Hyundai has created the ‘world’s first multi-collision airbag system’
Around 30 percent of vehicle accidents involve multiple collisions, a reality that prompted Hyundai to develop what it claims is the world's first airbag capable of deploying in a multi-impact traffic accident. The South Korean automaker plans to fit the system into future Hyundai and Kia automobiles.
Once again, a drone has reportedly caused a shutdown at a major airport
Reported drone sightings near New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport forced flights to be halted early Tuesday evening. One drone reportedly came within 30 feet of an aircraft. The incident comes a month after drone sightings at one of the U.K.'s busiest airports led to a 36-hour shutdown.
Royal fans bid big money as Prince Philip ‘car crash parts’ hit eBay
A couple of days after a car crash that involved the 97-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, debris apparently from the scene of the accident showed up on eBay. Nearly 140 bids pushed the highest offer for the collection of broken bits to $85,000 before the online auction site decided to pull it.
Facebook hasn’t given up on the idea of building an internet drone
Facebook's efforts to provide internet connectivity from the skies using solar-powered drones suffered a blow last year when the company abandoned its "Aquila" drone project. But it clearly hasn't given up on the idea as it's now working with Airbus to attach internet technology to its Zephyr drone.
‘Tech vest’ prevents Amazon workers from colliding with robot co-workers
Amazon workers at the online shopping company's fulfillment centers are using "tech vests" to help protect them from accidental collisions with their robot co-workers. The robots already have obstacle avoidance sensors, but the tech belt offers another layer of safety.
Pilotless planes are on their way, but would you fly in one?
Airbus says advances in A.I. can help it build a plane capable of fully autonomous flight, though whether passengers can be persuaded to travel on one is another matter entirely. Airbus has been looking into the idea for some time, with the technology predicted to save the industry billions.
Is Uber planning to put its self-driving tech into bikes and scooters?
Uber may have its eye on building autonomous e-bikes and scooters for its two-wheeled rental services. A rider could summon a bike or scooter with an app, with the vehicle also able to return by itself to a depot for recharging. The tech could also be used to make vehicles safer via obstacle sensors.
Busted: Facebook Portal gets 5-star reviews from company employees
It's fair to say that Facebook's Portal smart displays received a tepid response at launch, so it was a surprise to see glowing reviews of the device on Amazon. It turns out some were written by Facebook employees. The company says it has told the reviewers to remove their work from Amazon's site.
Twitter suffers privacy scare as bug reveals tweets of protected accounts
If you set your Twitter account to private and you have an Android device, you'd better check your privacy settings now. Twitter says it's just fixed a four-year-old bug that flipped the privacy switch to make the account public, though it couldn't say how many users had been affected.
Glowing space billboards could show ads in the night sky
Look up at the night sky in 2020 and you might see an ad for McDonald's floating among the stars. A startup is planning to use a constellation of tiny satellites to create glowing ads. The satellites would light up different messages for up to six minutes at a time at about 250 miles above Earth.
Robomart’s self-driving grocery store is like Amazon Go on wheels
Robomart's driverless vehicle is like an Amazon Go store on wheels. You summon the store to your home using an app, and then grab what you need from a range of everyday items. Sensors track your selections, with your purchases automatically charged to your account. A trial starts soon in Boston.
Airbnb says sorry to guest for how it dealt with undisclosed security camera
An Airbnb guest recently found a surveillance camera in his rental apartment that hadn't been properly disclosed in the listing. The company's initial response was less than adequate, though Airbnb has since apologized and clarified its policy on such devices being placed inside its properties.
YouTube to crack down on dangerous stunts like the ‘Bird Box’ challenge
YouTube already bans content showing dangerous activities, but new rules published by the site on Tuesday go into greater detail regarding potentially harmful challenges and pranks. The company said it's giving creators two months to review and clean up their content, after which they could face penalties.
Apple’s iPhone battery offer was reportedly way more popular than expected
As many as 11 million iPhone owners reportedly made use of Apple's cheaper battery replacement offer that launched in 2018 in response to the iPhone throttling debacle. The program proved so popular that Apple CEO Tim Cook said recently it hit its bottom line as fewer people upgraded to one of the new iPhones.
Twitter extends its new timeline feature to Android users
Twitter has launched a new feature for Android that gives users more control of their timeline by letting them quickly switch between an algorithm-generated timeline and one that shows the most recent tweets first. The new feature landed for iPhone users in December 2018.
Short film celebrates New Yorker’s amazing robot costumes
New York City resident Peter Kokis creates stunning robot costumes out of household trash. His designs are huge, heavy, and extremely intricate, and never fail to turn heads when he's out and about. A new documentary short offers a fascinating look at Kokis and his Transformers-inspired creations.
