Sofie Thyme

Overall, the trend for buyers is to be quite positive about the quality and performance of their new vehicle, especially if it’s a Kia. “Autonomous Technology” was, in fact, the only category where user complaints increased between 2016 and 2017, although only by a tiny amount. The Wall Street Journal points out that of all the issues consumers raised, 34 percent of them were tied in to adaptive cruise control. If left unchecked, users may prefer to opt for cars with fewer autonomous systems, or prefer to drive with them deactivated. Issues with existing smart driving features could also sour the general public’s feeling towards our rapidly-approaching autonomous future. It’s easy for consumers to think that, if manufacturers can’t get lane assistance right, what chance do they have of building a car that can think, and drive, for itself? It’s clear that the auto industry will have to work to tackle this issue on both a technical and perception level before it becomes a problem. E...

According to Professor Ali Hajimiri, it “can switch from a fish-eye to a telephoto lens instantaneously—with just a simple adjustment in the way the array receives light.” The principle is similar to the way phased communication arrays can focus and steer radio waves in a particular direction, but working in reverse. Back in 2014, the team showed off similar technology turned around to create a projector small enough to fit inside your phone, while another application showed the potential for making your phone into a precise 3D object scanner . Now, for the first time, it has created a 2D, lensless camera array capable of capturing a low res image of a barcode. The image itself isn’t particularly impressive compared to what your iPhone is capable of, but as a proof of concept, it’s a big deal. Right now the chip consists of an 8×8 grid with 64 sensors, and the team’s next goal is scaling the camera to support larger receivers that are more sensitive and capture a higher-res picture. ...

As recently as February the 40-year-old exec was promising to “fundamentally change as a leader and grow up,” but as Axios reported tonight, a group of investors including VCs from Benchmark, First Round Capital, Fidelity Investments, Lowercase Capital and Menlo Ventures teamed up, writing a “Moving Uber Forward” letter demanding a change in leadership. He still owns a significant portion of the company, and will reportedly remain a board member. In a statement given to the NYT Kalanick said: “I have accepted the investors request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight.” Kalanick’s second-in-command Emil Michael already departed the company following an internal investigation into its culture, while self-driving engineer Anthony Levandowski has been fired in the midst of a lawsuit accusing him of stealing trade secrets from his previous employer, Google/Waymo. Developing…

Since much of Fischinger’s work involved putting music to geometric animations, Google builds a basic synth / sequencer for you to play with. Simply select one of the instruments and begin clicking to create a pattern that’ll produce a sound that’s unique to you. As each note plays, geometric animations will jump out, although it’s worth watching one of Fischinger’s originals just to see the scope of his achievement. An Optical Poem, for instance, was produced in 1938 by hand, which makes you really appreciate the scope of human ingenuity. [embedded content]

Outside of the emoji, the update also introduces a Bitcoin character and is more adept at handling less common languages or written requirements. Don’t expect to use all these new characters right away. Your device operating system will need an update to recognize them, and there’s a good chance you’ll be waiting a while. You’ll likely have to wait until Android O to see them on a Google-powered phone, while the iPhone and iPad crowd will likely have to sit tight until iOS 11 . There’s nothing stopping companies from adopting the new Unicode pack, however — it’s now just a question of everyone getting with the program.

Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill In last year’s Queen’s Speech , the government rammed home the message that Britain will become a leader in autonomous transportation. It’s largely the same this year, with Theresa May outlining the need for car insurance to cover the use of self-driving cars so that “compensation claims continue to be paid quickly, fairly, and easily.” Measures that first appeared in the proposed Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill earlier this year will now be included in the new Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill. Under this, UK insurers will need to separately cover when the driver is in manual control and when the car is driving itself. Car owners will also be made liable for accidents if they’ve decided to modify the software on their vehicle or have failed to install important updates. The bill also reiterates the need for more electric charging and hydrogen points, which includes forcing motorway services and major petrol station operators to build ch...