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Tesla driver in fatal California crash first to face felony charges involving Autopilot
California prosecutors filed two counts of vehicular manslaughter against the driver in October last year.
Tesla warns California customers to charge their EVs ahead of outages
With dry weather and windy conditions on the horizon, California's Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) utility is planning a mass power outage to prevent electricity lines from sparking wildfires. That could be bad news for electric vehicle owners, so Tesla is taking a proactive approach. The company issued an in-car alert warning owners to charge their vehicles fully ahead of the outage. Tesla is also activating the 'Storm Watch' feature on its PowerWall to store excess electricity before the lights go out.
Charge's Mustang hides an EV inside classic American muscle
Charge's electrified Mustang is controversial. The original, after all, is an automotive icon that many associate with 'American muscle,' a sub-genre of cars that growl loudly and consume gasoline like water. The Mustang before me, however, does neither of those things. It's powerful, yes, but runs on batteries and will, presumably, be whisper-silent on the road. For some, the combination is an attractive blend of technology and 1960s design. For others, it's a monstrosity that betrays the Mustang heritage.
Zero Motorcycles' 2019 line-up boasts more power and longer range
Zero Motorcycles has made a name for itself by producing electric bikes that appeal to motorcycle enthusiasts as well as alternative fuel fans. Its bikes have been a hit with thrill seekers and commuters alike, and its newly-announced 2019 line-up makes it easy to see why the company is consistently performing better than all of its competitors combined.
Fitbit's Charge 3 goes on sale October 7th for $150
It's been over a month since Fitbit first announced the Charge 3, seemingly a major improvement over the two-year-old Charge 2 that it'll replace. If you've been wanting to replace an aging fitness tracker with Fitbit's latest, we now know the Charge 3 will arrive in just a few days -- October 7th, to be specific. As with the previous Charge models, the new one will set you back $150, which still feels a little bit pricy compared to the $200 Versa watch, but there are a number of notable improvements here over the old model.
Pixel XL may lose fast charging after Android Pie update (updated)
Android Pie has been out for a week; now Google's latest mobile operating system has a problem. Users of the company's own Pixel XL from 2016 are reporting issues with fast chargers after they've updated to Pie. People aren't seeing the "Charging rapidly" message they used to see before the update.
Energy storage breakthrough could boost EV range and slash charge time
Electric cars could soon have as much range as petrol and diesel cars -- and recharge in a matter of minutes -- thanks to what researchers are calling a "breakthrough" in energy storage technology. Teams from Bristol University and Surrey University have created a new material for supercapacitors, which store electric charge, that could see EVs recharge in as little as 10 minutes compared to the eight hours it can take for EVs with lithium-ion batteries. And according to the researchers, it boasts enough energy density to see EVs surpass even the top range of current leading models, such as Teslas. Elon Musk himself has previously said a breakthrough in EV technology would likely come from supercapacitors, rather than batteries.
SEC accuses two digital coin creators of ripping off investors
While initial coin offerings aren't prohibited in the US like they are in China and South Korea, authorities are still keeping a close eye on them. Case in point: the US Securities and Exchange Commission's first ICO-related charges brought against a businessman and his two companies. SEC has accused Maksim Zaslavskiy of defrauding investors by selling virtual currencies backed by assets that don't exist.
Royal Mail is going greener with all-electric vans
As you can probably imagine, Royal Mail isn't the most environmentally friendly of businesses due to the sheer number of vehicles it has on the road. The logistical behemoth is getting greener by the day, however, today beginning a new trial of cute, fully electric vans from Oxfordshire-based automaker Arrival. Nine commercial trucks of varying sizes with ranges of up to 100 miles will start operating out of Royal Mail's central London depot from today, carrying parcels and post to other parts of the city and surrounding areas.
Hyundai shifts focus from fuel cell cars to EVs
Fuel cell champion Hyundai is changing direction with its product strategy, announcing that it will now focus on electric vehicles. The shift comes after Tesla and other electric vehicle manufacturers have gained traction in the field, and following Chinese government backing for battery-powered cars. "We're strengthening our eco-friendly car strategy, centering on electric vehicles," executive vice president Lee Kwang-guk told a news conference, adding that the technology was "realistic". Hyundai now plans to have an electric sedan on the road by 2021, with a range of 500km. Also on the cards is an electric version of its 390km-range Kona SUV, due in the first half of 2018.
Russian charged over $4 billion bitcoin laundering scheme
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has charged a Russian Bitcoin exchange operator with 17 counts of laundering up to $4 billion since 2011. Alexander Vinnik was arrested earlier this week by Greek police, and shortly afterwards, security firm Wizsec identified him as a prime laundering suspect in the infamous $480 million Mt. Gox hack. "BTC-e was an international money-laundering scheme that, by virtue of its business model, catered to criminals -- and to cyber criminals in particular," the DoJ's indictment reads.
