Hasta La Gadget!

The iQOO 9 Pro BMW M Motorsport Edition is definitely an impressive phone, but a special rear design can only get you so far against top competitors.

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A group of paleontologists discovered a large, well-preserved pterosaur on a rocky beach off the coast of Scotland. Boasting roughly an 8-foot wingspan, the ancient reptile is the largest of its kind to be found from the Jurassic Period.

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The US Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with Tesla after the agency found that the automaker violated the Clean Air Act at its factory in Fremont, California. In particular, the EPA determined that Tesla violated the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Surface Coating of Automobiles and Light-Duty Trucks from October 2016 to September 2019.

Tesla, the EPA said, failed to develop and implement a work practice plan to minimize air pollutants emissions from the storage and mixing of materials used in vehicle coating. It also failed to correctly perform the monthly calculations needed to prove that its coating operations complied with the federal standards for hazardous air pollutants. Finally, Tesla apparently failed to keep required records of the calculations for its air pollutants emissions rate. “People living in communities that are near sources of hazardous air pollutants may face significant risks to their health and environment,” the agency wrote in its announcement. 

According to CNBC, the paint shop at Tesla’s factory in Fremont suffered several fires within that period. The news organizations talked to employees back in 2018 who claimed that the company pushed to hit production goals at the expense of fire and environmental considerations. (If you’ll recall, Tesla was struggling to hit Model 3 production goals at the time.) Those employees claimed that months before a fire in April that year, the shop’s sprinkler heads were clogged and were coated with at least an inch of thick paint. Exhaust systems that were supposed to carry clean air in and out of the building were allegedly coated with thick paint, as well. 

“Today’s enforcement action against Tesla reflects EPA’s continued commitment to ensure compliance with federal clean air laws,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said in a statement. Tesla will only have to $275,000 to settle its violations, however, which is a drop in the ocean for a company that reported a $5.5 billion in net income last year.

Apple’s latest anti-stalking features for AirTags announced earlier this month have started to appear in iOS, MacRumors has reported. The latest beta 4 version of iOS 15.4 now includes a warning shown to users when they first set up an AirTag. “Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime in many regions around the world,” it reads. “This item is designed to be detected by victims and to enable law enforcement to request identifying information about the owner.”

Apple noted earlier that it has already worked with law enforcement on multiple occasions to trace misused AirTags back to their original owners, so it’s not an idle threat. At the same time, it obviously wouldn’t necessarily stop any stalkers willing to use fake identities . 

Another issue has been an “unknown accessory detected” error message that has been confusing users. It’s actually caused by certain AirPods models, along with third party devices, but many folks thought it meant that someone had planted an AirTag tracker on them. The latest beta of iOS 15.4 will now make clear that you’re traveling with someone else’s AirPods, for instance, to reduce confusion. 

In addition, there’s no longer an option to toggle off “Item Safety Alerts.” Rather, the update now offers “Customize Find My Notifications” and “Customize Tracking Notifications” options. Some of these changes may or may not appear in the final version of iOS 15.4, due sometime next month. 

The update is part of a larger measure to improve AirTags safety and reduce stalking. Last year, Apple shortened the period of time when an AirTag can be separated from its owner without making noise from three days to between eight and 24 hours. That change was designed to reduce the time a potential victim can be tracked.

Later this year, Apple will update recent iPhone models to add a precision tracking feature that will allow individuals to more easily locate an unknown AirTag. It also plans to change unwanted tracking alerts to notify people earlier. Lastly, the AirTag sound is being tweaked to make it as loud as possible, with a backup iPhone visual alert.