Nuro set to be California’s first driverless delivery service – BBC News

California has given the go-ahead for a commercial driverless delivery service for the first time.

Robotics start-up Nuro plans to start its driverless delivery operations as early as next year.

It previously tested its R2 vehicles in the state in April, but the permit will let it charge people for its service.

The firm’s vehicles will be limited to 35mph (56km/h), and will be restricted to operating in “fair weather” conditions.

“Issuing the first deployment permit is a significant milestone in the evolution of autonomous vehicles in California,” said California Department of Motor Vehicles director Steve Gordon.

“We will continue to keep the safety of the motoring public in mind as this technology develops.”

Nuro was founded by two former Google engineers and has funding from Japanese firm Softbank.

Nuro’s autonomous vehicles will take to the streets as early as 2021.

Source: Nuro set to be California’s first driverless delivery service – BBC News

Another jetpack sighting over L.A. heightens the mystery – Los Angeles Times

The case of the “jetpack man” flying over Los Angeles has taken another turn with a new video purporting to show an object flying off the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The latest sighting occurred Dec. 21 but only added to the mystery. According to the Drive website, the jetpack was seen by people on an instructional flight out of Torrance airport. Someone with Sling Pilot Academy took a video of the object, which flies at a high rate of speed for several seconds before going out of frame.

The FBI is already examining two earlier sightings. As for the Palos Verdes Peninsula incident, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said: “We’re aware of it and are continuing to investigate the reports.”

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it had not “received any recent reports from pilots who believe they may have seen someone in a jetpack in the skies around Los Angeles.”

“The FAA has taken the sighting reports it has received seriously, and has worked closely with the FBI to investigate them,” the statement added. “However, the FAA has been unable to validate the reports.”

The first sighting occurred Aug. 30, when an American Airlines pilot radioed in with an unbelievable report. “Tower, American 1997. We just passed a guy in a jetpack,” the pilot said. Minutes later came another report, this time from a pilot approaching LAX in a Jet Blue airliner: “We just saw the guy pass us by in the jetpack.”

The in October, a China Airlines pilot approaching LAX reported seeing a jetpack flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet. That’s more than a mile up.

Source: Another jetpack sighting over L.A. heightens the mystery – Los Angeles Times

Denso fuel pumps recalled in 3.5M Toyotas, Hondas, Fords, Subarus | Autoblog

Auto parts supplier Denso has added 1.5 million vehicles to a recall list for a fuel pump it makes, bringing the total to 3.53 million cars.

The affected model years are 2013-2020.

If you own a vehicle with this fuel pump, Denso says you’ll be notified by the automaker. However, as always with recalls, if you bought the vehicle used, the government and the automaker may not know you’re the current owner. So you should take it upon yourself to enter your car’s VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup page.

Source: Denso fuel pumps recalled in 3.5M Toyotas, Hondas, Fords, Subarus | Autoblog

Ford Issues Two Recalls That Include 2014–16, 2020 Explorer

  • Ford has issued two recalls, including one for the 2014 to 2016 Taurus and Explorer as well as the 2014 Edge, and another for the 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator.
  • There are 15,587 vehicles affected in the first recall and 10,905 being recalled in the second.
  • In both recalls, if the affected parts fail, it can lead to a loss of power while driving or unintentional vehicle movement while the vehicle is stopped.

Ford has issued two separate recalls today, including one for the 2014 to 2016 Taurus and Explorer as well as the 2014 Edge, and another for the 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. The first recall, for a total of 15,587 U.S. vehicles, is to replace a link shaft bracket that could fracture and lead to a loss of power while driving or cause the parking function to fail leading to the vehicle rolling while in park. The second recall of the 2020 models, for a total of 10,905 U.S. vehicles, is for a driveshaft that could fracture along a welding seam, causing either unintentional vehicle movement or a loss of power when driving.

Source: Ford Issues Two Recalls That Include 2014–16, 2020 Explorer

China sends world’s first 6G test satellite into orbit – BBC News

China has successfully launched the world’s first 6G satellite into space to test the technology.

It went into orbit along with 12 other satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the Shanxi Province.

