NHTSA moves to reduce regulations that hinder development of self-driving cars

Why it matters to you

Self-driving cars are quickly becoming a reality, but safety concerns are slowing down deployment.

On Friday, The U.S. National Highway Traffic-Safety Administration said it was seeking input on how it could remove regulations that are slowing down the production and deployment of self-driving cars.

“The National Highway Traffic-Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeks comments to identify any unnecessary regulatory barriers to Automated Safety Technologies, and for the testing and compliance certification of motor vehicles with unconventional automated vehicles designs, particularly those that are not equipped with controls for a human driver; e.g., steering wheel, brake or accelerator pedal,” the report said. “Further, NHTSA seeks comments on the research that would be required to remove such barriers. This action will inform subsequent steps in the regulatory process to amend Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) and other motor vehicle regulations in order to safely lay a path for innovative automated vehicle designs and technology.”

Numerous auto manufactures and tech companies are working to employ self-driving cars, but they are being hampered by nearly 60 years of safety regulations designed with human drivers in mind. For example, one such regulation requires that a vehicle’s brakes be controlled by the driver’s feet.

The NHTSA said that it hopes to begin receiving public comments by the end of November. The agency is also asking for input regarding what research it needs to undertake to determine which rules should be rewritten or removed altogether in regards to self-driving cars. However, it could take years for the agency to finish its research, and some proponents of self-driving cars are pushing Congress to act.

Such advocates scored a major victory in early October, when the Senate approved a bill that would make it easier to for companies to deploy self-driving cars. Several car manufacturers and tech companies lauded the bill, but it faces opposition from auto safety organizations that believe the NHTSA should enforce stricter safety regulations.

“Based on the guidelines that released, we have a pretty pessimistic view on how they view their regulatory role when it comes to autonomous vehicles,” Peter Kurdock, director of regulatory affairs at Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, told Automotive News. “When they talk about regulatory barriers, we don’t see them as barriers, we see them as safeguards.”

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Is your vacuum spying on you? The high-tech LG Hom-Bot is vulnerable to hackers

Why it matters to you

With convenience comes vulnerability, as any connected device could possibly allow virtual access to your home.

Your robot vacuum cleaner may be doing more than sucking up dirt and scaring the cats while roaming the hallways of your home. When it’s not attacking you, it could also be spying on you and revealing the information to hackers.

Security firm Check Point recently alerted consumers to a security flaw in the LG Hom-Bot robot, demonstrating how a hacker can take control of the device and use the built-in camera for covert surveillance of the home or office. What’s more, the vulnerability in the firm’s SmartThinQ phone application allowed them to hijack all the connected devices, such as refrigerators, microwaves, and air conditioners.

In our time with the Home-Bot, we liked the usefulness of the app and were impressed with the functions available using the on-board cameras, but these turned out to be two of the favorite features for potential hackers as well.

The connected nature of the Internet of Things (IoT) leads to some cool tech and great convenience, but the entire network can be at risk if someone breaches the security of even one appliance. In this particular instance, Check Point’s researchers were able to create a false LG account, and then use it to take over a legitimate LG account.

In a press release, Check Point announced that it has partnered with LG to detect security flaws in its software, allowing for immediate fixes. “As more and more smart devices are being used in the home, hackers will shift their focus from targeting individual devices, to hacking the apps that control networks of devices,” researcher Oded Vanunu said. “This provides cyber criminals with even more opportunities to exploit software flaws, cause disruption in users’ homes and access their sensitive data.”

The LG Hom-Bot is a very popular model, with more than one million sold. LG has already patched the flaw, so if you own one of the LG smart home appliances you should immediately update your SmartThinQ app to the latest version (version 1.9.2.3).

Koonseok Lee of LG praised the work of Check Point and noted that looking for flaws that could be exploited will be an ongoing process. “LG Electronics plans to continue strengthening its software security systems as well as work with cyber-security solution providers like Check Point to provide safer and more convenient appliances,” he said.

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Is your vacuum spying on you? The high-tech LG Hom-Bot is vulnerable to hackers

Why it matters to you

With convenience comes vulnerability, as any connected device could possibly allow virtual access to your home.

Your robot vacuum cleaner may be doing more than sucking up dirt and scaring the cats while roaming the hallways of your home. When it’s not attacking you, it could also be spying on you and revealing the information to hackers.

