Driver Distraction Casts Doubt on Autopilot as the Culprit →

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Sam Levin and Nicki Wolf writing for The Guardian:

“The truck driver, Frank Baressi, 62, told the Associated Press that the Tesla driver Joshua Brown, 40, was “playing Harry Potter on the TV screen” during the collision and was driving so fast that “he went so fast through my trailer I didn’t see him”.”

If this is the case, then the details of this matter become both disturbing and absurd, while moving away from mechanical failure, and into an indictment of our screen-addicted and screen-distracted society.

"Baressi, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, said the Harry Potter movie “was still playing when he died and snapped a telephone pole a quarter mile down the road”. He told the AP, however, that he heard the movie but didn’t see it."

Aside from the social implications, if this account is true, we can expect that the victim's loved one will have an exceedingly difficult time processing their loss. 

NPR regarding the Tesla AutoPilot Crash →

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Sonari Glinton, reporting for NPR's Morning Edition:

"Well, the company put out a statement saying that Brown, who was an advocate of Tesla's, that, saying, quote, that "he was a friend to Tesla and the broader EV community." And earlier in the statement, though, the company points out that this was the first accident. And then when drivers - and also they say that when drivers activate autopilot, they have to acknowledge that, among other things, it's an assist feature and it requires you to keep your hands on the wheel and steering at all times.
You have to remain in control. And before you engage, it pops up and says that. And but - and also, in a way, this accident seems inevitable because, you know, I have watched many, many videos on YouTube of Tesla drivers engaging the autopilot feature and, you know, not behaving responsibly."

A note on the media-- the announcer, Steve Inskeep, stated that the vehicle in question was a self-driving car. It's not, and while Glinton clears this up in his quote, it's important to realise that by setting the stage with his opening comments, and that makes the story harder to understand for people not in the know about Tesla, autopilot, and the other key bits of this situation.

Tesla Autopilot Implicated in Death of Model S Driver →

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Autopilot, the series of technologies used in conjunction that allow a Tesla Model S drive semi-autonomously, was in use when one 2015 Model S crashed, killing the driver. 

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration ("NHTSA") is looking into the crash and thus, looking into Autopilot.

Tesla remarked on the situation on their blog:

We learned yesterday evening that NHTSA is opening a preliminary evaluation into the performance of Autopilot during a recent fatal crash that occurred in a Model S. This is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where Autopilot was activated. Among all vehicles in the US, there is a fatality every 94 million miles. Worldwide, there is a fatality approximately every 60 million miles. It is important to emphasize that the NHTSA action is simply a preliminary evaluation to determine whether the system worked according to expectations.

It's heartbreaking to think that someone thought their car was taking care of the driving and then, presumably all of a sudden, they end up in a crash that takes their life. Autopilot thought it may be called, Tesla expects people keep their eyes open and their hands on the wheel when using the feature. Still, there's no way to tell right now exactly what happened. 

Regardless of fault, we can expect some for some draft regulations around autonomous vehicles to come out of this inquiry.

Netflix Sued over Price Increase →

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Netflix offers extraordinary value to US consumers for the money they expect. I'm happy to pay a bit more-- especially since I understand that prices for the IP they stream are going up.

Still, it wouldn't be America without a little litigious love, as a man who thought he was locked into the $8/mo price was outraged when his bill came in at $10/mo.

"For a period of time, Netflix solicited persons to subscribe to Netflix's streaming service by guaranteeing that Netflix would not increase monthly subscription prices as long as the subscribers maintained the subscription service continuously," states the complaint. "Netflix has broken its contract with these subscribers by unilaterally raising monthly subscription prices."

Google's Mobile Maps Get Even BETTER with multi-stop →

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Jillian D'Onfro, writing for Business Insider:

"The feature has long been available on the desktop version, which made its absence on the app even more annoying for those of us (like me) who like to plan roadtrips on a computer but rely on a phone for navigation. Not being able to add multiple stops on the app was incredibly frustrating."

What's similarlly interesting, is that Waze, a mobile navigation app which Google has owned since 2013, has had this same functionality for at least a couple of years now-- even allowing passengers of moving cars to insert a stop into an established route. I really wonder what took so long.

The Drill Down 431: At Least I (Still) Have Chicken →

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This week, the guys and I discuss how Microsoft goes green (sort of), BitTorrent's legitimate attempt at a news channel, why Tesla decided to invest in solar, and how big-name musicians are attempting to rally against YouTube. Also--  Star Wars hits VR...or is it AR?

Find the episode on iTunes, Stitcher, or on Geeks of Doom.

