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Audi's future-proofing plans include more ride sharing
Joining the likes of Maven and Sidecar from General Motors and Chariot from Ford, the Volkswagen group is eyeing a ride-sharing service of its own. Audi (part of the VW group) has announced that it intends to purchase the Austin-based Silvercar which uses Audi A4 sedans to get people around. Previously VW was pondering the market with a $300 million investment in high-end ride-share service Gett. As TechCrunch reports, Audi already had a minor stake in the company and according to a press release the two have been working together since 2012 .
SXSW 2017: What to watch out for over the weekend
The atmosphere here in Austin, Texas is warming up nicely (as is the weather, thankfully). With the smell of BBQ and the constant strum of guitars now permanently lingering in the air, it can only mean one thing: SXSW's Interactive weekend is upon us. If you're not here on the ground in Austin, no worries: We're here to bring the show to you via the interpipes.
AT&T will launch 5G wireless in two cities this year
AT&T's 5G wireless network just got much more tangible. The carrier has announced that its ultra-fast wireless will launch in two cities, Austin and Indianapolis, sometime later in 2017. And while it's still early days, the company is confident enough to set some performance expectations. Initially, these 5G areas will deliver peak speeds of 400Mbps or better. And there's definite room for it to grow -- carrier aggregation and other techniques should push that to 1Gbps in "some areas" this year.
Samsung spends $1 billion to strengthen US chip production
Making the chips that sit inside our smartphones, tablets and cars is a big business, and one that's only getting bigger. Samsung is looking to take advantage of that by spending a further $1 billion on its Texas-based semiconductor facility. That cash is intended to increase Samsung's ability to produce integrated systems on a chip like its Exynos-branded SoCs that reside inside mobile devices.
Pro-Uber Austin politician sues to abolish fingerprint rule
Uber and Lyft have found a friend in Austin City Council Member Donald Zimmerman. The pro-ridesharing politician has filed a lawsuit against the mayor in an effort to overturn the rule requiring drivers to undergo fingerprint background checks. If you'll recall, ridesharing companies lost a special election in Austin held on May 7th, wherein 56 percent of voters were in favor of doing stricter background checks on drivers. According to Reuters, his lawsuit argues that the requirement's language was confusing, unlawful and did not provide enough information about the process.
Uber and Lyft to leave Austin after failed vote
When Uber and Lyft threatened to leave Austin if a vote over ridesharing rules didn't work in their favor, they weren't joking around. Both companies say they'll shut down their Austin operations on the morning of May 9th after 56 percent of voters rejected Proposition 1, which would have prevented the city from demanding fingerprint-based background checks as well as banning pickups in traffic lanes. The outfits contend that these measures are too much of a burden on both drivers (who'd have a harder time getting started) and passengers (who'd have to be picky about where they hail rides).
Uber faces lawsuit over aggressive Austin voting ads
Uber is known for being aggressive when it wants changes to the law -- just ask anyone who has received email after email asking for support. However, its latest effort might have crossed the line. The app-hailed transportation service is facing a class-action lawsuit over a text messaging campaign that called on Austin residents to vote for Proposition 1, which would let ridesharing companies operate without running fingerprint background checks. The lawsuit claims that Uber not only spammed Austinites with "vote for Prop 1" messages without their consent, but made it difficult to avoid those promos. Text replies went unanswered, and calling the source number would only give you an automated error message. In other words, it sounds like the sort of robodialer that would violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
We're live at SXSW Interactive 2016!
Hello Austin! Once again SXSW -- the weird and wonderful show for interactive digital technology -- is upon us, and Engadget's here in full force to bring you the best bits as they happen. Unlike other shows that offer the latest phones, TVs or games, SXSW is all about the big ideas, the slightly crazy ideas, and hottest topics in tech. Expect innovative uses for VR, off-beat music installations, buckets of BBQ, and even a visit from the President. We'll be covering it all (minus, perhaps, the BBQ), and you can follow along right here on Engadget. If you want to make sure you don't miss a thing, then you can closely follow all our coverage here, or get the highlights (and behind the scenes fun) via Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat.
Engadget Live heads to Austin on Friday!
This Friday, October 16th at 7PM, we're heading back to Austin, TX, for our second-to-last Engadget Live event of the year! We're taking over the Austin Music Hall to bring together gadget lovers (like you!) for a night you won't want to miss. Tickets are free!
Engadget Live is coming to Austin next Friday!
We're excited to be returning to Austin, TX, one of our favorite cities, on October 16th at 7PM for our third Engadget Live event of the year! We'll take over Austin Music Hall and bring together gadget lovers and tech companies for a night you don't want to miss. Tickets are free, but if you'd like to get in an hour earlier (at 6PM), you can purchase an early-access pass.
Engadget Live heads to Austin, Texas on October 16th!
It's been a while since our last Engadget Live event (we love you, Los Angeles!) and even longer since we visited Austin. So, on October 16th at 7PM, we're taking over the Austin Music Hall to bring gadget lovers and awesome tech companies together. Entry is free, but we're also offering you the chance to beat the crowds and get in an hour early for $15. Get your free ticket or purchase an early-access pass here.
Google's custom self-driving car comes to Austin
Google's cute, koala-faced self-driving car is no longer limited to roaming around Californian streets. The company is bringing "a few" of the prototype autonomous vehicles to Austin, Texas within the next few weeks. They'll stick to the same northern parts of the city as the modified Lexus SUVs do today, so don't expect to see one parked outside of Stubb's BBQ any time soon. Still, this is a rare chance to see Google's robotic ride outside of its native habitat -- so long as you aren't trying any fancy bike tricks, you're in for a treat.
