Texas
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Wrong house gets torn down based on a Google Maps error
We've seen our share of GPS-guided mishaps, but what happened to the owners of a Texas duplex is particularly heartbreaking. Their house was torn down by mistake (no, this isn't the first time that's happened, it's not even the first time in Texas) after it was damaged by a tornado, and the demolition company apparently blames Google Maps for the error. They lived at 7601 Calypso Dr., and as you can see below, on Google Maps it lists the same location for that address as it shows for 7601 Cousteau Dr. --the home a block away that was supposed to be demolished. (At the time of this writing, both Apple Maps and Mapquest have what appears to be the correct listing for 7601 Cousteau Dr.)
Richard Lawler03.24.2016
We're live at SXSW Interactive 2016!
Hello Austin! Once again SXSW -- the weird and wonderful show for interactive digital technology -- is upon us, and Engadget's here in full force to bring you the best bits as they happen. Unlike other shows that offer the latest phones, TVs or games, SXSW is all about the big ideas, the slightly crazy ideas, and hottest topics in tech. Expect innovative uses for VR, off-beat music installations, buckets of BBQ, and even a visit from the President. We'll be covering it all (minus, perhaps, the BBQ), and you can follow along right here on Engadget. If you want to make sure you don't miss a thing, then you can closely follow all our coverage here, or get the highlights (and behind the scenes fun) via Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat.
James Trew03.11.2016
DraftKings and FanDuel are legal in Virginia
Virginia's General Assembly recently sent the Fantasy Sports Act to governor Terry McAuliffe, and now that he's signed, it is the first state with daily fantasy law on the books. Highlights of the bill include a $50,000 registration fee for companies like DraftKings and FanDuel and age restrictions on players (you must be 18, much like gambling). Oh, and in a nod to the mess that put the industry in the spotlight: employees and their relatives can't play in any contests. What's more, site operators need to keep player and operational funds separate in addition to keeping data secure.
Timothy J. Seppala03.07.2016
Troublesome details arise about 'Clock Kid' Ahmed's arrest
The attorney for Ahmed Mohamed revealed new details about the September events in Texas in a letter sent to both school and city officials in Irving, Texas. If you'll recall, Ahmed is the 14-year-old boy who was arrested under suspicions of creating a "hoax bomb," but the device was nothing more than a clock. Early accounts of the events that day detailed one teacher seeing the gadget and thinking nothing of it before a second told him that it resembled a bomb. In a letter of demand, Mohamed's lawyer alleges that school officials never really thought that the clock was an explosive device, as the second teacher didn't initially treat the gadget like she thought it was dangerous. She did escort Ahmed to the office, where the letter alleges that five police officers, the principal and the assistant principal performed an "interrogation." During that time, he was allegedly not permitted to contact his parents and was forced to sign a letter of confession under the threat of expulsion. Eventually, authorities decided not to charge him, but his family says the damage was done.
Billy Steele11.23.2015
Google tests self-driving cars in Austin, Texas
Plenty of folks in Austin, Texas have spotted Google's distinctive self-driving Lexus cars recently, and now we know why. The company revealed that it's now rolling the vehicles in downtown Austin in order to "(test) our software in different driving environments, traffic patterns and road conditions." While Google could also test its self-driving cars in Nevada and elsewhere, Austin is the first city outside of Mountain View where it's actually done so. The reason? "We've loved how much Austin embraces innovation," a Google spokesperson told the Austin American-Statesmen. She added that with Google Fiber and several company offices in the city, it was a natural fit for self-driving cars.
Steve Dent07.07.2015
Texas judges make it harder to fight patent trolls
Federal courts might have made it harder for patent trolls to sue over vague ideas, but the Eastern District of Texas (the trolls' preferred venue) just put the ball back in their court. Some judges in the region now demand that the targets of these lawsuits get permission before they file motions to dismiss cases based on abstract concepts. If the defendants don't show "good cause" for needing those motions, the lawsuits go ahead -- and historically, that means that the trolls either win their cases or extract settlements from companies unwilling to endure the costs of a prolonged legal battle.
Jon Fingas06.11.2015
Tesla loses its shot at direct car sales in Texas
If you want to buy a Model S in Texas, you're going to have to jump through some hoops for at least the next couple of years. Bills that would let Tesla sell cars directly to customers aren't going to get a vote before the state's legislative session wraps up on June 1st, leaving the electric vehicle maker high and dry until the next session kicks off in 2017. This doesn't mean that you're completely out of luck if you want Tesla-made transportation in Austin (see above for proof), but you can't simply pick one up.
