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Autos - SERIES 23 {16 articles}

Monterey Car Week is where the past and future of automobiles collide


What carmakers unveiled during Monterey Car Week had little to do with furthering the legacy of the traditional internal combustion engine. Instead, they teased future concepts that are largely centered on electric powertrains and a growing desire to be perceived as advanced in an industry that’s in transition. It was a testing ground for how their next moves are seen by staunch critics, discerning enthusiasts, and core customers. ✔ Traffic was abysmal at this year’s Monterey Car Week ✔ The week culminated in a splashy Sunday afternoon cascade of confetti as a prewar 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C won the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance best of show, edging out the crowd favorite, a cream-colored 1937 Cadillac ✔ Infiniti showed off the Prototype 10 at the Quail, an ancillary show of exotic cars held on a Carmel-by-the-Sea property, where sunshine, champagne, and oysters are plentiful

Illinois governor vetoes bill that would stifle car sharing


It would have taxed car sharing at the same level as major car rental companies. ✔ It's easy for even an active follower of tech and startups to think that the constant marginal progress we see is automatic, Mischa Fisher, Governor Rauner's chief economist, told Ars Technica ✔ His recommended changes now head back to the state legislature, both chambers of which passed the bill by strong majorities

Brabham records sales milestone | Drive.com.au


Sales of the forthcoming Brabham BT62 track-only supercar have passed the halfway point, the company?s head of marketing has revealed. ✔ This requires another £300,000 to be put down, so that the buyer’s choice of colours and options can be fed into the production schedule ✔ Haskey wouldn’t confirm the exact amount such an order entailed but did volunteer that the exterior carbon pack alone is £100,000 ✔ Go behind the scenes on Drive at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Elon Musk may have violated labor laws with a tweet


Musk faces new legal problems over his tweets, this one a complaint by the NLRB that he violated labor law during union organizing effort. ✔ It's filed numerous complaints about Tesla's tactics to fend off its efforts ✔ If it finds against Tesla, the company could be forced to expunge employee disciplinary records and reinstate employees who were wrongfully terminated ✔ But that does not end the lawsuits or any action by the SEC

Apple teaches photo editing with over-the-phone classes


The half-hour sessions promise to improve your photographic chops. ✔ Apple doesn't appear to be aiming for photographic excellence, though ✔ This is more about encouraging you to make edits in the first place, and that could make the difference between having to live with a so-so shot and refining it into a picture you'd be comfortable sharing with friends

Micron Technology to spend $3B, create 1,100 Virginia jobs


The memory-chip maker is creating 1,100 high paying jobs. ✔ This will lead to the creation of more than 1,100 high-paying tech jobs for engineers and technicians by 2030, and the Boise, Idaho-based company expects to start hiring immediately ✔ They will be requiring a lot of data that will have to be processed fast to make for a safe-driving experience on the roads ✔ Ticker Security Last Change %Chg MU MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL changes its name, stays affordable


It's still got the looks of the last-generation Santa Fe, but that'll change soon. ✔ Enlarge Image The Santa Fe XL: Good for kites, apparently ✔ Previous years also featured an optional Ultimate package for the SE trim, but that has been discontinued entirely ✔ The $2,100 Tech package is only available on the Limited trim, and it adds a variety of safety systems, including automatic braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams

Tesla is reportedly having some network issues


Tesla’s fleet internet network and website appear to currently be down for some users and it’s causing problems for vehicle owners who rely on the Tesla app. Electrek reported on the outage earlier and users across Twitter have been complaining about being unable to log into the company… ✔ Reports have been popping up for the past couple hours and the company’s website is oddly also down currently ✔ What does that mean for affected Tesla owners right now ✔ Car of the future pic.twitter.com/93bflfgvg1 Elon Says (@ElonBachman) August 20, 2018 Updating

When cars fly? Japan wants airborne vehicles to take off


It might sound like pie in the sky, but Japan's government is banking on a future with flying cars, launching an initiative Wednesday with the private sector to develop futuristic vehicles. The initiative aims to draw up a roadmap by the end of the year on commercialising flying cars, a… ✔ Toyota and affiliated companies have invested about 42.5 million yen ($382,000) in the project ✔ Last month, British engine maker Rolls-Royce revealed plans to develop a hybrid electric vehicle, dubbed the flying taxi, while Kitty Hawk in June offered test flights to people interested in buying its vehicle

I drove a hot pink communist-built Trabant around Berlin


And oh, how people stared. ✔ I was surprised how comfy the seats still were, though ✔ Symbols of the city's recent past are everywhere and as long as Trabis -- funny little cartoon cars that they are -- are on the road, they'll continue to be a part of this very visible historical narrative

Tesla outage keeps owners from logging into its website or app


Owners are currently unable to log into the app. ✔ The company has been under scrutiny in recent months over Model 3 production issues as well as CEO Elon Musk's recent controversy about possibly taking the company private ✔ A Tesla spokesperson has told us that it is aware of the problem and is working to resolve the issue

How do you get people to trust autonomous vehicles? This company is giving them ‘virtual eyes.’


Surveys reveal that the public remains apprehensive about self-driving vehicles. In hopes of building more trust, Jaguar Land River is testing an autonomous pod that makes eye contact with pedestrians. ✔ That’s how Gary Fox, plant manager at Cox Container, described what he looks for in an employee ✔ Jaguar Land Rover’s intelligent pods have yet to venture into the real world and instead operate on a fabricated street scene in Coventry, England, the company said

Announcing the winners of Disrupt SF 2018’s sponsored hackathon contests


Thousands of developers, designers, hackers and marketers from around the world worked for months to submit their creations to our first Virtual Hackathon, which takes place at Disrupt San Francisco on September 5-7. It wasn’t easy, but we narrowed the field down to 30 semi-finalists, and we can’t … ✔ Tip o’ the hat! These hack contests ranged from ways to use artificial intelligence in the age of autonomous cars to building an app that gives customers a unique way to book, pay for and view airline reservations and so much in between ✔ We’re thrilled to announce the sponsored contest winners a determined and creative lot to say the least

Yahoo and AOL admit to scanning users' emails to serve up targeted ads


Any data gleaned from Yahoo and AOL emails, such as receipts or flight conformations, is used by Oath to figure out which products or services should be targeted to specific users. ✔ Users can opt out of the feature or pay for an ad-free version, but that service all scans their emails  The firm recently changed its terms of service to comply with Europe's new General Data Protection Regulations, which require companies to obtain users' consent for collecting data before they start using a product

Amazon defends itself from Bernie Sanders' attacks


Senator Bernie Sanders wants to slap a tax on Amazon and other big companies that employ workers who collect public assistance. But Amazon disputes Sanders' depiction, saying its pay and benefits are competitive. ✔ My full response: https://t.co/NQsi47qINt https://t.co/NkFQnSM3gl Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 29, 2018 Sanders plans to introduce legislation next week that would levy a tax on large companies equal to the value of the government benefits their workers receive

Now You Can Help Search For Missing Seattle Hiker Samantha Sayers


A growing army of online volunteers is poring over photos to find any trace of the young woman. ✔ The challenge, until recently, was finding enough manpower to scour thousands of images that could hold clues to the whereabouts of the 28-year-old woman, who was last seen on Vesper Peak in Snohomish County on Aug. 1 ✔ Sayers turned 28 on August 13, roughly two weeks after she disappeared ✔ Her mother describes her daughter as a warrior who is more than capable of taking care of herself ✔ Send David Lohr an email or follow him on Facebook and Twitter

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