Lovers of small iPhones might be rewarded with rumored next-gen SE 2

But will any iPhone X features make it into the new entry-level handset?

New regulatory filings may hint at new iPhone models coming earlier than this September. According to a MacRumors report, the French website Consomac first reported new Russian-language regulatory filings in the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) database that indicate 11 new iPhone models all running iOS 11.

The model numbers in the filing are all different from existing iPhone model numbers, which means all 11 models would be totally new iPhones. The EEC has a decent track record in revealing new Apple device model numbers: in February, the EEC detailed two new iPad model numbers, and those ended up being the identifiers of the two new 9.7-inch iPads that debuted in March. The EEC also had the model numbers of the new MacBook models revealed at WWDC 2017 one month before they were announced.

So which iPhones correspond with these new model numbers? Probably not any new variations of the iPhone X—while it’s safe to say that Apple will debut new iPhone X-like models in September, that’s unlikely to come before then (much less around WWDC time). Apple is reportedly planning three new iPhones for a fall announcement, including 5.8- and 6.5-inch OLED models and one more affordable LCD model. These will all likely have the same stand-out features as the current iPhone X, including an edge-to-edge display, FaceID, ARKit capabilities, and wireless charging.

With the possibility of new flagships out of the way, the EEC model numbers may correspond to new iPhone SE devices. Apple’s entry-level smartphone hasn’t been thoroughly updated since March 2016, so it’s due for some attention. Some speculate that the rumored iPhone SE 2 could have a glass back to allow wireless charging capabilities, as well as 4-inch size, A10 Fusion chips, and a slightly larger battery.

However, the iPhone SE 2 likely won’t get all the bells and whistles of the iPhone X. There are rumors that Apple is trying to lower the production costs and complexities associated with its new flagship, so features like FaceID that require expensive parts and laborious construction probably won’t make it into the iPhone SE 2.

While that will bum some users out, it makes sense for Apple. The company’s entry-level iPhone won’t be considered “entry-level” any more if it even comes close to the iPhone X’s $999 price tag. That means eschewing some of the most innovative features that make the flagship handset so different from all other iPhones that Apple has debuted.

iPhone SE 2 rumors have been volatile since the beginning, and it’s possible that Apple won’t release an updated version at all. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in the past few months that Apple may not change the iPhone SE much, going so far as to say that even a model with wireless charging is unlikely. Apple may not have the time or resources to devote to significantly updating the iPhone SE as it prepares for three major new handsets to debut this fall.

There’s no indication of when Apple might announce the rumored new iPhone SE models (if at all), but the company may reveal them during WWDC. iPhones don’t usually make appearances at the June event, but it’s not unheard of (the iPhone 4 was announced at WWDC in 2010). We anticipate Apple announcing iOS 12 at WWDC and possibly a more affordable MacBook that would replace the MacBook Air, which hasn’t been updated in years.

Tesla Autopilot starts collecting videos from Model 3’s cameras in push for self-driving data

Automakers are currently in a race to bring self-driving vehicles to market and data is expected to be a big part of what will eventually enable a fully self-driving system that is safer than humans.

While many companies developing the technology are limited to test fleets to collect data, Tesla has the advantage of having a large fleet of vehicles equipped with many sensors in the hands of customers traveling around the world every day.

Now, their fleet is getting much bigger with the Model 3 and Tesla started opening the floodgates of data gathering by adding the vehicle to its Autopilot data collection program.

At this point, Tesla has hundreds of thousands of vehicles with Autopilot sensors on the road.

In May of last year, Tesla started collecting video clips from Model S and Model X vehicles equipped with the Autopilot 2.0 hardware suite.

A month later, Tesla really started picking up the data gathering effort and owners started to see their cars uploading gigabytes worth of data to the automaker.

And now a year later, it’s time for the Model 3 to feed the data gathering effort. Tesla warned owners after the latest update that they are also now using the Autopilot cameras of the Model 3 – though owners can opt out of the program.

Here’s Tesla’s request for data collection in the Model 3:

We are working hard to improve autonomous safety features and make self-driving a reality for you as soon as possible.

In order to do so, we need to collect short video clips using the car’s external cameras to learn how to recognize things like lane lines, street signs, and traffic light positions. The more fleet learning of road conditions we are able to do, the better your Tesla’s self-driving ability will become.

We want to be super clear that these short video clips are not linked to your vehicle identification number. In order to protect your privacy, we have ensured that there is no way to search our system for clips that are associated with a specific car.

Do you agree to allow us to collect these clips? You can change your mind later at any time.

Yes/No

In order for these features to work, Tesla measures the road segment data of all participating vehicles but in a way that does not identify you or your car, and may share that with partners that contribute similar data to help us provide the service. At no point is any personally identifiable information collected or shared during this process.

