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Latest by Bruce Brown

uber rider driver ratings

Federal judge’s ruling in sexual harassment cases deals setback to Uber

A federal judge ruled in two California cases that, even though Uber drivers are independent contractors, the company may still be liable in criminal cases.
4G/5G cellular tower against blue sky.

Local law enforcement agencies get cell site trackers from FBI

The FBI distributes cell site simulators to select local law enforcement agencies but it's supposed to be kept secret. Feds need warrants, locals do not.
modern office function relaxation amsterdam workspace 5

Modern office design combines function and relaxation with adaptable spaces

A newly redesigned Amsterdam real estate office mixes functional and relaxation spaces. Employees can choose from secluded workstations and public areas.
Tesla Model 3

Tesla CEO says don't delay, order now for Tesla Model 3 by 2018

Demand remains high and orders continue to add up for the Tesla Model 3. To ensure delivery by the end of 2018, CEO Elon Musk says order now.
top tech stories 3 13 2016 2015 google io roundup

Why are the major tech and car companies looking for land around San Francisco?

Major car manufacturers, as well as Google and Apple, are looking for northern California real estate. Driverless car development in the area is the reason.
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Uber offers ride discounts for merchant buys

Uber launched a Mother's Day discount program. If you order from ProFlowers during an Uber ride, you'll get a discount up to $20 on your next Uber ride.
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Hey, taxi! Lamborghini Huracan will get you there fast, but the fare is steep

A private-hire car license has been issued to the owner of a Lamborghini Huracan in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. A 90 minute ride costs $505.
mustang 1965 2015 museum interior

Ford shows off 50 years of innovation in a combined 1965/2015 Mustang

Ford recently joined parts of two Mustangs representing 50 years of innovation. The combination 1965/2015 Mustang is on display at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum.
Car Airbags Deployed

Check your car; the NHTSA has more than doubled the Takata airbag recall

The largest recall ever has now been more than doubled as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now recalling a total of 65-70 million airbags.
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Playing smartphone game can have impact on dementia research

Playing Sea Hero Quest can help dementia research. University College London researchers say 100,000 people playing for two minutes could yield the equivalent of 50 years of data.
GE Stainless Steel Countertop Microwave Oven

Have your lights flash when the laundry’s done with GE’s IFTTT channels

GE Appliances today became the first home appliance manufacturer to have a full suite of IFTTT channels for smart home appliances.
ubermoto bangkok uber hit with  7 million fine in california regulators threaten to suspend service

So is Uber going to replace surge pricing or not?

An Uber engineer says the company working to remove high demand time surge pricing now. Uber states surge pricing to stay till driverless cars in use.
texting while driving

People who send text messages to drivers may be liable in case of accident

In a lawsuit in Pennsylvania, two men who texted a woman driving a truck may be liable in civil court. She hit and killed motorcycle rider while texting.
volvo-self-driving-person

Canadians already know about car sex and predict even more with driverless cars

With safety in the forefront, Canadian officials are concerned that distracting car sex will be even more frequent when driverless cars are on the road.
Self Driving Car

Two wins expected from driverless cars, fewer accidents and lower insurance bills

The promise of driverless cars is focused on safety, with fewer accidents, injuries, and fatalities. A report predicts lower car insurance bills, too.
laser ferry shooter fined 100k

US Coast Guard fines Washington man $100,000 for shining a powerful laser at a ferry

A Washington state man who aimed an industrial blue laser at a ferry pilot house was fined $100,000. Felony charges are pending for this repeat offender.
An airplane coming into land.

You thought your Wi-Fi was bad? Threatening hot spot delays flight for two hours

A Quantas flight from Melbourne to Perth was delayed for two hours when a passenger discovered a Wi-Fi mobile hotspot called "Mobile Detonation Device".
top tech stories of the week 7 24 2015 massive 1 4 million car recall over hacking

Hack into a car in Michigan, spend the rest of your life in prison

Car hacking bills submitted to the Michigan legislature make it a crime to hack car systems. Convictions can mean a life sentence in prison.
2016 fastest supercomputers china leads with top two cray supercomputer

Google’s search finds a future where devices don’t matter: It’s all AI

In Google CEO Sundar Pichai's annual shareholder letter he described a future in which AI and machine learning matter more than devices.
supreme court rule expands computer related search warrants fbi building 02

Can you say ‘rubber stamp?’ FBI and NSA requests never denied by secret court

The U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court receives surveillance requests on foreign suspects. In 2014 and 2015 all requests were granted.
future touchscreens projected thin air tablet touchscreen

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, hail me an Uber!

A San Francisco engineer posted a YouTube video demoing a touchscreen mirror he says he built. The video has over 800,000 views and Reddit is flaming.
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Uber proposes settlement for guide dog lawsuit

In an attempt to settle a two-year-old class action lawsuit about service dogs for blind people, Uber has offered a settlement including guidance to drivers.
Car Airbags Deployed

Gotta give credit for sticking to it, fourth Nissan recall for same issue

More than 3.5 million Nissan vehicles are being recalled after injuries from passenger airbags. The problem is detecting what's in the seat.
nvidia gpu driverless car project 100658383 primary idge 900x599

School’s in session — Nvidia’s driverless system learns by watching

After spending 72 hours watching human drivers, Nvidia's GPU-based computers were able to construct a road-worthy driverless car system.
we want the airwaves 686718 m

Remember radio? Pirates sure do

It's easy and inexpensive to start a pirate radio station, which has licensed broadcasters and lawmakers concerned. FCC enforcement is hampered by budgets.
ge att internet of things barcelona city spain

The European Commission's 'single digital market' would mean a free flow of data

In its plans for a "single digital market," the European Commission calls for a 50 billion euro investment. Great economic potential, but issues remain.
woman in back seat of car

Uber riders: don’t be late, or it will cost you

In apparent appeasement to Uber drivers, the ride-hailing service is testing shorter request cancellation periods and new wait time charges.
Volkswagen electric concept

VW focuses on electric cars while still struggling with dieselgate

Struggling to fix the diesel engine emission problems, VW has announced a goal of 20 new electric cars by 2020 in its VW, Audi, and Porsche brands.
Electrolux Fridge

A Swedish grocery chain wants your smart lock key so it can deliver groceries to your fridge

Three Swedish firms are piloting grocery delivery all the way to the refrigerator. All it takes is a smart lock, a grocery store, and a delivery service.
2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Mitsubishi woes keep mounting as fuel mileage cheating news cuts sales in half

Mitsubishi Motors' survival as a company is in question after car sales in Japan drop 50 percent. Its mileage cheating scandal may be one too many.
Volvo Drive Me self-driving car program

Self-driving car and ride-hailing companies form alliance to advise the NHSTA and help cities

In a joined effort to advise on the rules and regulations that will govern self-driving cars, Ford, Google, Volvo, Uber, and Lyft have formed a coalition.
2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 S

Germany announces $1.1 billion in subsidies for electric cars

Joining forces with other countries with rebates for electric car purchases, Germany has announced a 1.1 billion euro subsidy plan for new electric cars.
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Dubai sets a high goal for driverless cars

In an ambitious plan to switch to driverless cars, Dubai has set a goal of 25 percent driverless car rides by 2030. The plan will include taxis and buses.
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Tired of trolls and slander, former Reddit exec launches Imzy, a positivity community

Former Reddit exec launches Imzy.com, a community that emphasizes finding what you want and positivity. Funded by tips to users and the site, no ads allowed.