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The first self-driving big rig licensed to operate in the US
A Daimler-built autonomous truck can now legally operate on the highways of Nevada. Gov. Brian Sandoval has officially granted the "Freightliner Inspiration Truck" a license for road use in the state, making it the first of its kind to navigate public roads in the US. The Inspiration's "Highway Pilot system" is loaded with cameras, radars, other sensors and computer hardware like most autonomous vehicles. However, it's not completely self-driving -- it still needs a human driver behind the wheel.
Nevada: Email that's sent in Vegas should stay in Vegas
It was just a few days ago that Edward Snowden told John Oliver how an email, sent from one New Yorker to another, could bounce across the world before reaching its destination. This decentralization is one of the internet's biggest strengths, but the system has gotten Nevada's politicians very worried about data security. That's why Paul Anderson and Mo Denis are sponsoring a bill that would see all of the state's government internet traffic remain within its own borders.
Leaving Las Vegas: Uber suspends operations in Nevada
The home of Las Vegas is meant to be a paradise of unhinged abandon, where consequences don't matter and everyone has a great time. Unfortunately, no one at the Washoe County District Court got that memo, since it's just slammed Uber with a preliminary injunction preventing it from operating in the state. It was the usual roll of objections that have stopped the service, since Uber vehicles aren't subject to the same safety, insurance and licensing rules that taxis are. The company, for its part, has pledged not to abandon the state, saying that it'll work with Nevada's leadership to come to a useful solution. Maybe at the same time it'll try to clean up its reputation after a series of blunders, gaffes and PR disasters.
Road to BlizzCon Day 2: Fruitcake and Fallout
I couldn't even begin to explain why, but I'm fairly certain my comrade-in-arms Anne Stickney insisted on making our BlizzCon road trip an annual event exclusively so she could get a glimpse of a 104-year-old fruitcake. Our itinerary went through numerous iterations leading up to the start of our journey. The fruitcake was struck from the list countless times, but she managed to worm it back in there every single time. At some point, a guy accepts his fate and travels cross-country to see an old, crusty fruitcake. What can you do? I'll let it slide, though. Day 2 of our road trip also included Goodsprings, Nevada, which I insisted on visiting from the beginning. Anyone who has played Fallout: New Vegas will recognize the location: it's the game's first Vegas locale. And, as it turns out, this supposedly-haunted town and its Pioneer Saloon may be recognizable to even those who have never touched a video game. It's been a standby location throughout modern pop culture, its Hollywood breakthrough predating Fallout by many years.
Tesla Motors preps for its $35k Model 3 with a new battery factory in Nevada
Tesla Motors is going to need to expand production to hit its goal of selling a $35,000 electric vehicle by 2017, and as rumored, today it's announcing plans for a new plant in Nevada that will help it get there. Several states were in the running to host the "Gigafactory" (and its 6,500~ jobs) but Elon Musk and Co. have chosen to put down roots in the Reno area. According to local papers like the Reno Gazette-Journal, that's why Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval will ask the state legislature to approve a $1.25 billion tax incentive package to make the deal stick. According to Elon Musk, the factory will use solar, wind and geothermal energy to produce all of the energy it needs as a "net zero energy factory." As seen above, it's supposed to produce 50 GWh in annual battery production by 2020, enough to power 500,000 of Tesla's cars. The deal is being announced right now at a press conference, check out the live video after the break to follow along (update: the live stream appears to have died, but Jason Hidalgo of the Reno Gazette-Journal is live tweeting Musk's statements).
Tomorrow Tesla Motors will announce the location for its battery 'Gigafactory' is Nevada
Several states have been in the running for a multi-billion dollar facility Tesla Motors has envisioned to build components for its electric cars (including the $35,000 Model 3), but it appears Nevada is the one. CNBC sources indicated a deal was close earlier today, and now Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has timed a "major announcement" for tomorrow at 7PM ET. Other sources like Bloomberg claim CEO Elon Musk and other Tesla representatives will be at the event, and also mention that there could be more factories to follow. A joint operation with Panasonic, the 'Gigafactory' is key to Tesla's strategy to lower the price of EVs in the future by working on different parts for the batteries (raw materials, cells, modules and battery pack enclosures) all in one place. Naturally, the prospect of some 6,500 or so new jobs have had southwestern states ideal for its renewable energy plans fighting over the right to play host.