High-speed technology will be trialled, which will be one of the core elements of sixth-generation communications.

The satellite also carries technology which will be used for crop disaster monitoring and forest fire prevention.

The satellite is meant to trial new technology expected to be 100 times faster than 5G.

Source: China sends world’s first 6G test satellite into orbit – BBC News

SpaceX Completes Second Launch for Space Force | Los Angeles Business Journal

Hawthorne-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp. successfully completed its second mission on behalf of the U.S. Space Force, deploying a Lockheed Martin-designed GPS III satellite into orbit on Nov. 5 
  

The satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at 6:24 p.m. ESTAfter separating from the rest of the spacecraft, the rocket’s first stage landed safely aboard an unmanned drone ship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Just under 90 minutes after liftoff, the rocket deployed its payload, placing the satellite into orbit. 

SpaceX deployed its first Space Force satellite in June and has a contract with Space Force to launch more GPS satellites over the next five years aboard rockets equipped with previously used first-stage boosters. 

The company’s ability to recover and reuse boosters and other parts of its rockets is a key element of its plan to cut down on the cost of future launches. 

The satellite deployed Nov. 5 will bolster an existing constellation of more than 30 spacecraft that provide navigational and communications support to the U.S. military. 

According to Lockheed Martin, the GPS III satellites are more accurate than prior models and feature “improved anti-jamming capabilities.” 

SpaceX celebrated its 100th successful flight last month and has picked up the pace of launches since delaying deployment of its first Space Force flight due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Source: SpaceX Completes Second Launch for Space Force | Los Angeles Business Journal

NASA confirms water has been spotted on the sunlit surface of the moon | Fox News

NASA announced it has discovered water on the sunlit surface of the moon.

“We had indications that H2O – the familiar water we know – might be present on the sunlit side of the Moon,” said Paul Hertz, NASA’s director of the Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate, in a statement. “Now we know it is there. This discovery challenges our understanding of the lunar surface and raises intriguing questions about resources relevant for deep space exploration.”

Casey Honniball, lead author of the other study, said there are between 100 and 400 parts per million of water, or “roughly the equivalent of a 12-ounce bottle of water within a cubic meter of lunar soil.”

The study led by Honniball found the presence of water directly on the surface, while Hayne’s study speculated that water may be trapped in “small spatial scales” all over the surface of the moon.

Source: NASA confirms water has been spotted on the sunlit surface of the moon | Fox News

Nuclear fusion reactor could be here as soon as 2025 | Live Science

The discovery of new superconducting materials has sped up the timeline considerably.

A viable nuclear fusion reactor — one that spits out more energy than it consumes — could be here as soon as 2025.

That’s the takeaway of seven new studies, published Sept. 29 in the Journal of Plasma Physics.

If a fusion reactor reaches that milestone, it could pave the way for massive generation of clean energy.

During fusion, atomic nuclei are forced together to form heavier atoms. When the mass of the resulting atoms is less than the mass of the atoms that went into their creation, the excess mass is converted to energy, liberating an extraordinary amount of light and heat. Fusion powers the sun and stars, as the mighty gravity at their hearts fuse hydrogen to create helium.

Related: Science fact or fiction? The plausibility of 10 sci-fi concepts

But an enormous amount of energy is needed to force atoms to fuse together, which occurs at temperatures of at least 180 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius). However, such reactions can generate far more energy than they require. At the same time, fusion doesn’t produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which drive global warming, nor does it generate other pollutants. And the fuel for fusion — such as the element hydrogen — is plentiful enough on Earth to meet all of humanity’s energy needs for millions of years.

Source: Nuclear fusion reactor could be here as soon as 2025 | Live Science

Recall Alert: Almost 600,000 Hyundai and Kia Models Are a Fire Hazard

Fire hazards are not great! Unfortunately, almost 600,000 Kia and Hyundai owners are going to have to deal with a recall hassle now.

Hyundai and Kia recalled 591,000 U.S. vehicles because of a brake-fluid leak that has the potential to cause engine fires. Included in the recall are the 2013 to 2015 models of the Kia Optima sedan and Hyundai’s Santa Fe SUV. Also recalled were the 2014 to 2015 models of Kia Sorento SUVs.

