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The Tesla Model S‘ all-electric infrastructure is being credited with a heck of a lot more than top-notch energy efficiency. Because of the design, the vehicle lacks a large gasoline engine block up front, boosting the “crumple zone” and ultimately saving lives during an otherwise deadly crash. As a result, the sedan scored a combined record of 5.4 stars during a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test. That figure is higher than the maximum published rating of 5 stars, but Tesla received a more comprehensive report detailing actual results. The Model S also earned high marks with its rear-crash, side-pole-intrusion and rollover tests. Additionally, the lithium-ion battery did not catch fire at any time, and it never has in a Roadster or Model S — the same can’t be said for certain competitors.

Filed under: Transportation

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Via: Autoblog

Source: Tesla

While Google’s Project Loon moonshot project first broke cover, the pilot for its internet via high-flying helium balloon service launched in New Zealand, but a post by the team today is about research flights in the US. There’s no mention of plans to try offering the service on domestic latitudes, but the tests are allowing Google to tweak its power systems, design and radios. The one specifically mentioned involves stratospheric flights over Fresno, investigating the effect of the city’s radio interference on Project Loon’s transmissions. We’re not sure how much closer this puts us to popping up an antenna outside to get our broadband connection bounced from a balloon flying at about 60,000 feet, but more pics and details are available at the link below.

Filed under: Internet, Alt, Google

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Source: Project Loon (Google+)

Self-driving cars are nothing new: Google, Lexus and Audi have all showcased the technology in prototype form before. But these autonomous vehicles are all designed to operate on public roads and handle unforeseen obstacles using advanced sensors like LIDAR. What about cars operating in a controlled environment like a private track? Ford engineers answered this question when they partnered with Autonomous Solutions Inc. to develop robot drivers to test vehicle durability. The GPS-based system (accurate to one inch) allows up to eight autonomous cars to operate simultaneously on the same track.

Durability testing is traditionally rough on both test vehicles and human drivers. The new technology, which is three years in the making, is now being used to test upcoming models (like Ford’s 2014 Transit van). It enables testing 24 hours a day, seven days a week with perfect repeatability. Vehicles send their position and speed to a central computer (monitored by a single person) via a low-latency wireless connection and receive instructions on what maneuvers to perform. This is actually quite similar to what Anki Drive is doing with toy cars. Motors control the steering wheel, gear shifter and pedals to simulate a driver following a predetermined route.

Ford plans to equip the cars with more sensors (such as radar and cameras) to allow a mix of human and robot drivers to operate safely on the same track together. Check out the gallery below and the company’s video and PR after the break.

Filed under: Robots, Transportation

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Via: New York Times

Source: Ford

There’s nothing quite so crushing to the self-esteem of a gamer as a new 3DMark build: even a year-old flagship PC can feel like a clunker as it struggles to get a decent frame rate in Futuremark’s visually intensive tests. It’s time to get masochistic once again, as the Windows version of the 2013 3DMark release is at last available. The software’s showcase benchmark is Fire Strike, for brag-worthy rigs with high-end DirectX 11 graphics; there’s also a Cloud Gate test for mere mortal DX 10/11 PCs, and Ice Storm for older DX 9 hardware. 3DMark is waiting both as a stand-alone download and through Steam today, while those who take their gaming on the road will have to wait for the still-in-progress Android, iOS and Windows RT releases to make their tablets cry for mercy.

Filed under: Gaming, Software

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Via: Steam

Source: Futuremark

Amazon’s trial periods must be as quick as its shipping — just days after we first learned that it was testing monthly subscriptions for Amazon Prime, the online retailer has already put a halt to the program. A spokesperson says only that the company has “completed” its testing and has stopped taking sign-ups. We haven’t been told whether or not the test was successful, although it’s not hard to see the math working against Amazon’s experiment when a $79 yearly Prime subscription is unquestionably the better deal. Chalk up the rapid-fire testing to the competitive heat in the streaming video world.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

Amazon stops testing monthly Prime subscriptions, leaves the results a mystery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 21:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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