Electric cars are about to become a bit noisier in the EU
A new EU safety law means that from today, new electric car models must come fitted with a noise generator to alert cyclists, pedestrians, and the visually impaired to their presence. Car models now in production won’t need to fall in line until 2021. A similar law will go into force in the U.S. in 2020.
U.S. Army takes its pocket-sized reconnaissance drone to Afghanistan
The Black Hornet drone from Oregon-based FLIR Systems is a pocket-sized flying machine with advanced features designed to assist soldiers' reconnaissance missions. Having already undergone extensive testing, the twin-rotor, camera-equipped device is about to make its debut in Afghanistan.
NASA’s restored Mission Control lets you relive the historic 1969 moon landing
After two years of painstaking work, the Johnson Space Center has finished work restoring its Apollo Mission Control Center to precisely how it looked when Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon in 1969. Even better, it opens to the general public from July 1, 2019.
VW’s new carsharing service aims to be a little different from the rest
Volkswagen has entered the carsharing market with the launch of its WeShare service in Berlin, Germany. Hoping to appeal to environmentally minded folks, it's the first such service to offer a fleet made up entirely of electric vehicles. WeShare will expand to other European countries in 2020, and possibly beyond.
NASA’s eight-rotor Dragonfly drone is heading to Saturn’s largest moon
NASA is sending a drone to Titan, Saturn's largest moon, in an ambitious mission that could unlock the mystery of how life began on Earth. Launching in 2026, the dual-quadcopter will reach Titan eight years later, whereupon it’ll spend several years gathering data from locations of interest.
If Amazon crashes again on Prime Day, eBay has your back
Remember how Amazon's site crashed at the start of Prime Day last year? Well, eBay says it'll add a slew of extra bargains to its own sale if another outage occurs on this year’s Prime Day. Even if Amazon’s site runs smoothly on July 15, visitors to eBay can still find plenty of deals on the site throughout July.
A big rig just hit 55 mph on a Florida highway without anyone in the cab
A big rig recently motored along the Florida Turnpike at 55 mph without anyone behind the wheel. Fortunately, it was supposed to be that way, as the vehicle was part of a carefully controlled test drive involving a remote driver and autonomous technology created by high-tech trucking company Starsky Robotics.
Flying taxis: Kitty Hawk and Boeing team up on urban mobility
The day when we can hop into a compact, electric, autonomous flying machine to zip across town edged a little closer this week when Boeing announced a new partnership with Kitty Hawk, a California-based startup backed by Google co-founder Larry Page that's been working on such an aircraft.
SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy but loses core booster in crash landing
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy blazed through the Florida sky early Tuesday local time as the world’s largest operational rocket embarked on its third and most challenging mission to date. The two side rockets landed back at Cape Canaveral after liftoff, but the core booster missed the drone ship and crashed into the sea.
U.S. firm plans to power soccer stadiums using aging Nissan Leaf batteries
We've heard of aging EV batteries being repurposed to power homes, street lamps, and other facilities, but how about an entire sports stadium? An American firm is already doing just that, and now has plans to expand its system to multiple soccer venues across Europe using old EV batteries from Nissan’s Leaf vehicle.
Airbus-backed Voom could take on Uber’s on-demand flying taxi service
Airbus-backed Voom says it's planning to take its on-demand helicopter taxi to more U.S. cities this fall. Currently operating in San Francisco and two cities in Latin America, Voom goes with the tagline: "Book in seconds, fly in minutes." Uber is about to launch a similar service between NY City and JFK airport.
The guy who invented USB finally admits it’s annoying to plug in
Why is it that despite flipping around a USB plug, it still doesn’t want to slot in? The man behind the team that created USB has finally acknowledged that the design has caused plenty of frustration over the years. But he insists there was a good reason for building it in the way that he did.
Walmart using A.I.-powered cameras to spot dodgy shoppers at self-checkouts
Walmart is using computer vision technology at some of its stores in an effort to spot sneaky behavior at its self-checkout counters. The A.I.-powered cameras automatically identify any dodgy activity before alerting staff, who can then intervene to confirm the situation.
Nissan’s high-tech ice cream truck removes the fumes from your order
Nissan has given the traditional ice cream truck a modern makeover to create a cleaner, greener, high-tech alternative. The prototype design gives a new lease of life to aging electric-vehicle batteries by using them to power the truck’s equipment, including the serving machine, freezer drawer, and drinks fridge.
Google Maps insists it’s doing what it can to weed out business scammers
Google Maps has a problem with bogus businesses populating its listings, with some unsuspecting users falling victim to scams. The company says it's doing everything it can to sort it out, while insisting that the fake entries comprise only a tiny percentage of the total number of businesses held on its database.
Microsoft teams up with Kano to create a DIY Windows 10 PC for kids
Microsoft and Kano have collaborated on a build-it-yourself Windows 10 PC aimed at making computing fun for kids. The Kano PC features an 11.6-inch touchscreen and attachable keyboard, and comes bundled with a range of software aimed at demystifying technology and making learning about it fun.
