster Falcon Heavy rocket. The satellite, known as AFSPC-52, is scheduled to launch in 2020. SpaceX beat out the United Launch Alliance, the joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which was angling to use its own heavy-lift Delta 4 rocket to send the military satellite to space.

One of the goals of pitting companies against each other for contracts like these is to reduce costs for the government. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. John Thompson said in a statement released on Thursday that awarding the launch to Space X “fits the mission of delivering resilient and affordable space capabilities to our Nation while maintaining assured access to space.” The average price tag for Delta 4 launches is around $350 million, according to SpaceNews, and NASA’s heavy-lift rocket hasn’t been built yet.

By awarding the launch to SpaceX, the US Air Force is giving the company a vote of confidence in a rocket that has only launched once so far. The first Falcon Heavy lifted off back in February, and while the center rocket booster botched its landing at sea, everything else about the rocket performed up to expectations, according to SpaceX.

Since then, though, SpaceX has gone on to win multiple USAF (United States Air Force) contracts. And the USAF has stuck by SpaceX as a launch option despite two Falcon 9 failures on non-military missions, and the loss of the military’s Zuma satellite this past January.The willingness of the United States Air Force (USAF) to tap the new rocket so soon is a departure from the protracted process SpaceX went through to get its Falcon 9 rocket certified for military missions. SpaceX spent two years, at least $60 million, and filed a lawsuit against the USAF to gain military certification for the Falcon 9. (The lawsuit was dropped a few months before certification.)

“SpaceX is honored by the Air Force’s selection of Falcon Heavy to launch the competitively-awarded AFSPC-52 mission,” SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement. “I want to thank the Air Force for certifying Falcon Heavy, awarding us this critically important mission, and for their trust and confidence in our company. SpaceX is pleased to continue offering the American taxpayer the most cost-effective, reliable launch services for vital national security space missions.”

SpaceX still hasn’t set a solid date for the second launch of the Falcon Heavy. CEO Elon Musk said in February that it would take “three to six months,” though that may have slipped to October according to a recent report from Florida Today. That mission will send more than two dozen smaller satellites into space. A third launch is scheduled for around the end of the year.

The Falcon Heavy cost SpaceX $500 million to develop and build, Musk said in February. But even with the discount that SpaceX offers over competitors like the ULA, he still expects the giant rocket to make money as long as there are customers.

“The great thing about Falcon heavy is that it opens up a new class of payload,” he said. “It could launch one more than twice as much payload as any other rocket in the world, so it’s up to customers what they might want to launch. But it can launch things direct to Pluto and beyond. No stop needed.” 

Netflix:Chief Public Relation Executive Got Fired For Using N-Word

Netflix

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has fired his chief public relations executive, Jonathan Friedland, after his repeated use of the n-word, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Friedland, who’s been with the company for seven years, reportedly used the racial slur in a meeting with employees, leading some to report the incident to upper management. Then, in a follow-up meeting with Netflix’s human resources department regarding his use of the n-word, Friedland reportedly used the word again.

“The second incident confirmed a deep lack of understanding, and convinced me to let Jonathan go now,” reads an email Hastings sent to employees that was obtained by THR. “As I reflect on this, at this first incident, I should have done more to use it as a learning moment for everyone at Netflix about how painful and ugly that word is, and that it should not be used. I realize that my privilege has made me intellectualize or otherwise minimize race issues like this. I need to set a better example by learning and listening more so I can be the leader we need.”

We still don’t know the full context of Friedland’s initial use of the slur, though he says in a series of tweets that he was having a discussion he with his team “about words that offend in comedy.” Friedland’s tweets go on to say that he feels “awful about the distress this lapse caused to people at a company I love and where I want everyone to feel included and appreciated.” When contacted by The Verge, Netflix would not confirm Friedland’s use of the slur, and a spokesperson instead pointed to Friedland’s Twitter account for his full statement. THR has the  full Hastings email here.

Facebook Won't Be Showing Ads For Gun Accessories Again

Facebook will soon prevent minors from viewing ads for gun accessories such as holsters, or magazines. The move comes amidst renewed focus on gun violence in the United States following school shootings in Santa Fe, Texas, Parkland, Florida, and others.

According to a Facebook spokesperson, the company already bans ads for guns and modifications, but sellers can post ads for accessories such as gun-mounted flashlights, scopes, holsters, gun cases, gun paint, or slings. The company isn’t going to prohibit those ads, but it will require sellers to “restrict their audiences to at least 18 years of age or over.”

The company’s listed adverting policies don’t currently list the age restriction — that will change when the policy will take effect on June 21st.

Facebook updated Ad Policies

The change comes amidst a larger discussion about the role of firearms in the US, especially in the wake of a number of high-profile shootings. Limiting the ads to users who are likely out of high school feels as though it’s an incremental step, but one that could cut down on the visibility of the items and accessories that make guns seem cooler.