Gadgetory

Apple has new location-tracking powers I'm Bridget Carey this is your CNET update Apple is mapping out a path to give you better directions Apple has purchased the company coherent navigation which created an extra precise version of GPS it tracks location by combining normal GPS with low-orbit communication satellites that means it knows where you are within inches rather than feet like most services Apple has bought several mapping startups to help boost its own map app it faced criticism over early bugs and a lack of some features since it launched three years ago Apple Maps still do not include transit directions but that could change this year a while ago Apple did buy a company focused on tracking public transportation ultra specific mapping directions can be helpful when you're using the Apple watch on your wrist to get notifications of when to turn but you know what else this tech could be good for sending you location specific advertisements when you were in front of a store entrance hey you never know in other news a cybersecurity researcher is raising serious questions on the safety of passenger airplanes after seeing he was able to take control of a plane from the entertainment system at his seat according to an FBI affidavit the security researcher Chris Roberts is said to have told the FBI that he has been able to hack the in-flight entertainment system on numerous planes through the boxes under the seats and that one time he was able to send a command from his seat to cause the plane to change course briefly reports say Roberts went to the FBI several months ago to warn them about vulnerabilities he discovered but Roberts told Wired that the statement highlighted in the FBI report was incorrectly summarized and taken out of context Roberts has not been charged with any crime he's not in custody on Twitter he said his goal was to help improve airline security and that he's been advised to not say much several reports are citing law enforcement officials discrediting the claims saying it's not possible to hack into a plane steering controls from a passenger seat which leaves other experts questioning what exactly was he able to control or was something in the FBI's report an exaggeration based on a simulation so while we try not to have flight hacking nightmares the Wall Street Journal reports Google is planning to put buy buttons on its search results the journal sources say the changes may arrive in the coming weeks under the heading shop on Google you'll see it inside those sponsored ads and it will show up when you're searching from a phone or a tablet Google isn't shipping the items rather it seems this just handling the whole checkout experience it's another example of Google keeping up with Amazon as an online marketplace that's your tech news update you can head over to cnet.com for more from our studios in New York I'm Bridget Carey