Tesla’s cars have always been very advanced in terms of technology, but with their new autonomous driving mode, many questions about liability have arisen.
Although it is not the first time that a car company has released an autonomous driving mode in a car, Tesla’s is the first one that can actually drive for you. That is not to say that you should turn on autopilot and go to sleep. The car is constantly checking if you are still paying attention by periodically beeping, signaling that you need to put your hands on the steering wheel. Most of the time, this is just a precautionary measure, but it does sometimes need your input when it can’t get enough information from its sensors.
Earlier this month, Volvo stated that it would take 100% of responsibility if one of the cars crashed while being driven by its autonomous driving mode. This might seem like the logical decision to make, but it could cause the users to become more careless when using their self-driving Volvo and not being able to take control during a difficult situation.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors said that they are not going to take responsibility if one of their cars crashes. He brought up the point that right now, their autopilot system is very similar to that in an airplane. It does a lot of the work for you, but still assumes that you are there and paying attention. Eventually, the technology will reach a point where the driver could fall asleep in their car and wake up at their destination, but that technology is not available today. That is why Tesla expects drivers to be alert at all times and will not take responsibility if their car crashes while on autopilot.
The whole topic of liability with autopilot/autonomous driving is very new and undeveloped right now, and most car companies probably won’t get it right on the first try.
Below is a great video on this, showing what the autopilot is like in the real world, with not-so-great conditions.
A couple of weeks ago, on September 9th, Apple held an event where they revealed some new products, and now Google did the same thing. On September 29th, they held an event where they revealed new products such as the Nexus 5X and 6P, the new Chromecast devices, support for Android Wear on iOS, and a few more exciting things.
An African proverb that relates to this event is
“Don’t set sail using someone else’s star.”
This proverb relates to Google’s event, since Apple held an event earlier this September and now Google is doing the same thing. I’m not saying that Google will not be successful with what they are trying to do with this event and the products they launched, just it seems that all of the big tech giants are holding events this time of year. First it was Apple, then it was Google, and even Microsoft is holding an event on October 6th.
About midway through the event, Google revealed the specs of their new phones: the Nexus 5x and Nexus 6p. They are both improvements on their older models; the Nexus 5 and 6.
The Nexus 6p, is their higher end model of the Nexus line, with a 5.7″ 1440p display. However, the QHD display is not the most exciting, nor important addition this year. The Nexus 6p has a 12.3MP camera that can record 4K video. In addition to recording video in 4K at 30fps, the 6p can record up 240fps slow motion video. Google did not mention a resolution for the slow motion video, but we can assume that it will be 1080p or less, as 4K at 240fps would take a massive amount of storage. The new Nexus also uses the new USB Type C connector, instead of the USB Micro Type B, which most Android users are accustomed to. This just shows how USB Type C is the way of the future, as it has been used on major products like the MacBook 2015, the OnePlus Two, and now the Nexus 5x and 6p.
Along with the camera, screen, and connector upgrades, the 6p has finally received a fingerprint sensor. Although, the fingerprint sensor is not integrated into the home button, like it is on many flagship phones. On the Nexus, the fingerprint sensor is on the back, forcing you to not use your thumb to unlock your phone. This could pose many problems
The new Nexus 5x is a mid-ranged smartphone made by LG. The 5x is basically a cheaper version of the new 6p with a smaller 5.2″ display. It also features the same USB Type C connector as the Nexus 6p, and the same exact camera. Although it can still record in 4K, the 5x’s camera can only record up to 120fps slow motion video, while the 6p can record at up to 240fps.
To add to the list of features that are also on the 6p, the Nexus 5x shares the same fingerprint sensor as the 6p, and is in the same position. This means, since it is on the back, that you can’t unlock your phone with your fingerprint, if your phone is on a flat surface. But, on a good note, the 5x has a 2700 mAh battery, compared to 2915 on the new iPhone 6s Plus and 2550 on Samsung’s Galaxy S6. This means, with the smaller screen, your battery will be able to last much longer than other phones.
Google also released two new Chromecast devices. The first one is a new version of the original Chromecast stick. Still priced at $35, it is a great way to connect your devices to your TV for a fraction of the price of a Smart TV. The second device is new, and it allows you to connect your speakers that have an auxiliary port, but are not capable of Bluetooth or WiFi to become wireless. All you need to do is plug it into your speakers and connect to it on your phone, tablet, or laptop and start streaming music to your speakers.
Along with the new Nexus phones and Chromecast devices, Google made a couple more announcements at their event. The first was that Android Wear (Google’s smartwatch OS) is now compatible with iOS devices. Although there will be significantly less features when using an Android Wear device with an iOS device, it is still good to know that iOS users have more options in the smartwatch department.
Google also announced that they will be releasing a new tablet, called the “Pixel C”. It will have the same USB Type C connector as both of the new Nexus phones, but it will have a 10.2 inch display. This is Google’s way of competing with Apple’s iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface, as the Pixel C has a keyboard that attaches magnetically, but it will run Android, a mobile operating system, just like how the iPad Pro will run iOS.
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