Tesla self-drive mode filmed 'endangering passengers'

One appears to show a car suddenly trying to swerve off the road after exiting the motorway in Portland, USA.Another appears to show a Model S Tesla swerving towards an oncoming vehicle.Autopilot takes over driving functions such as steering and changing lane.

But Tesla said: "The driver cannot abdicate responsibility for driving."

Autopilot was released as a software update, with a note stating it was suitable only for motorway driving.The two videos showing cars swerving took place away from the motorway lanes.
Tesla said: "The latest autopilot release is a hands-on experience to give drivers more confidence behind the wheel, increase their safety on the road and make motorway driving more enjoyable."

At the time of its release, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said autopilot was still in test mode.
"The software is very new. We're being especially cautious at this early stage, so we're advising drivers to keep their hands on the wheel just in case," he said.

Another Miami driver said his car was driving at 75mph (120km/h) in a 60mph zone, resulting in it being pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol. He posted pictures of the speeding tickets he had been issued.Tesla told the BBC it was the driver had set the speed limit to 75mph, because autopilot does not set the speed limit. It also said speeding drivers were warned that they were breaking the limit.

Source : www.bbc.com

Google buys stake in $300 million China startup Mobvoi

BIEIJING: Google will take a minority stake in Beijing-based artificial intelligence firm Mobvoi as part of a $75 million fundraising round, the startup said on Tuesday, as the US search giant tries to rebuild its presence in China.

Mobvoi works on artificial intelligence (AI) voice-controlled software, like that used in Google's Android products for mobile search, and also develops hardware like smart watches. Google's parent company is now named Alphabet.

The Google-led Series C fundraising values Mobvoi at $300 million, with the start-up maintaining a controlling stake, said co-founder Li Yuanyuan in a telephone interview. The size of the US firm's investment was not disclosed by Li or in Mobvoi's e-mailed statement on Tuesday.

The deal, not Google's first in China but one of few, comes as the company seeks to re-establish itself in the world's largest internet market by population of users.Because services like its search, e-mail and mapping are blocked in China, the US firm is trying to cement partnerships with domestic providers like Mobvoi, which offers technology similar to Apple's Siri and Google's own version.

Mobvoi previously partnered with Google to provide Chinese-language voice search for the latter's Android Wear smartwatch operating system. The Chinese firm will use the money from its fundraising to invest in AI and robotics research.

Mobvoi is also developing voice search to be integrated into vehicles and a robot for families in China, said Li. When contacted, a Singapore-based Google spokesman declined to elaborate on how the Mobvoi investment fit with its China strategy.

Although Google has maintained an engineering and sales presence in China, it largely withdrew its services out of China five years ago after refusing to continue self-censoring search results.

CEO Sundar Pichai has made no secret that he wants to get back into China, with his bet riding on Google Play, the app store for its Android mobile operating system, despite it currently being borderline inaccessible in China. He faces an uphill struggle.

Source  : The Times Of India - Tech

Xiaomi Announces Self-Balancing Ninebot Mini Scooter

Xiaomi's investment in Ninebot has finally come to good use with the company releasing the Ninebot mini-scooter in China for a local equivalent of Rs 20,361 (1999 CNY).

This is a self-balancing battery operated scooter and can last up to 22KM on a single charge. Xiaomi claims that the scooter can climb inclines of up to 15 degrees with a top speed of 16 KM/h.

At 12.8 kilograms, the Ninebot mini-scooter can fit into the trunk of your car conveniently and can be carried around easily. The company is separately selling safety gear for the scooter priced at 169 CNY or Rs 1720.

As you guessed by now, this mini-scooter is pretty similar to the popular Segway scooter, but significantly smaller. It can even do a full 360 degree turn at a standstill, which is a handy feature to have on a scooter such as this.

Thanks to integration with mobile devices through a dedicated app, the Ninebot mini-scooter can give you real time information on speed, distance and even intimate you when the device has some updates pending.Indian availability cannot be ruled out at this point, although Xiaomi is yet to offer clarity on that right now.

Source : techgignews.com

India can help make cyber world level playing field, says Swedish official

NEW DELHI: Being a regional power that has huge internet consumer base, India can play a key role in ushering a "democratic" cyber space, a senior Swedish official has said.

According to Maja Fjaestad, state Secretary to Minister for Strategic Development and Nordic Cooperation of Sweden, issues like cyber bullying and harassment of women subscribers were universal and India should pro-actively participate in addressing these issues.

"The problems and issues faced by female internet users in Sweden are the same as faced by female users here in India. We have been raising these issues but if India too pushes them, it would mean a lot," Fjaestad, who calls herself a cyber feminist, told IANS on the sidelines of a conference here.

Cyberspace is home to almost the same percentage of women (47 percent) as men (53 percent), but women are twice as likely to face sexual harassment online.

As the online and offline environments are fundamentally intertwined, gender-based power structures have real-world implications regardless of platform.

According to Fjaestad, in countries with a rapidly growing internet user base, governments, businesses and civil societies should devise strategies to effectively address cyber bullying and gender based violence.

On the issue of net neutrality, Fjaestad said her country was for net neutrality. "If information has to be prioritised at all, it should be on the basis of purpose, not for the sake of money," she said.

Fjaestad said Sweden was also seeking greater cooperation with India on other fronts including trade as there was "so much common interest" involved.

