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Watch a man jump off a 45-story building, thankfully wearing a jetpack
Testing a jetpack is one thing. Testing it by jumping off a 45-story building, way up above the zero-bounce concrete streets of Denver, Colorado -- well, that requires some rock-hard fuel tanks.
Belgium bans Uber, threatens €10,000 fine for each attempted pickup
A Brussels court has declared Uber to be illegal in Belgium, saying the company will be fined €10,000 for every ride. The UberPOP ride-sharing service has been on shaky ground there since its February launch, with the government even seizing vehicles. As in France, taxi drivers are taking umbrage with the company since its drivers don't have to pay for pricey licenses. The French government actually forced Uber chauffeurs to wait 15 minutes before picking up passengers in response, which now seems tame in comparison to Belgium's actions. Uber has yet to comment, but previously said it's been open with the government and called the seizures "disproportionate and targeted." As with Tesla, however, it's learning how hard it is to deal with an entrenched industry.
The Nexus Telegraph: Still moving in WildStar
The downside to writing about WildStar in this stage of the game's lifecycle is that because of the very nature of beta tests, I'm going to be spending a lot of time speculating instead of talking about certainties. Last week, I speculated. I was wrong on some points, as I found out when I got a letter from Carbine clarifying some things that had previously been ambiguous enough for speculation. The upside to writing about WildStar in this stage of the game's lifecycle is that sometimes I get letters from development staff letting me in on valuable inside information. Aside from being able to clarify my previous incorrect speculation, I also have for you a number of other important bits of information regarding the game this week, including a brief discussion of whether or not the game will allow for flight on a regular basis. So since that's well worth discussing, let's go ahead and just make this column another dialogue about movement.
The Nexus Telegraph: Getting from place to place in WildStar
Nexus is a big place. We saw last week what it's going to be like getting from spot to spot in a smaller sense with last week's overview of movement, but there's more to movement in WildStar. After all, there are a lot of zones stretched out over big chunks of land, and even if you're sprinting as much as you can you'll eventually find that you can't traverse an entire continent by foot, much less the ocean. No, for this sort of transport you need something more robust. You'll need vehicles, both personal and otherwise. You'll need boats, you'll need ships, you'll need something that can move faster than you can move even if you can jump out of a dodge. But a lot of what you need will depend upon what the game's layout looks like, so it's time to fire up the speculation machine and ask some questions, starting with those of location.
Transport for London launches prize to design accessible travel app
App developers in the United Kingdom take note: Transport for London has launched a prize for developers who are able to create London public transport apps that cater to users with physical or communication barriers. In a recent blog posting, the TFL recognized that for years, mobile applications have been helping disabled people better assimilate information. They hope offering up to a £5000 prize in an Accessible App competition will spur a growth in the number of London transport apps that disabled people have available to them. "The primary objective is to focus the functionality around the needs of the passenger group. Blind or partially sighted passengers, deaf or hearing-impaired passengers and those with learning or motor difficulties could all benefit from the clever use of phone functions, good design and useful features to access our services," TFL said on its website. "Older people who find conventional information challenging may also benefit from a design that allows minimal interaction, easy route planning, simple navigation and journey guidance. What you design is up to you." A submitted app needn't address the needs of all disabled passengers. For example, the developer could solely focus on designing an app for older people who find conventional information challenging. Another developer could design an app solely to help blind people navigate. The key is simplicity and prizes will be awarded in several different categories. In order to be eligible, apps must be submitted to the TFL by Friday, August 30, 2013. Guidelines of what the judges are looking for in accessible London travel apps can be found here.
London buses now accept NFC contactless payments, if you have the magic logo
Transport for London has emailed customers to announce the activation of NFC contactless payments on the city's fleet of 8,500 buses, despite any hiccups on the tube. From today, anyone who swipes a debit, credit, or charge card with the logo shown after the break should theoretically be allowed onboard for the same single fare as a traditional Oyster Card user. That's £1.35 instead of the £2.30 cash fare. The logo can also be found on Orange's Quick Tap-enabled Galaxy S III, but the official email makes no explicit mention of any smartphones being compatible. If you have the guts to swipe your GS III over the reader and test it, please let us know if it works (and it's probably better to try it discreetly, in case it doesn't). Customers are also being advised to avoid swiping wallets which contain two potential payment methods -- such as an NFC card and an RFID-based Oyster Card -- so they can control which card gets billed.
Taxi service apps could be hit by a proposed ban on GPS metering
Taxi and car-sharing apps which quote for journeys based on GPS data could find themselves outlawed by regulators. Transport authorities across fifteen US and Canadian cities are looking at a set of rules that would prohibit anything except physical metering to calculate the cost of a trip. The proposals would also put the kibosh on demand pricing, whereby quotes automatically rise when more people are making bookings, and also on the use of drivers who don't have proper taxi licenses. Some of these practices are already banned in a number of states, and in fact three online transport services -- Zimride, SideCar and our old friend Uber -- were fined in California this week precisely for allowing unqualified hands to take the wheel. If the current proposals are adopted, the role of smartphones would likely be restricted to hailing regular taxis or putting electric money into traditional cabbies' pockets.