CenturyLink heads to Las Vegas, brings gigabit internet to Sin City
Starting this fall, some citizens of Las Vegas will be able to delight in lightning fast broadband speeds as CenturyLink brings its fiber network to a select few neighborhoods. Back in May, the company introduced its gigabit internet to Omaha, Nebraska, where the service will continue to roll out gradually until the end of this month. Just like last time, CenturyLink is proceeding in baby steps; residential customers will be able to sign up within the next few weeks, while business owners will have to wait until some undisclosed date in early 2014. Packages start at $80 a month as an internet/TV bundle if you sign up for a full year, but the price goes up to $125 if you opt for half that time. For more info (and a few words from Nevada Senator Harry Reid), check out the full press release after the break.
Apple to build a 20-megawatt solar farm for its Reno, Nevada data center
Apple's Reno, Nevada data center might be a lot greener in the next few years -- according to GigaOm, the company plans to build a 137 acre solar farm right next to it. The Nevada complex will reportedly generate between 18 and 20 megawatts of power similar to Apple's two arrays in North Carolina, but GigaOm says it will use a different kind of technology. Instead of a standard farm of solar panels, it will include mirrors that concentrate the sun's rays on each one up to seven times, increasing the amount of energy produced. In a statement sent to the publication, Cupertino revealed that the facility will not only provide electricity for the data center, but also supply energy to the local grid. Solar company SunPower will work on the array's engineering and construction, but until it's operational (which could be a while), Apple will depend on geothermal energy generated by local plants. [Image credit: Apple]
Continental gets automated vehicle approved for Nevada roads
Google isn't the only outfit puttering around Nevada roads with its hands off the wheel -- German automotive supplier Continental has the state's approval to let the computer take the wheel, too. Earlier this week the Silver State signed off on the German company's safety, employee training, system function and accident reporting plans, granting Continental a testing license and adorning its vehicles with red license plates. It's the very same treatment Mountain View received back in May -- but Continental's cars aren't exactly direct competitors to Google's fare. The company's "highly automated vehicles" are more of an advanced cruise control system than a self driving car -- capable of navigating stop and go traffic on a freeway, for example, but still requiring the driver to take control as their exit draws near. Continental sees the partially autonomous vehicle as a stepping stone to fully automated cars, and plans to offer the partial solution between 2016 and 2020, switching up to fully automated driving systems by 2025. The company hopes refine its testing to meet this goal in Nevada, putting its stereo camera and sensor equipped vehicle through freeway and rush-hour trials in real traffic. The company's ultimate goal, of course, is to eliminate accidents and fatalities on the road. Check out the firm's official PR after the break.
Take-Two potentially opening new offices in Las Vegas
Take-Two, publisher of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Borderlands 2, et al, may soon be opening new offices in Las Vegas, according to proposal documents concerning Take-Two and The City of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency. If opened, the new facility would employ a minimum of 150 persons full-time, all of whom would earn a "gross average hourly wage, including overtime, of at least $18 per hour."The agreement also stipulates that, in order for Take-Two to be eligible for the (up to) $600,000 in incentives, 15 percent of all full-time employees must be "full time residents within the Agency's redevelopment area" as well as "members of racial minorities, women, disabled or veterans."The purpose of the facility is still uncertain; whether this could be a new studio or a satellite testing office is unknown. It's worth noting, however, that while $18 an hour sounds like QA/testing wages, that's the minimum amount required by the agreement and may not accurately reflect what the real average ends up being.
