US Senate reaches deal on self-driving cars

Democrats and Republicans can’t get on the same page about most things, but robots driving cars is apparently a-okay no matter your political affiliation. After the House approved a bipartisan pact, both sides in the Senate agreed to a deal making it easier for Ford, GM and other automakers to get self-driving cars on public roads. “We expect adoption of self-driving vehicle technologies will save lives, improve mobility for people with disabilities, and create new jobs,” Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Gary Peters (D-MI) said in a statement.

Industry has been seeking US approval of autonomous cars without steering wheels and pedals, provided regulators find them to be safe (as it stands now, self-driving vehicles must have human controls). It also wants the law to prevent individual states from blocking the use of self-driving cars. According to Reuters sources, the bill won’t include commercial trucks.

The House measure allows car companies to sell up to 25,000 self-driving cars with no controls in the first, year and up to 100,000 by year three, as long as the vehicles are found as safe as current models with human controls. After it passed the bill, it seemed like the Senate’s stamp, and therefore passage of the law, was a fait accompli. However, things were a bit thornier, as the Senate has reportedly been negotiating over the inclusion of trucks and issues with self-driving lawsuits currently in progress.

We expect adoption of self-driving vehicle technologies will save lives, improve mobility for people with disabilities, and create new jobs.

Automakers like Ford and GM, along with Waymo, Uber and other tech firms, have also lobbied for legislation that’s consistent from state to state. They’ve complained, for instance, that too-strict California rules are are impeding self-driving progress. With the law, states could reportedly control registration, licensing, liability and insurance but not interfere with technological standards.

We’ll know exactly what’s in the law later today, but as of now, no tech or auto companies are even close to being able to put driverless cars with no human controls on public roads. When it does happen, the US Department of Transport (DoT) and most experts agree that they’ll reduce road deaths considerably. After all, the AI and sensors never have lapses in concentration and aren’t, obviously, affected by drugs or alcohol.

As it stands, only one car company — Audi, with the A8 — has released a commercial vehicle with level 3 self-driving capability (stay tuned to see how that works). That allows you to look away from the road and do other things during certain phases of driving, but you still must be ready to take the wheel at any time. For a car without driver controls to be feasible, you need level five autonomy — and by all accounts, we’re still far from that.

Source: Reuters

Google Play matches Apple’s $20 price for select 4K titles

Two weeks ago, Apple announced that 4K HDR titles would be available in the iTunes store to go along with the 4K Apple TV. Ultra HD movies were priced at just $20, which led Amazon to recently follow suit. And now Google has done the same — select 4K movies in the Play store are priced at $20.

We reached out to Google for comment, and they confirmed that the price change is new. A representative stated, “We always look to offer consumers competitive pricing on Google Play and have been working closely with our studio partners to do so.” It makes sense that they’d move to match Apple’s and Amazon’s pricing.

Google introduced the 4K compatible Chromecast Ultra last November and added 4K media to its Play Store in December. To see Google Play’s current Ultra HD offerings, you can simply input “4K movies” into the store’s search box.

Via: TechCrunch

Apple Music Now Has Over 30M Paid Subscribers, Up from 27M in June

In an interview with Billboard posted today, Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine has discussed a number of topics related to the streaming music service’s “long game,” including its growth over the past three months. At WWDC in June, Apple mentioned that Apple Music had 27 million paid subscribers, and today the company confirmed to Billboard that it has now reached “well over” 30 million.

Iovine was enthusiastic about Apple Music’s growth, but admitted that simply adding more subscribers, launching entire back catalogues through record label deals, and staying on the forefront of new hits isn’t enough to maintain Apple’s presence in the streaming music market. “I just don’t think streaming is enough as it is,” he said.

“I believe we’re in the right place, we have the right people and the right attitude to not settle for what exists right now.” But ultimately? “Just because we’re adding millions of subscribers and the old catalog numbers are going up, that’s not the trick. That’s just not going to hold.”