Cardboard bicycle 'close to mass production': tough, green and just $20
Cardboard never ceases to amaze. Having been deployed in gramophones, stereos and even digital cameras, one inventor now believes it can be used to make the ideal bicycle. Izhar Gafni, from Israel, spent 18 months just folding the material every-which-way in order to discover a strong enough design, and now he claims his technique is almost ready for mass production. His maintenance-free bike uses a "secret" mix of organic materials to make it waterproof and fireproof, and is then lacquered to give it a friendlier appearance. It's expected to cost a mere $20 and weigh about 20 lbs (9 kg) -- that's 65 percent lighter than an average metal ride. In fact, this bicycle doesn't use any metal parts at all -- the solid tires are made of reconstituted rubber and a car timing belt is used instead of a chain. It lacks the swank of a Faraday Porteur, perhaps, but then you could buy 175 of these for the same money. Want proof that it actually works? The bike's not-so-featherweight inventor takes it for a spin after the break. [Image credit: Reuters / Baz Ratner]
University of Michigan connects 3,000 cars for year-long safety pilot
Road safety continues to be a major concern for both researchers and car makers alike. Yesterday saw yet another real-world trial kicking off, this time on a much grander scale. A total of 3,000 vehicles in Ann Arbor, Michigan are taking part in a 12-month project run by the state's Transportation Research Institute. The vehicles have Dedicated Short Range Communications and video recording facilities, which means the cars can communicate with each other, traffic signals, and share data to a central platform -- which in turn issues warnings when high risk situations, or if traffic problems occur. Of course, this trial will also create a massive data set, which researchers will be able to plunder, and help the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) better determine the viability of such systems. So while it's unlikely to lead to self driving cars just yet, it's a step in the right direction.
Road safety project simTD connects cars, infrastructure. Hopes to save lives, time
Live traffic info likely prevents many a clenched fist meeting steering wheel every single day. A new trial scheme in Frankfurt Germany, however, could prevent even more unnecessary road-rage. The project involves 120 vehicles from a range of manufacturers, loaded with "car-to-x" technology. Cars will communicate with each other, and with general infrastructure, in an attempt to make roads safe and less congested. As well as basic location data, other tools include a brake light that advises the car behind it once activated, and an obstacle warning system to share information on the presence and location of hazards -- as well as what those blockages are. The project is a collaboration between Universities, research institutes, telecom providers -- and of course -- the auto industry. We're keen to see how the trial turns out. Even if it's just to lower our next taxi fare.
Nokia wants to become the 'where?' company, Lumias to become sensor masters
Nokia is still taking its lumps in earnings, but CEO Stephen Elop has an idea as to how the troubled phone giant can carve out its slice of the smartphone market: like a real estate agent, it's all about location, location, location. As he outlined in the company's fiscal results call, the aim is to make Nokia the "where?" company -- the go-to for location-based services, whether it's Drive, Transport or anything else that locks in on our whereabouts. Facebook and Google are the "who?" and "what?" companies, Elop says. He also imagines that his own firm "could be a leader" in sensors as a whole, tracking subtler cues like the owner's pulse rate. Whether or not Nokia puts itself in front through positioning, the executive gave a small tease of the future during the call -- the next wave of Lumia phones will have "more differentiation," and both Windows Phone 7.8 as well as Windows Phone 8 will make their way to budget Nokia hardware.
Google Play Music app update brings tweaks to Now Playing, Recent, playlists and widget
Ever since introducing the Google Music app in beta last year its developers have been hard at work trimming away the rougher edges and that's never been more evident than in the new 4.3.606 version now available for download. While Google Play Music's overall look hasn't shifted significantly, the changelog and a quick spin using it reveal nearly every screen has had some slight change. As seen above, the recently played screen now features larger album art, while the action bar has been adjusted with different transport controls. In this version, users have the ability to adjust and reorder music in the Now Playing queue, while a refreshed widget shows off album art and allows for thumbs up without opening the app. The settings menu has a direct link to the Nexus Q control app (assuming you can run it, and have one), hit the Play store for the updated version to try it out yourself.
Mobile Miscellany: week of June 4th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, the LG Optimus L7 and Sony Xperia U both arrived at Fido, and Verizon Wireless unleashed some wicked LTE expansion across the US. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of June 4th, 2012.
Tesla delivers first Model S a little early, EVs take a big step forward (update: video!)
Tesla had originally pegged the Model S' first delivery for June 22nd. At least one owner, though, is getting an early treat: one of venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson's namesake managing directors, Steve Jurvetson, just picked up his red-hued EV sedan in the San Francisco Bay Area. He can also rightfully claim to have the very first production Model S anywhere, as he's since posted photographic proof on Flickr that his car was the earliest to have completed the factory run. The arrival is no doubt a milestone for taking purely electric cars into the mainstream. Even so, we'll admit that we're just hoping Jurvetson shares what it's like to live with Tesla's four-door -- both out of curiosity as well as a vain attempt to live vicariously through someone who's had more than a test drive. Update: Sure enough, Jurvetson has posted video of the delivery, which you can catch after the break.
