Ford Driving for 2021 for Self-Driving Car; Amazon Patents Several Drone Systems
Posted: August 17, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2021, Amazon, Drones, fixed wing, Ford, Mercedes, ride-sharing, self-driving car, Tesla Leave a commentFord announced yesterday that they expect to have self-driving cars on the road by 2021…the same time frame as Google and Apple’s secretive Project Titan. According to appleinsider.com, the car will be specifically built ‘’for ride sharing and ride hailing.’ The cars will have no steering wheel or pedals, and will only drive a pre-programmed area that’s been 3D mapped. Ford says these will meet SAE Level 4 standards for autonomous operation…Tesla and Mercedes only make Level 2 right now. Ford didn’t say if the cars would be hybrid, electric, or even still take old-fashioned gasoline.
A couple of interesting patents show that Amazon is looking at different kinds of drones for different applications. Geekwire.com reports that one shows 4 rotors in a protective shroud. Another design has shrouded rotors, plus two smaller pusher props, and a fixed wing. It’s thought the shrouds are to protect people and property in the event of a crash. The extended wing would provide extra lift, perhaps giving the small electric motors more range and a better flying time than 20 minutes, like a lot of drones out there now. Amazon has said they have a goal of delivering small packages weighing 5 pounds or less in a half hour or less.
Blue iPhone 7 After All; Alphabet Gets Approval to Test Delivery Drones
Posted: August 3, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Blue, China Unicom, Delivery, Drones, iPhone 7, Project Wing Leave a commentEarly on, it was rumored Apple may add a blue color with the iPhone 7. That’s been tamped down up to now…until pictures appeared from China Unicom. Bgr.com reports that China Unicom posted an image that actually says iPhone 7, and shows 4 different colors….including blue! The others shown are the present Space Grey, Gold, and Rose Gold. The graphic also shows the double sized camera opening, as has show up in a number of leaks, and believed to be from the iPhone 7 Plus or Pro.
Alphabet’s Project Wing will be allowed to test its unmanned aerial vehicles in designated areas in the US. The test flights were announced as part of a new initiative unveiled by the US National Science Foundation, which plans to spend $35 million over the next five years on unmanned flight research. This just comes after Britain gave permission for Amazon to test delivery drones there a couple weeks ago. Google has said it plans to start using drones for delivery by 2017.
Amazon’s British Drone Tests; New (Old) Apple Car Boss; Future iPhones—Iris Scanning and Glasses-Free 3D
Posted: July 26, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3D, Amazon, Apple Car, Autostereoscopic displays, Bob Mansfield, Britain, Drones, Galaxy S, iPhone, Iris ID, Iris Scanner, Project Titan, Samsung, Steve Jobs Leave a commentAmazon has gotten permission to test drone deliveries in the United Kingdom, according to venturebeat.com. They will test beyond line of sight operations, obstacle avoidance, and single-person supervision of multiple, highly-automated drones. FedEx and UPS have also shown interest in drone delivery.
Former Apple exec under Steve Jobs Bob Mansfield has come out of retirement to run Project Titan, the Apple car project. Businessinsider.com reports that he originally intended to retire in 2012, but moved to a special projects team that built the Apple Watch. Since then, not much has been heard from him. Apple allegedly intends to start selling vehicles in 2021.
A couple of interesting features may be coming to iPhones, one in 2018. Appleinsider.com says we might see ‘Iris ID’ replace Touch ID, as Apple brings iris scanners to the iPhone family. Meanwhile, Samsung may introduce iris recognition tech in its flagship Galaxy S series this year. More exciting than Iris ID, Apple has patented a method of ‘autostereoscopic’ displays. This would allow for 3D without the special glasses. It uses a pixel array featuring a second array of subpixels and lens structures, the latter emitting light at a number of different angles. The key component though would be the “beam steerer,” pointing the correct light at the viewer. No word on when we might have this in our hands yet.
