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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.
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.
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?
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]
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.
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
See how the Moto X is made (video)
Not everyone gets to walk behind the tech industry's velvet ropes. So when Motorola opened the gates to its Fort Worth, Texas facility -- the place where custom Moto X's are made -- we were there to bring you an inside look. And in the interest of getting you even more intimately acquainted with the Google company's assembled in the USA smartphone production hub, we have something almost as good as being there: a behind-the-scenes video tour. So, what are you waiting for... an invite? Head past the break to glimpse phase one of this whole new Motorola and see Governor Rick Perry spike an iPhone 5.
Motorola's American Dream: unbridled customization, two-day shipping and a Texas factory
It wasn't supposed to happen this way: Motorola had picked the date for its Fort Worth, Texas facility's dedication ceremony first. But then Apple went ahead to claim the date and stole the day's spotlight with its new iPhone reveals. No matter, as the gathering of press, factory workers and bold-faced names -- Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- seemed minorly preoccupied with the major news of the day. We were in the midst of Nokia's old manufacturing plant, after all, now the birthplace of all custom-made Moto X's and there was the spirit of American manufacturing to celebrate. To drive that point home, some very Springsteen-ish tunes were pumped over the loudspeakers as we all patiently awaited the end of Cupertino's product showcase and the start of Motorola's "we can too make it in the USA" toldja moment. I even half-expected Miley Cyrus to jump onstage with an assortment of teddy bears brandishing raver-hued Moto X's. She didn't and an Americana Twitter-trending hashtag moment was missed. Still there was one exceptional and unscripted highlight waiting in the wings. It wasn't CEO Dennis Woodside nose-thumbing at those unnamed rivals that said US-based production could and would never happen. Nor was it Schmidt's patriotic pledge to the Texas facility: "This is a bet we're taking on America ... on Texas [and] on this incredible workforce that's assembled here. We think this is a very, very safe bet." No. It was the moment Woodside presented Gov. Perry with a Moto X -- designed with Texan colors -- and Perry, in response, unceremoniously spiked his iPhone to the floor below. Yes, the moment is caught on tape.
Visualized: Inside the Moto X factory
This is where the Moto X magic happens: a 455,000 square-foot factory in Fort Worth, Texas that formerly manufactured devices for Nokia. From start to finish, these human-manned assembly banks are where your Moto X Moto Maker creations are born, assembled, tested for quality and then shipped off. We'll have more to come from our big Texas excursion, but for now feast your eyes on this bit of mobile Americana.
Houston Texans' new HD scoreboard is even wider than the Cowboys'
Everyone at the August 17th NFL preseason game in Houston's Reliant Stadium will be treated to humongous images of sweaty athletes, thanks to the venue's monstrous scoreboard. According to Reliant's officials, the new HD monitor isn't just any enormous display, but the widest one in professional sports. We're talking about several connected boards measuring 277.17 x 52.49 feet as a whole, with each display covering 14,549 square feet and boasting a 5.28 million pixel resolution. That's more than 100 feet wider than Dallas Cowboy's LED setup, enough for Reliant to usurp its throne as the widest screen in football, and largest in Texas. Due to the scoreboard's gigantesque real estate, it can show not only side-by-side live feeds and replays, but also statistics and advertisements during a game. Unfortunately for the folks at Houston, the stadium can only hold the record for a year. Jacksonville's Everbank Field will debut an even longer 301 x 55 feet scoreboard in 2014, and Charlotte Motor Speedway still holds the overall sports record with its 200 x 80 foot screen. [Image credit: Houston Texans, Twitter]
University of Texas students send yacht off-course with GPS exploit (video)
Students from the University of Texas gave us another reason not to mess with the Lone Star state: they'll hack your yacht. In cooperation with a luxury boat's owners, the Longhorns manipulated their $80 million vessel's nav system, covertly guiding it off-course -- all without the crew ever suspecting foul play. By transmitting spoofed global positioning system signals toward the craft, the students tricked its drivers into correcting a non-existent, three-degree course deviation, thus leading them off track. With their work done, the Texans believe this shows exactly how easy it is to exploit civil-band GPS signals. College kids may have conned the helm this time, but it isn't too far-fetched to think pirates could do the same. Our timbers are shivering just thinking about it.
