Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Amelia Earhart's Lost Plane Possibly Found After 88 Years

2025-07-13

Eighty-eight years after Amelia Earhart's disappearance during her attempt to circumnavigate the globe, Purdue University is launching an expedition to investigate a potential wreckage found near Nikumaroro Island in the Pacific Ocean. Satellite imagery from a decade ago revealed an object resembling a plane, now possibly buried under sand. The non-invasive expedition will use sonar and magnetometers, followed by careful excavation if necessary, to confirm the object's identity. This could finally solve the enduring mystery surrounding Earhart's fate and the location of her Lockheed Electra 10E.

(www.jalopnik.com)

Misc Amelia Earhart Plane Wreckage Pacific Ocean

VW's Self-Driving ID. Buzz Robotaxi Hits Production

2025-06-23

Volkswagen's MOIA subsidiary has begun mass production of its autonomous ID. Buzz electric van. Equipped with a sophisticated sensor suite achieving SAE Level 4 autonomy, the vehicle will launch in Hamburg, Germany, and expand to the US in partnership with Uber. Unlike Tesla and Waymo's offerings, the ID. Buzz prioritizes practicality and passenger capacity, targeting public transport and airport shuttle services.

(www.jalopnik.com)

Tech

Lidar Can Fry Your Phone's Camera

2025-05-23

A Reddit user recently discovered that car-mounted lidar sensors can permanently damage a phone's camera under certain conditions. While filming a Volvo EX90 with an iPhone 16 Pro Max, the lidar's near-infrared light fried pixels in the camera lens. Volvo has warned against pointing cameras directly at lidar sensors, highlighting the potential risks of increasingly prevalent lidar technology in autonomous vehicles. The incident underscores the growing concerns about the interaction between lidar and consumer electronics.

(www.jalopnik.com)

Tech lidar camera damage

Boeing 737 MAX: A Cost-Cutting Catastrophe

2025-05-13

The Boeing 737 MAX's disastrous saga stems from cost-cutting decisions that prioritized profits over safety. To save money, Boeing reused an old airframe and fitted larger engines, creating an imbalance. A flawed automated system designed to correct this imbalance led to two fatal crashes, grounding the entire fleet. Subsequent safety issues and legal battles, including massive fines and a guilty plea to criminal fraud, ensued. Even after recertification, new problems continue to emerge, benefiting rival Airbus whose A320 series is poised to surpass the 737 as the best-selling plane ever. The 737 MAX's struggles serve as a cautionary tale of corporate greed and negligence.

(www.jalopnik.com)

Tech Boeing 737 MAX Corporate Responsibility

Musk Shuts Down the Loan Office That Funded Tesla

2025-04-27

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is dismantling the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office (LPO), which provided Tesla with a crucial $465 million loan in 2010. This move threatens the US clean energy and electric vehicle industries, jeopardizing numerous projects and increasing consumer costs. Companies like Kore Power and Freyr Battery have already canceled expansion plans due to loan freezes. Critics argue Musk is cutting the very program that helped him build his empire, undermining American competitiveness and displaying a profound lack of gratitude.

(www.jalopnik.com)

Tech Government Loan

DOT's Mass Layoffs Backfire: Agency Scrambles to Rehire Amidst Safety Concerns

2025-04-25

The Department of Transportation (DOT), under Secretary Sean Duffy, has faced a major setback after mass layoffs left the agency struggling to maintain essential services, particularly within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Duffy's controversial use of 'deferred resignation' deals led to nearly 4,700 employees leaving, raising significant safety concerns. Now, the DOT is reportedly attempting to rehire many of these workers, highlighting the chaotic and potentially dangerous consequences of the initial cuts. While the DOT claims the layoffs were efficiency measures, the resulting turmoil casts doubt on this narrative and raises serious questions about air travel safety.

(www.jalopnik.com)

Tech Transportation Safety

McMurtry Spéirling Drives Upside Down: Downforce on Demand Makes the Impossible Possible

2025-04-14

The McMurtry Spéirling hypercar, powered by a 1,000-hp twin-motor electric powertrain, has achieved the seemingly impossible: driving upside down. This feat is made possible by its innovative 'Downforce-on-Demand' fan system, generating an incredible 4,400 pounds of downforce. This technology overcomes the limitations of traditional combustion engines which cannot operate inverted due to lubrication issues. The Spéirling previously broke the Goodwood Hillclimb record and is now set for a limited production run of 100 units called the Spéirling PURE.

(www.jalopnik.com)

Tech Hypercar Downforce

Tesla's Cut-Rate Cybertruck RWD: A Cheap Lie?

2025-04-13

Tesla has released a base rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck, but it's priced at a hefty $71,985, only $10,000 less than the dual-motor all-wheel-drive model. This version is significantly stripped down, featuring slower acceleration, smaller wheels, reduced towing capacity, simplified suspension, a missing tonneau cover, and a downgraded interior. While range is slightly improved, the overall value proposition is poor, failing to compete effectively with other electric trucks. Tesla's strategy appears to be a sales boost, but whether sacrificing features for sales will succeed remains to be seen.

(www.jalopnik.com)

Tech