Distance Detector May Make Routers Safer; Transparent Wood Could Replace Glass
Posted: March 31, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cheaper solar panels, Drones, Hack Resistant, Transparent Wood, WiFi, Wood windows Leave a commentWhether it’s someone outside a cafe stealing WiFi, or concerns about someone snooping or hacking into your home system, geniuses at MIT have developed a slick solution. Engadget.com says that in the past, it took multiple routers to triangulate in order to figure out if someone was outside a business or your home, but the MIT engineers calculate ‘time of flight’ for the signal and then multiply by the speed of light to get the distance. It’s 20 times more accurate than triangulation, and can pick out a correct room in a home 94% of the time and if someone is outside a cafe 97% of the time. It also works with drones with a 2 inch margin of error. There’s already a working prototype, so your next router may be much better at keeping out thieves or hackers.
Transparent wood? What are those Swedes smoking? Actually, scientists at the Royal Institute of Technology have found a way to make transparent wood that is suitable for mass production. It can not only be used for eye catching architecture, but could lead to cheaper solar panels and windows. According to gizmodo.com, they strip out the organic compound that makes the wood brown, then add a polymer to increase strength and provide transparency. Veneer can be made from the material, and it can be laminated to make load bearing panels and beams. Hail resistant skylights could let in more natural light, and lower your heating bills. You may be spending more on curtains or blinds, though!
GM Buys Self-Driving Car Kit Startup; Mini Fuel Cell for Drones; & Apple’s Event
Posted: March 11, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Cruise Automation, Drones, General Motors, GM, iPad, iPhones, Lyft, Miniature Fuel Cell, Pohang University, Self Driving Cars Leave a commentGeneral Motors has announced it is acquiring San Francisco based Cruise Automation, which is making sensors to turn regular vehicles into self-driving ones. Techcrunch.com reports that the price is undisclosed, but Fortune reports its over a billion dollars. GM had already partnered with Lyft. GM President Dan Ammann says the automotive giant plans to integrate the Cruise tech into its fleet of vehicle brands as soon as possible! Since GM sells about 10 million cars a year worldwide and 3 million of those in the US, that would put a substantial number of self driving cars on the roads in just a few years!
Pohang University of Science and Technology has built a miniature fuel cell they say can keep a drone in the air for an hour, rather than the usual 15-20 minutes batteries provide. Slashdot.org says the miniature fuel cells could also find their way into smartphones and other devices in the near future. The new type of fuel cell is claimed to have increased performance and higher long term durability.
Apple sent out invites to the tech media yesterday to an event at Cupertino Monday, March 21st. In their usual cryptic style, it merely says ‘Let Us Loop You In.’ It’s widely expected that Apple will show the new 4 inch iPhone SE, a revamped 9.7 inch iPad which may get the Pro designation, and new bands for the Apple Watch. Since it’s Apple, there could always be ‘one more thing!’ Stay tuned!
Uber Launches Separate UberEats App; Drone Catcher Nets and Neutralizes Rogue Drones
Posted: March 4, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Airports, Drone catcher, Drones, Food delivery, OpenWorks Engineering, SkyWall100, Uber, UberEats Leave a commentThis week, Uber launched its free standing UberEats app, starting with service in Los Angeles. Availability will start to show up in other cities around the country through the month. Businessinsider.com says what had been just a lunch service will now be for lunch and dinner, and will allow for deliveries of select dishes or full-menu items from restaurants. After you order, a specially trained Uber driver equipped with lunch bags to keep food warm or cold will deliver the food while you track it with the app. Uber has designed to app to open with professionally shot pictures of food to entice you…they expect people to keep the app open even after the food is ordered…hence, the tracking feature.
