Kalakshar US

After more than a decade of trying to make flying cars a reality, Kitty Hawk is shutting down. “We’re still working on the details of what’s next,” the Larry Page-backed startup posted to LinkedIn on Wednesday afternoon. Before today’s announcement, the last time we heard from Kitty Hawk was in the spring of 2021 when it came out the company had parted ways with engineer Damon Vander Lind following “months” of infighting with Page and CEO Sebastian Thrun. Almost exactly a year earlier, the company canceled its original Flyer project and laid off most of the 70-person team that had worked on the aircraft.

It’s unclear why Kitty Hawk decided to call it quits, but comments Thrun made after the company ended development on Flyer may provide a clue. “No matter how hard we looked, we could not find a path to a viable business,” the chief executive said at the time. After Vander Lind’s departure the following year, it appeared Kitty Hawk was ready to double down on its Heavyside vertical take-off and landing aircraft. It acquired 3D Robotics and brought on the company’s co-founder, former Wired editor Chris Anderson, as chief operating officer.

Despite the demise of Kitty Hawk, this probably isn’t the last we’ll hear of Larry Page’s flying car ambitions. According to CNBC, Wednesday’s shutdown won’t affect Wisk Aero, the company that was borne out of a 2019 partnership between Kitty Hawk and Boeing.

“Kitty Hawk’s decision to cease operations does not change Boeing’s commitment to Wisk. We are proud to be a founding member of Wisk Aero and are excited to see the work they are doing to drive innovation and sustainability through the future of electric air travel,” Boeing told the outlet. “We do not expect Kitty Hawk’s announcement to affect Wisk’s operations or other activities in any way.”

 

Chinese EV maker XPeng is no stranger to boundary-pushing car tech. In 2020, it unveiled the P7 sedan, which featured 200 more miles of EV range than the Tesla Model 3. Today, it’s targeting charging speed with its G9 SUV. The new flagship model can charge at up to 480 kW, allowing it to go from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in 15 minutes (or 124 miles in 5 minutes). In the US, we’re limited to 350 kW fast chargers at best (and even then, you’ll need a fairly new or premium EV to support that speed). 

Of course, to see that fast charging rate, you’ll need to use one of the company’s chargers in China. XPeng plans to bring the G9 to European markets though, so perhaps 480 kW chargers will follow. 

Beyond its charging tech, the G9 also appears to have just about everything you’d want in a premium mid-size electric SUV. Its design and leather-filled interior evokes luxury car brands, while its dual-motor 4WD models can reach up to a whopping 551 hp. Powered by two NVIDIA Orin chips, the G9 also offers advanced driver assistance with 31 sensors and dual-LiDAR sensors, as well as automatic driving and parking assistance. 

 

Iran has blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp as its government attempts to subdue protests that began last week following the death of a woman at the hands of local authorities. As of Wednesday, demonstrations across the country had been ongoing for four consecutive days. The protests began over the weekend after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police on September 16th. She was arrested for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women.

According to internet watchdog NetBlocks (via Reuters), the Iranian government has gradually restricted web access across much of the country in recent days. The blackout began in Tehran and other parts of Iran when protests first broke out on Friday. On the evening of September 19th, the government extended restrictions to parts of the western Kurdistan province. As of Wednesday, accessing WhatsApp and Instagram through any of the country’s major internet providers was impossible. According to NetBlocks, the current restrictions are the most severe since 2019, when Iran shut down all internet access in response to fuel protests.

Meta did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. NetBlocks suggests the disruptions are likely to significantly limit the ability of the Iranian people to communicate freely. In theory, Iran’s government may believe that restricting internet access will reduce the likelihood of protestors organizing and allow it to better control the narrative of Amini’s death. 

 

Florida is calling on the US’ highest court to settle the dispute over social media speech regulation. The Washington Postnotes the state’s attorney general has petitioned the Supreme Court to determine whether or not states are violating First Amendment free speech rights by requiring that social media platforms host speech they would otherwise block, and whether they can require explanations when platforms remove posts.

