Google’s Self-Driving Cars Invade Texas

Posted: July 8, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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!

‘Googlemobiles’ Will Be On The Loose This Summer

Posted: May 15, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t look now…but look later! ‘Googlemobiles’ will be hitting the public pavement in Mountain View this summer. Yes, according to the official google blog, self-driving Google cars will be tooling around…albeit with a safety driver aboard, and limited to 25 miles per hour. Google notes that 94% of crashes are caused by human error. The second generation Google cars still look like a VW Beetle that’s been hit with an ugly stick, but there’s plenty of time to get the styling right later after self driving is perfected.

Amazon may be working on making its Prime membership more valuable to members. Cnet.com reports that they have been reaching out to third party merchants, looking into letting them shop goods directly to customers, instead of drop shipping the goods to Amazon first. This would make a lot more goods in on the free two day shipping, and also expand the selection of goods available to you that way. It’s likely that the reports that Walmart is going to test free 3 day shipping this summer for a $50 annual fee is pushing Amazon to sweeten their Prime membership, which is $100.