Honda’s new airbag functions like a baseball catcher’s mitt
Honda's latest airbag deploys into a shape that resembles a baseball catcher's mitt, enveloping the vehicle occupant's head in a way that should cause less head rotation in an accident, thereby reducing the severity of any injury. The automaker plans to begin fitting its vehicles with the system in 2020.
The Double 3 telepresence robot is now much more than an iPad on wheels
Double Robotics first effort at a telepresence robot appeared in 2012 and was widely regarded as little more than an iPad on wheels. Because that's pretty much what it was. Seven years on, it's managed to create a far more advanced machine, and one we can imagine trundling around in any modern office.
Eight charged with running illegal streaming sites Jetflicks and iStreamItAll
Eight people in the U.S. have been charged with running two illegal video streaming services, one of which claimed to offer “more content than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon Prime.” The Department of Justice described the operations as “two of the largest unauthorized streaming services" in the U.S.
LinkedIn reportedly used by some nations to recruit spies
LinkedIn isn’t only an excellent way to find new business opportunities and network with others in the same field. It’s also a great way for foreign powers to recruit spies, according to a NY Times report. The practice has apparently been going on for some time, with Chinese spies believed to be the most active.
Walmart becomes the fourth plaintiff to sue Tesla in less than a month
Walmart is suing Tesla, claiming that its solar panels caused roof fires at seven of its stores. The retail giant alleges poor working practices among personnel hired to maintain the solar panels, the first of which were installed in 2010 by SolarCity, a company later acquired by Tesla.
Watch this huge autonomous cargo drone complete its maiden flight
This huge delivery drone is 180-cm tall and can carry cargo weighing up to 70 pounds. Built by aerospace manufacturer Bell, the APT 70 recently took to the skies for the very first time. The company is eyeing a number of uses that include package delivery, critical medical transport, and disaster relief.
Nikon reveals the winner of its international Photo Contest
Nikon revealed the Grand Prize winner of its prestigious Photo Contest at a special event in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, this year’s competition attracted nearly 100,000 entries from some 33,000 photographers and video artists around the world.
Waymo takes its self-driving cars to Florida for testing in heavy rain
Extreme weather conditions still present big challenges for self-driving cars, which is why Waymo is taking its autonomous vehicles to Florida for testing in heavy rain during the hurricane season. The vehicles will begin trial runs on a closed course before moving to the state’s public roads.
FogCam, the world’s longest-running webcam, is about to be switched off
For the last 25 years, FogCam has been showing San Francisco’s famous fog — or not depending on the weather. It has become the longest-running webcam in the world, but its creators have decided to call it a day and plan to switch off FogCam at the end of August 2019. Fans of fog will surely miss it.
Ford is looking to recruit gamers for its first-ever esports racing team
Ford is getting into esports in a big way with the launch of its own racing team, called Fordzilla. The automaker is planning to start building a number of national teams at the Gamescom gaming event in Germany this week. Those racing for Fordzilla will compete in a range of games, including Forza Motorsport 7.
Twitter’s latest effort to tackle abusive content focuses on Direct Messages
Twitter launched a feature designed to filter out abusive Direct Messages from people you don't follow. The content is collected in one place and can still be viewed if you want to periodically check what's coming in. As usual, you can still set your account to receive messages only from people you follow.
France’s first-ever solar panel road appears to have some serious issues
France launched its first-ever solar road in 2016, partly in an effort to discover if the technology could provide a viable route to greener highways. Recent reports, however, suggest the surface is failing to generate the promised amount of power, while some sections have been crumbling due to heavy use.
Expect to see a lot more from Ikea in the smart home sector
Ikea is doubling down on its smart home efforts with the formation of a new business unit dedicated to the sector. The Swedish furniture giant said the move marks its biggest commitment to a single product line since it introduced Children’s Ikea more than 20 years ago.
Oh great, now our smart speakers can attack us with harmful sounds
A security researcher has said it’s surprisingly easy to take over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speakers and get them to emit harmful sounds. With a few lines of code and a vulnerable device, Matt Wixey said it’s possible to play sounds that can annoy and intimidate those within earshot, or even damage their hearing.
Telegram’s new Slow Mode aims to bring order to noisy group chats
Popular messaging app Telegram has released an update with several neat features that we think will be pretty popular. Slow Mode, for example, gives a group administrator greater control over when messages are posted, while Silent Messages guarantees you won’t wake your buddy if you get in touch late in the day.