The future of higher education: reshaping universities through 3D printing
Featuring four towering limestone columns and classic Flemish-bond brickwork, the century-old Mackay School of Mines Building at the University of Nevada, Reno, has long served as a bastion of Silver State history. Named after Irish immigrant and "Comstock Lode King" John Mackay, notable touches such as a cast bronze statue designed by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum just outside the building helped it earn a spot in the National Register of Historic Places. Within its oak doors, however, are the makings of an intriguing experiment that's decidedly more new school. Like a mini museum, a collection of 3D-printed models are displayed within the building's sunlit, three-story atrium -- attracting a mix of students and teachers. Even more popular than the displays of plastic gears and molecule models, however, are the two 3D printers that made them: a professional-grade Stratasys uPrint SE Plus and a hobbyist 3DTouch machine by 3D Systems Corporation.
Fallen kingdom: 38 Studios' collapse and the pitfalls of using public money to support tech companies
In a career filled with many clutch throws from the baseball mound, former Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling's main calling card was a gutsy post-season performance made even more memorable by a blood-soaked sock. It was a pitch made by Schilling outside of Major League Baseball, however, that would prove to be his most daring one yet. In 2010, Schilling convinced Rhode Island officials to give his video game company, 38 Studios, a $75 million loan guarantee. A self-professed fan of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), Schilling's dream was to create a worthy competitor to Blizzard's MMORPG juggernaut, World of Warcraft. In 2006, Schilling started Green Monster Games, which was later renamed 38 Studios. Luring the company away from Massachusetts was supposed to bring in more than 400 jobs and serve as the linchpin for launching a new tech-based industry in Rhode Island. Instead, the state's taxpayers found themselves left at the table with a multimillion-dollar tab.
Apple's iCloud data center gets green light to come to Reno, be a star
Apple's plans to erect an iCloud data center in Sparks, Reno have gained traction now the local board of economic development have rubber-stamped the deal. While largely ceremonial, it's given its assent to $89 million in tax breaks to entice the company to break ground on the weirdly-named "Project Jonathan Hub." The new data center is expected to go live before the end of the year, hopefully ensuring that upgrading to OS 10.9 aren't as fraught as they were for Mountain Lion last week. [Image credit: Amy Meredith, Flickr]
First solar-geo plant blooms in Nevada's high desert
Drive west on US Route 50 through a stretch of Nevada highway known as "The Loneliest Road in America" and you'll eventually find yourself in the rural county of Churchill. Once a solitary leg in the Pony Express route, irrigation transformed swaths of Churchill's high desert areas into thriving agricultural communities more than a century ago. Fast forward to today and Churchill finds itself playing host to yet another interesting dichotomy -- a first-of-its-kind power plant that generates electricity by harvesting renewable resources from both earth and sky. %Gallery-159924%
Distro Issue 47: Made in the USA edition
It's that time of the year when folks in the US of A tend to get a tad bit patriotic. Pretty soon, those of us in the States will be all about grilling and putting back a few hot dogs and / or hamburgers before rushing off to catch some fireworks. We're looking to keep the spirit alive in our weekly, too. This time around, we offer up a Made in the USA edition with editorials that tackle Nevada's solar-geothermal hybrid power plant and just how much coin it takes to offer internet in American Samoa -- along with a few more stops in between. The Nexus 7 and Nexus Q were revealed at Google I/O and we offer some initial thoughts on the pair of gadgets from the folks in Mountain View. Find yourself jonesin' for a closer look at that fancy Tesla S? You're in luck. You'll find some detail shots of the new $50,000 EV in "Eyes-On" this week. So what are you waiting for? There's a monster truck on the cover for crying out loud! Dive right in to the latest issue via your download method of choice. Distro Issue 47 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Apple looking to build data center in Reno
All of Apple's iCloud initiatives need data centers -- big ones -- and the company has announced plans to build a new facility near Sparks, Nevada, just a short toss of a poker chip east of Reno. That's not all Apple is planning to do in Northern Nevada. There are also plans to build a business and purchasing center in downtown Reno, part of a total US$1 billion investment over the next ten years. As with most big job-producing deals of this kind, Apple is hoping to get $89 million in tax breaks from the city, county, and state to sweeten the pot. It's estimated that the economic impact of the projects will be a jackpot for the region -- $343 million from the 41 full-time jobs and 200 contract employees at the data center, and another $103 million from the construction required for facilities. In addition, the local and state governments are going to collect about $16 million in tax revenue from Apple. The deal needs the approval of the local governments today in order to proceed, but it's expected that all the players will chip in with their agreement.
