AUTONOMOUS TECH IS COMING TO FARMING.WHAT WILL IT MEAN FOR CROPS AND WORKERS WHO HARVEST THEM?
AppleMagazine|November 01, 2024
As a mist of rain sprinkled the fields around him in Homestead, Florida, Ford bemoaned how expensive it had been running a fossil fuelpowered irrigation system on his five-acre farm — and how bad it was for the planet.
AUTONOMOUS TECH IS COMING TO FARMING.WHAT WILL IT MEAN FOR CROPS AND WORKERS WHO HARVEST THEM?

Earlier this month, Ford installed an automated underground system that uses a solar-powered pump to periodically saturate the roots of his crops, saving “thousands of gallons of water.” Although they may be more costly up front, he sees such climate-friendly investments as a necessary expense — and more affordable than expanding his workforce of two.

It’s “much more efficient,” said Ford. “We’ve tried to figure out ‘How do we do it?’ with the least amount of adding labor.”

A growing number of companies are bringing automation to agriculture. It could ease the sector’s deepening labor shortage, help farmers manage costs, and protect workers from extreme heat. Automation could also improve yields by bringing greater accuracy to planting, harvesting, and farm management, potentially mitigating some of the challenges of growing food in an ever-warmer world.

But many small farmers and producers across the country aren’t convinced. Barriers to adoption go beyond steep price tags to questions about whether the tools can do the jobs nearly as well as the workers they’d replace. Some of those same workers wonder what this trend might mean for them, and whether machines will lead to exploitation.

HOW AUTONOMOUS IS FARM AUTOMATION? NOT COMPLETELY – YET

On some farms, driverless tractors churn through acres of corn, soybeans, lettuce and more. Such equipment is expensive, and requires mastering new tools, but row crops are fairly easy to automate. Harvesting small, non-uniform and easily damaged fruits like blackberries, or big citruses that take a bit of strength and dexterity to pull off a tree, would be much harder.

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AUSTRALIAN STATES BACK NATIONAL PLAN TO BAN CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 16 FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
AppleMagazine

AUSTRALIAN STATES BACK NATIONAL PLAN TO BAN CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 16 FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

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3 minutos  |
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AppleMagazine

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2 minutos  |
November 15, 2024
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AppleMagazine

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It’s no surprise that students are pushing back on cellphone bans in classrooms. But school administrators in one South Florida county working to pull students’ eyes away from their screens are facing some resistance from another group as well – parents.

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2 minutos  |
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AppleMagazine

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The nation’s largest owner of regional sports networks will offer single-game pricing for NBA and NHL games beginning next month.

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1 min  |
November 15, 2024
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AppleMagazine

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For the late James Bond producer Albert “Cuddy” Broccoli, receiving the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award was a true high point in his career.

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4 minutos  |
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'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE' TO TRUMP: 'WE'VE BEEN WITH YOU ALL ALONG'
AppleMagazine

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The first “Saturday Night Live” since Donald Trump’s election victory began with the most somber of tones as a group of plainly dressed cast members, primarily women and minorities, described their new reality.

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US AGENCY SAYS TESLA'S PUBLIC STATEMENTS IMPLY THAT ITS VEHICLES CAN DRIVE THEMSELVES. THEY CAN'T
AppleMagazine

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The U.S. government’s highway safety agency says Tesla is telling drivers in public statements that its vehicles can drive themselves, conflicting with owners manuals and briefings with the agency saying the electric vehicles need human supervision.

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3 minutos  |
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AppleMagazine

WAYMO'S ROBOTAXIS NOW OPEN TO ANYONE WHO WANTS A DRIVERLESS RIDE IN LOS ANGELES

Waymo this week opened its robotaxi service to anyone who wants a ride around Los Angeles, marking another milestone in the evolution of self-driving car technology since the company began as a secret project at Google 15 years ago.

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2 minutos  |
November 15, 2024
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AppleMagazine

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As money continues to pour into crypto following Donald Trump’s victory last week, bitcoin has climbed to yet another record high.

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AppleMagazine

AMAZON LAUNCHES AN ONLINE DISCOUNT STOREFRONT TO BETTER COMPETE WITH SHEIN AND TEMU

Amazon has launched a low-cost online storefront featuring electronics, apparel and other products priced at under $20, an effort to compete with discount retailers that have increasingly encroached on the e-commerce giant’s turf.

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2 minutos  |
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