“I just don’t think streaming is enough as it is. I don’t agree that all things are going to be OK [just] because Apple came into streaming and the numbers went up. Look at the catalog: It’s a matter of time before the ’60s become the ’50s and the ’50s become the ’40s. The people that are listening to the ’60s will die — I’m one of them. Life goes on. So you have to help the artists create new stuff that they would never be able to do on their own.”

Apple Music’s main rival remains Spotify, which counted 60 million paid subscribers in July. Spotify has continued to grow faster than Apple Music thanks to the former streaming service’s free tier that allows users to listen to music interspersed with advertisements, which Apple Music does not have.

Apple’s offer for new users is a three-month free trial to test out the service before deciding to pay the $9.99/month price point. In May, Iovine said that if Apple Music did have a free tier, “it would have 400 million people on it” and make his job easier, but he and Apple believe in focusing everything into creating a quality experience for the people who are paid subscribers, making them “feel special” in the process.

Check out Billboard’s full interview with Jimmy Iovine, Zane Lowe, and Larry Jackson right here. Other topics discussed include how the Apple Music team discovers new artists, Spotify’s plan to go public, and Iovine’s belief that while Apple Music is good where it’s at, the company is “not even close” to being done with iterating and adding onto its features.

Tags: Jimmy Iovine, Apple Music
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Faces Renewed Pressure to Enable FM Radio Chip in iPhones Amid Strong Hurricane Season

A series of powerful storms over the past six weeks, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, has placed renewed pressure on Apple to enable the FM radio capabilities of the wireless modem in every iPhone.

The biggest push continues to come from the National Association of Broadcasters, a lobbying group that represents over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States, according to Bloomberg.

“Broadcasters are providing information on how to evacuate quickly, where flood waters are raging, how to get out of harm’s way if there’s a tornado or a hurricane,” said Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters. “The notion that Apple or anyone else would block this type of information is something that we find fairly troubling.”

Both the Qualcomm and Intel chips that enable Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity in every iPhone have a built-in FM tuner that would allow people to listen to FM radio over the air. Apple has not enabled the functionality, forcing users to use an app to stream FM radio over Wi-Fi or cellular data.

Powerful storms can leave thousands or millions of people without power or cellular service for weeks or even months, however, which can make it difficult or impossible to listen to FM radio over Wi-Fi or cellular.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai also renewed his calls for smartphone manufacturers to enable the chip during a recent trip to areas of southern Florida devastated by Hurricane Irma earlier this month, according to the report.

Pai, speaking with ABC affiliate WPBF 25 in West Palm Beach, said the chip is especially valuable “when it’s an emergency.”

“The FM chip is a valuable functionality, not just when times are good or when it helps you save battery life or reduces congestion on the wireless network, but especially when it’s an emergency. People want to tune in to the radio broadcast and get emergency information and this can be a valuable way of doing that,” said Pai.

In February, at the Future of Radio and Audio Symposium in Washington D.C., Pai said “radio is vital” when disaster strikes.

When disaster strikes, often knocking out cell networks and Internet service, over-the-air radio is a lifeline, providing the latest weather forecasts or directions on where to seek shelter or relief assistance. After hurricanes or tornadoes or fires or floods, time and again, we see an exponential surge in radio audiences.

He added that most consumers would enjoy the ability to access free content over the air, like music on FM radio stations, which some critics believe is a key reason why Apple hasn’t enabled the functionality.

It seems odd that every day we hear about a new smartphone app that lets you do something innovative, yet these modern-day mobile miracles don’t enable a key function offered by a 1982 Sony Walkman.

You could make a case for activating chips on public safety grounds alone. The former head of our Federal Emergency Management Administration has spoken out in support of this proposal. […]

Moreover, most consumers would love to access some of their favorite content over-the-air, while using one-sixth of the battery life and less data. As more and more Americans use activated FM chips in their smartphones, consumer demand for smartphones with activated FM chips should continue to increase.