In making its case, Florida argued that the court needed to address contradictory rulings. While a 5th Circuit of Appeals court upheld a Texas law allowing users to sue social networks for alleged censorship, an 11th Circuit of Appeals court ruled that Florida was violating the First Amendment with key parts of a law preventing internet firms from banning politicians.

The backers of the Florida and Texas laws have argued that the measures are necessary to combat alleged censorship of conservative views on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Legislators have contended that social networks are common carriers, like phone providers, and thus are required to carry all speech that isn’t otherwise illegal. The companies, meanwhile, believe laws like these are unconstitutional and would force them to host hate speech, hostile governments’ propaganda and spam. They say the constitutional amendment is meant to protect against government censorship, and that private outlets have the right to decide what they host.

It’s not clear how the Supreme Court will rule. While conservative judges dominate the legislative body, the court granted an emergency request that put the Texas law on hold before it was upheld in the 5th Circuit last week. The higher court hasn’t yet issued a definitive ruling on the matter, and a decision in favor of Florida could also help more liberal-leaning states with their own proposed bills requiring greater transparency for hate speech and threats.

 

Meta has begun cutting staff and reorganizing teams in an effort to cut costs, according to a new report in The Wall Street Journal. The company apparently doesn’t want to frame the changes as layoffs, but is reportedly “quietly nudging out a significant number of staffers” as it prepares for more significant cuts.

It’s not clear how many Meta employees have been affected so far. According to the report. Meta has been allowing staffers to apply for new jobs within the company, but workers only have a 30-day window to do so. The result, according to The Journal, is that “workers with good reputations and strong performance reviews are being pushed out on a regular basis.”

Meta has been signaling for some time that it will reduce staff and cut projects as it deals with shrinking revenue amid what Mark Zuckerberg has described as an “economic downturn.” The CEO warned during the company’s most recent earnings call that Meta would slow hiring and would need to “get more done with fewer resources.”

Zuckerberg has recently told employees the company is facing “serious times” and managers have been asked to identify “low performers” to cut. The company has also axed some projects from its Reality Labs division, which has lost $10 billion in 2021. Dozens of Meta contractors employed by an outside firm were also recently told their jobs had been eliminated.

 

Volvo’s EV range to date has been limited to smaller vehicles like the C40 Recharge, but it’s now ready to tackle the high end. The company has announced that it will reveal the “flagship” EX90 electric SUV on November 9th. While the brand is unsurprisingly shy on details, it claims the new model will offer the best standard safety features of any Volvo to date.

The trick is an improved “understanding” of both the driver and the environment. The EX90 will supposedly include a cutting-edge sensor array that includes cameras, radar and LiDAR on the outside. In the cabin, more cameras and capacitive steering wheel sensors will detect inattentiveness and take gradually more drastic actions to protect you, including stopping the car at the side of the road and calling for help.

Some of these safety concepts aren’t new. Systems like GM’s Super Cruise check that your eyes are on the road, while Tesla cars will disable Autopilot and come to a stop if you don’t put your hands on the wheel. Volvo is clearly hoping it offers the best safeguards of the bunch, though, and LiDAR might provide an advantage over rivals like Tesla (which doesn’t use LiDAR) and Lucid (still a relatively small brand).

It’s safe to say the EX90 will represent a change of tack. Instead of competing with the Tesla Model Y and other ‘entry’ luxury SUVs or crossovers, Volvo is more likely to aim squarely at the high end. This vehicle could serve as a halo product that draws EV buyers to the brand, even if they ultimately buy something more affordable.

 

Volvo’s EV range to date has been limited to smaller vehicles like the C40 Recharge, but it’s now ready to tackle the high end. The company has announced that it will reveal the “flagship” EX90 electric SUV on November 9th. While the brand is unsurprisingly shy on details, it claims the new model will offer the best standard safety features of any Volvo to date.

