Author: Engadget Online News

Waymo had to rescue an autonomous van that was confused by safety cones

Programming a computer to understand and navigate roads designed for human drivers is hard. Just ask Elon Musk. Rarely, however, do we get to see just how many things can go wrong when an autonomous vehicle encounters a situation it doesn’t know how to tackle. A 35-minute video from Joel Johnson (via Autoblog), a YouTuber… Continue reading Waymo had to rescue an autonomous van that was confused by safety cones

Vizio makes nearly as much money from ads and data as it does from TVs

Vizio is finally a public company, after its 2015 plan for an IPO was derailed during a messy acquisition attempt from LeEco that eventually fell apart. Issuing its first public earnings report earlier today, the company revealed that in the first three months of 2021, profits from its Platform+ business — the part that sells… Continue reading Vizio makes nearly as much money from ads and data as it does from TVs

GM will install software on Chevy Bolt EVs to prevent future battery fires

Following last year’s recall, GM has outlined a plan to fix the issue that caused five Chevy Bolt battery fires between 2017 and 2019. In a post spotted by The Verge, the automaker says Bolt owners will need to take their car to their local GM dealership for service, where a mechanic will perform an… Continue reading GM will install software on Chevy Bolt EVs to prevent future battery fires

VW will design its own chips for self-driving cars

Volkswagen won’t settle for off-the-shelf computing power with its self-driving cars. As Reuters (via Autoblog) reports, company chief Herbert Diess told Handelsblatt in an interview that VW will design its own high-performance chips for autonomous vehicles. It was a matter of eking out the best possible hardware, Diess said — much like Apple and Tesla,… Continue reading VW will design its own chips for self-driving cars

Netflix’s subscriber numbers fall off from 2020’s boom

At this time last year, pandemic lockdowns rolling out around the world caused Netflix subscriptions to spike, as the company added 16 million subscribers in three months. Now it’s numbers for the same period in 2021 are out (PDF), and it grew by a total of 3.98 million customers worldwide, which executives said reflected “the… Continue reading Netflix’s subscriber numbers fall off from 2020’s boom

Elon Musk: Data recovered ‘so far’ shows Autopilot not enabled in Houston crash

This weekend two men aged 59 and 69 died when the Tesla Model S they were in left the road, hit a tree and caught fire. As KHOU 11 reported, investigators say their bodies were found in the front passenger seat and back seat, and Constable Mark Herman told reporters that investigators are “100 percent… Continue reading Elon Musk: Data recovered ‘so far’ shows Autopilot not enabled in Houston crash

Ferrari’s CEO promises an EV in 2025

Ferrari has already made cars with hybrid powertrains, but during its Annual General Meeting this week, acting CEO John Elkann told investors in prepared remarks (PDF) that the carmaker will unveil “the first all-electric Ferrari” in 2025. Hopefully that plan will hold even after the company confirms a new CEO — over the past decade… Continue reading Ferrari’s CEO promises an EV in 2025

Logitech is done making Harmony remotes

After going a long time without any hardware updates, Logitech has finally announced what many of us suspected was coming. TechHive points out a post on the support forums confirming that Logitech will no longer manufacture Harmony remotes.  Logitech: While Harmony remotes are and continue to be available through various retailers, moving forward Logitech will… Continue reading Logitech is done making Harmony remotes

Senators criticize Apple’s refusal to testify in hearing on app store rules

Apple appears unwilling to take part in an upcoming hearing the Senate plans to hold on anti-competitive app store practices. In a letter spotted by Bloomberg that’s addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee, the chair and leading Republican on the Senate Judiciary’s antitrust subcommittee, state the company abruptly declined… Continue reading Senators criticize Apple’s refusal to testify in hearing on app store rules