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Rivian pauses Mercedes-Benz electric van partnership after just three months
Just three months after announcing a partnership with Mercedes to manufacture commercial electric vans in Europe, Rivian now says its pausing those plans.
Ford's F-150 Lightning Pro comes with a $50,000 extended range option
Ford has unveiled the F-150 Lightning Pro, a more utilitarian version of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup aimed at commercial customers.
Boston Dynamic's new 'Stretch' robot is designed for boxes, not backflips
Boston Dynamics has revealed its latest robot, Stretch, designed for far less glamorous purposes than its other creations.
Reddit celebrated WallStreetBets in a five-second Super Bowl ad
Reddit has aired its first Super Bowl spot though you might have missed it while reaching for a snack.
Loon's balloon-powered internet service is live in Kenya
Loon's balloon-powered 4G internet service is now live in Kenya.
You can buy Boston Dynamics' Spot robot (if you have $75,000)
Businesses in the United States can now buy their very own Spot robots from Boston Dynamics.
Swarm gets regulatory approval to sell its satellite hardware
This has been a years-long process, during which time Swarm violated FCC rules and was forced to pay a $900,000 penalty. In 2017, the FCC denied Swarm’s application to launch its satellites, saying they could pose a safety hazard to other spacecraft.
FCC gives Google and Sony permission to dole out 3.5GHz spectrum
The FCC just gave Google, Sony and two other companies the greenlight to open the 3.5GHz band to commercial use. Considered by many as a building block for 5G networks, the 3.5GHz band could speed up 4G communication and enhance 5G networks, helping the latest iPhone and Android devices reach faster data speeds in the US.
Porsche's first Super Bowl ad in 23 years is for the electric Taycan
There have been Super Bowl ads for electric cars before, but they've tended to treat EVs as novelties. BMW's 2015 ad for the i3 was practically a crash course in EVs, while Audi's 2019 spot was more to advertise electrification than the still-unavailable E-Tron GT. Porsche, however, is embracing the radical concept of advertising an EV you can actually buy. The automaker is airing its first Super Bowl ad in 23 years on February 2nd to promote the Taycan, and this video focuses more on -- gasp -- the actual car.
Volocopter reveals its first commercial autonomous flying taxi
Just yesterday we said flying taxis may be a reality in the not-too-distant future. Today, Volocopter revealed its first commercial air taxi, the VoloCity. Designed to serve as an on-demand, inner-city vehicle, it can carry two passengers and their hand luggage. It's capable of an estimated range of 35 km (or roughly 22 miles) and an airspeed of 110 km/h (or about 68 mph). This is the fourth-generation eVTOL, or electric take-off and landing aircraft, by the German company, and like models we've seen in the past, the VoloCity has 18 rotors, redundancy in all critical systems and a promise of low noise.
Alphabet's Loon could provide internet in Kenya this year
Alphabet's internet-delivering balloon service, Loon, expects to begin commercial service in Kenya sometime this year. The company just received approval from Kenyan officials to begin flying and testing over the country, and a Loon spokesperson said commercial service could be available in the coming months.
Uber Elevate plans to deliver Big Macs by drone this summer
Move over, Uber Eats. Uber Elevate plans to deliver food via drone as early as this summer. To start, the service will be available in San Diego, and since Uber has been working closely with McDonalds, it will likely be optimized for things like Big Macs and fries.
NASA opens the International Space Station to commercial ventures
The International Space Station (ISS) is open for business. NASA announced today that it plans to commercialize the ISS, so that "U.S. industry innovation and ingenuity can accelerate a thriving commercial economy in low-Earth orbit." According to a press release, NASA will open the space station to private astronauts, as well as commercial product development, testing and manufacturing.
Amazon is buying 100 electric Mercedes delivery vans
Amazon is the latest company adding electric vehicles to its fleet. The e-commerce juggernaut has ordered 100 of Mercedes-Benz's eVito transit vans, which Mercedes says will hit the market next year. While the vans' range might seem limited (150 - 100 Km, depending on the use conditions; 62 miles - 92 miles) that covers a lot of ground in a city environment. A full charge will take six hours, and Amazon's eVito deployment will take place by the end of next year, according to a statement from Mercedes.
DJI will let developers fully customize its drones
Drone company DJI is expanding its efforts in the commercial sector with a new thermal imaging camera and a payload software development kit (SDK) that will allow startups and developers to integrate custom gear onto DJI drones.
Google sponsorship will cut ad time on Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'
Google is determined to drum up attention for Nest's Hello video doorbell, and it's going about it in an unusual way: by taking over a commercial break. When The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs on March 27th (that's tonight if you're reading in time), CBS will replace one of the usual ad breaks with a "More Show presented by Google's Nest Hello video doorbell." It's the first takeover in the show's history, CBS said.
TiVo flips 'SkipMode' around for Super Bowl ad fans
A few years ago TiVo rolled out SkipMode for its DVRs that would allow viewers to jump past ads (on certain prime-time programs) with the press of a button. This year, for Super Bowl LII it's flipping the technology around with GameSkip that works favor of people who watch the game just to see all of those (incredibly expensive) advertisements. Sure, you can usually see the best ones on YouTube either before the game or immediately after they are, but for dedicated fans of everything except Eagles vs. Patriots, it could be an easy way to catch up.
Amazon's Super Bowl ad tries subbing celebrities for Alexa
What would happen if Alexa lost her voice? According to Amazon's Super Bowl commercial for 2018, the company would bring in famous people to fill in the gaps. The new Alexa spot features Jeff Bezos hesitantly approving a plan to substitute in celebrities like Gordon Ramsay, Rebel Wilson, Cardi B and Anthony Hopkins.
Plex DVR can now automatically remove commercials
Plex, the service that collects media and streaming channels into one application, has been fine-tuning its offerings with new features that have recently improved viewing quality. But its next addition came with little fanfare: Enabling its DVR, which it launched back in June, to automatically remove commercials.
Yuneec's first commercial drone is ready for filming and rescue
Yuneec may be DJI's biggest consumer drone rival, but you probably have only heard of its consumer and selfie drones. Now, it's taking a step into the big leagues with a new model, the H520. The big, six rotor UAV with bright orange visibility is meant for commercial jobs, including video production, public safety, and inspection. It's equipped with a retractable landing gear, mission planning software and a variety of cameras, including a thermal imaging model and one with a two-inch sensor.