The trick is an improved “understanding” of both the driver and the environment. The EX90 will supposedly include a cutting-edge sensor array that includes cameras, radar and LiDAR on the outside. In the cabin, more cameras and capacitive steering wheel sensors will detect inattentiveness and take gradually more drastic actions to protect you, including stopping the car at the side of the road and calling for help.

Some of these safety concepts aren’t new. Systems like GM’s Super Cruise check that your eyes are on the road, while Tesla cars will disable Autopilot and come to a stop if you don’t put your hands on the wheel. Volvo is clearly hoping it offers the best safeguards of the bunch, though, and LiDAR might provide an advantage over rivals like Tesla (which doesn’t use LiDAR) and Lucid (still a relatively small brand).

It’s safe to say the EX90 will represent a change of tack. Instead of competing with the Tesla Model Y and other ‘entry’ luxury SUVs or crossovers, Volvo is more likely to aim squarely at the high end. This vehicle could serve as a halo product that draws EV buyers to the brand, even if they ultimately buy something more affordable.

 

Microsoft isn’t going to be left off the fall hardware event calendar. The company will hold a Surface event on October 12th at 10AM ET. While it’s not completely clear what Microsoft plans to show off beyond “devices,” we may get our first official look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 in a few weeks. Some details about the upcoming products emerged this week via retailer leaks.

According to WinFuture, the devices will likely use 12th-gen Intel CPUs, though the Surface Pro 9 may have an ARM-based processor option with 5G support. Microsoft may offer up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM in both devices. It seems there are new color options too.

Microsoft is adding its name to a busy event schedule. Amazon will hold a hardware showcase on September 28th, while Google has set a Pixel event for October 6th. Apple is also expected to run a Mac- and iPad-focused event in October.

 

Microsoft isn’t going to be left off the fall hardware event calendar. The company will hold a Surface event on October 12th at 10AM ET. While it’s not completely clear what Microsoft plans to show off beyond “devices,” we may get our first official look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 in a few weeks. Some details about the upcoming products emerged this week via retailer leaks.

According to WinFuture, the devices will likely use 12th-gen Intel CPUs, though the Surface Pro 9 may have an ARM-based processor option with 5G support. Microsoft may offer up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM in both devices. It seems there are new color options too.

Microsoft is adding its name to a busy event schedule. Amazon will hold a hardware showcase on September 28th, while Google has set a Pixel event for October 6th. Apple is also expected to run a Mac- and iPad-focused event in October.

 

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling on its sister agency to implement regulation requiring all vehicles sold in the US to include blood alcohol monitoring systems. The NTSB sent the recommendation to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday after completing an investigation into a horrific collision last year that involved drunk driving and the death of two adults and seven children.

“Technology could’ve prevented this heartbreaking crash — just as it can prevent the tens of thousands of fatalities from impaired-driving and speeding-related crashes we see in the US annually,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “We need to implement the technologies we have right here, right now to save lives.”​

According to statistics published by the NHTSA, nearly 43,000 people died on US roads last year, marking the highest that number had been in 16 years. While traffic deaths fell slightly between April and June, Ann Carlson, the agency’s acting administrator, said a “crisis” was still underway on the country’s roads. “We need NHTSA to act. We see the numbers,” Homendy told The Associated Press. “We need to make sure that we’re doing all we can to save lives.”

The NTSB says all new cars sold in the US should include an integrated system that passively detects if the driver is under the influence of alcohol. It notes that such a system could be combined with advanced driver monitoring technologies to prevent accidents. Separately, the agency recommends that the NHTSA incentivize automakers to include tech that prevents speeding-related collisions. The NTSB does not have the authority to regulate or enforce any safety measures it suggests. It has been calling on the NHTSA to explore alcohol monitoring technologies since 2012.

The NHTSA also faces pressure from Congress to mandate such systems. Under last year’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the agency has three years to study the feasibility of various alcohol monitoring technologies and establish a final set of rules. It can seek an extension, however. And in the past, it has been slow to implement such requirements.