Google’s Self-Driving Cars Invade Texas

Folks in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Mountain View have gotten used to seeing Google branded Lexus and Toyota Prius models tooling around town. Now, Google has picked Austin, Texas for it’s second test-bed city. According to cnet.com, a Google Lexus has been spotted Northeast of Downtown Austin…as in the Bay Area, with a driver aboard, just in case. A second car is slated to start driving the area this week. As with the Bay Area self-driving rigs, the speed is capped at 25 mph.

Apple is apparently preparing for even more record sales of iPhones. The Wall St Journal says they are asking suppliers to make between 85 and 90 million new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus models by the end of 2015. This compares with 70 to 80 million units they ordered of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus they ordered last year.

A Kickstarter is launching called HowLoud, to map cities all around the country based on urban noise. Gizmodo.com reports that HowLoud…created by a CalTech mathematician…has already mapped Los Angeles and Orange County. It ranks locations specifically enough to be down to a particular side and floor of a building. Real estate company Redfin bought the WalkScore app last year that maps walkability of neighborhoods, so the noise level score of HowLoud may soon become a selling point for homes, too!