Security firm Check Point recently alerted consumers to a security flaw in the LG Hom-Bot robot, demonstrating how a hacker can take control of the device and use the built-in camera for covert surveillance of the home or office. What’s more, the vulnerability in the firm’s SmartThinQ phone application allowed them to hijack all the connected devices, such as refrigerators, microwaves, and air conditioners.

In our time with the Home-Bot, we liked the usefulness of the app and were impressed with the functions available using the on-board cameras, but these turned out to be two of the favorite features for potential hackers as well.

The connected nature of the Internet of Things (IoT) leads to some cool tech and great convenience, but the entire network can be at risk if someone breaches the security of even one appliance. In this particular instance, Check Point’s researchers were able to create a false LG account, and then use it to take over a legitimate LG account.

In a press release, Check Point announced that it has partnered with LG to detect security flaws in its software, allowing for immediate fixes. “As more and more smart devices are being used in the home, hackers will shift their focus from targeting individual devices, to hacking the apps that control networks of devices,” researcher Oded Vanunu said. “This provides cyber criminals with even more opportunities to exploit software flaws, cause disruption in users’ homes and access their sensitive data.”

The LG Hom-Bot is a very popular model, with more than one million sold. LG has already patched the flaw, so if you own one of the LG smart home appliances you should immediately update your SmartThinQ app to the latest version (version 1.9.2.3).

Koonseok Lee of LG praised the work of Check Point and noted that looking for flaws that could be exploited will be an ongoing process. “LG Electronics plans to continue strengthening its software security systems as well as work with cyber-security solution providers like Check Point to provide safer and more convenient appliances,” he said.

Editor’s Recommendations

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WhatsApp will now let you delete those messages you regret sending

Why it matters to you

Ever sent a message you instantly regretted? At least one major messaging app is letting you do something about it.

Everyone’s been there. Maybe you’re carrying on multiple conversations at the same time, or perhaps you sent something while in a fit of anger. Either way, everyone has sent messages that they wish they could take back, and now WhatsApp users have a way of doing just that.

WABetainfo reports that WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that will allow users to delete messages sent to groups or individuals.

The new feature is easy enough to use. Simply tap the message you want to remove and select the “Delete” option. You can also select multiple messages at the same time if you feel like you’ve really messed up. Deleted messages will then be replaced with a message reading “This message was deleted.”

As handy as this feature is, there are some limitations that are worth bearing in mind such as the time limit. Messages may only be deleted within seven minutes of being sent. After that, they’re as permanent as any message sent by WhatsApp. It’s a slightly annoying limitation, but then again, we imagine most people will have read the message within seven minutes, so the time limit likely won’t affect too many users.

Another issue, and one that might cause more problems, is the fact that this feature will only work if both parties have the latest version of WhatsApp installed. If your contacts are slow with updates, then this feature won’t work for you, and you won’t receive any warning that the deletion request was unsuccessful.

The final caveat regarding this feature is that it might not be available for everyone just yet. WABetainfo noted that WhatsApp was being very slow in rolling out this feature. If it hasn’t already been activated, you can try reinstalling the app, but there’s no guarantee that the new feature will be functional. In that case, your only option is to wait, but we imagine WhatsApp will begin speeding up the process.

This new feature has been in the works for some time now. Evidence of its existence was reported earlier this year when WABetainfo was examining WhatsApp’s code.

The Recall feature will be remotely enabled in 2.17.30+.

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) June 5, 2017

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These new Parrot drones could save lives and crops

Why it matters to you

Search and rescue is a dangerous job, but these drones aim to make it easier and safer.

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, search and rescue operations can be both dangerous and tedious. Whether it is flooded roadways, downed power lines, fires, or other dangers, these hazards can impede rescue workers attempts to find survivors. That’s where Parrot’s new Bebop-Pro Thermal drone comes in.

Equipped with both a standard camera and a thermal camera, this drone will be able to fly over dangerous areas and send live video back to rescue workers, helping them pinpoint the location of survivors. In addition to locating those in need of assistance, the drone’s thermal camera can be used to warn rescue workers of areas that are still too hot to enter, due to fires.

Retailing for $1,500, this new drone is an ideal fit for rescue organizations, which often don’t have deep pockets, but Parrot believes it can also be used for construction work as well. The drone itself is fairly small and Parrot’s press release states that the drone is ” is easy to set up, easy to fly and easy to repair.”

