These Traffic Cameras Can Spot You Using Your Phone While Driving – This Week in Tech – 12/08/2019
These Traffic Cameras Can Spot You Using Your Phone While Driving
Australia is cracking down on drivers who use cellphones while behind the wheel. The government of New South Wales is implementing a new AI-based camera system designed to spot mobile phones in cars. The program plans to perform 135 million checks in NSW by 2023. According to a video from the NSW Transport Department, the cameras can work during the day or at night, in any weather or speed zone…
TikTok Admits It Suppressed Videos by Disabled, Queer, and Fat Creators
TikTok, a social network video app with more than 1 billion downloads globally, admitted Tuesday to a set of policies that had suppressed the reach of content created by users assumed to be “vulnerable to cyberbullying.” As examples of users “susceptible to bullying or harassment,” the policy listed people with facial disfigurement, autism, Down syndrome, and “Disabled people or people with some facial problems such as birthmark, slight squint and etc.”…
New Research Suggests Exposing the Fake Side of Instagram Might Help Body Image
Interest in the psychological impact of Instagram has grown as the photo-based social media platform continues to increase in popularity. Over 37 percent of U.S. adults are Instagram users, and teens use Instagram more than any other social media platform. The average user spends nearly a half-hour per day on Instagram, scrolling through hundreds of user-posted photos and videos…
Silicon Valley Giants Accused of Avoiding Over $100 Billion in Taxes Over the Last Decade
Six of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies had a combined “tax gap” of more than $100 billion this decade, according to a new analysis…
Boeing Faces $3.9M Fine for Installing Faulty Parts on 737 Planes
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday that it is fining Boeing more than $3.9 million for installing faulty parts on approximately 133 of its 737 jets…
More Teslas on the Road Meant Hours-Long Supercharger Lines Over Thanksgiving
Black Friday shopping lines weren’t the only queues frustrating people this past weekend. A number of Tesla drivers took to social media to vent about extremely crowded Supercharger stations that turned a promised fast stop into an hours-long slog to recharge during one of the year’s busiest travel times. With Model 3 mass production in full swing, there are now well over 400,000 Teslas on American roads, and it appears that growth is exposing the Supercharger network’s pain points in high-traffic times like this past weekend…
Battery Prices Fall Nearly 50% in 3 Years, Spurring More Electrification: BNEF
BNEF’s latest forecast, from its 2019 Battery Price Survey, is an example of how advancements in battery technology have driven down costs at rates faster than previously predicted. Three years ago, when battery prices were around $300 per kWh, BNEF projected they would fall to $120/kWh by 2030…