Apple pitches data center near Reno, gambles iCloud will pay off among other puns
Apple data centers are popping up like spring flowers: following its North Carolina, Oregon and California plans, it's now pitching a fourth data center in Sparks, Nevada, just outside of Reno. The enigmatically named Project Jonathan hub is expected to light up before the end of the year if it's given the green light. Not surprisingly, Apple is promising jobs for the area, although the company is choosing the location for a reason: it's hoping for tax breaks on top of the advantages that previously led it to funnel some of its money through Nevada. We'll have a better idea as to the fate of the data center when Apple argues for the project on June 27th, but it's reasonable to think Apple is eager to make the Sparks location a reality. The more capacity and reliability it can build into iCloud and iTunes, the better. [Image credit: Amy Meredith, Flickr]
Details emerge of first BlackBerry 10 devices: touchscreen L and QWERTY N-Series
The launch of BlackBerry 10 and its debut devices is slowly creeping up on us, and some details about the handsets are finally starting to emerge. According to N4BB, RIM has two models up its sleeve -- the all touchscreen L-Series and the QWERTY keyboard-sporting N-Series. The L branded models will be very similar to the dev devices we've already seen, with a 1280 x 768 OLED display (a first for a BlackBerry) that crams an impressive 356 pixels into every inch. The N-Series is more for the BlackBerry purists who cling desperately to their physical keyboards. Originally leaked with the codename Nevada, the N-Series shrinks the display to 720 x 720, but still keeps the pixel density impressive at 330ppi. N4BB's sources say that the L will hit shelves first in September, with the N to follow in Q1 of 2013.
Nevada lets Google's driverless car hit the open road, requires it to bring a driver
Driving through Las Vegas can be distracting -- bright lights, sun-powered death rays and international Consumer Electronics Shows have a tendency to catch a geek's eye -- good thing, then, that Nevada's deemed Google fit to test its autonomous automobile on public streets. The state's Department of Transportation was tasked with penning a set of safety standards for self-driving cars last June, and is now letting the cars run amok on city streets, with a few restrictions. Mountain View's three test vehicles, for instance, will need to haul a carpool of at least two passengers before driving down the strip, one person to take the wheel in case of an emergency, and another to monitor a computer screen that details the car's planned route. Test vehicles will also don red license plates and an infinity symbol to mark them as self-driving prototypes. Nevada DMV Director Bruce Breslow says those plates will be green once the vehicles are ready for market, something he hopes to see in three to five years.
NAB 2012 wrap-up
"That's a wrap!" Finally, an appropriate use for that industry cliché, since, ya know, we really are at a motion picture / television conference. As our first trip to the National Association of Broadcasters' annual event in Las Vegas fires its last frame, we're going to roll to the credits, honoring all those products that enabled us to justify spending a week in Sin City on the company dime. From Canon's 4K-capable 1D C (that'll sadly run you far more than $4k) to RED's Dragon sensor upgrade set to render "obsolescence obsolete," there's plenty to look forward to in the world of cinematography. We also happened upon a few consumer-facing gadgets, including Ceton's new DVR companion apps for Android and iOS, that Lenscaster SLR lens mount for iPad and a new Dolby 3D standard that could help propel glasses-free 3D into mass production. That's but a small sampling of the gadgets at NAB 2012, however, so jump past the break for all our hands-ons from the show.
