austin
Latest
Waymo brings its fleet of new self-driving SUVs to Austin
Waymo is bringing a fleet of self-driving EVs to Austin to conduct tests of its driverless technology. The company is testing its new fifth-generation autonomous Jaguar SUVs all over the city, as an homage to the company’s first foray into driverless technology back in 2015. Waymo already offers self-driving taxi services in San Francisco and Phoenix.
Ford's Argo AI begins driverless vehicle operations in Austin and Miami
On Tuesday, Ford's Argo AI announced it had begun driverless operations in Austin and Miami.
Tesla nearly doubled its revenue in Q1 despite industry wide supply chain woes
Ignoring the whole Twitter thing, Tesla built 305,000 vehicles in the first quarter of this year, delivered 310,000 of them, and opened two new factories in Berlin and Austin.
Coco's restaurant delivery bots are headed to more warm-weather cities
The company has set up shop in Austin, and plans to move into Dallas, Houston and Miami soon.
SXSW will host an online festival in 2021
As part of its 2021 plans, SXSW will host an online festival that will attempt to replicate the best features of its annual conference in Austin, Texas.
Tesla's next Gigafactory is being built in Austin, Texas
Tesla announced its Q2 2020 earnings on Wednesday and reports its first full year of profitability to date.
The virusbuster boom
Disinfecting services like Enviro-Master are having a moment, but how long will it last? Omar L. Gallaga joins the company as it cleans up a Chick-fil-A.
Austin cancels SXSW over coronavirus fears
During a news conference on Friday afternoon, Austin city officials announced that they have declared a local disaster and canceled this year's SXSW festival. The show is being called off over infection fears regarding the growing coronavirus outbreak.
President Trump will visit Apple's Mac Pro factory on November 20th
Apple is determined to win as as many tariff exemptions as it can, it seems. The White House has confirmed that President Trump will visit Apple's Mac Pro factory in Austin, Texas on November 20th, backing up rumors of an impending tour. It's not clear if Tim Cook or other Apple executives will be present (we've asked Apple for details), but it wouldn't be surprising given the optics. Apple wants to be seen as having the Trump administration's support, while Trump wants to be seen supporting American jobs.
Ford is bringing its self-driving cars to Austin, Texas
Ford has announced it will bring its self-driving cars to Austin. The Texas state capital joins Miami and Washington, DC as initial launch markets for the company's autonomous vehicle service. It's also testing the cars in Detroit, Palo Alto and Pittsburgh.
Google Fiber will bring wireless gigabit internet to Austin
Austin apartment dwellers will soon get another option for high-speed internet. Google Fiber announced that it is rolling out Webpass to the Texas city, making it the eighth metro area to offer the service. The point-to-point wireless offering is aimed at high-occupancy residential and commercial buildings, and works by transmitting gigabit internet via rooftop antennas. Austin, which has had access to Google Fiber since 2014, will be the first city to host both high-speed internet options.
Apple's latest expansion puts it closer to its biggest rivals
Apple is on track to become the largest private employer in Austin, Texas, after announcing plans to invest $1 billion in a new campus less than a mile away from its existing facilities there. The 133-acre site will initially be home to 5,000 new employees, with the potential to grow to 15,000. The company has also announced plans to establish new sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City and expand in cities across the United States including Pittsburgh, New York and Boulder, Colorado over the next three years, with the potential for additional expansion elsewhere in the US over time.
Lyft expands its scooter service to Austin
Lyft continues to expand its scooter service, announcing today that it's now available in Austin, Texas. This is the the fifth region where Lyft has deployed its scooters and its first launch in Texas. While the company struck out earlier this year when it tried to get a permit to operate in San Francisco, it has since launched its scooter service in Denver, Santa Monica, Washington, DC and, as of yesterday, Arlington.
T-Mobile is offering free 30-day trials in three cities
T-Mobile has one of the fastest mobile networks around, according to a recent study, and it's eager for more people to check out its service. To give potential customers a taste of the network, T-Mobile is offering a free 30-day trial in Atlanta, Boston and Austin.
AT&T expands its 5G network to North Carolina and Oklahoma City (updated)
AT&T's mobile 5G network will expand to three new cities this year. Folks in two of North Carolina's biggest population centers -- Charlotte (above) and Raleigh -- and those in Oklahoma City will have access to the faster wireless signal. Previously, it announced Atlanta, and Dallas and Waco in Texas. "We're deliberately launching with a mix of big and mid-sized cities," AT&T said in a press release. "All Americans should have access to next-gen connectivity to avoid a new digital divide."
Austin test uses blockchain to improve ID for the homeless
Many people take identification for granted, but it's a serious challenge if you're homeless. If you lose what's on your back, you might lose everything -- and recovering that ID is much harder when you have no fixed address or easy transportation to government offices. Austin might have a technological solution. The Texas city is piloting a system that uses blockchain identifiers to safeguard the IDs and vital records of homeless people in a way that's more accessible for service providers.
We're live from SXSW 2018!
We have arrived in Austin, Texas for the 2018 edition of SXSW, the festival that showcases some of the best things in the tech (interactive), film and music industries. This year, we'll be taking a look at HBO's Westworld installation here on the ground, which promises to be one of the most exciting events at the show. We'll also attend panels featuring Apple's Eddy Cue and YouTube's CEO Susan Wojcicki, among others, as well cover new gadgets like Bose's audio-focused augmented-reality glasses. You can keep up with all the news from SXSW by bookmarking this page here.
AT&T brings fixed 5G trials to three more cities
AT&T is expanding its fixed wireless 5G trials to new cities around the US in a bid to master the technology before its official standards are released. In addition to the previous test city of Austin, the company will roll out trials in Waco, Texas; Kalamazoo, Michigan; and South Bend, Indiana by the end of the year.
Texas legislature overrules Austin, allows Uber and Lyft to return
When Austin citizens voted in May 2016 to require fingerprint-based background checks from ride-sharing drivers and ban passenger pickup in traffic lanes, Uber and Lyft promptly pulled out of the city. But both are scheduled to restart operations in the city next Monday thanks to legislation passed by the Texas Legislature this month. The bill overrides local ordinances like Austin's that regulate ride-hailing services and only needs Governor Greg Abbott's signature to become law.
AT&T's faux 5G network launches in Austin
At last, 5G wireless is here... sort of, but not really. As promised, AT&T has launched its unofficial 5G network, starting with certain parts of Austin. So long as you have a Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus, you can get speeds that should leave regular LTE in the dust. Expect downloads about twice as fast on average, the carrier says. Indianapolis is due for the next rollout in the summer, and there will be 20 total areas covered (including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville and San Francisco) by the end of 2017. And if you're not inclined to Samsung hardware, you should see "numerous other devices" this year that take advantage of the new network.