The Bebop-Pro Therma isn’t the only new drone that Parrot announced on Tuesday. The $5,000 Parrot Bluegrass is the company’s first drone marketed to the agricultural industry. The Bluegrass can fly for 25 minutes on a single charge, allowing it to survey 30 hectares of farmland. The drone’s camera and built-in sensor will send information back to the farmer, allowing them to determine which crops are healthy. It can also be used to keep watch on livestock. As with the Bebop-Pro Thermal, size is another selling point, this one being small enough to fit into most bags for easy transport and storage.

These drones mark one of Parrot’s hardest pushes to enter the commercial drone market, but the French company is hardly a newcomer to the world of drones. Founded in 1994, the company has made name for itself by producing consumer drones which are often used as toys. They allow users to fly the drones around their neighborhoods, take pictures, and capture video. In our list of the best drones on the market, we called the Parrot Mambo one of the best drones for kids.

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Cowabunga, dude! Virginia Beach may be getting a downtown surf park

Why it matters to you

You don’t have to wait for the perfect wave, when technology can create it for you.

The Virginia Beach Dome was an iconic structure in the Oceanfront neighborhood for more than 35 years. Built in 1957, the popular concert venue hosted everyone from The Rolling Stones to Ray Charles. It was demolished in 1994, and since then, various suggestions and ideas have come and gone from different developers seeking to utilize the valuable 10-acre site.

The latest proposal, according to the Virginian-Pilot, is an urban complex featuring restaurants, apartments, retail stores, and live music venues. The centerpiece, however, would be something special: a year-round surf park powered by artificial waves.

The Venture Realty Group plans to bring the project to life with the help of musical legend Pharrel Williams, who grew up in Virginia Beach. “We are excited he will bring his amazing network, contacts, and marketing and branding ideas to the table,” developer Donna MacMillan-Whitaker said. “Anyone who has seen our plan loves the concept.”

The surf park itself would be designed by Wavegarden, a Spanish company pioneering the development of surf parks around the world. The Wavegarden Cove, which is planned for the new site, can generate up to 1,000 waves per hour.

“The high wave frequency of the Cove enables a high user capacity, which is essential for surfers wanting to catch lots of waves,” Wavegarden CEO Josema Odriozola said on the comapny’s site. “The versatility of our technology means we can alter wave height, shape and power in an instant to match the experience level of all surfers. Also, wave frequency can be adjusted to cater precisely for the number of surfers in the water.”

Local business owners seem excited to have the dilapidated parking lot replaced with something more vibrant and unique. “We want to be able to see a walking district and more and more events incorporating the entire area,” Dwayne Appleton, owner of Java Surf, told WTKR. “Having the wave pool be a year-long attraction.”

Wavegarden was formed in 2005, and after a decade of research the first facility using the technology opened in 2015. Surf Snowdonia in North Wales hosted 150,000 visitors its first year and a second location, NLand Surf Park, opened in Austin, Texas the next year. Currently, the company has more than 20 ongoing projects in the works.

Soon, you may be able to grab your skeg and take the drop at a nearby surf park, even if you live hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. At least you won’t have to worry about sharks.

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In the game of phones, it’s important to have reasonable expectations

Miracles never happen no matter how bad you want them.

It seems like the whole internet hates everything right now. In other words, just another day, right?

Whether you’re mad at Google about the Pixel 2 XL display, or Apple and (insert T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint or Verizon here) because ordering an iPhone X was a shitshow, or any other dumbass stunt from a tech company you need to realize being mad is partially your fault.

Every tech company screws up. Even Google.

Now we will see who reads the whole article and who sees the first couple of sentences and rushes to the comments. It’s not your fault that Google’s Pixel 2 XL doesn’t have a great display. It’s not your fault it took so long for a web page to load sk your iPhone X isn’t coming until the end of November. It’s not your fault Microsoft seems to have thrown in the towel for good with Windows phones and is all about Android. Blame for all of these snafus lies squarely on the shoulders of the respective companies involved and the people in charge of them. But it seems that people are mostly upset because they did a bit of assuming. That assuming will get you every time.

Yes, Apple should have expected everyone to stay up all night and rush to order a phone as soon as they could, and Microsoft should expect their customers to be a little pissed that development seems to be focused on another platform. But I’m going to use Google as an example here, mostly because we’re all Android fans and are more familiar with the whole thing.

If you’re mad at Google for its response to the 2 XL’s display, well, that’s all you. And it’s all about your expectations.

You should expect Google to spare no expense and have the best display money can buy on a phone that starts at $849.99.