Do you agree to allow us to collect this data? You can change your mind later at any time.

Yes/NO

Interestingly, we have an idea of the kind of data that Tesla is gathering from its vehicles after an owner managed to access the Autopilot debug mode last year.

HERE’S WHAT TESLA’S AUTOPILOT 2.0 CAN SEE WITH ITS 8 CAMERAS

It sporadically and seemingly at random (though that’s not clear) sends out snapshots from 7 of the 8 cameras (10 pictures at 1fps from each camera) and 10 seconds of images at 30fps from the main and narrow front-facing cameras – coupled with a radar snapshot.

Apple May Be Making a Bunch of Cheap New iPhones

Big news for lovers of the iPhone SE, a franken-gadget made of old Apple parts and billed as a more affordable iOS device: It appears that the budget iPhone lineup is finally going to get its first refresh two years after the original model hit the market. The announcement could come as early as WWDC in June. In fact, Apple might be announcing several new iPhones.

The news of the new iPhones comes out of a Russian-language regulatory filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). As first reported by the French website Consomac, Apple has registered 11 new iPhones that will run iOS 11: A1920, A1921, A1984, A2097, A2098, A2099, A2101, A2103, A2104, A2105 and A2106. It’s unclear if these model numbers correspond to unique models or simply different sizes and carriers for the same model. One could easily assume that the difference in the A19** models and the A20** models is the difference between some sort of new iPhone SE and a completely new iPhone SE Plus. However, it’s also quite possible that Apple will reveal the rumored full-screen iPhone lineup based on the iPhone X form factor. Analysts expect Apple to sell a 6.5-inch “iPhone X Plus” and a cheaper 6.1-inch iPhone X (SE?) alongside the current 5.8-inch OLED iPhone X. But again, this is just conjecture at this point.

What does seem clear, however, is the likelihood of Apple announcing new iPhones in the near future. A similar story about two new iPad model numbers registered with the EEC occurred in February, and then last month, Apple rolled out two new cheap 9.7-inch iPads (one with cellular connectivity and one with only wifi) at its big education event in Chicago. Another EEC filing last year predicted new MacBook models before Apple announced them at WWDC 2017.

So it seems like Apple is about to have an iPhone surprise party. This could mean an update to the iPhone SE or it could mean the arrival of a whole new class of notch-sporting devices that you might be able to buy for less than $1,000. If it happens at WWDC, this would be the first time Apple has made an iPhone announcement in June since the iPhone 4 in 2010, although that announcement was spoiled pretty hard. We’ll have to wait and see, but if a cheaper iPhone really is imminent, that’s great news. We love it when Apple makes affordable products.

New surgical microscope installed

More research suggests sleep deprivation linked to childhood obesity

Teens who start school later benefit from more sleep according to a new study. (martinedoucet / Istock.com)

A new large-scale review adds to the growing body of evidence that children and teenagers who fail to get the recommended amount of sleep for their age have a higher risk of developing obesity.

Carried out by researchers at the University of Warwick, U.K., the study reviewed the results of 42 population studies which included a total of 75,499 infants, children, and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years old.

The participants’ average sleep duration had been assessed using a variety of methods, from questionnaires to wearable technology.

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The researchers split the participants into two groups — short sleepers and regular sleepers — and followed them for a median period of three years. Short sleepers were defined as those who got less sleep than the National Sleep Foundation recommended for their age.

These guidelines recommend that:

• infants (4 to 11 months) get between 12-15 hours of nightly sleep
• toddlers (1-2 years) get 11-14 hours of sleep
• children in pre-school (3-5 years) get 10-13 hours
• school aged children (6-13 years) get between 9 and 11 hours
• teenagers (14-17 years) should get 8-10 hours.

The researchers found that short sleepers at all ages gained more weight than regular sleepers and overall were 58% more likely to become overweight or obese.

“The results showed a consistent relationship across all ages indicating that the increased risk is present in both younger and older children,” commented co-authors Dr. Michelle Miller, adding that, “The study also reinforces the concept that sleep deprivation is an important risk factor for obesity, detectable very early on in life.”

“Being overweight can lead to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes which is also on the increase in children.”

Co-author Professor Francesco Cappuccio noted, “By appraising world literature we were able to demonstrate that, despite some variation between studies, there is a strikingly consistent overall prospective association between short sleep and obesity. This study builds on our previous analysis of cross-sectional data published in 2008. The importance of the latest approach is that only prospective longitudinal studies were included, demonstrating that short sleep precedes the development of obesity in later years, strongly suggesting causality.”

The results can be found published online in the journal Sleep.