According to Car and Driver, there have been 15 reported engine fires in Hyundai vehicles and eight in Kia vehicles because of the issue. Fortunately, there have been no injuries or accidents.

The issue has both Hyundai and Kia recommending that owners of the affected vehicles park them outside, away from buildings, structures, and other vehicles until they can be repaired. Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Kia told Car and Driver that they weren’t aware of any incidents of fire while the vehicles were parked and off.

Source: Recall Alert: Almost 600,000 Hyundai and Kia Models Are a Fire Hazard

PS5 cost may have been leaked by Spanish retailer ahead of PS5 event | GamesRadar+

The price lines up with similar leaks from Amazon last month

Multiple images have surfaced from a major Spanish retailer that may have revealed the PS5 price. Photos from El Corte Inglés appeared overnight, potentially revealing the cost of both versions of the upcoming console ahead of official word from Sony.

Both images stem from El Corte Inglés, which is one of the biggest retailers in Spain, Pictures of the store’s internal systems that appear to show entries for both the standard and digital versions of the PS5 were shared on messaging service Telegram, listing two prices for the console. According to both of these photos, one version of the PS5 will cost €499.90 ($594/£460), while the other will cost €399.90 ($475/£369). The digital-only version of the console is very likely to be the cheaper version.

Source: PS5 cost may have been leaked by Spanish retailer ahead of PS5 event | GamesRadar+

A new 5G BlackBerry phone with Android and a physical keyboard will arrive in 2021 – The Verge

The BlackBerry brand rides once more.

The once-respected BlackBerry brand has been licensed yet again by a company hoping to use a familiar name to make a dent in the competitive Android phone market. This time, it’s a new Texas startup named OnwardMobility that’s taking the reins, promising to release a 5G BlackBerry device with Android and a physical QWERTY keyboard in 2021.

Little else is known about the device, including screen size or internal specs, but OnwardMobility told The Register it would come with a completely new keyboard design that will “reflect the brand values from a keyboard typing experience and input experience.” Which, yeah, sure! I love to reflect brand values. Do it all the time.

Another question mark hanging over the yet-unnamed device is what form factor it’ll take, be that a slider mechanism similar to 2015’s BlackBerry Priv, or a more conventional “candy bar” design. While the latter will undoubtedly prove more durable, and will appeal to die-hard QWERTY enthusiasts, a slider mechanism will allow punters to better make use of any display real-estate.

Source: A new 5G BlackBerry phone with Android and a physical keyboard will arrive in 2021 – The Verge

Windows 10X needs to be perfect if it’s launching first on laptops | Windows Central

hen we first started hearing about Windows 10X (codenamed Santorini at the time,) it was clear that this new, modern version of Windows was going to be quite different from the Windows 10 we know and love. It was positioned internally as a lightweight OS for mobile PCs, including laptops, 2-in-1’s, and indeed foldable PCs. But when Microsoft officially announced Windows 10X in October, it positioned the platform as being exclusive to foldable PCs.

Microsoft did this as to set expectations for Windows 10X. Its entire user experience is new and different, and since Windows 10X is built on Windows Core OS, it’s also missing a lot of legacy features and components that some users may be accustomed to. Limiting Windows 10X to a new ecosystem of devices would’ve allowed Microsoft to set the stage appropriately and have users come into the platform with fresh eyes.

Best online learning tools for kids: ABCmouse, Reading IQ, & more

But now, new rumors suggest that Microsoft is shifting back to prioritizing Windows 10X for traditional form factors too. This is great news for early adopters who like the look of Windows 10X but aren’t entirely sold on the idea of foldable PCs. However, this shift also opens up Windows 10X to a whole new level of customer expectation that it previously didn’t need to worry about. If Windows 10X is launching on laptops, it needs to be good enough to replace Windows 10 on day one.

Source: Windows 10X needs to be perfect if it’s launching first on laptops | Windows Central

SpaceX launches space station resupply mission, lands rocket on drone ship – Spaceflight Now

Less than nine minutes later, the rocket’s first stage booster fell from the sky and executed a pinpoint propulsive landing just offshore, setting the stage for another resupply mission for NASA using the same rocket this summer using the same vehicle.

