The Smart-Tech Future Beckons
Las Vegas — Look around. How many computing devices do you see? Your phone, probably; maybe a tablet or a laptop. Your car, the TV set, the microwave, bedside alarm clock, possibly the thermostat, and others you’ve never noticed. Much of that computing isn’t doing much while segregated into individual devices. But many of these gadgets have the potential to get smarter by connecting to their fellows, which in turn could open the door...
Pour One Out: Self-Serve Bars Are On the Rise
Los Angeles —Your next draft may be pulled not by a bartender — but by you. A small but growing number of gastropubs and fast-casual restaurants are going self-serve, installing systems that enable drinkers to draw their own taps, similar to the soda fountain at McDonald’s but far more sophisticated. Establishments in the notoriously low-margin restaurant industry say the technology not only cuts labor costs but also boosts revenue by...
As Self-Driving Cars Come to More States, Regulators Take a Back Seat
When self-driving cars begin zipping through Virginia this year, they won’t need any special registration, and the testers sitting behind the wheel won’t need a special license. In the eyes of the law, they’ll be regular cars. Virginia is one of a handful of states seeking to attract the potentially lucrative business of developing self-driving cars. And along with a few other states, its lawmakers and regulators are inclined to...
Self-Driving Vehicles to Debut on College Campuses
This fall, students at Santa Clara University will have a new way to get around campus — a self-driving shuttle. The university has invited Auro Robotics to its palm tree-lined campus to test a prototype. The vehicle will be restricted to a top speed of 10 mph, and share the concrete and brick walkways with pedestrians. Students at the private university in Silicon Valley’s shadow aren’t the only ones to experience the buzzed-about...
Driverless Semis Might Precede Cars
Las Vegas — Traveling about 55 miles per hour on a Nevada highway, the big rig’s driver looked like The Thinker, with his elbow on the arm rest and his hand on his chin. No hands on the steering wheel, no feet on the pedals. Mark Alvick was in “highway pilot” mode, the wheel moving this way and that as if a ghost were at the helm. Daimler Trucks North America LLC says its “Inspiration” truck, the first self-driving semi-truck to be...
