Uber partners with DigitalGlobe to use high-res satellite imagery for better pickups

A recent partnership between Uber and DigitalGlobe will make use of the high-resolution imagery from DigitalGlobe. This move is meant to “help identify and improve pickup and drop-off locations.” It wasn’t explicitly said if this’ll help with Uber’s self-driving initiative but mapping is an important aspect of that. Uber recently bought mapping company deCarta and uses Microsoft’s Bing vehicle imagery so this partnership boosts their mapping efforts further. DigitalGlobe also has a leg up over its competitors (like Google) since it can provide more detail than other private systems. With their WorldView-3 constellation, they can detect images as small as 12-inches across and can scan short-wave infrared frequencies.

For those worried if this might give a literal interpretation of Uber’s “God View,” which they have secretly used to follow clients. It’s unlikely that DigitalGlobe’s tech can do that, no matter how high-tech they are, because that will require renting a satellite for a fixed period of time, which can cost a lot.

Source: DigitalGlobe | Via: Engadget

Microsoft Skype to drop older versions of mobile and Mac OSes

If you’re using a non-Windows 10 Mobile client as well as older Android, Mac OS, and iOS devices, you’ll have to say goodbye to access to Skype. The messaging service is moving from a “peer-to-peer to a modern, mobile-friendly cloud architecture” and will make the changes starting October. Those who will have access to Skype include Android 4.03 and later, Mac OS X clients using 10.10 Yosemite or later, and iOS 8 and later. Microsoft still plans to support older Windows desktops though (even XP and Vista).

This change, according to Microsoft’s Gurdeep Pall, is so the Skype team can focus on the platforms most of their users access Skype from and it’ll help ease the introduction of the planned changes as well. The one issue Microsoft might run into, according to Digital Trends, is that only 10 percent of its mobile base uses Windows 10 Mobile compared to the 78 percent that use Windows Phone 8.1. They got the figure from AdDuplex.

Corning Gorilla Glass 5 could help your phone survive a five-foot fall

Smartphone displays are incredibly fragile. Some of us (or maybe a lot of us) have learned this the hard way. Corning is hoping to ease a bit the paranoia you feel when you drop your phone with the latest version of Gorilla Glass that’s heading to the market.

Previously, Gorilla Glass 4 promised an 80 percent survival rate for devices dropped from a height of one meter, which meant having the phone fall from around your waist. Now, Gorilla Glass 5 promises that 80 percent survival rate from a height of 1.6 meters, which is like having the phone in front of your face. Corning said the Gorilla Glass 5 is already in production and shipping to device makers. We should expect (or hope) upcoming devices are adopting this new tech.

Source: Corning | Via: Gizmodo

Meet Mercedes-Benz’s semi-autonomous bus

While there are ride-hailing apps and self-driving cars, there is still a need for public transport, especially since these can fit more people in. But there’s also a need for it to evolve and that’s what Mercedes-Benz is trying to do with the semi-autonomous Future Bus program. It follows a route from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport to the town of Haarlem, which is a route that has a number of bends, traffic lights, and tunnels. The Future Bus was able to navigate this route of over 20 kilometers. It has a top speed of 70km/h and promises to drive gently and smoothly so it’ll still be a safe ride for standing passengers. Yes, it still has a human driver ready to take over in case of an emergency. But Mercedes-Benz believes the technology called CityPilot in the Future Bus makes the ride both safe and efficient.

CityPilot technology is adapted from the software they use for their autonomous trucks made under the Daimler name. The bus can detect objects on the road and bus stops. And it can connect to the city’s infrastructure network so it can get information like when traffic lights will change as well as collect data for the city using its cameras to see things like road wear and tear. Inside of the bus gets so tech upgrades too as there are things like wireless charging spots in them.

Source: Daimler