Should Robots Pay Taxes? →

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Over in Europe, where they hate technology, Charles Riley, writing for CNN Money, reveals findings from a new draft policy report that seeks to penalize corporations by taxing them on robotic manufacturing techniques. The report, headed by Mady Delvaus, a Luxumbourg representative to the EU Parliment, states in part that the EU should secure tax revenue from not people, nor corporations, but from the machines that corporations use to generate goods: Robots. Here are some choice quotes:

"The proposal suggests that robots should have to register with authorities, and says laws should be written to hold machines liable for damage they cause, such as loss of jobs."

"If advanced robots start replacing human workers in large numbers, the report recommends the European Commission force their owners to pay taxes or contribute to social security. The establishment of a basic income, or guaranteed welfare program, is also suggested as a protection against human unemployment."

Switzerland's government just held an open debate and referendum on a "basic income" and it was roundly rejected.

Back to the point-- taxing companies for their gains at efficiency is problematic. For nearly a century, the Western World has dreamt and worked toward an agenda of productivity that frees humans from the sort of physical toil that can lead to workplace injuries and long-term health problems by building machines that can take over those roles and perform them more efficiently. These efforts, in turn, lead to (1) better quality of life for workers, (2) positive economic growth as productivity rises and (3) fuels growth in the standard of living as manufactured goods and devices become cheaper.

Amazon.com uses just such robots to make sure they can deliver purchased items to users quickly, while saving valueable space in warehouses.

In the case of autonomous cars, we'll see less taxis on the road, and less drivers taking the wheel, which will likely lead to less costly accidents, less traffic, and less injuries. Stopping manufacturers from pursuing this course of action by throwing a new tax in the way of the efficiency incentives tied to this new technology is a bad idea.

Let's not forget what happened when Google was told by Spain that their service of helping people find news stories was going to be taxed: Google News went away leaving Spain's public  less informed than the rest of their fellow EU citizens. 

There is some good news nestled deep within this report. It suggests we implement Asimov's three laws on all new artificial intelligence devices. They're simple to understand and are as follows:

  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

  2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Considering that the governments of the world have agreed to such pacts regarding Antarctica, chemical weapons, lasers, and even outer space, the above three principles shouldn't be too hard to agree upon.

Taxes, however, are an entirely different story.

 

Tesla shares crater as Wall Street reacts to bid for SolarCity →

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This one's simple: the headline IS the story. 

Summary? Tesla shares lost 10% in today's trading as shareholders felt unconvinced that the $2.9 billion bid to purchase SolarCity, a leaser and developer of solar power generation and power generation devices, was a good idea.

Musk is going to have to come out from behind the desk and sell this one hard. Also-- it looks like it's an all-stock deal** that some thing undervalues SolarCity's potential. 

 

**In an 8-K filing, Tesla proposed exchange from 0.122 to 0.131 shares for each share of SolarCity stock. 

Tesla Makes Offer to Acquire SolarCity →

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There's not much to say about this, but here's my initial reaction:

It's  important to understand that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the chairman of Solar City, which is run by his cousin. 

Given some takes on Tesla's cash flow situation, this gambit will allow the automaker to further diversify revenue, which is currently not limited to just car sales, but battery sales and sales of carbon credits to big polluters. Investors could be intrigued to put down more money now that it's clear Tesla is in fact much more than a one-trick pony that's focused in the risky business of manufacturing and selling autos. 

On the flipside, those autos are a huge draw for the business, especially now that Tesla has taken VolksWagen's place as one of the top ten auto brand values. Considering that VW is the second largest automaker in the world, that's pretty significant.

But back to Solar City. If this $2.9 billion bid is successful, Tesla is essentially an Electric Company that leases and sells devices for power generation, storage, and consumption. That's called vertical integration, and it's a principle that has long gotten the attention of investors.

Beijing Regulator Orders Apple to Stop Sales of Two iPhone Models

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Eva Dou for the Wall Street Journal: 

"Beijing’s intellectual property regulator has ordered Apple Inc. to stop sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in the city, ruling that the design is too similar to a Chinese phone, in another setback for the company in a key overseas market."

 

I was in Beijing a couple of weeks ago and on the subway I was surprised by the look of one Android phone that at first glance, looked like an iPhone 6/6S. It was white and it was everywhere.  

Microsoft in the Weeds →

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Nathaniel Popper for the new York Times: 

"But Microsoft is breaking the corporate taboo on pot this week by announcing a partnership to begin offering software that tracks marijuana plants from “seed to sale,” as the pot industry puts it.

The software — a new product in Microsoft’s cloud computing business — is meant to help states that have legalized the medical or recreational use of marijuana keep tabs on sales and commerce, ensuring that they remain in the daylight of legality."

Between LinkedIn and this, Nadella is forging ahead by noticing new, different and exciting opportunities for Microsoft. 

Court Backs Rules Treating Internet as Utility, Not Luxury →

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An important example of when it's important to maintain the status quo. still, while this is definitely a desired outcome in the view of the public interest, this won't be settled until it's been looked at by the Supreme Court.

Cecilia Kang of The New York Times wrote a great article about this and their video (below) is exceptionally informative.

The Death of the Period. →

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An interesting take on how technology is changing the way we communicate. As Dan Bilefsky writes for the NYTimes, I find myself taking on that "get off my lawn" feeling when it comes to the apparent lost of the period. Things like apps within messaging apps (#8) aren't helping.

It's not made any easier by the fact that his piece doesn't use periods. 

"Professor Crystal’s observations on the fate of the period are driven in part by frequent visits to high schools across Britain, where he analyzes students’ text messages

Researchers at Binghamton University in New York and Rutgers University in New Jersey have also recently noted the period’s new semantic force

They asked 126 undergraduate students to review 16 exchanges, some in text messages, some in handwritten notes, that had one-word affirmative responses (Okay, Sure, Yeah, Yup) Some had periods, while others did not

Those text message with periods were rated as less sincere, the study found, whereas it made no difference in the notes penned by hand"

10 #WWDC2016 Keynote Innovations that were Long Overdue

The first thing to say is that I wasn't blown away.

  1. OS X is now macOS.
    • Hasn't it been "Mac OS X" from the start in 2001? It's always been a little bizarre how Apple chose to call the system "OS (10)" for more than a decade while iOS would be renamed with intuitive numbering since its inception in 2007. This change is long overdue.
       
  2. Siri is open to Developers for deep integration into apps
    • Siri debuted on the iPhone 4S in 2011 w/ iOS 5. The team that developed Siri got frustrated with Apple's lackluster approach to the software and left to start their own system called Viv. In the meantime Amazon pioneered a new generation of dedicated voice interface devices and Google also got on the train, leveraging their deep understanding of natural language interactions.  I know it takes time to build proper developer tools for these systems but this is, again, long overdue.
       
  3. Siri is on the Mac
    • There is one exciting thing here, and that's the ability for Siri to help find and manage files on your desktop. iOS doesn't really have a file system, so considerable thought and work must have been done in order to achieve this. kudos.
       
    • Still, given that the software was made to work with a teeny-tiny little phone, with far less computing power than Apple's powerful desktops, I'm not sure what technical barriers stood in the way of this revolutionary achievement but it was (say it with me) long overdue.
       
  4. Copy and Paste across devices.
    • Pastebot has been doing this for years over wifi networks, so this feels less magical to me than it perhaps does to others. While I hate to see an app's functionality (and business) get swallowed up by the OS it's on, Apple can bring background AirDrop services to bear as well as cellular networks into the mix alongside their cloud computing to make copy and paste work across devices anywhere they may be, which is a good thing. Given PasteBot's work in this space more than four years ago, this functionality feels overdue.
       
  5. Apple Pay works on the Mac
    • The premise is welcome and makes sense but the functionality does not. The idea that if I want to use Apple Pay on my desktop, I have to go and find my phone to authenticate via my fingerprint, is the definition of awkward. I get that WWDC is a software conference but the Mac needs a TouchID fingerprint scanner. It shouldnt be too difficult to incorporate it into the trackpad because hopping back and forth between devices is a barrier to impulsive commerce. Especially if your phone is in another room, or worse yet, your kid is playing with it.
       
  6. Apple Pay works on the Web
    • Apple Pay, which was really the ingenious merging of TouchID+NFC to securely authenticate transactions, is a fantastic use of available technologies to make life easier and through that ease, facilitate more commerce. This is a natural evolution of the technology but I could have sworn I saw a demo of Apple Pay being used on the Target website back when it was announced but perhaps that was just the app. Either way, I'm not the only one who thinks this functionality was long awaited (aka overdue).
       
  7. Apple Watch OS 3.0
    • The good news? This may be the first embedded device by Apple that actually moves more quickly with new OS updates, unlike the sluggishness that users often complain about after updating iOS.
      Remember that #iPhoneSlow is not on purpose.

      Apple Watch has been on the market a little over a year now and it's already on the third version of it's OS. Given the "year-in-review" takes I read on the wearable device, I remain of the opinion that the watch was launched prematurely because the tech wasn't there in the first place. At first, this was limted to thinking about the device's hardware-- chiefly laggy touch response and animations alongside poor battery life. The fact that Apple is launching not just point-releases but whole new versions of the OS effectively once a trimester, shows that the software wasn't there either. There are some gems in Watch OS 3 but certain key bits of functionality like sharing fitness metrics and scribbling words with a finger should have been present at launch and are long overdue.
       
  8. iOS Messages Have Apps!
    • Messages are becoming more fun. A lot of people won't care about this but, conversely, a LOT of people will. Opening up Messages to developers is a solid move toward making communication more vibrant and finding news ways of expression. Emoji and other image-based communications also mean that people will be able to say more (albeit silly) things to one another across traditional language barriers. As regular, small snippets of communication are less and less about the written word, one wonders will happen to grammar and usage in the West, but (a) it'll certainly be interesting and (b) only time will tell.

      There are two pieces here. Apple has created an app SDK for devs to create new ways for users to communicate on messaging and they've added some of their own flash and bang to the messaging experience. C'est la vie.
       
  9. Apple News gets subscriptions and push notifications
    • To date, Apple News, which is basically a web browser with links to news stories based on topics the users has said they're interested in, has been an interesting experience. It's been informative without being immersive-- and that's a good thing. Get some news, nicely curated, and then get out and do something. With subscriptions, however, I wonder if the software will be reminiscent of it's awful predecessor, NewsStand, which was an app replete with paywalls and content updates and that felt heavy because of it. I don't see myself using News anymore if I'm challenged with a call to subscribe every time I open a story on a nationally renowned site. Apple is usually good about this sort of thing. Time will tell.

      As for notifications of breaking news.. the system has long known my preferences so this should have been offered at launch so this is somewhat overdue.
       
  10. Photos use AI for a better experience
    • Everpix started this functionality back in 2011. Everpix ultimately failed (their product was superior but their business model required a $50/year subscription, which was ahead of it's time. Figuring out how to store, screen, read, organize and otherwise process these images is tricky-- no downright difficult. Was Apple behind Google and the defunct Everpix in offering this functionality? Sure. But given the challenges of getting it right, I can't in good conscience say that this feature is overdue. It's the ability to retroactively tag and organize photos that's interesting. I look forward to seeing how this works on the images imported into Photos on the Mac. This could be right on time.
       
  11. Voicemail gets transcription.
    • Visual voicemail was an incredible innovation in 2007 when the iPhone came out. Google added transcription to their iOS app, Google Voice, in 2009-- seven years ago. The feature was helpful because it allowed the consuming of voicemail discreetly during meetings or quietly in bed while your partner is deep in slumber. Say it with me now:

      Long overdue!

German Automakers Aggressively Moving Forward with EV plans →

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Jason Graul of Business Finance News is reports that Germany's Big Three automakers (BMW, Daimler, and VolksWagen) are beginning to ramp up their EV product goals. It's a strange concession from an industry that, less than a decade ago, thought EVs were impossible. The reason for this renewed interest in electronic vehicles?

US Automaker Tesla Motors

"Even though for Tesla, Germany has remained a low-volume market, for the German automakers, US has proved to be the key auto market. Recently, Tesla garnered overwhelming response for its latest mass-market Model 3, which indicates how much electric vehicles are being preferred by the people if they were offered at lower prices. The US electric car maker also revealed a new goal of producing half a million cars per year in 2018 — two years ahead of its actual planned date of 2020. This is reflective of the fact that the company is aggressively moving ahead with its EV plans and hence, other automakers need to ramp up their operations if they are to compete with Tesla."

Dieselgate: Korea →

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It's our nature to move forward and leave the past in the past. Still, it's important to realise that Dieselgate is still here, and that while the US EPA discovered the scandal, the US isn't the only nation affected by it.

Some highlights:

“Prosecutors also recently confiscated 956 vehicles of Audi Volkswagen Korea from its pre-delivery inspection center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and said 606 of them had been imported without proper environmental authorization.”
“The legal action came a few days after prosecutors said last week that Volkswagen Audi Korea allegedly submitted 37 doctored reports of the vehicles’ emissions results and noise levels from 2010 to 2015.”
“Meanwhile, the environment ministry here last week rejected Volkswagen’s plan to recall its vehicles with fabricated emissions results, saying the local unit of the German carmaker did not admit to using a defeat device to trick vehicle testing.

The ministry rejected two previous recall plans in January and March for insufficient data and the lack of a proper outline to rectify the shortcomings of the vehicles affected.”
— -Korea Times.

It's incredible that the facts are still yet to be uncovered in this matter because of the sheer scale of the deception, which appears to have been perpetrated by the VW management worldwide.

You can read the full Korea Times story here.