Drones: New rules could soon allow flights over people and at night
The U.S. government is looking to loosen restrictions on drone flights with a set of proposals that would allow the machines to fly over populated areas and also at night. The news will be welcomed by commercial operators keen to use the technology for a range of tasks.
Cathay Pacific messes up first-class ticket prices — again
A recent error on Cathay Pacific's website resulted in first-class seats selling for a tenth of the price. On Sunday the airline made the error again, selling "a very small number" of premium seats at an absurdly low price. The good news for those who snagged a ticket is Cathay will honor all bookings.
No yolk! A photo of an egg has become the most-liked post on Instagram
Until this weekend, the most-liked post on Instagram was of Kylie Jenner's baby daughter, which has around 18 million likes. It's now been knocked off the top spot not by a stunning sunset or cute cat, but by an egg. An egg called Eugene that was gifted to the world by a hen called Henrietta ... apparently.
The enormous ‘Flying Bum’ moves toward a commercial design
A prototype of the world's largest aircraft is being retired as the company behind it prepares to build a production model. The new Airlander 10, also known as the "Flying Bum" for its butt-shaped leading end, could be ready for commercial use by 2025, with a range of possible uses cited.
SpaceX nails its first launch and landing of 2019, but job cuts loom
SpaceX has nailed its first launch and landing of 2019 with a mission that deployed more satellites for Virginia-based Iridium Communications. Its Falcon 9 blasted off from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on January 11. But it wasn't all good news as it was revealed SpaceX is gearing up to axe hundreds of jobs.
Ford’s app-based ‘Chariot’ shuttle service is offering its final rides
Chariot, the app-based crowdsourced ride service owned by Ford, has announced it is shutting down in the coming weeks.The bus-like service has apparently been unable to deal with competition from ridesharing outfits like Uber and Lyft. Chariot operated in 10 U.S. cities, and overseas in London.
This high-tech shopping cart has the same aim as Amazon Go
The technology behind Amazon Go's cashier-free stores is pricey and a challenge to set up, but a high-tech shopping cart from a New York startup offers a similarly frictionless experience for far less. The cart uses sensors to ID items as you pop them in the cart, and has a tablet showing special offers.
Instagram now lets you post to multiple accounts in one tap
Instagram now lets you post to multiple accounts at the same time. It's not the regram feature that many users have been asking for, but it could prove useful for some users who manage more than one profile. The feature is available for iPhone users, with no word yet on a rollout for Android.
Photoshop fail gives Aussie leader two left feet in official portrait
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison doesn't have two left feet, despite an official photograph of the leader and his family suggesting otherwise. It was, of course, a Photoshop fail, and the embarrassing snafu was soon trending on Twitter. But at least he could see the funny side.
Apple Maps boosts Flyover locations, indoor mall maps, and more
Apple Maps has recently added more than 50 new locations for Flyover, the feature that offers spectacular 3D photo views of particular cities and famous landmarks around the world. Fourteen new Flyovers have been added for the U.S., including Lake Tahoe, California, and Key West, Florida.
Robot delivery startup Udelv woos Walmart for a trial run in Arizona
Last year saw plenty of partnerships struck between big retail firms and tech companies interested in robot delivery services. It looks like more of the same this year, with Walmart and startup Udelv launching a trial service this month for online grocery shoppers in the city of Surprise, Arizona.
Flickr’s free users with more than 1,000 photos need to make a decision
If you have a free Flickr account that has more than 1,000 photos or videos, you'll no longer be able to upload any new content unless you upgrade to its paid plan. And if you're holding any content exclusively on Flickr's servers, then you'll have to act soon to save it.
Elon Musk breaks ground on the first Tesla factory outside the U.S.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was in China on Monday to break ground on a manufacturing facility, its first outside the U.S. It'll assemble Tesla's mass-market Model 3 vehicle, as well as the upcoming Model Y, as part of a major push into the world's biggest — and fastest-growing — market for electric cars.
Japanese billionaire splashes the cash to break retweet record
Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa has proved again he has a knack for self-publicity after launching a cash-prize contest to break the retweet record. Maezawa, who was announced as the first paying passenger for SpaceX's proposed 2023 moon mission, has seen his post retweeted 5.6 million times.
A DJI quadcopter gets the horror-movie treatment in ‘The Drone’
"The Drone" is an upcoming horror flick about a DJI quadcopter that becomes possessed with the spirit of a serial killer. Yes, it does sound a bit bonkers, but with all those spinning blades and a camera for a roving eye, it was about time someone got around to making such a movie, right?