Pai noted that he is a believer in free markets and the rule of law, and he thereby cannot support a government mandate requiring activation of these chips, nor does he believe the FCC has the power to issue such a mandate.

Apple declined to comment on the report, and its stance on the activation of FM receivers in iPhones remains unclear.

Tag: FM radio
Discuss this article in our forums

iPhone 8 Shows Modest Improvements in Cellular Network Bandwidth Tests

With a number of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus devices now in the hands of users, Ookla’s network benchmarking suite Speedtest.net has been able to gather data on how the latest iPhones are performing compared to previous-generation models and has shared details with PCMag.

Based on data collected by Ookla, improvements appear to be around the 10 percent mark for most users, but users in Australia could expect up to nearly 25 percent faster speeds thanks to their network structure. Those users can expect up to the full 80 MHz carrier aggregation bandwidth in the phone due to Telestra’s use of the appropriate bands.

iPhone 8 download speeds compared to previous generations
Beyond speed comparisons to previous-generation iPhones, PCMag also compares the iPhone 8’s cellular architecture to competing phones, such as the Galaxy S8.

The iPhone 8 is missing one of the components needed for gigabit LTE, or LTE category 16, in the US. The Qualcomm X16 modem can do Category 16, as we’ve seen on the Galaxy S8 and Moto Z2 Force. The phone supports 256QAM encoding and 4x carrier aggregation to 80MHz of spectrum, but not 4×4 MIMO antennas, which would improve both speed and signal strength. In theory, that would make this an 800Mbps phone, also known as LTE category 15.

The lack of 4×4 MIMO antennas is something we touched on at MacRumors on Tuesday. While the Qualcomm and Intel modems in the new iPhones are likely more power efficient, the cellular front-end and back-end supporting them are largely unchanged in structure from the iPhone 7 models.

The article goes on to point out can that this can result in loss of coverage due to deficient receiver diversity compared to other phones, complete with a New York subway test.

The lack of 4×4 MIMO is probably why the iPhone still falls short of the Galaxy S8 when it comes to recovering from dead zones, a notorious iPhone problem. We took an iPhone 8 and Galaxy S8 on the New York City subway, where they dropped in and out of T-Mobile coverage. The Galaxy S8 recovered faster in 8 out of 11 tests, and where it did, it was an average of 16 seconds faster than the iPhone at regaining LTE signal; when the iPhone won, it did so by 5 seconds on average.

Users looking for an unlocked iPhone should probably still opt for the Verizon or Sprint model, featuring the Qualcomm modem. While it boasts higher peak speeds than the Intel modems in aggregated user data, it is not clear whether it is superior for coverage, which would require more in-depth testing.

Finally, users looking ahead to the iPhone X should expect the same dichotomy of models and performance, given the iPhone X’s tech specs page matches that of the iPhone 8 models in number of models and bands supported. The form factor will likely not have any impact on the antenna structures that will directly impact users in a meaningful way.

Moving forward, adopting 4×4 MIMO antenna structure would be one of the biggest advancements Apple could make for future iPhones’ speed and coverage robustness.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8
Tags: Intel, Qualcomm
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Blizzard’s Battle.net mobile app is strictly social

With its original moniker intact (sort of), Blizzard Battle.net is making the jump to mobile. The online gaming platform already boasts a desktop portal, through which players can install and patch games, voice chat, message one another, and livestream their gameplay to Facebook. Its brand-spanking new iOS and Android apps, on the other hand, offer a pared-down service focusing entirely on the social aspect.

Battle.net for mobile essentially functions as a messaging app, and even then it’s a bit limited. Still, some of you out there will probably be relieved to learn that it’s a filter and sticker-free zone. Upon logging in, you’ll be able to send and receive friend requests, find users via their Battletag or email address, text chat, and see what your buddies are playing. Like other social networks, the app even uses QR codes to help you connect with pals. For now, that’s pretty much it, but this is just the beginning. To sustain interest, Blizzard could emulate the Steam mobile app by adding the ability to remotely download and install titles.

