Mercedes backs a startup to shape the future of delivery drones
Mercedes-Benz probably isn’t the first name you associate with delivery drones, but it’s committing to those robotic couriers in a big way. The automaker has invested in drone logistics developer Matternet, and the two have worked together on a Vision Van concept (above) that would make delivery drones more practical. The electric vehicle amounts to a last-mile launching pad: drones can grab packages from its “fully automated” cargo space and fly a relatively short distance to complete deliveries that would be impractical (or just slow) for a human courier. And when it would connect everyone from the distribution center to recipients, it would manage deliveries that aren’t usually feasible today — same-day delivery at a specific time, for instance, rather than making a best effort.
You’re probably not going to see this van roving around your neighborhood any time soon. Mercedes hasn’t said anything about translating it to a production vehicle, which isn’t surprising when delivery drone regulation is still nebulous at best. Its 168-mile maximum range is also a limiting factor when courier vans drive many, many miles on any given day. Even so, the Vision Van is promising. It hints at how delivery drones might work in the real world: instead of flying from a central warehouse, where range and time would be limiting factors, they’d only have to fly short hops.
Source: Daimler
Android Pay hits the web via Chrome
Android Pay is about to work in many, many more places. As promised, Google is bringing Android Pay to the web. If you use Chrome to shop at online stores like 1-800-Flowers and Groupon, you can soon rely on Android’s official mobile payment system to check out faster and more securely than usual (it doesn’t share account info with stores, for one thing). Also, you may want to get in the habit of using Android Pay if you’re fond of ridesharing. It’s the first mobile wallet to tie into Uber’s Payment Rewards program, giving you discounts when you use Android Pay. Uber is marking the occasion with a US promo that gives travelers half of 10 of their rides when they use Android Pay with the service.
This latest expansion also adds some much-needed support for major banks. Americans can finally use Chase’s numerous Visa cards with Android Pay, while British users will get to add Santander or TSB cards in the “coming weeks.” Google’s tap-to-pay tech still has a limited reach at this stage (just ask anyone outside of the US and UK), but it’s definitely growing.
Source: Android Official Blog, Uber
Project Ara’s death is bad news for the weird side of Google
Last week, Google announced that it was killing Project Ara, the company’s modular smartphone initiative. Ara was easily one of the coolest and strangest things Google was working on, but the project always felt like a bit of a longshot. In this world of carefully-built, sealed-up iPhones and Galaxy devices, it didn’t feel like there was much room for Ara’s intriguing but bizarre swappable hardware modules. But Ara was one of the best examples out there of “Weird Google,” and Ara’s death is the latest clue that the experimental side of the company might be in trouble.
To fully understand this weird side of the company, let’s step back to Google I/O 2013. Larry Page made one of the more bizarre speeches you might hear from a CEO of one of the world’s biggest organizations. Page (now CEO of Google parent company Alphabet) advocated setting aside part of the world for unregulated experimentation. “There are many exciting things you could do that are illegal or not allowed by regulation,” Page said. “And that’s good, we don’t want to change the world. But maybe we can set aside a part of the world.” That pretty much sums up what I think of when I talk about what makes Google (pleasantly) weird.
Or I should say weird Alphabet. Most of the company’s more radical initiatives are now technically under the parent company rather than Google itself. But, just about all of the curious things came out when it was all known as Google. Sure, the company’s traditional products — Search, Android, Maps, Gmail and the massive ad business that pays for everything — are both extremely successful and exciting to see develop. But it was always the off-beat side of the company where a lot of fascinating projects were born — and it feels like that part of Alphabet and Google is going away.
Project Ara’s shutdown came after a year of back-and-forth about the initiative’s future. Last year’s pilot launch in Puerto Rico was cancelled, and rumors swirled about the project’s future for a while after that. Despite that, just three months, Ara made a surprise appearance ago at Google I/O. Staff showed off working phones and said that a developer model would be ready by the end of 2016. It even said a consumer-ready product would be on sale in 2017.
But eventually Google switched course, and there’s a lot to read into about Ara’s demise. The reason that this particular death is so significant to the weird Google trend is what it says about the Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group where Ara was born. The modular phone initiative was its most visible and potentially useful concept project. Especially now that the augmented reality Project Tango is in products shipping to consumers soon. Without Ara, it’s easy to feel like ATAP is a bit adrift. Sure, that Project Jacquard Levi’s jacket with sensor fabric is cool, but it’s not exactly a mainstream product just yet.