Source : ETCIO.com

Libratone jumps into multi-room audio with its latest speakers

Libratone isn't content with churning out more cloth-covered wireless speakers -- it wants to muscle in on Sonos' home turf. The upscale gear maker has launched both an updated Zipp speaker and a smaller Zipp Mini (shown above) that include multi-room audio. You can link as many as six of the zipper-clad speakers over WiFi, much like some of their peers. The key, as you might have guessed, is that everything is portable. If you're jonesing to move your entire setup to a new room, you can do it without feeling like you're moving house.

The two also share 360-degree sound, Bluetooth 4.1 support, a new touch interface and between 8 to 10 hours of battery life. The decision really comes down to both the power you need, the size you like and how much you're willing to pay. The relatively tiny Zipp Mini delivers 60W of sound for $250/£179, while springing for the $300/£219 Zipp gets you 100W in a larger body. Are you going to ditch an existing whole-home system for Libratone's latest hardware? Probably not, especially if you only need two units (devices like the UE Boom 2 already pair together) to fill your abode with music. Even so, this could make a lot of sense if you've ever wished for multi-room listening that could follow you around.

Source : engadget.com

Here Are All the Cars in Need for Speed Reboot

Electronic Arts is looking to reboot its Need for Speed franchise and it’s betting a lot on the latest game in the series that will land on November 5 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and PC sometime in 2016. The Ghost Games studio has just announced all the cars that will be available on launch day and there are quite a few.

The new Need for Speed doesn't have any kind of other number or name associated with it, but this is how reboots are done these day. The developers drop any kind of indication about the past and they only focus on the future. In this case, it looks like Need for Speed doesn't really care about having a huge collection of cars that you probably won't even try. Instead, they will have a lot of very famous ones and the developers have put a lot of care into how they look.

EA is trying to get back to its roots, and one of the ways to do that is by recapturing some of the things that it used to do well, and that is an over-the-top storyline and incredible races. If the racing part is something that can be worked on, the story part doesn't seem to match. The studio went for a serious storyline that even involves some great names such as Magnus Walker, Ken Block, Nakai-san, or Morohoshi-san.

There is an old Mustang available, don't worry

The game will let players choose any car they want right from the start and they will be unlocked. The only problem will be the money, so they might as well be locked. Expect to see quite a few DLCs after launch.

Here are the cars:

- Honda Civic Type-R

- Ferrari 458 Italia

- BMW M2

- NISSAN Skyline GT-R V-Spec 1993

- Acura RSX-S

- Toyota Sprinter GT Apex

- Chevrolet Corvette Z06

- Toyota GT86

- Dodge Challenger SRT8

- Toyota Supra SZ-R

- Honda NSX Type-R

- Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670

- Porsche 911 Carrera S (993)

- Ferrari F40

- Mazda MX-5 2015

- Volkswagen Golf GTI

- Volvo 242

- Chevrolet Camaro Z28

- Ford Mustang Boss 302

- Ford Mustang Fox Body

- McLaren 570S

- Porsche Cayman GT4

- BMW M3 E92

- Honda S2000

- Scion FR-S

- Dodge SRT Viper

- Mazda MX-5 1996

- Mercedes-AMG GT

- Porsche 911 Carrera S (991)

- NISSAN Fairlady 240ZG

- Lotus Exige S

- NISSAN GT-R Premium

- Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4

- SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI

- NISSAN Skyline GT-R V-Spec 1999

- NISSAN Skyline GT-R KPGC10

- SUBARU BRZ Premium

- BMW M3 E46

- BMW M3 Evolution II E30

- BMW M4

- Ford Mustang GT

- Ford Mustang

- Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4

- Mazda RX7 Spirit R

- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR

- NISSAN 180sx Type X

- NISSAN Silvia Spec-R

- Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8

- Porsche 911 GT3 RS

- Lamborghini Diablo SV

- Ford Focus RS

Source : softpedia.com

Middle East to become world leader in internet devices: Report

DUBAI: The Middle East is set to become the world leader in devices and consumer products connected to the internet and expected to generate a revenue of $270 billion this year, according to a new research.

"Middle East organisations are ideally placed to become leaders in Internet of Everything innovation. The Middle East and Africa is set to post the world's second-fastest growing ICT market in 2015, reaching $270 billion," according to International Data Corporation, a market research, analysis and advisory firm.

Internet of Everything is a broad term that refers to devices and consumer products connected to the internet and outfitted with expanded digital features."Longer-term, the Middle East's IT market is set to grow by 23%, from $204 billion in 2014 to $252 billion in 2019, according to Gartner, an American information technology research and advisory firm.

Middle East is also engaging in digital transformations with application of Internet of Things in drones, robotics, and 3D printing that can transform the region's business.

"More than ever, Middle East businesses are engaging in digital transformations, as the Internet of Things is no longer a theory, but is impacting our daily lives and business practices," said Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, Dubai World Trade Centre.The 35th edition of GITEX Technology Week -- the leading Information and communications technology (ICT) event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia -- opened yesterday, featuring the latest in innovative IoT solutions, especially in drones, robotics, and 3D printing that can transform the region's businesses.

In tandem with the Year of Innovation, the GTX Horizons Zone will showcase leading edge demonstrations of next generation disruptive technologies across 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, drones and robotics.

Source: The Times Of India - Tech