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Subaru secures permit to test self-driving car in California
The list of automakers that can test their self-driving cars in California is getting less and less exclusive by the minute. Its latest addition? Subaru. The Japanese company has secured an Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit from the state's DMV on February 9th, bringing the total number to 22. Some Subaru models already have assisted driving features thanks to their camera-based Eyesight system, such as adaptive cruise control, sway warning and pre-collision braking.
Google's self-driving cars are getting better at autonomy
Perhaps more than any company (with the possible exception of Tesla), Google's autonomous driving record has been under close scrutiny. Today the company bears news that while dramatically increasing the number of miles tested, the number of times a human had to grab the wheel because something went wrong -- "disengagement" -- actually decreased. As Waymo's blog post (and California-DMV-mandated report (PDF)) tells it, these disengagements fell from 0.8 per thousand miles to 0.2 from 2015 to 2016.
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."
California tells Uber to get a permit for its self-driving cars
You know how Uber was certain that its San Francisco self-driving car test was legal, and didn't need a permit? It might want to rethink that assessment. California's Department of Motor Vehicles tells Uber that it must get a permit to try out its autonomous ridesharing vehicles on state roads, just as 20 other companies have done. And the agency isn't asking nicely. In a letter to Uber, the DMV warns that the firm "must cease" the San Francisco operation and apply for a permit if it wants to avoid "legal action."
The DMV is publishing self-driving car accident reports
The California DMV has released the reports for a full year's worth of self-driving car accidents. From the accounts in the paperwork none of the eight accidents involving Google's cars can be blamed on autonomous technology. In fact, six out of eight of the accidents were drivers rear-ending one of the company's retrofitted Lexus RX450h SUVs, half of those while the robotic vehicle was stationary. It's worth noting that all the accounts come from Google, which is required by law to file documents within ten days of a collision.
Apple talks to California DMV about self-driving cars
According to a new report from The Guardian, Apple recently discussed self-driving cars with the California Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The report says that Cupertino's senior legal counsel Mike Maletic met with the DMV's self-driving car experts and other officials for an hour last month. Back in August, The Guardian also discovered that Apple was looking into a test site for so-called Project Titan, the company's rumored automotive project, at a former military base near San Francisco. As you might expect, Apple isn't commenting further and the DMV only spilled that the focus of the meeting was to go over the state's self-driving vehicle regulations. Details are still scarce on the project as a whole, but we do know that Apple recruited automotive talent to come work for the company a while back. And as The Guardian points out, it'll have to disclose a lot more if it wants to secure a permit for testing. [Image credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images]
California rethinks tougher licensing for ridesharing drivers
California just stepped back from a policy that might have had a big, big impact on ridesharing services in the Golden State. Its Department of Motor Vehicles has revoked a finding that drivers for companies like Lyft and Uber need commercial license plates in order to do business. The DMV originally issued the notice (really, an interpretation of existing law) in an attempt to clear up legal uncertainties for car dealerships and their customers, but now says that it needs to conduct "further review" before it reaches a conclusion.
Leaderboard: Gaming on desktops vs. laptops
I have both a desktop and laptop computer that I use regularly. My desktop is my mainstay; a gaming fortress with loads of power and storage space with a 22" screen. My laptop is the best portable gaming machine that $650 could buy, which was surprisingly quite a lot. While it doesn't have the muscle of my desktop, it will run most everything just fine -- and let me do so while I'm reclining on the couch, in bed, or in line at the DMV (their wifi is awesome). It strikes me that there's no gold standard when it comes to gaming platforms for MMOs. Excluding mobile and console devices for the moment, I'm vastly curious how many of you prefer to game on a desktop or a laptop. Do you enjoy the extra bang for the buck that desktop machines give you, or is your trusty laptop with its size and portability all the technology you'll ever need? Let's hash it out on the Leaderboard today: Is it better to go with a gaming desktop or laptop? Vote after the jump and then back up your opinion in the comments!
California carpool exemptions expire, quashing yellow-sticker envy
It looks like it's time to kiss that sweet HOV goodbye for lone California hybrid drivers. No, there hasn't been a spike in Clean Air Vehicle sticker thievery -- this time it's official. According to the California DMV, those little yellow stickers that once gave hybrid owners the right to ride solo in carpool lanes have expired, leaving some 85,000 drivers to fall in line with the rest of the state's commuters. You'll forgive us if we don't shed a tear over this announcement.
California considers electronic ads on license plates, we consider never moving there
Driving in California could get a little more annoying in the coming days. The Legislature of the state that brought you Brody Jenner and Spencer Pratt is now considering a bill which would allow the beginning of research into electronic license plates for vehicles. The new-fangled plates would look just like regular ones when a vehicle was in motion, but would flash awesome advertisements and other messages when stopped for more than four seconds. One San Francisco based startup, Smart Plate, is already hard at work on developing just such a device, but they're not in production yet. The measure is seen largely as a money making scheme for California, which -- like nearly everywhere else in the world -- is heavily in debt after several years of hard partying and irresponsible shopping trips. Parties interested in advertising on the plates would apparently contact the California DMV directly (then wait in line for 12 to 14 hours before submitting their preliminary application for ad space). If approved, the DMV will be required to submit its research and findings to the Legislature by January of 2013. Here's to the future!