Naturally, it’s all about getting your gaming organized on the go. For example, when you’re out and about, you can jump on the Battle.net app to see who’s online (and what they’re playing), and then message them to arrange a sesh. That way, when you reach home, everything should be in place — if you have a disciplined clan, that is.

Source: Blizzard

NVIDIA’s Shield TV is the latest home for Google Assistant

Last month at IFA, we heard that more Google Assistant-integrating speakers and appliances were on the way. Today, NVIDIA’s Shield TV joins the list, adding the search giant’s digital assistant SDK to its retinue of entertainment features. In short, instead of a paltry speaker, you’ll be able to use your entire home theater setup to command your life, one ‘Okay Google’ at a time.

The Shield TV update also adds Samsung’s SmartThings integration, allowing owners to turn their set-top box into a connected device hub. And the recent price drop for the basic Shield TV-plus-remote price down to $180 for makes it an even more attractive option. With more devices supporting Google Assistant every day, like LG’s appliances, NVIDIA’s set-top box owners might start seeing their device as less of an entertainment portal and more of a hub for their connected home.

Osmo Mindracers puts real Hot Wheels on crazy virtual tracks

Hot Wheels will be celebrating its 50th anniversary soon and, even in an era where kids spend a lot of time on smartphones and tablets, they also still play with little die-cast metal vehicles on plastic orange track. But the venerable toy car brand can also be found on handheld devices, making its entry into AR earlier this year with Track Builder, which allowed users to build their own Hot Wheels setup in simulated space by moving their phone around. Last holiday season the company also brought video game mechanics into the real world with Hot Wheels AI, which put computer-controlled cars onto a real track with virtual pitfalls. With their newest product Mindracers, Hot Wheels and Osmo have flipped that dynamic around. Now those metal cars can be dropped into virtual worlds to race, the kind of places kids used to only see in their imagination.

Osmo is best known for its line of learning toys that combine physical play and an iPad: A mirror is clipped at the top of a vertically-propped iPad running the app, allowing it to see blocks and other toy shapes that are placed on the table below. The Osmo system’s been used to teach words, shapes and even music, but Mindracers represents the company’s first product built for play more than education.

The idea is that the camera will recognize the cars placed in front of the camera, and then put those exact vehicles onto virtual tracks representing popular flights of fantasy like under the sea and in space. But, rather than ask kids to simply push around a toy car in front of their iPad, Mindracers also borrows another staple from the Hot Wheels legacy: a plastic track.

In the real world, Mindracers games will take place on a plastic base included with every set, which holds the iPad at one end and has two tracks for cars on the other. When the buttons on each side are pushed, the cars are released onto the track, with the iPad camera scanning them as they zip by underneath into the tunnel. It’s a little elaborate and even unnecessary, but it does add a bit of playful grandeur to the start of each race. Additionally, if the players release their cars at just the right time, they see a boost in the virtual race itself.

The velocity each vehicle reaches depends on a series of tokens each player gets. These red or blue discs are thrown onto the track throughout the race, with the ability to speed up your car or hinder the opponent. There’s a bit of strategy in figuring out what to throw down and when. Each disc has a unique pattern on it so they can only be used once per race; a kid can’t just keep picking them back up to reuse them, forcing the child to be choosy with how they play. But it’s still possible to mess with the system in other ways, like blocking your opponents’ tokens with your own or even obscuring the camera entirely. For Osmo CEO Pramod Sharma, this is all fine because the company wants to encourage experimentation and creative thinking.

Mindracers has the typical two-player head-to-head mode, but there are also co-op challenges in the game, as Osmo found that kids actually preferred working together toward a common goal.

The basic Mindracers set will include the plastic track base and a set of five cars. The larger kit includes a detachable base for the iPad that makes it possible to use the set with other Osmo games like Masterpiece and Newton, included as part of the package. Almost everything snaps together so the set can be stored as one piece; there’s even has a compartment for the tokens. The one thing that can’t be tucked away in the track base are the cars themselves, which come with their own carrying case.

