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Panasonic's new image sensor could help cars see in the dark
Panasonic's new image sensor tech is designed for taking shots in the dark. Literally. The company has made an advancement that provides "electrical control of the near infrared (NIR) light sensitivity of the same pixel in an organic CMOS image sensor." In English, that means it can take photos in near pitch-black without losing detail or resolution -- and it does so without the need for a mechanical IR cut filter.
Moto Z hackathons create more interesting Mods than Motorola
The modular Moto Z was the tool of choice at the latest Motorola hackathon in San Francisco this past weekend. Developers and entrepreneurs took on the task of hacking the mobile phone with a variety of other hardware to come up with innovative add-ons. While available mods are thought of as too high-priced and non-essential, competitions like these show off some intriguing potential.
Audi's concierge-based car rental service is outstanding but pricey
Normally when I rent a car it involves a meandering line, a long counter and an associate who's almost always cordial and helpful but in a hurry. It feels impersonal. It's like going inside the bank to make a withdrawal. It's not a horrible experience, but there's an easier way to get to your money. For renting cars there's also a better way. And if you're an Audi fan and live in San Francisco, that way is actually quite superb -- if you can afford it.
Autonomous Ubers return to California with humans in control
Uber's run-in with the California DMV has apparently been smoothed over for now. Although the ride-hailing giant has since shipped its real-world autonomous vehicle testing out of the state, several of the offending vehicles are once again street legal in California -- provided Uber keeps the self-driving systems turned off and a human driver behind the wheel.
Uber is moving its self-driving cars from California to Arizona
Uber's self-driving vehicle tests on the streets of San Francisco ended earlier this week when the California DMV stepped in. The state revoked the registrations on Uber's self-driving cars after the company flew in the face of both city and state officials, claiming it would continue operating in San Francisco without a permit. After all the back and forth, Uber is now taking its self-driving vehicles elsewhere -- specifically to the streets of Arizona.
Uber's self-driving tests in SF end after the DMV steps in
The self-driving Uber pilot in San Francisco has ended, now that the DMV revoked registrations for the vehicles. Last week, the company faced off with government officials both state and local in an attempt to insist its cars did not need a permit or autonomous testing. Regulators disagreed, and things quickly escalated. Uber says it plans to redeploy the cars, somewhere, (hopefully without bike lanes), and "will be redoubling our efforts to develop workable statewide rules."
Uber admits its self-driving cars have trouble with bike lanes
After reports of Uber's self-driving cars running red lights and failing to stop for pedestrians during trips in San Francisco, the company has also admitted to issues with its autonomous vehicles navigating around (and legally interacting with) bike lanes. A spokesperson told The Guardian that the company was working to fix a flaw that allowed cars to turn into cycling lanes. Instead of merging into lanes ahead of making a right-hand turn, SF Bicycle Coalition executive director Brian Weidenmeier said he saw Uber's self-driving cars make unsafe turns through bike lanes, twice.
Uber brings its self-driving cars to San Francisco
Uber's self-driving cars are now roaming beyond the streets of Pittsburgh. The ridesharing firm has started deploying autonomous vehicles in downtown San Francisco, giving UberX passengers a (small) chance at ordering a robotic ride. There's still a driver ready to take over when the car can't navigate by itself, but you're in for a special experience all the same -- especially since these aren't just the modified Fords from the Pittsburgh test.
Book your next workout right from a Google search
Google's been transforming Search for a bit, making it easier to find TV listings, restaurant menus and plan a vacation. Next up the internet juggernaut is making it easier to book a sweat session -- and maybe more than that in the future. For now though, Reserve With Google handles yoga and fitness classes in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City. And, you guessed it, the feature will come to Maps and Search in short order.
San Francisco MUNI hacker was hacked
Over the weekend, San Francisco's transit system was hacked by an individual (or group) going by the name Andy Saolis. The attack forced the city to offer Muni rides for free while its staff raced to rectify the breach on its servers. But while Saolis was threatening to expose gigabytes of data if his ransom wasn't paid, they were the subject of a hack themselves. An anonymous individual contacted Krebs on Security, claiming to have breached Saolis' email and found out a few clues as to their identity.
San Francisco transit hackers threaten to expose data
Looks like San Francisco refused to give in to transit system hackers trying to hold the city for ransom. In a conversation with Motherboard, the attackers (still going by "Andy Saolis") have threatened to expose 30GB of Muni databases and documents unless they receive the $73,000 in bitcoin that they demanded alongside the initial hack. They're trying to claim the moral high ground, too. Purportedly, the hack was a "proof of concept" meant to show that the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Authority doesn't "pay attention to your safety." This forces SFMTA to "do right job," the perpetrators claim in broken English.
