Crypto Is Straining the Power Grid. Congress Wants to Rein It In

All of the companies included in the investigation were asked to explain “the impacts of your facilities on energy costs to local families and businesses,” but none could describe any existing estimates or models that tracked those impacts. Those who engaged with the question said this was because they didn’t expect to have a noticeable… Continue reading Crypto Is Straining the Power Grid. Congress Wants to Rein It In

US Postal Service to boost purchases of electric vehicles

WASHINGTON (AP) — The US Postal Service plans to substantially increase the number of electric-powered vehicles it’s buying to replace its fleet of aging delivery trucks, officials said Wednesday. The Postal Service anticipates boosting electric vehicles from 20 percent to 50 percent in its initial purchase of 50,000 vehicles — with the first of them… Continue reading US Postal Service to boost purchases of electric vehicles

DALL-E’s powerful AI image generator is now available in beta

You no longer have to be part of a small club to try OpenAI’s clever DALL-E image generator. The consortium has launched a beta that will make DALL-E available to 1 million people from a waitlist in the weeks ahead. If you get in, you’ll receive 50 free image credits in your first month and… Continue reading DALL-E’s powerful AI image generator is now available in beta

‘Space Explorers: The ISS Experience’ wraps up with a spacewalk filmed in VR

The final episode of Space Explorers: The ISS Experience is available starting today and it’s closing things out with a bang. The four-part series, which debuted in October 2020, wraps up with the first spacewalk filmed in ultra high-resolution cinematic virtual reality. The episode, which is called “Expand,” includes the arrival of a SpaceX crew on… Continue reading ‘Space Explorers: The ISS Experience’ wraps up with a spacewalk filmed in VR

DoorDash couriers will need to scan a customer’s ID before delivering alcohol

DoorDash is rolling out a new requirement for alcohol deliveries across the US. The delivery person will need to scan a customer’s ID with the DoorDash app to make sure the buyer is of legal drinking age. They’ll also check for signs of intoxication before handing over the booze (couriers are not allowed to deliver… Continue reading DoorDash couriers will need to scan a customer’s ID before delivering alcohol

Somehow, I’m playing ‘Overwatch’ again

I’m not sure what pulled me back into Overwatch. Correction: It was all Jessica Conditt’s fault. Her incisive overview on the Summer Game Fest, which noted the lack of fresh updates on AAA games – those major games we’re all excited about – got me thinking about which games I’m waiting to play. One of… Continue reading Somehow, I’m playing ‘Overwatch’ again

Tortoise is coming to Comic-Con, and it’s bringing burritos

Tortoise is partnering with hospitality giant Sodexo to bring a mobile smart store — which is basically a fancy vending machine with wheels — to Comic-Con this year. One of Tortoise’s robots, laden with Sodexo’s carne asada burritos and 20-ounce bottles of Gatorade, will roam the main Pavilion at the San Diego Convention Center to… Continue reading Tortoise is coming to Comic-Con, and it’s bringing burritos

Volkswagen’s U.S. CEO steps down to lead its Scout EV brand

Volkswagen Group of America CEO Scott Keough is stepping down to helm the automaker’s Scout brand for battery-electric pickup trucks and SUVs. Keough, who has served as president and chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America since 2018, will become Scout’s president and CEO. He will be replaced by Pablo Di Si, executive chairman of… Continue reading Volkswagen’s U.S. CEO steps down to lead its Scout EV brand

Amazon says: Hey, Alexa, time to cooperate more with other voice assistants

Image: Amazon Imagine you come home from work, and there’s loud, obnoxious music blaring from the speakers in your living room. You may know which family member turned it on, but you may not know which voice assistant they used to do so — was it Amazon’s Alexa, Sonos Voice Control or Hey Spotify?  This… Continue reading Amazon says: Hey, Alexa, time to cooperate more with other voice assistants

Amazon is slowly turning Alexa into a totally automated virtual assistant

Amazon is making a bunch of changes to the Alexa user experience, all with the same idea in mind: making the virtual assistant easier to use. The most notable is a change in how Alexa handles Routines, which developers can now create and recommend to users instead of requiring you to manually build your own… Continue reading Amazon is slowly turning Alexa into a totally automated virtual assistant