AM signals: Killer self-driving cars, gadget warranties, automated lane change
Eric Schwitzgebel in the Los Angeles Times asks, “Will your driverless car kill you so others may live?” Google’s self-driving-car chief Chris Urmson had earlier downplayed such questions (including the trolley problem), calling them fun problems for philosophers but with little relevance to the real world. But Schwitzgebel, a professor of philosophy at UC Riverside, disagrees. “A Mountain View lab must not be allowed to resolve these difficult questions on our behalf,” he writes.
Gadget warranties are rarely worth the cost. “Most extended warranties like AppleCare, or those from Asurion and SquareTrade, for broken, lost or stolen electronics are a bad deal,” writes Geoffrey A. Fowler in the Wall Street Journal. “And in some cases, they’re a downright rip-off.” However, repair firm iCracked told him that 20% of iPhone customers crack the screen within a year of purchase.
Mercedes-Benz will offer automated lane changing with its new E-Class, which will debut at next month’s Detroit Auto Show, according to Motor Authority. The driver just hits the turn signal to initiate the function.
The organizers of Automotive Testing Expo 2016 (May 31 to June 2 in Stuttgart) have issued a call for speakers from leading OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers, suppliers, and research institutions. Potential topics range from ADAS and autonomous driving to crash-test modeling and data analysis.
Renesas has announced the development of dual-port 16-nm on-chip SRAM that can serve as video buffer memory for in-vehicle infotainment SoCs. The technology could also support real-time image processing for autonomous vehicles.
UK regulator Ofcom says UK citizens are more tech savvy than citizens of any other major country—at least when it comes to new ways of watching TV. As reported in Broadband TV News, Ofcom said 31 million (70%) UK adults will watch TV using free-to-air catch-up services such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub this month.
