Audi just unveiled its new A8 luxury sedan in Barcelona, and as you would expect from the German automaker, this car is brimming with high-tech features. There’s a brand-new infotainment system, fully active electric suspension, and a mild hybrid engine. But at the top of the list is Audi’s claim that the A8 is the first production vehicle with Level 3 autonomy, which would make it one of the most highly automated cars on the road when it goes on sale next year. Moreover, Audi is the latest carmaker to double down on self-driving software in the race to bring a fully autonomous vehicle to market.
In Audi’s parlance, the A8’s autonomous features translate as the “AI traffic jam pilot,” meaning the car can take control of the driving in slow-moving traffic at up to 60 kilometers per hour. The system is activated by a button on the center console, and it can take over acceleration, braking, steering, and starting from a dead-stop, all without the driver paying attention.
This ‘third thumb’ is the unnecessary prosthetic of my dreams
This ‘third thumb’ is the unnecessary prosthetic of my dreams
The thumb straps on to the side of your hand, and connects to a bracelet containing wires and servos. The wearer controls it using pressure sensors that sit under the soles of their feet. If they press down with one foot the thumb will make a grasping movement, with these instructions sent to the wrist unit via Bluetooth. It sounds a bit fiddly, but the inventor of this says people pick it up pretty quickly. It’s no more complex than, say, steering a car and operating the brake and accelerator at the same time.
Just imagine: it’s the future sometime. You’re doing business stuff, and you reach out to shake somebody’s hand. You grasp it, firm and unwavering. Slightly too firm in fact. The other person looks down. You’ve got a dang extra thumb, tapping their hand in a confident but businesslike way. Guess who just won that big contract? That’s right, you did. And you can thank your third thumb.
The news industry is worried Facebook and Google have far too much power
The news industry is worried Facebook and Google have far too much power
The news industry has never been more dependent on tech companies and the massive distribution platforms they operate on the internet, leading to a long-standing and ongoing existential crisis in journalism. This isn’t exactly a secret — nearly half of all American adults rely on Facebook as a primary news delivery mechanism, and both the social network and Google collectively control more than two-thirds of the entire online advertising market. But it’s something that has publishers so worried that they’re now deciding to band together to do something about it.
Ultimately, news organizations are making an audacious ask of the government to help protect the journalism business from the dominance of Facebook and Google, companies that Chavern says have only gained such monumental influence in news by skirting antitrust regulations and acquiring big competitors. (Google gained influence in the ad market by acquiring Doubleclick and others, while Facebook did so in the social realm through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.)
You can now buy the Moller Skycar, one of the world's most iconic (and dubious) 'flying cars'
You can now buy the Moller Skycar, one of the world's most iconic (and dubious) 'flying cars'
“Anyone can fly the Skycar,” the headline on the January 1991 cover of Popular Mechanics blared, teasing the possibility of a future where everyone could own their own “flying car.”
That dream never came to fruition, but the original Skycar can now be yours to own. Moller International, the company that built the iconic vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, announced today that it is putting the M400 Skycar up for sale on eBay. Just don’t expect to use it for your daily commute.