Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Google’s Software for Cars Finally Hits the Road, in the 2015 Hyundai Sonata


Google’s Software for Cars Finally Hits the Road, in the 2015 Hyundai Sonata

Artist Sells Other's Instagram Photo for $90,000

Artist Sells Other's Instagram Photo for $90,000

Microsoft's Cortana crosses over to iOS and Android


This article, Microsoft's Cortana crosses over to iOS and Android, originally appeared on CNET.com.
Microsoft's Cortana crosses over to iOS and AndroidMicrosoft is bringing its Cortana voice assistant to the iPhone and Android phones. CNET

Other Space Director Paul Feig: Virtual Reality is No Joke


Other Space Director Paul Feig: Virtual Reality is No Joke
To check out one possible future of video entertainment, I recently took a trip to the

First Self-Driving Semi Hits American Roads Self-driving cars seem likely enough; there’s still several tech and legal hurdles to clear, not to mention the question of how much they’ll cost, but most experts inside and out of the auto industry see them as inevitable given enough time. Now, Daimler’s Freightliner unit wants to push long-haul trucking in the same direction. Unveiled atop the Hoover Dam, the Freightliner Inspiration Truck is the first semi granted a license in the United States for autonomous driving, for tests on Nevada highways (note the special license plate in the photos below.) Equipped with arrays of cameras and radars, along with extensive software controls, the two Inspiration Trucks built by Freightliner can steer in a lane, maintain speeds and brake without human intervention at highway speeds. It also has to know when to alert the driver to take control; that driver of course has to handle all non-highway duties as well. First Self-Driving Semi Hits American Roads While Freightliner has shown off concept trucks in the past, the Inspiration trucks are far less dramatic and futuristic. Freighliner execs say such models will eventually reach production, because many of the same anticipated benefits of self-driving cars — improved safety, better fuel efficiency — apply to commercial vehicles as well. But in the business world, cost matters most of all, and given how nascent the technology is, the cost benefits remain hypothetical. There’s also the issue of the people who make their living driving trucks, and what a machine like this means for them. Freightliner emphasized in its demo that the Inspiration trucks were not close to driver-free machines, saying drivers of future production models “can optimize their time on the road while also handling other important logistical tasks, from scheduling to routing.” Long-haul trucking isn’t an office job yet, but if the Inspiration truck is any guide, it may be heading down that road.

The 27-year-old son son of China’s richest man is causing quite a stir in Shanghai after posting photos of his dog wearing two gold Apple Watches (AAPL) with the caption, “I have new watches! I'm supposed to have four watches since I have four long legs. But that seems too uncouth so I kept it down to two, which totally fits my status. Do you have one?”

First Self-Driving Semi Hits American Roads



First Self-Driving Semi Hits American Roads

Feds Hit Chrysler For Slow Repairs on 10 Million Recalled Vehicles


Feds Hit Chrysler For Slow Repairs on 10 Million Recalled Vehicles
U.S. auto safety regulators a

Veteran’s Funeral Drive Detoured By Hearse Drivers To Dunkin' Donuts

The Largest Autos Recall Ever Now Affects 33.8M Vehicles

The Largest Autos Recall Ever Now Affects 33.8M Vehicles
Photo: REUTERS/Toru Hanai

What makes a car 'American'?

It's been almost 40 years since the first U.S.-built Volkswagen Rabbit rolled off an assembly line in Westmoreland, Pa., forever changing the definition of “American car.”