Volvo's driverless road train in Spain is public mainly on the plain (video)
It's been awhile since we saw Volvo's SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project, which was last running out of harm's way on a test track near Gothenburg. Volvo has just taken a big step forward in fostering confidence by conducting its road train on public asphalt. The 124-mile Spanish test both proved that the cars could stay driverless without posing a threat and upped the ante for what the cars could do: the lead truck, an S60, a V60 and an XC60 all moved along at a brisk 53MPH with a tighter gap between vehicles than there was in the original test, at just 20 feet. SARTRE was so successful in the public run that Volvo is now focusing on far less contentious issues -- like making sure fuel use drops by the promised 20 percent. There's still the looming question of making a viable business model, though Volvo's dream if realized will make sure no driverless car has to go solo.
Google's self-driving cars will return to roots, tour California
Thanks to a new law passed in California, Google's driverless cars might soon be stuck in its traffic with all the other hapless commuters. Although they won't hit the highway yet, like they can in Nevada, the bipartisan bill will allow bureaucrats to craft safety and performance standards -- letting the robotic rigs roll (with licensed minders) in the near future. Joining Hawaii, Florida, Arizona and Oklahoma with similar legislation, the state hopes to reduce carnage on the roads caused by human error, and is backed by Google, the California Highway Patrol and various civic, auto and tech clubs. Of course, given that it was birthed in Google's Mountain View X lab, it's only natural that the autonomous EV should be allowed to roam free on its home turf.
Better Place takes its electric vehicle network in Israel for a silent spin
Better Place has been striving to make the world, just that, with its battery-swapping approach to electric vehicles since as far back as 2008. There's been a modicum of success, with outlets and swapping stations peppered as far and wide as Denmark, California, Australia and Japan. Now, the Associated Press reports that world's first nationwide electric car network -- this time in Israel -- has been given its first test. This only equates to four battery stations at the moment, with a further 40 to follow in the second half of the year. However, the firm maintains, that even with the current infrastructure, users could comfortably drive the entire length of the nation. Renault will sell a version of its Fluence EV customized to work with the battery stations for $32,000, with different mileage options on offer. Is this the future of electric motoring? We don't know, but anything that's this much quicker than overnight charging is fine by us.
Zero Motorcycles will pay for your first 25,000 e-motorbike miles, wants you to ride guilt-free
If you've been staring lustfully at an electric motorcycle but needed that little extra push to make the jump, Zero Motorcycles has a unique incentive in store: it'll pay for your first 25,000 miles on the road. Should you take the keys to any one of the company's two-wheelers between now and the end of May, you'll get a Visa gift card for the amount within a few weeks. Of course, the reason it can make such a seemingly generous offer is through the sheer efficiency of an electric engine: at a typical 10 cents for every kilowatt-hour, you're looking at just under $200 for what's likely several years of driving, even if you're particularly enthusiastic. Knowing that riding the same amount with a gas-powered bike practically requires taking out a small mortgage in the current economy, though, we'd say that Zero is just reminding us of an an advantage e-motorbikes already have.
Ample's cute 'Eo' EV claims it's the world's first e-quadrimotorcycle, we hope not the last
While EVs come in all shapes and sizes, one thing seems to remain constant -- a witty electricity pun. This time up its Ample, and its "Eo" e-quadrimotorcycle. A quadri-ma-whatcycle? Basically, a light, low-powered four-wheeled electric vehicle. The Eo's 40 miles per hour top speed might not be teeth-rattlingly fast, but it means it can eke out 124 miles on a single charge. Essentially, it's a single seated vehicle, but there are two fold-out chairs in the back if you want to make things even more cosy, while other gizmos on board include backward-facing cameras that pipe into a screen on the dash, replacing the need for mirrors. The Eo was on display at EVS26 in California, but no word on if, or when, we can expect to see this cutting us up on the school run.
Nevada lets Google's driverless car hit the open road, requires it to bring a driver
Driving through Las Vegas can be distracting -- bright lights, sun-powered death rays and international Consumer Electronics Shows have a tendency to catch a geek's eye -- good thing, then, that Nevada's deemed Google fit to test its autonomous automobile on public streets. The state's Department of Transportation was tasked with penning a set of safety standards for self-driving cars last June, and is now letting the cars run amok on city streets, with a few restrictions. Mountain View's three test vehicles, for instance, will need to haul a carpool of at least two passengers before driving down the strip, one person to take the wheel in case of an emergency, and another to monitor a computer screen that details the car's planned route. Test vehicles will also don red license plates and an infinity symbol to mark them as self-driving prototypes. Nevada DMV Director Bruce Breslow says those plates will be green once the vehicles are ready for market, something he hopes to see in three to five years.