A British company called OpenWorks Engineering has showed off the SkyWall100, a shoulder mounted cannon that can fire a projectile that catches potentially hazardous drones with a net instead of destroying them. According to gizmodo.com, the programmable projectile shot from the 22 pound compressed gas powered launcher can net the drone, then parachute it to the ground in one piece. The device is equipped with ECM jamming, too. It should be a big help in keeping places like airports clear, and allows for forensic analysis of the captured drone, to find out who was operating it.
Amazon Drones? How About Drones Launched From A Delivery Van?
Posted: July 29, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Cortana, Drones, Electric vans, FAA, Horsefly, Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Microsoft Edge, Windows 10, Windows 8 Leave a commentWhile Amazon is trying to get the FAA to let them use a band of protected airspace to fly their delivery drones in, Workhorse has applied to that agency for special permission to launch delivery drones from the back of its electric cargo vans! As the van tools around, the roof-mounted HorseFly UAV selects, transports, and drops off the correct parcel right outside its recipient’s front door. Besides driving the route, all the driver has to do is watch to make sure the drone’s landings go ok. Engadget.com reports that the HorseFly drone can fly for up to a half hour carrying 10 lbs. This idea may ‘fly’ better than Amazon’s plan to have drones fly from their warehouses all the way to people’s homes.
Yes, at long last, it’s here…and by most accounts, it’s good. The antidote to terrible Windows 8, Windows 10 is out. According to bgr.com…somewhat in jest…the best new feature is that it’s NOT Windows 8, but actually there’s a lot more. The beloved Start menu is back, for starters. Probably the best new feature is a decent web Browser called Microsoft Edge…which is faster, sleeker, and far less clunky than Internet ‘Exploder.’ Microsoft hasn’t actually killed old Internet Explorer yet, but will be nudging companies to leave it and move on. The Cortana voice assistant is pretty good, but doesn’t work with all systems…some computer microphones, for example, don’t support it well. You will see the update tool appear, but be aware unless you really want to dive into the weeds to update right away, you’ll be put in line for the update to be pushed out to you.
FAA Drone Study May Bring Good News For Amazon
Posted: May 6, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Apple Pay, CurrentC, Drones, FAA, Google, Home Depot, Paypal Leave a commentThe Federal Aviation Administration is beginning a study regarding drone flights beyond the pilot’s line of sight. Both Amazon and Google have clamored for this, and the Europeans are already getting ready for it. Geekwire.com notes that the present FAA policy-just set in February- limits drones to the pilot’s line of sight.
Home Depot is upgrading its point of sale equipment, and working towards accepting Apple Pay at all of its 2000 stores. Bloomberg.com says that would make the chain the largest retailer to accept Apple Pay. Home Depot doesn’t yet have an agreement with Apple, but already accepts PayPal, and is looking at including other kinds of mobile payment, too. This would presumably include CurrentC, the still developing pay system from the Merchant Customer Exchange.
Uber Testing a Huge Delivery Program
Posted: April 29, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Drones, Embry-Riddle, Hugo Boss, Kansas State, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, same-day delivery, Spring, Tiffany, UAS, Uber, Uber Merchant, UberRush, University of North Dakota Leave a commentOn the heels of the roll out of UberEats food delivery in 4 cities, word is out that Uber is stealthily testing a gigantic delivery program. According to techcrunch.com, Uber is testing same day delivery with both UberRush couriers and Uber drivers. Talks are underway with Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Hugo Boss, and others. They are partnering with Spring…the mobile shopping app…for part of the testing. Apparently, part of the plan includes Uber drivers being able to take both passengers and Uber Merchant orders simultaneously using an intelligent routing system.
Here’s a forward looking area of college study…UAS…unmanned aircraft systems…drones, to the rest of us. Kansas State University, University of North Dakota, and Embry-Riddle now all offer a bachelor’s degree in UAS operations. Arstechnica.com says grads from North Dakota and K-State receive Commercial and/or Private Pilot Certificates…Embry-Riddle students can as well with a course option. All of the programs started with a handful of students, but are now up to triple digits.
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