Further reinforcing the issue is the loss of ATAP head Regina Dugan, who recently left the group for the relatively safe and stable confines of Facebook. Dugan came to Google from DARPA, a secretive research department in the Pentagon, and quickly became a huge advocate for the ATAP group — under her direction, the group publicly proclaimed they were a “band of pirates trying to do epic shit,” and they lived up to that promise with ideas like Ara and Tango.
But now Dugan’s gone, Ara is dead, and a number of Google’s more experimental high-profile projects are struggling. Recode reported a few weeks ago that Alphabet’s secretive “moonshot” X lab was struggling to get products out of the experimental phase and out the door, with the Google / Alphabet reorganization imposing more red tape and difficulties on the team.
Google Fiber, the company’s superfast home internet initiative, is having trouble launching in cities where it has promised to deliver — and Page reportedly wants to cut the size of the team in half. Page and fellow Google co-founder Sergey Brin are both said to be concerned about the costs associated with deploying the fiber-optic internet networks, and another report claims the company is forgoing fiber and using wireless to deliver internet when it launches in Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas.
Image credit: Reuters/George Frey
There’s also the departure of Nest CEO Tony Fadell, which came after reports of infighting between Fadell and Dropcam CEO Greg Duffy — who came on board when Google bought the security camera company. Fadell claimed some members of the Dropcam team were “not as good as we’d hoped” in an interview with The Information; Duffy then publicly challenged Fadell to release Nest’s financials and show just how the division was doing. Oh, and this all happened before Fadell even left Nest.
Speaking of Nest, Google Glass ended up part of the same division after the original pilot program unceremoniously shut down in January of 2015. We’ve heard basically nothing substantive about the project since. And Google also sold off Niantic, the company first responsible for the augmented reality game Ingress that has now built a little title you may have heard of: Pokémon Go.
Image credit: Sait Serkan Gurbuz/Reuters
Of course, turmoil and difficulty is to be expected when you’re working on wild projects, many of them right out in the public eye. Companies like Apple would never put something like Ara or Glass through what amounts to very pubic alpha and beta test programs, so it’s not surprising that things need to be rethought or shuttered entirely. There’s still Alphabet’s fascinating self-driving cars, Project Loon’s internet-via-balloon program and the super-cheap Project Fi cell phone service to be excited about, to name just a few of Alphabet’s more disruptive plans. And the company’s huge ad business still pays for nearly everything happening at Alphabet, allowing for this sort of experimentation.
But from a business perspective, the Google division continues to earn money hand over fist while Alphabet hasn’t found any other area that can reliably make a profit yet. Perhaps the turmoil of the last year or so has been to refocus on the experimental bets that are most likely to pay off in the long run. The strategy could end up proving itself to be a smart one — but that doesn’t mean we won’t miss Project Ara and the other initiatives that used to be the hallmark of Weird Google.
Sony Announces Three New Bluetooth Headphones
Ahead of the reveal of the iPhone 7, which is largely expected to usher in a new era of user interest in wireless headphones thanks to the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, Sony recently unveiled three new wireless headphone options for its customers (via SlashGear). Each of the three Bluetooth headphones couple together high-quality sound with Sony’s “Extra Bass” technology, along with high-rated resistance to the elements for sports-related activities on two of the models.
The first, most expensive set is the XB80BS Sports In-ear Headphones ($149.99), which come with a splash-proof IPX5 design that allows users to wear them in heavy rain and even clean them in water. In addition to being the most waterproofed of Sony’s new headphones, the XB80BS also packs in the highest quality sound with “high fidelity wireless streaming” thanks to Bluetooth and LDAC technology for up to seven hours of music listening.
From left to right: the $150, $100, and $80 models of Sony’s new Bluetooth headphones
The mid-range, XB70BT Bluetooth In-ear Headphones ($99.99) are a slight step down in comparison, with an overall lack of waterproofing and high-quality music streaming, that’s compensated for with a focus on smartphone interactivity. Thanks to in-line remote controls with phone call and music playback functionality (lacking on the other headphones), along with 9 hours of battery life, Sony’s XB70BT headphones are aimed more at daily casual users who don’t need an emphasis on sports-related resistance.
Lastly, the company’s cheapest new headphones, the XB50BS Sports Bluetooth In-ear Headphones ($79.99), brings all of the same Extra Bass technology and wireless connectivity with a splash-proof IPX4 rating. Sony says this will let users keep a workout going “even in light rain,” so water submersion capabilities of the XB80BS aren’t the focus of the cheaper model. The battery on the XB50BS lasts 8.5 hours.