Jon Fingas05.31.2015
Hyperloop test track likely bound for Texas
Tesla CEO and SpaceX CTO Elon Musk took to Twitter this afternoon to provide a bit more info on his Hyperloop project. According to the tweet, the 700-MPH transit system will get a test track where both companies and student teams can visit to test pod designs. What's more, he says Texas will be the likely home for it. SpaceX announced in August that its new rocket facility would be built in Brownsville, and The Lone Star State was a consideration for Tesla's Gigafactory, so it's clear Musk and Co. fancy the area. There's also the possibility of an annual student competition, similar to the Formula SAE Series. Let's be honest: who wouldn't want to see some super high-speed pod racing?
Billy Steele01.15.2015
Google Fiber hits Austin this December
It looks like AT&T's gigabit internet is going to get some new company in Austin come December: Google Fiber. At a recent planning meeting in the Weird City, Mountain View detailed how it'll at long last roll the service out, and, as Gigaom notes, it seems similar to what's been in place in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Just like before, individual neighborhoods will have to commit to using the service for Google to consider putting Fiber there. If your area's selected, you'll have to pay a $300 "construction fee" to access the pipeline but, aside from a free 5mbps package, other pricing details haven't been announced. Itching to sign-up and get yourself on the map? You'll have to wait until the last month of the year for that. It feels like a lifetime ago since we first caught wind of Fiber's Austin appearance, but surely you've used those 18 months to plan your first blazing-fast download, right? [Image credit: StuSeeger/Flickr]
Timothy J. Seppala10.16.2014
The Videogame History Museum has found a home in Frisco, Texas
Making a pilgrimage to the Videogame History Museum has been tough so far; most of its collection is in storage, and what little you do see has been going on cross-country tours. Pretty soon, though, it will have a permanent public display. A Frisco, Texas community board has approved a deal to give the Museum a 10,400 square foot location inside the city's Discovery Center by this April. That's not gigantic -- a little larger than a baseball diamond -- but it means that you can easily revisit some of the consoles that defined your youth. This venue is just the start, for that matter. After launch, the founders hope to raise enough cash from corporate sponsors to get a far larger base of operations. While Frisco isn't the easiest place to reach unless you live in the Dallas area, it sure beats hoping that the existing nomadic exhibit will eventually reach your 'burg.
Jon Fingas09.21.2014
SpaceX's new rocket facility officially lands in Brownsville, Texas
SpaceX made clear that it was going to put a launch facility in Texas before long, and today we've received the full skinny on just where that base is going. As suspected, the Governor's Office has announced that the commercial spaceport will be built in Brownsville, near the Mexico border. The state says it will pump a total of $15.3 million into the region to help create the necessary infrastructure. This isn't SpaceX's first Texan location (it already has a development site in McGregor), but it will certainly be the most conspicuous -- especially if rumors of multiple vehicle launches per day ultimately prove true.
Jon Fingas08.04.2014
Tor Project is being sued for enabling a revenge porn site
It's almost a philosophical question: if you create a product used to commit a crime, are you as guilty as the criminal who wields it? This is the question being asked of the Tor Project, a collection of software that offers users complete anonymity online and serves as a portal to some of the web's less reputable content. A Texas lawsuit is putting the technology under fire, accusing the organization of conspiring with an anonymous revenge porn website to shield it from "being held civilly and criminally accountable." The plaintiff says is seeking damages of upwards of $1 million for Tor's part in the alleged conspiracy.
Sean Buckley07.09.2014
Engadget took over Austin for a night and here's what happened
Bombs were dropped on our Editor-in-Chief while he innocently drove away in a Jeep. Engadget readers enjoyed alcohol in both vaporized and brewed form. A totally retro retailer crashed the party with its unique helmets. Those are just some of our favorite things that happened last Friday when we took over Austin Music Hall to kick off our Engadget Live series!
John Colucci06.24.2014
Austin: Engadget Live is this Friday!
If you're going to be in Austin, TX this Friday, June 20th, join us as we kick off our Engadget Live series at the famed Austin Music Hall, 7PM sharp! Come join your fellow Austin gadget lovers and the brands that excite them for an incredible night. One of the brands you'll get to interact with is Austin's own Chaotic Moon. The production studio will be showing off the untitled follow-up to Shark Punch (which taught us what the ocean's greatest predators looked like inside-out). One player will put on an Oculus Rift and drive a virtual Jeep, while a second uses an iPad to drop bombs on the other's vehicle. Insane, right?
