Looks like that leak was right , after all. Microsoft announced today at IFA that the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will officially launch on October 17th. It’s the fourth major addition to the OS, and it follows the Creators Update from earlier this year. The biggest change? It’ll give us our first taste of Windows Mixed Reality, the company’s VR platform that’s powered by inexpensive headsets from the likes of Dell, HP , Lenovo and ASUS . And if you don’t have a headset, you’ll also be able to check out some experiences in 2D with the Mixed Reality Viewer. According to executive vice president of Windows and devices Terry Myerson, the Fall Creators Update will also support eye-tracking, which makes it easier for those who can’t use their limbs to navigate the OS. This is particularly useful for those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, Myerson said at an IFA keynote today. Unfortunately, the Timeline feature Microsoft showed off at Build won’t be ready in time for the Fall Creators Update . Similar to Apple’s Handoff, it lets you continue your work across a wide variety of devices. Notably, that doesn’t just mean Windows 10 computers — it’ll also bring over some of what you’re doing to iOS and Android, as well. The update will also mark the debut of the new Windows Fluent Design System, which aims to upgrade the look and feel of the OS and apps. It won’t be a huge visual change, but it should be the start of a slightly slicker-looking Windows. Follow all the latest news from IFA 2017 here! Cherlynn Low contributed reporting.
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Windows 10 Fall Creators Update lands October 17th, Microsoft confirms
In addition to relaunching the world’s fastest bullet train, China is working on developing technology similar to Elon Musk’s Hyperloop, which will allow passengers to travel at speeds up to 4, 000 km/h (~2, 500 mph). The first stage of the company’s plan, however, will be to create a network of these “flying trains” operating at 1, 000 km/h (~600 mph). Shanghaiist reports: Earlier today, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), one of the nation’s major space contractors, announced that it had begun research and development into a new, futuristic type of transport which would operate via supersonic “near ground flight.” The system would presumably be similar to that of the Hyperloop, proposed earlier this decade by Elon Musk, in which capsules would fly at ultrafast speeds down reduced-pressure tubes, dramatically reducing travel times. Of course, the CASIC isn’t looking to reach speeds of 4, 000 km/h right away. The first stage of the company’s plan will be to create an intercity network of these “flying trains” operating at 1, 000 km/h. In the second phase, this network would be extended and the max speed of the pods increased to 2, 000 km/h. Finally, in the third stage, the speed would be boosted all the way up to 4, 000 km/h — five times the speed of civil aviation aircraft today. Read more of this story at Slashdot. 
Cummins has beat Tesla to the punch by unveiling its own electric semi truck. According to Forbes, the fully electric, class 7 day-cab urban hauler, called Aeos, gets 100 miles of range from its 140-kWh battery pack and can haul a 22-ton trailer. While the company does offer the options of additional battery packs to triple the range or a range-extending engine generator, the Aeos is better suited for city use rather than long-haul trucking. Autoblog reports: While this electric truck is a concept, it’s a working demonstration of a product Cummins plans to start producing in 2019. At the unveiling in Columbus, Ind., Cummins also revealed its latest near-zero-emissions natural gas engines, as well as the X15 and lightweight X12 clean diesel engines. The company said it is embracing new technologies that allow its customers to contribute to a sustainable future. Read more of this story at Slashdot. 
In America the Internal Revenue Service used to pick who got audited based on math mistakes or discrepancies with W-2 forms — but not any more. schwit1 shares an article from the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law describing their new technique: The IRS is now engaging in data mining of public and commercial data pools (including social media) and creating highly detailed profiles of taxpayers upon which to run data analytics. This article argues that current IRS practices, mostly unknown to the general public, are violating fair information practices. This lack of transparency and accountability not only violates federal law regarding the government’s data collection activities and use of predictive algorithms, but may also result in discrimination. While the potential efficiencies that big data analytics provides may appear to be a panacea for the IRS’s budget woes, unchecked these activities are a significant threat to privacy [PDF]. Other concerns regarding the IRS’s entrée into big data are raised including the potential for political targeting, data breaches, and the misuse of such information. While tax evasion cost the U.S.$3 trillion between 2000 and 2009, one of the report’s authors argues that people should be aware âoethat what they say and do onlineâ could be used against them. Read more of this story at Slashdot.