The 213-foot-tall (65-meter) rocket lifted off with a flash from its nine Merlin 1D main engines at 2:48:58 a.m. EDT (0648:58 GMT), roughly the moment Cape Canaveral rotated under space station’s orbital plane.

The Falcon 9 tilted toward the northeast to align with the space station’s flight path, riding 1.7 million pounds of thrust as roared into a starry sky. Less than two-and-a-half minutes later, the rocket’s first stage booster shut down and separated to begin a descent back to Earth, targeting SpaceX’s drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” parked around 14 miles (22 kilometers) east of Cape Canaveral in the Atlantic Ocean.

The first stage lit three of its engines to begin a boost-back burn to reverse course and head back toward Florida’s Space Coast, while the Falcon 9’s upper stage continued with the primary objective of Saturday’s mission — the delivery into orbit of a Dragon cargo craft packed with 5,472 pounds (2,482 kilograms) of supplies, provisions and experiments for the station and its six-person crew.

The interaction exhaust plumes from the Falcon 9’s first and second stage Merlin engines produced a spectacular lighting effect, giving the appearance of a cosmic nebula high above the Florida spaceport.

Source: SpaceX launches space station resupply mission, lands rocket on drone ship – Spaceflight Now

Warfighters Need ‘Uncompromised’ Technology, Official Says > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Article

 

“We are in a very highly contested environment, with our opponents quite successfully taking our stuff,” William Stephens said at a forum on supply chain security and software at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noting that U.S. intelligence analysts and other sources support that assessment.

Techniques adversaries use to figure out new U.S. technology before soldiers or airmen get a chance to use it vary greatly, he said, but include such things as exploitation of relationships in the technology community — such as at conferences and trade shows — as well as email and mail, surveillance, exploitation of cyber operations, exports or supply chains, and even insider access and outright theft.

Americans pay for a lot of technology to support the warfighter, Stephens said, and when that technology is compromised before the warfighter is able to use it, Americans lose out on their investment. But the biggest threat from compromised technology, he added, is to warfighters themselves.

Source: Warfighters Need ‘Uncompromised’ Technology, Official Says > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Article

BlackBerry Messenger is shutting down for consumers on May 31st | PhoneDog

It’s time to pour one out, because BlackBerry Messenger is shutting down.

It was announced today that the consumer version of BBM is closing on May 31st, 2019. After that date, the BBM app will stop working. Emtek, who licensed the BBM consumer business from BlackBerry in 2016, says that BBM stickers and BBMoji can’t be exported out of the app, so you won’t be able to use them after the shutdown. You can issue refunds of your in-app purchases for stickers that you’ve bought, though.

Source: BlackBerry Messenger is shutting down for consumers on May 31st | PhoneDog

WATCH: In Odisha, a runaway train takes passengers on engine-less journey

As the engine-less train with the clueless passengers speeds past a railway station, the helpless onlookers screams and yell their guts out as they try to catch the commuters attention and get them to pull the train’s emergency brake.

The engine-less train moved towards Kesinga in Kalahandi district from Titlagard station so that the engine could be shunted on the other side, but thanks to a downward slope, the coaches rolled on without the engines.

According to railway sources, the coaches started moving around 10 pm and had covered a distance of almost 10 kilometer without the engine before they were brought to a halt.

Source: WATCH: In Odisha, a runaway train takes passengers on engine-less journey

Google Maps’ Street View Won’t Let You Unblur Images

Recently, the internet has noticed something peculiar about Google Maps: Once something gets blurred in Google Street View, there’s no turning back. Here’s how to blur an image in Google Maps—and why you should think twice before doing it.

Last month, a Reddit post in a group for posting life tips detailed how users who are unhappy with Google’s Street View pictures can request them to be blurred on Maps. There is any number of reasons why someone might want to do so. Google, for example, has always blurred the fronts of domestic violence shelters to protect victims.

Source: Google Maps’ Street View Won’t Let You Unblur Images

%d bloggers like this: