Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Video Shows How Google Tests Android Auto [feedly]
----
Video Shows How Google Tests Android Auto
// xda-developers
The latest 20% video from Nat and Lo take us behind the scenes and shows us how Google engineers tweak and adjust the Android Auto interface. The company has a full size driving simulator set up and they put people through a number of different tests. Then, they analyze the data and see if a certain change to the Android Auto interface improves reaction time.
----
Shared via my feedly reader
Monday, May 9, 2016
Tiny optical frequency clock measures time accurately to 270 quintillionths of a second [feedly]
----
Tiny optical frequency clock measures time accurately to 270 quintillionths of a second
// Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have created an optical clock that's just 1 cubic centimeter—small enough to fit on a standard silicon chip—and can track time intervals with precision to 270 quintillionths of second. (One quintillionth is equivalent to 1 times 10 to the negative 18th power, or 0.000000000000000001.)
----
Shared via my feedly reader
Friday, May 6, 2016
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Monday, April 18, 2016
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Self-driving truck convoy completes its first major journey across Europe [feedly]
----
Self-driving truck convoy completes its first major journey across Europe
// The Verge
This morning, a fleet of self-driving trucks arrived in the Dutch port of Maasvlakte, completing a cross-continent journey that organizers say demonstrates the future of transport in Europe. The experiment is known as the European Truck Platooning Challenge, and involved trucks from six different manufacturers traveling in miniature convoys. A driver in the lead vehicle of each convoy sets the speed and the route, while the other trucks follow automatically, a Wi-Fi connection keeping their braking and acceleration (but not steering) in sync.
less congestion, fewer accidents, reduced fuel consumption
This isn't a fully-automated system, but it's a clear step toward this goal and has tangible benefits of its own. Platooning, as the method is known, could mean less congestion, fewer accidents, and reduced fuel consumption. A whitepaper from Dutch research firm TNO says that each truck in a platoon — both those following and those leading — uses on average 10 percent less fuel per journey. The same report notes that 90 percent of driving accidents are caused by human error, and although a full analysis of the safety of platooning has yet to be undertaken, the suggestion is that automation would lead to fewer crashes.
In the recently-completed challenge, trucks from firms including Daimler, Volvo, and Scania (a subsidiary of Volkswagen) competed, with each convoy setting off from a different location. The Scania group travelled the longest distance, driving more than 2,000 kilometers through Sweden, Denmark, and Germany to reach its destination in the Netherlands. The trucks did not travel in platoon for the entire journey — only on motorways when traffic conditions were "normal" — and each vehicle, even those following the lead truck, had a human driver on hand.
The technology is here; regulations are next
The Platoon Challenge has successfully demonstrated the potential of its technology, but now EU companies and governments have to tackle the fiddly details of regulation and implementation. Cross-border rules for self-driving trucks need to be established, and so does the protocol for setting up platoons. Can convoys be established in an impromptu manner mid-drive, for example, or will they always have to start and finish in the same location? Will drivers in following trucks be able to take a rest while their vehicle is chained to one in front?
The next step for those involved will be to discuss these matters in an informal meeting of the European transport council on April 14th. Companies and local governments in the US pursuing similar schemes will undoubtedly be watching with interest.
Verge Video: This is what it's like to ride in Daimler's self-driving semi truck
----
Shared via my feedly reader
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Friday, March 18, 2016
Johns Hopkins' drone flies straight from an underwater station [feedly]
----
Johns Hopkins' drone flies straight from an underwater station
// Engadget Mobile
A UAV developed by a Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab team can stay underwater for months, waiting out of sight until it's called to duty. When the machine does get deployed, it can swim up and fly into the air, just like any other quadco...
----
Shared via my feedly reader
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
Friday, February 26, 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
Sony Xperia Ear Details [feedly]
----
Sony Xperia Ear Details
// I4U News
Sony unveiled in a short but packed media event at the Mobile World Congress 2016 the Sony Xperia Ear. The new Xperia Ear adapts to your situation and environment, whether at home or on-the-go.The...
----
Shared via my feedly reader