iOS for the (Expensive) Car

Apple’s in-car version of iOS, CarPlay, was officially launched today for Ferrari, Mercedes, & Volvo. Volvo showed a mock up of a dashboard with what looks like a full sized iPad in the middle, and minimal buttons. Thenextweb.com reports that you can use Siri to help you access contacts, make calls, and read you messages and let you dictate responses.

It’s not quite ‘sharks with fricken’ laser beams’ like Dr Evil of Austin Powers fame lusted for, but theverge.com says scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have mastered controlling a fly’s behavior with lasers. It sounds crazy, but they hope to use a similar technique to try to map the decision making processes of human brains.

Zynga had promised last year they would be reinventing the company. According to recode.net, they are starting to test new mobile versions of three of their biggest games: a new Words with Friends app, a freshened Zynga Poker, and a phone and tablet adaption of Farmville called Farmville 2: Country Escape. They will soft launch in the next few weeks.