John Colucci06.18.2014
New Jersey is the latest state to ban Tesla's direct-to-customer car sales
Tesla's direct-to-customer sales model just hit another big roadblock. New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission has voted in favor of a rule banning direct car sales, effectively kicking Tesla out of the state as of this April. For those keeping score, this is the EV maker's third such defeat, following similar moves by Arizona and Texas -- while Tesla won a legislative battle to go dealer-free in North Carolina, it appears to be losing the war. Not surprisingly, the company is furious. It accuses Governor Chris Christie of not just reneging on a promise to delay the rule for the sake of debate, but of speeding things up to please dealerships that fear real competition. Whether that's an accurate representation or just corporate bluster, the ban will undoubtedly hurt Garden State residents who want a wider selection of eco-friendly rides.
Jon Fingas03.11.2014
AT&T brings 300Mbps fiber internet to Austin in December, gigabit by 'mid-2014'
Now that AT&T is actually laying down fiber-optic line in Austin, we have yet another reason to be jealous of Texas' weird city. According to Ma Bell, "tens of thousands" will be getting 300Mbps downloads (and uploads), the "fastest internet speeds available" in town to the general public, come December. Those subscribers can snag a free upgrade to gigabit service -- GigaPower, as the company calls it -- when it's available in the middle of next year. Oh, and if you want a say in where the ultra-fast service travels, make your neighborhood proud by voting at AT&T's website. For some reason though, we don't imagine Google will be casting any ballots. [Original image credit: Adriano Aurielo Araujo / Flickr]
Timothy J. Seppala10.01.2013
Nissan treats new Leaf owners in Texas to one year of free charging
Hey, EV fans in Texas, you might want to wait until October 1st before purchasing or leasing a Nissan Leaf. That's because the company's taking a leaf out of Tesla's book and giving new owners in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston a year of unlimited free access to all eVgo charging stations in those areas. Unfortunately, that does mean that if you've already got one of the company's electric vehicles, you don't get the perk -- ouch. As for potential customers in other states, don't despair. Nissan's Brian Brockman has hinted that the program might expand to other eVgo locations -- depending on how well it does in the Lone Star State.
Mariella Moon09.27.2013
Texas Motor Speedway's 'Big Hoss TV' will be the world's largest HD screen
You didn't think Texas would actually let Charlotte hold on to the title of world's largest HD screen, did you? Texas Motor Speedway announced that in 2014 it will take the wraps off of "Big Hoss TV," a 218-by-94.6 foot (20,633 square foot) 1080p display manufactured by Panasonic. That's bigger than the 16,000 square-foot HD screen at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as the massive screens located in Houston and Dallas. As the track's handy infographic points out, it has 9,000-plus square feet on the Cowboys' board, it's bigger than the Lincoln Memorial and will weigh more than seven elephants when it's done. Just like the CMS screen it will be used to display live video, instant replays, stats and more during races, viewable to every frontstretch seat in the house (those seated on the backstretch will be greeted by a mere 18-by-24-foot 1080p display). Construction begins this fall after the Texas 500 NASCAR race, and it's scheduled to be ready in time for the race weekend of April 3rd, 2014.
Richard Lawler09.24.2013
Google keeps it green, purchases 240MW of wind power in Texas
Google's goal of meeting its electrical needs with renewable sources got another big boost today. The Happy Hereford wind farm in Texas will produce 240 megawatts of juice, and all of that output has been bought by Big G. That power won't flow directly from the turbines into Google's data centers, instead it'll be fed into the regional grid when Google sells the energy on the wholesale market. The 240 renewable energy certificates (REC) acquired in the deal will be retired in support of mother earth, and any additional REC's created by the wind farm will be used to "reduce our [Google's] carbon footprint elsewhere." According to Google, this is similar to other green energy deals it's done in Iowa and Oklahoma, so it's highly likely we'll be seeing more such deals in the not-so-distant future. Of course, no one will be receiving any of that Happy Hereford wind power just yet -- the farm won't be sending out any renewably-sourced electrons until late 2014.
Michael Gorman09.17.2013
Weekly Roundup: Apple iPhone 5s and 5c hands-on, LG G2 review, Moto X's Texas factory, and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
David Fishman09.15.2013