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Sunday, 26 September 2021

Today in tech: Self driving Teslas, Airbus hydrogen planes, tipping through Twitter, and IOS’ clumsiness cure

Tesla drivers can now access the Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software with a press of a button, hours after Elon Musk announced the rollout on Twitter. The beta version gives access to an “autosteer on city streets” feature which allows the car to self-drive in urban environments — given that the driver stays alert with both hands on the wheel. Only drivers with a high “safety score” will be able to download FSD Beta, with Tesla looking at factors such as hard braking and aggressive turning. Upon release, the non-beta version, FSD, will allow a Tesla to automatically change lanes, navigate on the highway, move into a parking spot, or roll out from a parking spot. It is unclear when the full version will be available to the public.

The move caused controversy over the expanded use of the still unfinished driver-assistance software, according to CNBC. FSD’s safety is coming under question by major names including Jennifer Homendy, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board, who told the Wall Street Journal that the rollout is “premature”. She accused Tesla of conducting testing of the unfinished product with untrained drivers.

Airbus could start building a hydrogen-powered passenger plane some time this decade, the planemaker’s CEO Guillaume Faury said during the second day of Airbus Summit (his talk begins at the 1:51: 17 mark). He says the complex engineering challenges of developing the aircraft can only be tackled with support from the government and regulators. By 2027-28, Airbus would have determined the plausibility of the new hydrogen plane program and whether to invest USD bns in it or not.

Twitter has launched its new “Tips” feature which allows people to send tips, other users on the platform, according to a press release (pdf). Users can opt to turn on Tips which will add a link to their profile with all the ways they can receive payment including popular services such as Venmo, Patreon, GoFundMe, and more. Twitter does not take a cut of the Tips transfers, the release added. Tips also allows people to link their BTC and Ethereum addresses and receive payment through cryptocurrencies. Tips will be rolled out on iOS first before being added to Android over the coming weeks.

Speaking of which, Apple’s iOS 15 has a cure for your clumsiness: Using previously rolled out metrics on the Health app such as walking asymmetry, double support time, step length and walking speed, your iPhone can now assess your overall walking steadiness. After a few days on iOS 15, you’ll get a notification that your walking steadiness is ok, low, or very low, according to this Wall Street Journal review of the feature. While your iPhone can’t warn you before you trip on your laptop charger, it does give you a score for your fall risk over the next 12 months. It also provides advice on how to improve walking steadiness for each case by adding videos of strength- and balance-building exercises which users can follow. If you receive a low or very low walking steadiness notification, Apple suggests you should talk to your doctor.

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