Amazon and Postmates’ delivery robots heading to more sidewalks in the U.S.
More and more companies are developing autonomous wheel-based robots in an effort to expand their last-mile delivery operations. Amazon and Postmates are two such players aiming to get the most out of the technology, with both companies moving forward with trial deliveries using the machines.
Facebook to shake up its news content in a deal worth millions for publishers
Facebook will reportedly pay established media outlets millions of dollars to host their news content on its site. A dedicated section featuring the content is expected to launch in the fall. The initiative appears to be an attempt by Facebook to bat away criticism over how it compensates mainstream news publishers.
Watch NASA’s Orion spacecraft engines show off their awesome power
NASA is planning to send astronauts to the moon again in just a few years from now. But there's plenty of work ahead if it's to stick to its 2024 mission plan. This includes ensuring the Orion spacecraft's propulsion system does what it’s supposed to do in every conceivable scenario.
Apple has released some videos designed to give you a tingly feeling
Does your iPhone ever cause you frustration? How about your MacBook Pro keyboard, do those sticky keys drive you crazy? If so, you might like to check out Apple’s first ASMR videos, designed to calm your soul. You have four to choose from, though none feature Tim Cook eating a watermelon.
Watch SpaceX catch a rocket nose cone in a giant net on a ship
Having pretty much perfected the art of rocket landings, SpaceX is now trying to work out how to catch a rocket fairing in a giant net on a ship in the ocean. On Tuesday, the private space company managed to achieve the feat for a second time, and posted a video of it online.
Rocket Lab wants to reuse its boosters by catching them with a helicopter
Small-satellite launcher Rocket Lab wants to follow in SpaceX's footsteps by creating a reusable rocket system. But whereas SpaceX brings its booster back in a controlled landing, Rocket Lab has an altogether different plan that involves a helicopter catching it in the sky.
SpaceX launches a twice-flown rocket to deploy one massive satellite
SpaceX successfully deployed a communications satellite for Israeli firm Spacecom on Tuesday. The successful mission marked the third outing for this particular Falcon 9 first-stage booster, and came three years after the loss of a $200 million Spacecom satellite in a Falcon 9 launchpad explosion.
Google Images’ new side panel makes it a whole lot easier to use
Google Images has launched a new side panel for desktop that keeps a selected image in place when you scroll up and down. The new feature makes it much easier to compare other images when you're searching for a particular product, or looking for the best picture of a bear-like Chow-Chow.
Optimus Ride launches autonomous shuttle service in New York City
Self-driving startup Optimus Ride is bringing its autonomous vehicles to New York City. It'll roll out its technology at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a 300-acre industrial park with more than 400 manufacturing businesses and 9,000 people workers, and offer rides between the site's various facilities.
NEC’s passenger drone takes to the skies in somewhat cautious test flight
More and more companies are developing battery-powered vertical take-off and landing aircraft, with the latest effort shown off this week by Japanese tech firm NEC. The pilotless test flight, which took place inside a cage-like structure for safety purposes, saw the machine stay airborne for about 40 seconds.
Amazon’s Alexa can help you donate school supplies to a child in need
If navigating a charity’s website or writing out a check is just too much hassle when it comes to making a donation, there's always Alexa. Amazon has just launched a $25 back-to-school charity initiative where you can ask the digital assistant to donate a backpack full of school supplies to a student in need.
SpaceX makes it easier for small satellite operators to reach space
SpaceX is ramping up its commercial efforts with a new program offering regularly scheduled, dedicated rideshare missions for small satellite operators. Until now, smaller operators had to join a mission for a larger company, but this can entail long waits, or disruption if the main company has to delay the launch.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company plans to tunnel beneath another country
Elon Musk revealed over the weekend that he's planning to launch his Boring Company in China. The move, details of which will be released later this month, will mark the company’s first step outside of the U.S. as it seeks to build an advanced, subterranean transportation system.
Someone just flew across 21 miles of open water on a jet-powered flyboard
Franky Zapata has become the first person to fly across the English Channel on a jet-powered flyboard. The French inventor made the crossing in 22 minutes, reaching speeds of 110 mph as he flew over 21 miles of open water. The successful flight came a week after his first attempt which ended in failure halfway across.