There's been a relentless quest to set electric car driving records in 2017, and a team of Italians just managed to smash a couple of those records in style. Tesla Owners Club Italia drove their Model S P100D 1,078km (669.8 miles) on one charge, setting a new long-distance record (the previous was 'just' 901.2km) and becoming the first to drive a production EV more than 1,000km before plugging in. They did have to make some major sacrifices to hit their target, but it's still a symbolic victory.
Hobbyists aren't the only ones using the phone and drone cameras to explore the world in new ways, as insurance companies are increasingly opting for "virtual" or "touchless" handling of claims. The Wall Street Journal cites the 2017 Future of Claims Study survey by LexisNexis Risk Solutions (PDF) which found that 38 percent of insurers don't send employees out for physical inspections in at least some situations. One story mentioned says that Lemonade Insurance settled and paid out a claim in just three seconds using the AI bot connected to its app.
Companies like DJI are tweaking their drones for property surveying that works for construction and insurance, while auto insurance companies are leaning on self-service apps to make estimates. According to the WSJ, this is a part of rising customer satisfaction with insurance claims over the last few years as measured by JD Power. It's also something I unexpectedly got a closer look at earlier this year when I ran into a deer.
Using my insurance company's app I sent in pictures (including the one shown above) the next day and within a few hours had an estimate that I could take to repair shops. It didn't do much to speed up the process, unfortunately, as part shortages kept my car in the shop for over a month. Also, my photos of the outside of the car didn't reveal the damage to internal parts like the radiator and turbo mount, which may have caused more back and forth later, but weren't much of a factor in how much time the repairs took. It was more convenient than needing to arrange an appointment with an agent, but it still shows that some things are better done by an expert.
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo (official name VSS Unity) has just completed its sixth test glide. The reusable spaceplane still has between two to nine more staged glides to go before the aerospace company moves on to rocket-propelled tests. But this one is special because it serves as a dry run for actual rocket-powered flights. It flew with the configuration a powered flight will have, carrying propulsion components onboard, along with 1,000 pounds of water to simulate the weight of fuel casing.
Similar to the previous tests, Unity's mothership VMS Eve carried it up to 40,000 feet in the air before dropping it. Unlike previous tests, though, SpaceShipTwo didn't jettison the water ballast this time, giving the company a chance to gather data on how the vehicle performs when landing with a heavier weight that's centered towards its rear.
If you'll recall, Unity is Virgin Galactic's second SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. The original vehicle tragically broke up mid-flight in 2014, sending it plummeting into the Mojave Desert. According to an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, one of the reasons why it crashed was because a co-pilot deployed its feathering system -- a process of moving the plane's wings to increase drag during re-entry -- too early. Unity still uses the feathering system, but it has additional safety features to prevent another crash.
Once the vehicle is ready for primetime, Virgin plans to use it to carry paying passengers to suborbital space. In fact, it already has an impressive customer list, including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga.
Blu's unlocked Android phones are back on Amazon after a "false alarm," the company told Engadget. The online retail titan pulled down all Blu models from its website a couple of days ago. It cited "security concerns" after security firm Kryptowire reported that the manufacturer is still collecting user data and sending it to a server in China. Blu admitted last year that the third-party software it used to push software updates collected unauthorized messages, call logs and contacts. However, it refuted the new report that its phones still collect sensitive information.
Tesla might have ditched the Model X's relatively affordable 60D trim, but that doesn't mean it's insensitive to your price concerns. Elon Musk's outfit has lopped $3,000 off the price of the base 75D model, bringing the entry point down to 'just' $79,500 before tax credits -- right around where it was when the electric SUV launched nearly two years ago. As for why? Simple economics, Tesla says in a statement. When the Model X 75D launched, it had a low profit margin --"efficiencies" have let Tesla reduce the price without taking a hit to its bottom line.
Google is giving you a way to get updates for its Home speaker before other people do. All you have to do is volunteer to be part of its Preview Program, which was originally launched for Chromecast in 2016. If you sign up for the initiative, your device will be one of the first to receive the latest features -- it's not for beta testing, so you don't have to worry about installing software that's not ready for public release and encountering bugs all the time. Still, Google is asking participants to send in their feedback about any issues or their experience as a whole whenever possible.
After debuting an all-in-one streaming app for its cable TV service and a new IoT-commanding home gateway earlier this year, Comcast announced on Friday that it is adding a trio of new parental control features to its X1 internet system: Timed Pause, Safer Search and a Notification Center.
According to a memo obtained by sUAS News, the US Army will stop using DJI drones, effective immediately. "Due to increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products, it is directed that the US Army halt use of all DJI products," said the memo, which listed flight computers, cameras, radios, batteries, speed controllers, GPS units, handheld control stations and any device with DJI software applications installed on it as products that must cease being used. According to the document, the Army Aviation Engineering Directorate has issued over 300 Airworthiness Releases for DJI products. "Cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries/storage media from devices, and secure equipment for follow on direction," the memo continued.
According to a memo obtained by sUAS News, the US Army will stop using DJI drones, effective immediately. "Due to increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products, it is directed that the US Army halt use of all DJI products," said the memo, which listed flight computers, cameras, radios, batteries, speed controllers, GPS units, handheld control stations and any device with DJI software applications installed on it as products that must cease being used. According to the document, the Army Aviation Engineering Directorate has issued over 300 Airworthiness Releases for DJI products. "Cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries/storage media from devices, and secure equipment for follow on direction," the memo continued.
Next year, Huawei may finally get a foothold in the US market when AT&T reportedly begins selling its next leading phone. Getting its support would be huge for the company: It's the third-largest smartphone maker in the world behind Apple and Samsung but hasn't been able to reach US customers without a carrier's support.
Well, Apple Watch fans have more to look forward to than just a new operating system. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple will release a version of its Watch with cellular network support built-in by year's end, relieving users of the need to carry their iPhones around. Three words: it's about time.
Rumors of a cellular Apple Watch are nothing new, and the whole concept should sound very familiar by now. After all, Samsung and LG have had LTE-enabled smartwatches for years, and the latter developed one such wearable to help launch Android Wear 2.0 earlier this year. While it's not yet clear what Apple plans to let people do with these mobile data connections, it's likely that users will be able to send messages and make phone and FaceTime Audio calls without being tethered to an iPhone.
Once again a Game of Thrones episode has leaked before its intended release. The fourth part of season seven was shared online through a Google Drive link, and we can confirm it's authentic. The source is unconfirmed but it's likely part of the HBO hack reported on Monday, which included episodes of Ballers, Room 104 and Insecure, as well as thousands of company documents. Game of Thrones is, of course, HBO's crown jewel and any leaks are particularly damaging, both financially and for its public image. It's a feeling the company will be used to, however; back in 2015, four episodes of season five leaked before its series premiere.
Titanfall 2 has sustained its playerbase and momentum with free DLC every month since its release, but there's no question that the game was a hit that didn't make the impact it should've. In an interview, Respawn's CEO chalked it up to an inconvenient release window, but the long chat revealed the company's plans to expand the franchise, though he wouldn't say anything concrete. Luckily, the franchise's mobile game, Titanfall: Assault, just got a wide release date of August 10th.
There's been a relentless quest to set electric car driving records in 2017, and a team of Italians just managed to smash a couple of those records in style. Tesla Owners Club Italia drove their Model S P100D 1,078km (669.8 miles) on one charge, setting a new long-distance record (the previous was 'just' 901.2km) and becoming the first to drive a production EV more than 1,000km before plugging in. They did have to make some major sacrifices to hit their target, but it's still a symbolic victory.