The $150 and $80 models come in three colors, including black, red, and blue, while the $100 version is only available in black. All three can be purchased through Sony’s website and Amazon, although each listing on Amazon marks the headphones as temporarily out of stock. The company also announced three new wired headphones along with the trio of Bluetooth options.
Tag: Sony
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Apple Has Filed Trademarks for ‘A10 Fusion’ and ‘iSight Duo’
Just hours after lawyer Brian Conroy unearthed several Apple trademark filings, including iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, Iris Engine, AirPod Case, Touch Bar, Smart Button, Control Strip, and more, MacRumors reader Ryan Simmons has uncovered additional trademark applications for “A10 Fusion” and “iSight Duo” filed in Brunei.
“iSight Duo” would be a logical name for the iPhone 7 Plus’ widely rumored dual-lens camera system, but what “A10 Fusion” could represent is less clear. Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to have faster A10 chips, while Apple’s only use of “Fusion” is for the Fusion Drive, which combines flash (SSD) and hard drive (HDD) storage into a single volume on select iMac and Mac mini models.
Both trademark applications were filed on June 8, 2016, while Simmons also uncovered recent trademark filings for “Depth” and “Writeboard,” which could be features or functions related to the Apple Pencil. Assuming the “iSight Duo” dual-camera system has one telephoto lens, as rumored, “Depth” could alternatively pertain to depth of field photos on iPhone 7 Plus.
It is likely that Apple’s announcements at its iPhone event in San Francisco today will shed light on at least some of the trademark filings uncovered over the past two days. The keynote begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the proceedings.
Tags: trademark, A10 Fusion, iSight Duo
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AT&T uses loophole to deny low-income internet discounts
AT&T is using a technicality to refuse its FCC-mandated “Access From AT&T” discount program to families who should qualify for it, according to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). In an absurd twist, the loophole is that its broadband speeds in the affected areas are too slow.
As a condition for AT&T’s merger with DirecTV, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that it offer $5 or $10 internet service to people on the SNAP low-income assistance program. If internet speeds were between 3-5 Mbps, folks would pay $5 per month, or $10 per month for speeds between 5-10 Mbps. So, if speeds are lower than 3 Mbps, do folks then pay $5 per month or less?
Not according to AT&T. When the NDIA asked the company to apply the program to neighborhoods with speeds of 1.5 Mbps, it refused. “AT&T is not prepared to expand the low income offer to additional speed tiers beyond those established as a condition of the merger approval,” the company replied in a statement. As a result, poor families that should qualify for the $5 program must pay $30 per month (and more after 12 months) for a service well below the definition of “broadband.”
The FCC’s order states that “where AT&T has deployed broadband service at top speeds below 5 Mbps, the company shall offer wireline broadband internet … at speeds of at least 3 Mbps, where technically available, to qualifying households in the company’s wireline footprint for no more than $5 per month.” In effect, AT&T is saying that the “where technically available” clause exempts it from providing the low-income program in areas where, ironically, it has failed to upgrade its service.
AT&T told the Daily Dot that “the vast majority of the locations where we offer internet service are able to subscribe to internet speed tiers at 3Mbps or higher.” It added that the 3 Mbps cutoff was “determined by the FCC.” However, the NDIA points out that 21 percent of subscribers in Detroit and Cleveland (above), mostly in low-income, inner-city neighborhoods, have 1.5 Mbps or lower speeds.
AT&T’s response is very unfortunate for tens of thousands of households in the company’s 21-state service territory who may need affordable internet access the most, but who happen to live in places … where AT&T has failed to upgrade its residential service to provide reasonable speeds.
The FCC declared last year that the internet is an essential utility for consumers, not an optional luxury, a decision backed by a US district court. The ruling gives it much broader latitude to regulate internet prices and other aspects of service. Utilities like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon disagree, however, saying the order hurts competition and infrastructure development, and that they’ll battle it all the way to the Supreme Court. (Engadget has reached out to the FCC and AT&T for comment.)
While AT&T may be within its rights to do no more than the FCC requires, the NDIA was disappointed by the decision. “AT&T’s response is very unfortunate for tens of thousands of households in the company’s 21-state service territory who may need affordable internet access the most, but who happen to live in places –- both city neighborhoods and rural communities –- where AT&T has failed to upgrade its residential service to provide reasonable speeds,” it said in a blog post.