San Francisco transit stations fall victim to a hack
San Franciscans just got an all-too-real demonstration of what it's like when hackers attack urban infrastructure. The city's Municipal Transportation Agency has confirmed that the Muni station computer system was hacked, leading officials to open fare gates, shut down ticket kiosks and otherwise make rides free on November 26th. Trains themselves were unaffected, and payments resumed on the morning of the 27th. It's not certain exactly who was responsible (besides "Andy Saolis," likely a pseudonym), but Hoodline understands that the intruders were using ransomware to hold the city hostage until it paid the equivalent of $73,000 in bitcoin. Screens at terminals said "you hacked, ALL data encrypted" and pointed the city to a Russian email address to arrange payment.
Lyft's Amp dashboard light signals your ride's arrival
Unlike stealing someone's cab, jumping into the wrong Lyft or Uber isn't a jerk move, it's usually just an embarrassing mistake for whoever does it. With that in mind, Lyft wants to make getting into the ride you hailed easier with a branded dashboard light called Amp. The device looks like a Bluetooth speaker along the lines of a Beats Pill: oblong and cylindrical, sitting on a base to keep it from sliding around a driver's dashboard. But instead of playing music, the gizmo's road-facing face will light up in one of six colors (teal, orange, silver, yellow or purple) while the rear can display blocky, personalized messages.
San Francisco judge denies Airbnb's lawsuit against the city
When Airbnb sued San Francisco in June, claiming that people listing their apartments for rent were responsible for any wrongdoing (like failing to register as a business), city officials were quick to respond. At the time, they said that the rental outfit was reading the Communications Decency Act (CDA) how it wanted to. As such, a city judge has rejected the suit, according to Reuters. Presiding judge James Donato said that the CDA does not "regulate what can or cannot be said or posted in the listings."
Uber faces $5 million suit from San Francisco's oldest cab company
Another party is suing Uber over the ride-hailing service's business practices. This time it's San Francisco's Flywheel, the taxi company formerly known as DeSoto Cab, also known as SF's oldest taxi company. To the tune of a $5 million-plus federal suit, Flywheel alleges that since UberX came to be in 2012, the city's taxi industry has lost 65 percent of its riders and 30 percent of its drivers, according to SF Gate.
Toyota has eyes on ZipCar-style vehicle leasing services
ZipCar-style car sharing services, where you pay to rent a vehicle by the hour, are already a thing across much of the US. But Toyota is looking into the idea of individuals being able to lease out their own cars on an hourly basis to make some extra cash. The manufacturer has teamed up with a startup called Getaround to begin a limited trial of the proposition at the start of next year. In order to make that work, however, the company has had to work out an easy way of enabling third parties to access your ride. That's where the Smart Key Box, or SKB, comes in.
High tech meets haute couture at Silicon Valley Fashion Week
Pop culture loves to pit fashion and technology against one another. While fashionistas are often portrayed as really really good looking buffoons (looking at you, Derek), techies are rarely seen without being swaddled in their trusty black hoodies. But, as the 2016 Silicon Valley Fashion Week shows, it doesn't have to be that way.
Airbnb bans multi-listing hosts in New York and San Francisco
Airbnb knows that city and state governments are eager to crack down on abuse of its home rentals for makeshift hotels, so it's taking action before it has no choice. As of November 1st, residential hosts are banned from offering multiple listings in both New York state and San Francisco -- you can't just buy up a string of apartments in the hope of turning a profit. At least in New York, it will also implement a three-strikes policy that permanently bans repeat offenders. It's not yet certain that Airbnb will institute similar rules in other areas, though it wouldn't be surprising if they spread elsewhere.
Elon Musk to show SolarCity rooftop panels October 28th
We knew that Elon Musk was working on a roof made of solar panels, and now we know when we'll see them: October 28th, according to a tweet from the real life Tony Stark. Assuming San Francisco's trademark fog doesn't make a surprise appearance too, that is. He says that the SolarCity demo will take place in the Bay area and that we'll also see how the tech integrates with his other projects, the Powerwall 2.0 in-home battery and a Tesla charging system. I'm sensing a theme here...
Amazon Prime Now delivers supplies to tailgaters at 49ers games
Amazon's one-hour Prime Now deliveries were already available to customers in the San Francisco area, but the company is going a step further for football season. The online retailer is teaming up with the San Francisco 49ers to deliver supplies to tailgaters at Levi's Stadium during this year's slate of NFL games. This will certainly come in handy when fans run out of game-day essentials and can't easily drive out of the lot to go on a grocery run.