Fitbit faces ill-timed lawsuits over haptic feedback
Fitbit is facing hard times between slowing fitness tracker sales and a reportedly floundering smartwatch project. Unfortunately, there's more bad news to add to the pile. Immersion is suing Fitbit in China and the US for allegedly violating multiple patents (three in each country) for haptic feedback. Supposedly, devices ranging from the original Flex to the Blaze all borrow Immersion's approach to vibrating a device in response to commands and for alerts. Fitbit rebuffed "numerous attempts" to strike a licensing deal, Immersion claims, so this is considered a last resort.
New battery tech lasts for days, charges in seconds
Scientists from the University of Central Florida (UCF) have created a supercapacitor battery prototype that works like new even after being recharged 30,000 times. The research could yield high-capacity, ultra-fast-charging batteries that last over 20 times longer than a conventional lithium-ion cell. "You could charge your mobile phone in a few seconds and you wouldn't need to charge it again for over a week," says UCF postdoctoral associate Nitin Choudhary.
Formula E is getting electric trucks from the creator of Roborace
Electric truck firm Charge will supply Formula E with several electric trucks, it revealed at last weekend's race in Paris. The trucks will help shuttle equipment around the track. Interestingly, the CEO of Charge is also the CEO of Roborace, a forthcoming driverless racing series. (Curiously enough, Denis Sverdlov is also the CEO behind YotaPhone -- but back to the trucks.) According to The Verge report, investment firm Kinetik has pumped $500 million dollars into Charge -- a firm also run by Sverdlov. While the trucks use some fuel to extend how far they can run on a single charge, the EVs will help to keep with the spirit behind the scenes of the electric-powered races.
Fitbit says Charge skin issues aren't caused by its materials
Fitbit is no stranger to customer complaints, especially when it comes to skin issues. After dealing with a wave of criticism, and subsequent recall, of its Force activity tracker last year, the company recently introduced a trio of new gadgets. Well, early adopters are already crying foul with reports of irritation after using the Fitbit Charge. The company offered an explanation, maintaining that it remedied the issue that plagued the Force by using new materials to construct the products. "We have conducted extensive testing with laboratories and consulted with top dermatologists to develop stringent standards so that users can safely wear and enjoy Charge," says CEO and co-founder James Park. So what's the cause of the issue this time? It turns out that it boils down to good habits and proper hygiene.
Engadget Daily: Amazon's Fire TV Stick, Fibit's new fitness trackers and more!
In case you were confused, Nintendo did re-release its original GameCube controller. Why? Three words: Super Smash Bros. But that's not all we have for you this fine evening -- read on for our news highlights from the last 24 hours, including Amazon's streaming dongle, Fitbit's new wearables, and more.
Fitbit announces three new activity trackers, including a GPS watch
The last year has been a bit rough for Fitbit. The biggest thorn in its side has obviously been the allergic reactions to, and the subsequent recall of, its Force fitness tracker. Despite having spent the better part of 2014 without its flagship model on store shelves, the company still holds a lead over its competitors in market share. And now it's hoping to extend that lead with an all-out assault on the activity tracking market. Today the company is announcing not one, but three new devices that are set to be released over the next several months.
Fitbit: skin irritations were allergies, new wristbands have a warning
Fitbit recalled its Force wearable back in February after owners reported skin irritation, but after an investigation, says it will not do the same for the Fitbit Flex. The New York Times reports that the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission decided a recall was not necessary, as long as the company makes a few changes. New wristbands will ship with a warning that it contains nickel, a common allergy, as well as a sizing guide to keep users from making it too tight. In a just-posted (at such a convenient time) letter to customers, CEO & co-founder James Park said "we are now confident that our users who experienced allergic contact dermatitis likely reacted either to very small levels of methacrylates...or, to a lesser degree, nickel in the stainless steel casing." He goes on to say that Fitbit is taking this experience into account in the design for its next-generation trackers, which should include the new Charge and ChargeHR devices that recently surfaced.
Meet Fitbit's new Charge activity trackers (update)
Nearly a year after Fitbit revealed its last fitness gadget, it looks like its next devices will be called Charge. The wearables passed through the FCC revealing the moniker and designation as a "wireless activity tracker." Thanks to a USPTO filing, we can glean that it'll carry the usual waterproofing alongside pedometer and altimeter for tracking steps, sleep and calories burned. On top of those expected features, the paperwork also indicates that a heart rate sensor, navigation info, weather forecast, call notifications and volume control will also be lumped in for syncing up with your phone.
Samsung USB cable lets you charge three mobile devices at once
If you've owned a handful of portable gadgets in recent years, you've probably managed to build up a healthy supply of micro-USB cables. Spending 40 bucks to acquire another might sound absurd -- unless this is the cable you're looking to buy. While a bit pricey, this Multi-Charging Wall Charger from Samsung packs three connectors at the tail end, letting you power multiple devices from a single USB port. There's a 2-amp charger included in the box, which outputs two amps of power when charging one device, one amp per device when you have two attached or 667mA each when you're using all three ports. Samsung hasn't announced a ship date yet, but you can pre-order the cable today.