Via: Daily Dot
Source: NDIA
TiVo’s new network DVR just passed through the FCC
TiVo is dropping the ax on its oldest DVRs at the end of this month, but Zatz Not Funny points to an FCC filing that might show what’s next for the company. Thanks to the documents themselves, there’s not a lot of confusion about what the device is. Dubbed the Mantis (for now) this box breaks from previous TiVo hardware by lacking any kind of video out. Instead, the owner plugs in an antenna, while the Mantis takes care of recording and transcoding video that then streams to other devices over the network.
The TiVO Inc. model TCD84A000 (Mantis) is a network DVR that is designed to receive OTA broadcast video and transcodes and send it out as a network stream either wired or wireless.
If it sounds familiar, that’s probably due to competitors like Tablo and Simple.tv offering similar products. I couldn’t find any notes in the document pointing to built-in storage, although the diagrams don’t seem to show a device with space for a large built-in drive — whether that means BYO hard-drive or some kind of cloud-based network DVR setup remains to be seen.
In a recent chat with users, TiVo CMO Ira Bahr indicated the company will announce a new product on September 15th during the CEDIA event in Dallas, which is probably going to be an upgraded version of the 4K-capable Bolt. Zatz and forum posters figure this is actually another device, which Bahr said will debut during CES to compete with streaming boxes. We’ll probably have to wait until then to see if TiVo does anything with the Aereo name, or if it adds streaming clients for connected TV devices other than the Fire TV.
Via: Zatz Not Funny, TiVo Community
Source: TiVo TCD84A000 (FCC)
Tesla builds a fleet of mobile Model X showrooms
Tesla has announced that it’s launching a fleet of mobile showrooms to spread the gospel of electric vehicles across America. The company has purchased six Airstream trailers and fitted them out as Tesla-branded “Design Studios,” (shops) towed by a Model X SUV. Would-be purchasers are encouraged to hang out, pick out what sort of trim they’d choose and chat to the company’s “product specialists” (salespeople).
The craft will travel across the US and reach the places where there isn’t — yet — a brick-and-mortar dealership. That said, the first stops on the cross-country tour are all cited close to existing Tesla locations, including Portland, Seattle and Tampa. Users in other locations, however, are encouraged to request a car visit their hometown on the Tesla Explores website.
It’ll be interesting to see if Tesla spends a long time touring these vehicles in states where its sales model is outlawed. For instance, in Texas, the dealership lobby fought hard against the company’s direct-to-consumer business. Will these booths, in which users can effectively pre-order a car online, much as they could at home, constitute a violation? Probably.
Source: Tesla Explores
Instagram Begins Phasing Out ‘Photo Maps’ From User Profiles
Photo-sharing service Instagram has begun removing its GPS-aggregating “Photo Maps” feature from user profiles. Some of Instagram’s users may have already noticed that Photo Maps is gone when visiting another profile, with Instagram confirming to Mashable that it began phasing out the feature last week.
Photo Maps will remain on your own profile tab “for now,” but the company is expected to begin removing it from there as well in the near future. The simple reason behind its removal is how little the feature was used by the social network’s 500 million monthly active users, especially in comparison to popular features in the app, like the Explore tab.
“Photo Map was not widely used, so we’ve decided to remove the feature and focus on other priorities,” the company said in a statement.
The company confirmed that geotagged locations in individual Instagram posts will remain, so “you’ll still be able to click on a location tag in an individual post and see other photos from that location as well as a small map.” The move is believed to be a part of the social network’s move towards capturing ground from rival Snapchat, while leaving behind parts of its service that don’t generate much in the way of user activity.
Tag: Instagram
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Wayfair Will Support Apple Pay in Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac at Launch
Wayfair today became one of the first major retailers to announce forthcoming support for Apple Pay on the web for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. On iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, customers will be able to purchase items from the e-commerce website’s catalog of more than 7 million furniture and home décor products by tapping or clicking the Apple Pay button and authenticating with Touch ID.
MacRumors mockup of Apple Pay checkout option on Wayfair’s mobile website
Apple Pay support in Safari will eliminate the need to directly enter and store credit card and payment information in the browser when making online purchases. It will also eliminate the need for customers to download a store’s app to make a payment with Apple Pay. At WWDC 2016 in June, Apple said that many merchants have already agreed to support the mobile payments service on the web at launch.
Apple Pay is currently available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, and Singapore, and Apple lists web support as “coming this fall” in all of those regions except the U.K. on its website. Earlier this year, Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey said Apple is “working rapidly” to expand the service to additional countries in Asia and Europe.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Safari
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