I do. Maybe Google doesn’t have its own factories spewing smoke into the Chinese skies, but they’ve been putting their names on phones and tablets and a bunch of other stuff for a while. They know what’s up. And hey, this is the same Google that gave us three generations of Chromebook Pixels, and they all have a display like you won’t believe. The Pixelbook has a display to die for. Even the original Pixel phones have pretty good screens.

But this is also the same Google who gave us the Nexus 9 and over-the-air updates that ruin things and Orkut and Dodgeball and then took away things like Reader or replaced Google Wave with Google+. Google Wave could have totally been Slack, and I’m bitter about it. Probably always will be. It could have been so good.

I think there is a pit filled with Nexus 9s somewhere close to all those ET Atari cartridges.

Anyway, what I’m saying is that we’ve seen Google fail, or at least fail in our own eyes. They are just a tech company and like all tech companies can make the wrong decision just as easily as they can make the right one. We knew this. We just don’t like to think about it. In fact, when someone does think about it and gets all up in the comments somewhere being negative and reminding us a lot of people seem to take it personally and go for the cyber-jugular. When Google shows off a new service and someone inevitably says, “it will probably suck, remember Google Currents lol” there’s a very good chance that person will be right. Google seemingly will try anything, and that means a lot of things aren’t great.

We should also expect Google to fail sometimes.

Back to the Pixel 2 XL. Google (and Apple) invested a lot of cash into LG Display. They didn’t come right out and say why, but it’s not hard to guess; having one company (Samsung) be the only supplier of high-quality phone-sized displays is not a good thing. When LG can crank out 50 million 5.5-inch OLED panels that are sexy and beautiful it will be easier to use them in the products you design. And the display in the Pixel 2 XL was deemed to be good enough to use right now. It’s Google’s phone. It gets to decide what parts to use. And we are allowed to not like it.

And that’s where a reasonable expectation ends. Some of the things I’ve seen on the internet about global recalls or the end of the Pixel line is stupid. If you wrote those words in public where other people could read them, you should feel bad. The same goes for anyone expecting Google to magically fix the display or to revise the product and generation 2 would come with a different panel. Dumb. Stop it.

Hate the Pixel 2 XL if you want, don’t buy it, and make sure you comment on every article on every blog about it. But stop thinking there is any better way to address it than what we got from Google’s VP of Engineering.

More: Diving Deeper on the Pixel 2 XL Display

Seang Chau led the teams that brought us things like the original Motorola Droid and Skype on mobile. He’s been in an executive position at a huge tech company since 1999. The guy knows his stuff, and he also knows the business. His response is absolutely perfect, even if we don’t like it. Wanting him to walk out on a stage and say how sorry Google is and that everyone should send back their Pixel 2 XL in exchange for an all-new one is not a reasonable expectation. If you’re mad because he didn’t, that’s your fault.

I bought a small Pixel 2, figuring I’d pick up the bigger one later if I needed to. But I’ve spent the past couple of days with a loaner here and really looked at the display. I did all the things I see in all the YouTube videos and yeah, I saw a lot of things that aren’t great. Things that would make Samsung reject the panel before it ever got put on a $900 phone. I will say that this display is bad and shouldn’t have shipped the way it did. But I could use this phone (if it weren’t so damn skinny and had a bezel to hold on to) because the screen is good enough when I’m doing my regular phone things.

Just being “good enough” sucks. I wish it was better and might question the price, but I can’t stand on an internet street corner and yell at people for buying the Pixel 2 XL.

If you have a Pixel 2 XL and don’t mind the display, awesome. Use the hell out of it and ignore people preaching the gospel of Note 8. If you can’t stand the display, send it back and buy a different phone. If you haven’t ordered one but want to, go for it. You’ll have time to check it out and decide for yourself if the display is so bad it kills puppies. Just don’t expect anything to be different because you want it to be different and you won’t be disappointed.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

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Apple fires employee after daughter’s iPhone X video goes viral

Just because a tech company has announced a product doesn’t mean employees are free to share or talk about it before release — just ask Microsoft. And unfortunately, one Apple engineered has learned that the hard way. Apple has reportedly fired a iPhone team member after his daughter Brooke posted a hands-on video showing off his iPhone X before launch. Brooke took down the video as soon as Apple requested it, but the takedown came too late to prevent the clip from going viral, leading to seemingly endless reposts and commentary. We’ve asked Apple for comment on the firing.

