Airbnb expands into meeting-space rentals after snapping up Danish startup
In its ongoing quest to diversify by targeting the business market, Airbnb has acquired Gaest, an online marketplace focused on helping companies and workers find meeting and event spaces for short-term use. Just like Airbnb, hosts can list their spaces to quickly reach thousands of businesses and professionals.
How did this Lamborghini Huracan end up ‘parked’ beneath a Honda Civic?
Hurtling from 0 to 60 quicker than you can say, "I think I just hit the gas instead of the brake," the Lamborghini Huracan is the kind of car that requires much care when behind the wheel. But that ol' pedal mix-up recently cost one driver dearly, leaving his Huracan parked right beneath a Honda Civic.
Apple has just added a cash incentive to its ‘Shot on iPhone’ contest
Following complaints that Apple's "Shot on iPhone" contest offered no payment to the winning photographers, the firm has now reworded its terms and conditions to indicate that it will offer compensation. Ten winners will have their photos used on billboards and inside Apple Stores around the world.
Twitter testing ‘original tweeter’ label so you know who started a thread
Twitter is testing an "original tweeter" label to make it easier for users to identify who started a thread. The idea is to help clear up confusion about who began a conversation, and to reduce the impact of imitators. The test is currently running with a select group of Twitter users on iOS and Android.
Did Newark airport incident really involve a drone? DJI isn’t so sure
New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport was forced to suspend operations for a while on Tuesday after reports of drone sightings made by pilots on two incoming aircraft. But now questions are being raised over whether the objects, spotted at an altitude of around 3,500 feet, were in fact drones.
Science attempts to settle a long-running dispute among Brits
It's an issue about which every Brit has a strong opinion; one that can lead to lively conversations and even heated arguments. In a worst-case scenario, it can descend into a slanging match full of expletives. In a bid to settle the dispute once and for all, a BBC show recently called on a scientist.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tesla given go-ahead to start deliveries of Model 3 to Europe
Tesla has been given the green light to start deliveries of its Model 3 electric sedan to Europe. The launch of its most popular and competitively priced vehicle give it the chance to compete more effectively with the likes of BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz in Europe's premium car market.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Parrot’s fixed-wing Disco drone dances into stores next month for $1,300
With quadcopters dominating the consumer drone market, Parrot is hoping its unusual fixed-wing offering will prove a hit. The camera-equipped Disco, which launches next month for $1300, can reach speeds of 50 mph and stay airborne for around 45 minutes.
Parrot’s latest ‘Disco’ drone comes with wings and tears through the sky at 50 mph
Parrot's new "Disco" drone is a fixed-wing machine capable of hitting 50 mph. The ultralight UAV has a wingspan of almost a meter and thanks to its aerodynamic design can stay in the sky for up to 45 minutes on a single charge. And there's more....
Now you can try Street View in VR using Google Cardboard
If you're the sort of person that enjoys sofa-based vacations via Google Street View and you can get your hands on a Google Cardboard VR headset, then your globetrotting experiences are about to get a whole lot more immersive.
Toyota recalls another 1.3 million vehicles in U.S. over Takata airbags
Toyota is recalling another 1.7 million vehicles globally as part of the ongoing Takata airbag replacement program, with around 1.3 million U.S.-based vehicles affected. The work will be carried out free of charge and Toyota said it will start contacting those affected later this month.
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.
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.
Some lucky fliers just bagged $16,000 first-class seats for only $1,100
An error on Cathay Pacific's website on Monday let people book first- and business-class seats on flights between the U.S. and Vietnam at a fraction of the usual cost. Airlines don't always honor such bookings, but the good news for the passengers concerned is that in this case Cathay has agreed to do so.
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.
