Author Archives: Carol Edwards

Great Scott!

Stanford University engineers successfully made a converted 1981 DMC DeLorean (yes, the Back to the Future car) drift, twist, turn, and crush a kilometer-long obstacle course — without a driver controlling the car.

At a race track north of San Francisco, Stanford Dynamic Design Lab engineers recently conquered the course, dubbed “Martykhana,” a mix of Marty and “gymkhana,” an autocross speed test involving obstacles. The car didn’t need any driver assistance as it followed the programmed route set from a laptop. Marty McFly would be impressed. Maybe.

This particular race was supposed to help autonomous vehicles handle hazardous maneuvers and out-of-control situations instead of the usual, straightforward driving experience.  Read more…

More about Back To The Future, Electric Vehicles, Autonomous Vehicles, Tech, and Transportation

These ain’t your bubbie’s latkes.

On Monday, a virtual reality club and arcade in Brooklyn will celebrate the Jewish festival of lights, Hanukkah, on another dimension: a virtual one.

A Jewish group called Tech Tribe is throwing the event at a VR club called Yokey Pokey. The event’s invitation describes the evening as a “IRL VR Chanukah party”.

Guests will schmooze, eat latkes (fried potato pancakes), and light the ceremonial Menorah (a nine-pronged ritual candelabra) like they would at any other Hanukkah party. But they’ll also strap on Oculus Go headsets to play original Hanukkah-themed VR games and learn about the holiday in the virtual world. Read more…

More about Virtual Reality, Hanukkah, Tech, and Vr Ar

If you fly with American Airlines, you now have a choice to designate if you are non-binary with the letter “U” or “X” during your flight booking process. This is worthy of celebration, given the invasive body searches some transgender and gender nonconforming people experience when going through airport security, according to ProPublica.

But you’ll have to book your flight over the phone (who does that in this day and age?) or call American Airlines’ reservation team after you reserve your flight to access the airline’s new offering, CBS News reported. However, the option will be available on American Airlines’ website soon, USA Today added. Read more…

More about Social Good, Lgbtq, American Airlines, Social Good, and Identities

Have yourself a sustainable little Christmas or Hanukkah or holiday celebration.

That’s what Tesla fans are all about this season with holiday light displays featuring Tesla products, Tesla Christmas cookies, lit-up Tesla Model 3s, and frunks (those are front trunks in electric vehicles) filled with presents.

Here are some of the ways the electric car enthusiasts and general Elon Musk fanatics are incorporating Tesla cheer into the holidays. Tesla charging stations even power Santa’s sled (see above photo). Read more…

A Model X performance comparable to “The Nutcracker”

Decorated Tesla Model 3 complete with holiday lights

More about Holidays, Tesla, Decorations, Tech, and Elon Musk

Baby Yoda. You either love him or you’ve not yet seen The Mandalorian. (Or rank him behind Babu Frik, in which case we have nothing left to speak about.) But for all the excitement surrounding Baby Yoda, we really don’t know a whole lot about this character.

Bob Iger knows plenty. The Disney boss even admitted during a Friday appearance on The Star Wars Show that he knows the little tyke’s name. Which, OK. Baby Yoda has a name? Iger later confirms that said name is not George (we dodged a bullet there), but check out how he puts it during the show. (It’s right around the 5:30 mark.)

First, Iger says that The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau “chastised” him for referring to The Child as “Baby Yoda” in an email exchange. But then he adds this: “I think people really want to know, what’s its name?” he said. “I know its real name and it’s one of the reasons why I have extra security now.” Read more…

More about Bob Iger, The Mandalorian, Disney Plus, Baby Yoda, and Entertainment

Boeing’s ST-100 Starliner was supposed to make it to the International Space Station as the company’s first test launch prepping for human space travel. Instead it became the first U.S. space capsule made for human use to land on continental U.S. soil instead of an ocean.

Early Sunday morning the craft landed at the Army’s White Sands missile range in New Mexico (which was just designated a national park) after an “abbreviated” trip, NASA reported. 

More about Nasa, Boeing, Launch, Starliner, and Tech

More about Star Wars, Box Office, Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker, Entertainment, and Star Wars

White Sands National Monument in New Mexico is now White Sands National Park.

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 that, among many other things, stripped away the monument status and upgraded it to “national park.” The 275 square miles of desert filled with gypsum sand dunes in southern New Mexico became the 62nd national park in the federal system.

The act proclaims the establishment of White Sands Park is intended “to protect, preserve, and restore its scenic, scientific, educational, natural, geological, historical, cultural, archaeological, paleontological, hydrological, fish, wildlife, and recreational values and to enhance visitor experiences….” Read more…

More about National Park, New Mexico, Science, and Climate Environment

Addressing mental health is no laughing matter, but  Saturday Night Live seemed to unwittingly delve into the topic in its latest episode. 

When Colin Jost asked fellow SNL cast member Pete Davidson about his holiday plans Davidson hinted that he may be going into rehab. The seemingly voluntary act marks a big step for Davidson, who is only one year removed from a very public (apparent) suicide threat.

“I’m going on a little vacation,” Davidson said, putting air quotes around the word ‘vacation.’

“Why did you put it in quotes?” Jost asked.

“You know, the kind of vacation where insurance pays for some of it and they take your phone and shoelaces. And you have roommates but it still costs like a hundred grand,” Davidson replied. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Saturday Night Live, Rehabilitation, Pete Davidson, and Entertainment

This Christmas season, the Royal family is bonding over pudding. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge published adorable photos on their Instagram and Twitter accounts showcasing four generations of the family having a little Christmastime fun. Prince William, Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth II look on in delight as little Prince George stirs up a batch of holiday pudding.

Then, in a second photo, we get to see each of the four generations of British royalty preparing their own bowls.

More about Culture, Royal Family, Queen Elizabeth Ii, Culture, and Web Culture