In a follow-up video (below), Brooke said she and her father understood the decision and weren’t angry at Apple. And it’s important to stress that this wasn’t a garden variety iPhone X. As an employee device, it had sensitive information like codenames for unreleased products and staff-specific QR codes. Combine that with Apple’s general prohibition of recording video on campus (even at relatively open spaces like Caffè Macs) and this wasn’t so much about maintaining the surprise as making sure that corporate secrets didn’t get out. Apple certainly didn’t want to send the message that recording pre-release devices was acceptable.

All the same, it’s hard not to sympathize — the engineer had poured his heart into the iPhone X, only to be let go the week before the handset reaches customers. And while he’s likely to land on his feet (“we’re good,” Brooke said), his daughter is clearly distraught by the abuse hurled toward her and her father. The outcome isn’t going to change here, unfortunately. However, the incident might be helpful if it helps others avoid losing their jobs simply because they were a little too eager to share their work.

Via: Anthony Quintano (Twitter)

Source: Brooke Peterson (YouTube)

Twitter bans Trump adviser Roger Stone for threatening CNN staff

Twitter is no stranger to taking down high-profile users’ accounts when it believes they’ve crossed the line, but its latest takedown is arguably the biggest yet. The social network has suspended former Trump adviser Roger Stone after he hurled threats at multiple CNN personalities. When CNN reported that Robert Mueller had filed his first indictments in the Russia investigation, Stone flew off the handle… to put it mildly. In addition to throwing insults, he insisted that Don Lemon should be “confronted, humiliated, mocked and punished,” while Jake Tapper should be “very severely punished.” Whether or not Stone was promoting violence, it’s clear Twitter didn’t want to risk people using this as a pretext for violence.

You’re unlikely to get a formal explanation of the decision. Twitter is maintaining its policy of declining comment on official accounts. However, Recode tipsters understand that this is a permanent suspension — that is, a ban. It’s not his first violation, so he’s not about to come back.

In some ways, you could see this coming. Stone has a long-running history of launching personal attacks against those who challenge the politicians he supports, often using vicious (and occasionally bigoted) language. He wasn’t about to take CNN’s revelation (which has since been supported by Reuters and NBC) lightly. Still, this was a test of Twitter’s resolve: was it going to take action against Stone over his invective, or hold off due to the invariable backlash from Stone’s allies and supporters? This isn’t going to allay critics’ concerns that Twitter makes convenient exceptions to its anti-violence policies when a user is too powerful, but the internet giant clearly doesn’t want to give the impression that connections and wealth can automatically put someone above the rules.

Via: Recode, Deadline

Source: Roger Stone (Twitter)

Flightsayer promises to predict your flight delays and cancellations

Why it matters to you

With Flightsayer, you won’t be caught off guard when your plane is delayed.

If there’s anything worse than getting to an airport two hours in advance, only to realize that your flight has been delayed, we don’t want to know about it. But hopefully, you can avoid such injustices in the future with a new app. Meet Flightsayer, a new iPhone app that promises to predict flight delays hours, days, and even weeks before your scheduled departure. And in addition to predicting these inconveniences, the app also suggests alternatives, helping you get on with your travel plans even when the airlines (or the weather patterns) aren’t cooperating.

By analyzing data and leveraging machine learning, Flightsayer promises to predict flight delays across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. By examining weather, real-time airline information, FAA airspace data, taxi and flight times between airports, and airport schedules, the app promises to identify patterns that could result in delays. And thanks to machine learning, Flightsayer is also able to anticipate a domino effect, so even if there’s no nefarious weather in your particular airport, the app can tell if weather patterns elsewhere might delay inbound flights.

Within the app, you’ll be able to see, on a scale of one to ten, how likely a delay or cancellation may be. Should a travel disruption be likely, Flightsayer helps you source and compare alternative flights.

“Everyone who has experienced a flight delay knows how frustrating it can be,” said Bala Chandran, co-founder and CEO of Flightsayer. “Unfortunately flyers can see this risk but have no way of measuring it and/or preventing it. Flightsayer was created so that not only can you see the risk of your flight being delayed, but also quickly seek a better alternative.”

As it stands, the app can be downloaded free of charge. The team also plans to expand its flight delay predictions to routes around the world. “We have seen the price of flights plummet in recent years thanks to technical innovation but flight delays remain a consistent — almost expected — issue,” added Chandran. “Every few weeks we hear news of passengers delayed on the tarmac. Thankfully, we believe that with tech we can mitigate this risk and eventually make the industry more efficient.”

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