auto-pilot
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Tesla CEO promises a self-driving model for next year
Last night, Elon Musk told the world that Tesla was ready to reveal its "D" on October 9th, as well as preparing us for "something else" to expect along the way. But the CEO isn't done teasing just yet. In a recent interview with CNN Money, Musk let it be known that a Tesla car next year "will probably be 90 percent capable of autopilot," though he didn't dive into any specifics about which model(s) this comment was in reference to. "So 90 percent of your miles could be on auto. For sure highway travel," the Tesla boss added. Such a thing would be possible, Musk said, by combining different sensors with image-recognition cameras, radars and long-rage ultrasonics -- which, without a doubt, paints a bright picture for future vehicles from the company. "Other car companies will follow ... Tesla is a Silicon Valley company. I mean, if we're not the leader, then shame on us."
The Daily Grind: Is automation preferable to MMO closures?
I'm sure you've heard about this whole automating Guild Wars 1 business, yes? ArenaNet has decided to pull the plug on any further live development in favor of putting the title on autopilot. That means for the Guild Wars faithful -- and yes, people do still play that game even with the sequel out there -- that the future of the title will be more or less the same as the present. The studio says that by doing this it will have ensured that Guild Wars will be able to keep on trucking for a good while yet. I know that when faced with MMO shutdowns, players have begged for studios to put those titles on autopilot rather than close them down. Still, if an MMO isn't being updated and doesn't have a development future, is that a game worth playing? Isn't ongoing development and change one of the hallmarks of this genre? So what do you think? Is automation preferable to closing down an MMO? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Scarlet Legacy mounts revealed in new screens and video
GamesCampus has released some new screenshots and video of its Scarlet Legacy title and frankly my dear, we don't give a damn. Er, wait... it's not that Scarlett, so we do give a damn. The reveal concerns the game's mounts, and since closed beta testing is rapidly approaching (August 4th to be exact), players would do well to get their in-game transportation arrangements in order. Scarlet Legacy is an action-oriented martial arts fantasy wherein players take on thousands of quests in an effort to save Princess Scarlet. A new GamesCampus press release highlights an "auto-pilot" fighting system that allows players to "jump straight into the fray alongside their friends" and dispenses with the need "to spend hours deciphering complex control combinations." The game also does away with targeting according to GamesCampus, and whether you're fighting hordes of enemies or controlling one of Scarlet Legacy's numerous beast and vehicle mounts, you'll be having a grand old time. Hit up the game's website to learn more, and cozy up to the trailer after the cut. %Gallery-122504%
Europeans working on anti-hijacking software
Even though air travel has gotten marginally safer since the tragedies of 9/11 -- thanks in part to fortified cockpits, increased air marshal presence, and a ban on toenail clippers -- it still doesn't seem impossible for a group of determined individuals to hijack a plane and turn it into a deadly missile. And should such a suicide-style attack happen again, the only surefire way of protecting targets on the ground would seem to be shooting the plane out of the air -- a nightmare scenario that no one wants to see. Well, soon airlines may have another, much safer option at their disposal in the form of a software platform being developed by a consortium of 30-odd European businesses and research institutes that would make an aircraft's systems completely unusable in the event of a cockpit breach -- control of the plane would be passed to officials on the ground -- even if one of the hijackers was among the 1337est of hackers. The $45 million program is being spearheaded by Airbus (already big fans of auto-pilot), Siemens, and the Technical University of Munich, with the first results of the collaboration scheduled to be revealed at an October conference in the UK. Here's to hoping that the group comes up with a working solution sooner rather than later, because this is one technology that just can't be deployed quickly enough.
