AirBnb's latest vacation booking is a harsh reality

By Sonya Davidson

Winter can be a very long for many of us here in Canada. Like many of you, I've been eyeing vacation options. A warm destination is very appealing especially when we are expecting a snowstorm to hit us. A vacation can't come soon enough! While we all do our travel research as incentive to get us through the day or week, we understand that not everyone an afford a dream vacation. 

Engage and Change, a charity that focuses on giving back to the homeless and less fortunate within the Greater Toronto Area has partnered with AirBnb, to show Canadians what reality is for many on our streets in the dead of winter. 

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Google's self-driving car hits a bus

Google has been intrepid in pushing the boundariesl of self-driving cars and autonomous technology and while largely successful with three years under its belt and just 17 minor incidents reported, the company is taking full responsibility for a collision with a bus.

"On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2016, a self-driving Lexus RX450h attempted to navigate around some sandbags placed in a wide lane. A bus traveling at 15 mph approached the Google car from behind, occupying same wide lane as the smart car. The Lexus attempted to re-enter the center of the lane while moving at a speed of 2 mph."

While the fear is that this type of accident can set back the cause of autonomous driving (or at least having tests on the open road), Google maintains that this is part of the process and data gathered from these incidents can only improve the algorithms and controls that will make self-driving cars a possibility in the future.

VW's Phideon is a revamped Phaeton for the Chinese market

The VW Phaeton was the brand's super-luxurious sedan that shared the Bentley's platform and many of its amenities. While it was an impressive feat of engineering, the Phaeton cost too much and was hell to maintain. Some owners considered it one of the best cars VW ever built and a second hand market of collectors swore by the luxury and performance on a budget that the Phaeton offered.

Now that China is one of the most voracious consumer economies and with a growing taste (and budget) for the finer things life can offer, the Phaeton suddenly makes a lot of sense. VW is a particularly strong brand in China and has been for many years so, in a way, ushering an ultra-luxe platform under the Phideon monicker (essentially a new Phaeton).

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New Raspberry Pi 3 ships with built-in Wi-Fi and 64-Bit support

The Raspberry Pi 3 is the latest version of the popular mini-computer which now features integrated Wi-Fi as well as support for 64-Bit operating systems while maintaining the US $35 price. Raspberry Pi has been a popular computer with hobbyists, students learning to code as well as Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Canadians can order their Pi 3's at BuyaPi.ca.

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