The Morning After: Thursday, May 11th 2017
Tesla is ready to take over your roof.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
It's Thursday, which in this case means we're prepping for the second day of Microsoft's Build 2017 conference, and it's one you probably won't want to miss. Take a look through Wednesday's highlights, then check back for our live blog of the keynote speech starting at 11:30AM ET.
Pre-orders are open for Tesla's Solar Roof
Elon Musk's quest to intervene in your energy use continues with new solar tiles. The company says it will cost an average homeowner around $21.85 per square foot, cheap enough to be cost competitive with standard tiles (when you add in the cost of electricity). However, unlike a Model S, these aren't for showing off how green you are. Using a mix of nearly-identical solar and non-solar tiles, they'll blend in and can be adjusted for expected energy use. Interested buyers can place their order now, with installations beginning this summer.
Icon A5 plane crash kills two, including its lead designer
When we rode in an Icon A5, it felt like 'the iPod of planes,' but the difference is that in-flight problems can have serious consequences. On Monday, two Icon employees were killed while flying at its facility in Lake Berryessa, CA. The cause of the crash is unknown and under investigation by the NTSB and FAA. Passenger Cagri Sever was a new employee who had recently joined the company from Ford, while pilot Jon Karkow designed the $190,000 A5.
Fyre Festival: When shilling for an event goes wrong
Maybe you've heard of the Fyre Festival by now. Billed as a music event in the Bahamas for the selfie generation, it ended with travelers eating cheese sandwiches in refugee tents due to horrifically poor planning and execution. Now the lawsuits are flying, and that could be bad news for the social media influencers who were paid to convince their fans to make the trip.
DHS reportedly considers banning carry-on laptops on flights from Europe
After banning carry-on laptops for flights from some Middle Eastern and African countries, The Daily Beast reports that today the Department of Homeland Security will expand its ban to all flights from Europe. A DHS spokesperson confirmed a change is "under consideration," but claimed no final decision had been made.
Netflix's future at Cannes is in doubt
This year, Netflix original movies will be shown at Cannes Film Festival for the very first time. Unfortunately, it could also be the last time, thanks to a French law saying that movies shown in theaters can't come to streaming for three years. Due to protests by exhibitors, the festival says that in the future it won't accept entries unless they also play at theaters across France.
The ShapeScale 3D scanner can color-code your body changes
If your fitness efforts require an even higher degree of precision, this device includes a camera mounted on a rotating arm that will 3D scan your body. The idea is that it will create a "heat map" to identify where your workouts are making an impact, without having to wait to see those changes reflected in the mirror you already own. The ShapeScale is expected to start shipping in 2018; preorders are now open for $299.
But wait, there's more...
Verizon reportedly outbid AT&T for key 5G wireless spectrum with a $3.1 billion offer
Microsoft PowerPoint adds AI-powered real-time presentation translation
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