The full kit includes five cars, a varied mix of shapes and sizes. But you won’t find familiar car makes like Ferrari or Lamborghini, due to licensing costs. The toys included with the set instead draw from Hot Wheels’ inventory of original designs, with the specific selection chosen after polling both boys and girls over which ones they preferred. So there’s a sleek silver and orange one, a flame-decaled red number shaped like a cat and even an ice-blue dragon vehicle with pink wings. Mindracers is designed to work specifically with these cars and they’ll appear as animated avatars in the game. However, any car can be used; it just won’t get a specialized avatar. There are plans to expand the number of vehicles represented on-screen, including the possibility of adding more licensed brands.

The Mindracers game is available starting today, in two configurations: There’s the basic game with just the base track and cars, which will run you $59, while a larger kit including the Osmo base and games goes for $79. That’s a bit pricey compared to an old fashioned plastic track layout, which tend to start around $20 for a small set. But it also takes up a lot less space in your home, and lets two kids play at the same time — two things adults with messy children prone to squabbles will appreciate. In fact, parents might want to join in too, reliving their own childhood Hot Wheels experiences while experiencing something brand new with their kids.

Yes, Mario was punching Yoshi in the head

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Is pineapple on pizza right or wrong? Was Mario punching Yoshi in the head or pointing in the direction he wanted to go? These are the questions that destroy friendships and melt internet forums, but finally, we have an answer for the latter. Mario was straight-up smacking Yoshi in the face — Nintendo’s developers say so.

In a recent interview on Nintendo’s official site, Takashi Tezuka and Shigefumi Hino discuss the creation of Super Mario World and its character development. “Lots of people think that while Mario is pointing his finger forward, he’s saying ‘Go,’ and Yoshi’s tongue comes out,” Hino reveals. “However, the set up that I drew was that when Mario punches Yoshi in the head, the character’s tongue shoots out in surprise.” But what about the fact that Mario says “go”? Hino says that originally the sound effect was a “bop” noise, but “it seemed like people would say ‘Poor Yoshi’,” so it was replaced by Mario’s dialogue instead. Finally we know the dark truth, and poor Yoshi indeed, suffering at the hands of Mario the monster all these years. Still, back to the pineapple.

Via: Kotaku

ROLI BLOCKS Modular Music System Gains Next-Generation ‘Lightpad Block M’

ROLI, the company that makes a fun music creation system called BLOCKS, today announced the launch of its next-generation Lightpad Block, the Lightpad Block M.

The Lightpad Block M is a light-up square grid that supports pressure-based multi-touch gestures to make music. The Lightpad M can recreate the sounds of drums, cellos, flutes, and hundreds of other instruments with just a touch.

Compared to the previous-generation Lightpad Block, ROLI says the Lightpad M is more sensitive and precise, and it’s 50 percent brighter with a deeper, softer silicone top layer that enhances control and a higher contrast display that offers up a wider range of colors.

The silicone of the Lightpad M also includes new tactile microkeywaves for better feedback compared to the flat surface of the first Lightpad Block.

The Lightpad M Block is designed to work with the other components in the ROLI BLOCKS modular system, including the Seaboard Block, the Live Block, the Loop Block, and the Touch Block.

ROLI’s Lightpad M launch is accompanied by a new version of the NOISE app that goes along with the ROLI BLOCKS. According to ROLI, the app adds new sounds and improvements to clip launching, clip editing, and user navigation.

There are also two new Treble Quartet and Bass Quartet soundpacks in the app, offering realistic cello, violin, clarinet, and saxophone sounds. Bass Quartet comes bundled with the Lightpad M.

ROLI is also introducing a NOISE audio unit for GarageBand and integration with Ableton Live Lite.

Lightpad M can be purchased for $199.95 from the ROLI website, and it will soon be available at other retailers, including Apple retail stores.
Discuss this article in our forums