Google's self-driving cars can't handle bicycle track stands
Ever performed a track stand, where you keep your bike upright at a stop without taking your feet off the pedals? If you have, you'll want to avoid trying that around Google's self-driving cars, at least for a while. One Austin-based cyclist reports an encounter where one of the autonomous cars was comically unsure of what to do when it spotted him doing a track stand at an intersection. Every time his bike moved even slightly, the car would lurch forward and promptly hit the brakes. Nothing happened beyond some good laughs, but it was clear that Google's self-driving code didn't know how to handle a not-quite-stationary bike.
Google tests self-driving cars in Austin, Texas
Plenty of folks in Austin, Texas have spotted Google's distinctive self-driving Lexus cars recently, and now we know why. The company revealed that it's now rolling the vehicles in downtown Austin in order to "(test) our software in different driving environments, traffic patterns and road conditions." While Google could also test its self-driving cars in Nevada and elsewhere, Austin is the first city outside of Mountain View where it's actually done so. The reason? "We've loved how much Austin embraces innovation," a Google spokesperson told the Austin American-Statesmen. She added that with Google Fiber and several company offices in the city, it was a natural fit for self-driving cars.
Orchard wants to cover Austin in inflatable, huggable trees
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-344018{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-344018, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-344018{width:629px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-344018").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Chaotic Moon needed something to soften its image. The "creative technology studio," known for stunts like a bitcoin-mining exercise machine and a drone that sprayed paint and flames, was starting to seem a little rough around the edges. So, it started work on Orchard, a giant inflatable and interactive tree built in collaboration with the design firm Gensler. Basically, it's a 30-foot balloon, loaded with sensors, LEDs and speakers. When you poke, push, hug or tackle the tree, it responds in different ways. It subtly changes the music, emits tones, displays ripples of color or even just locks into a single shade until you release your grip. The two companies are hoping to work with other partners and sponsors to build an entire orchard (hence the name) of these inflatable trees that will interact with not just the people touching them, but also each other and maybe even social media. For a full explanation from one of the designers, John Houser, check out the video above.
Google Fiber is growing slowly, by design
"Keep Austin Weird." It's the proud slogan of the Texas capital, and it wears it well, especially with its eclectic mix of culture, history and technology. Pretty soon, Austin will have one more reason to be proud: it'll be one of a few cities in America to carry Google Fiber, the search giant's experimental foray as a broadband provider. "It is, as always, step by step," Google Fiber head of project management Adam Smith tells me. Smith is sitting across from me in Austin's new Google Fiber space, hesitantly explaining how Google isn't very experienced at this whole "internet provider" thing it's been doing. On paper, Austin is the third city to support Google's internet service, but reality is less black and white. "Provo was an acquisition," Smith reminds me. "This is really the second organic city... ...it's sort of also saying that this is also new for us."
Google Fiber's new gear lets you watch more shows on more TVs
If gigabit internet isn't reason enough to tempt Austinites to sign up for Google Fiber, they can chew on this: Austin Texas will be the first Fiber city to enjoy the benefits of Google's latest in-home hardware devices. Today Google officially revealed its new Fiber router, a single unit that consolidates the existing network and storage boxes into one device. This is the same router that rolled out to Kansas City residents in Google's beta program earlier this year -- but there's a little more going on here than mere device consolidation.
Google Fiber sign-ups go live in Austin
If you've been champing at the bit waiting for Google Fiber's Austin launch, today is your big day. Google is now taking sign-ups for gigabit internet access in the southern and southeastern parts of town. As in Kansas City, it'll cost $70 for data alone and $130 if you want TV on top. Other Austinites will get their chance in the future, Google says. Just be ready to act quickly if you're eligible -- there's a sign-up deadline for each qualifying neighborhood, so you risk missing out on Google's super-quick service if you're not careful.
Austin's airport uses WiFi to gauge how long you'll wait in security lines
If you're a frequent flyer, you've probably panicked after realizing that a long security line could make you miss your flight. You might not have reason to worry at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, though, since the travel hub is now taking advantage of Boingo's WiFi networks to estimate security line wait times. The system works by detecting passengers' WiFi-equipped devices as they swing by security checkpoints, creating a catalog of interval data. With a few months of information, Boingo can almost always predict how long you'll be stuck in the queue -- yes, even during the holiday rush. Austin's approach doesn't require that you sign into Boingo (it's just checking for basic hardware identifiers), and Bluetooth beacons supplement the coverage.
Google Fiber hits Austin this December
It looks like AT&T's gigabit internet is going to get some new company in Austin come December: Google Fiber. At a recent planning meeting in the Weird City, Mountain View detailed how it'll at long last roll the service out, and, as Gigaom notes, it seems similar to what's been in place in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Just like before, individual neighborhoods will have to commit to using the service for Google to consider putting Fiber there. If your area's selected, you'll have to pay a $300 "construction fee" to access the pipeline but, aside from a free 5mbps package, other pricing details haven't been announced. Itching to sign-up and get yourself on the map? You'll have to wait until the last month of the year for that. It feels like a lifetime ago since we first caught wind of Fiber's Austin appearance, but surely you've used those 18 months to plan your first blazing-fast download, right? [Image credit: StuSeeger/Flickr]
