The Muni Metro Automatic Train Control System (ATCS) is set to get an upgrade to its operations that will put it approximately five generations ahead of its current system, which now runs on 5.25-inch floppy disks, the San Fransisco Chronicle reports.
The publication detailed that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) board recently approved a $212 million contract in mid-October to move the updates forward – as part of its overall $700 million investment in upgrading the SFMTA. The contract entails that Hitachi Rail will transition the ATCS from its current 5.25-inch floppy disk system to one that uses Wi-Fi and cell signals to track exact train locations. The deal is still subject to final approval by the SFMTA Board of Supervisors.
The current ATCS floppy disk system has been in use since 1998 and utilizes a mix of automatic mode functioning when the trains are running in the subway and manual operations when they are moving above ground, a SFMTA spokesperson told Ars Technica.
The SFMTA has had plans to transition to a Muni Metro control system without floppy disks since 2018, with an aim of having the project completed in 2028. However, shutdowns during the pandemic delayed those plans.
Further prompting a need for updates, the software on the floppy disks is also now officially out of date, as it was expected to last for 20 to 25 years, Muni officials told the San Fransisco Chronicle.
As part of the agreement, Hitachi Rail has offered 20 years of support in addition to installing the new communications-based train control system. Still aiming for a 2027 to 2028 timeline for this arm of the plan to be completed, the SFMTA is looking at a 2033 to 2034 completion date for the entire $700 million project.
While it may seem like floppy disk may be long obsolete, there are a handful of industries and organizations that have kept them going strong. In addition to the Muni Metro, the aviation industry and some Boeing 747-400 planes use floppy disks to update navigation systems. The dancing figures at Chuck E. Cheese’s run on floppy disks. Some medical machines such as CT scans and ultrasound machines also use floppy disks. The owner of Floppydisk.com, who sells floppy disks and other legacy technology types, told The Register in 2022 he estimated his company had about four years left.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.