Drone delivery services may prove too noisy for some in Australia
Numerous companies are lining up to deliver stuff by drone, but the machines still make quite a racket when they fly nearby. In Australia, where Google sister company Wing recently launched a drone delivery service, locals complained about the noise. And now the government is getting involved.
Check out this clever robot dishwasher, designed for busy restaurants
If you thought we were years away from seeing a restaurant staffed only by robots, then think again. Robot wait staff and robot chefs are already a thing, and now, to complete the setup, we have a high-tech robot dishwasher offering a fast, reliable, and environmentally friendly service.
Best Buy focuses on fitness with new range of high-tech gym equipment
Best Buy is focusing on fitness with the launch of new in-store spaces featuring a range of connected health-boosting equipment. Coming to 100 Best Buy stores this year, the collection includes everything from exercise bikes and rowing machines to treadmills and fitness recovery systems.
Waymo at last fires up the self-driving smarts of the Jaguar I-Pace
A year after inking a deal with Jaguar to use the I-Pace crossover for its self-driving program, Waymo has started testing the modified electric vehicle in driverless mode. The plan is to use the I-Pace for autonomous ridesharing services such as the one it’s already operating in Phoenix, Arizona.
This futuristic driverless pod will soon be delivering pizza in Texas
Pizza delivery using driverless pods is about to become a thing. Domino's has partnered with autonomous-tech specialist Nuro to use the futuristic pods for a trial delivery service starting later this year. Customers place their order on an app and then tap in a code to grab the pizza from the pod when it arrives.
Airbus’ new single-aisle jet has longest range in its class and a fancy cabin
Airbus has unveiled the design of the A321XLR jet, an aircraft that it says will be capable of trips of around 5,400 miles, making it the world's longest range single-aisle airliner when it takes to the skies in 2023. The A321XLR will feature Airbus’s Airspace cabin geared toward comfort, ambience, service, and design.
Tormented robot pulls a gun on its creators in latest Boston Dynamics spoof
Boston Dynamics' remarkable robots often receive a good few shoves in its videos, and the eager mistreatment recently inspired a team of video artists to offer its hilarious take on the matter. And if you've ever felt any empathy for the put-upon robots, you'll be delighted at how this particular video turns out.
American Airlines expands its fast in-flight Wi-Fi, but it will still cost you
American Airlines has finished installing its satellite-based in-flight Wi-Fi for the whole of its mainline narrow-body fleet comprising more than 700 planes — but the service still costs. Other upcoming changes include power outlets for every seat and the addition of tablet holders for much of its narrow-body fleet.
Walmart Grocery challenges Amazon with a new $98-a-year delivery option
The grocery delivery wars are heating up. Walmart's latest effort is a $98-a-year subscription fee that offers free delivery on orders over $30. The service, called Delivery Unlimited, comes at a time of growing competition in the space, with big hitters such as Amazon also battling to speed up delivery times.
Mount Everest is now home to the world’s highest weather station
A team of scientists has created a new record with the installation of the world’s highest weather station atop Everest. Data from the station will give researchers and climbers up-to-date information about mountain conditions, while other collected material will help in the scientists’ analysis of climate change.
Sloshed drone pilots in Japan can now be punished with jail time
If you're flying a drone in Japan, better not be sloshed when you send your bird skyward. A new law passed this week could see drunk drone pilots sent to jail for up to a year or hit with a hefty fine. New Jersey brought in a similar rule last year threatening a six-month prison sentence or a $1,000 fine.
Volvo has created an autonomous truck that looks like a sports car
Volvo’s autonomous truck, called Vera, is about to start work at a port in Gothenburg, Sweden. The vehicle has a modest top speed of 25 mph and features a striking design that makes it look as if the driver’s cab has been swapped for a sports car. It’s one of several efforts by Volvo to put driverless trucks to work.
Uber Eats’ drone delivery service could see Big Macs hit speeds of 70 mph
Uber Eats is testing meal delivery using drones. In a bid to overcome safety concerns, the company said it would use the flying machine to carry meals to a safe landing zone close to the customer's home, where a waiting courier would complete the delivery using ground transportation.
Radiohead releases 18 hours of material to torpedo hacker’s ransom demand
A hacker who stole 18 hours' worth of unreleased Radiohead recordings was reportedly demanding $150,000 in exchange for its return. But to scupper the scam — and to offer something unexpected to fans — the band decided to release the material, with the proceeds going to a climate-action cause.
Dropbox’s all-new desktop app wants to be your one and only workspace
Dropbox has unveiled its most significant update yet as it continues to move away from its original core service as a place to store files in the cloud, toward a virtual workspace solution that offers access to all services in-app. Users can try the revamped desktop tool now via Dropbox’s early access program.
DJI’s RoboMaster tank-bot can teach code, play games, and shoot beads
DJI’s new RoboMaster S1 is a robot kit designed to entertain and educate kids. It comes packed with features that include an FPV camera, multiple sensors, and app-based remote control. It even has a bead-firing blaster for when negotiations over an allowance raise break down.