Amazon's self-driving vehicle startup revealed a prototype of its robotaxi, Zoox. The cube-like vehicle is loaded with sensors, no steering wheel, and a moonroof that is capable of transporting four people at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. The vehicle can drive bidirectionally and has four-wheel steering. One can spend 16 hours a day offering rides in cities. 

Zoox's vehicle is a departure from most self-driving vehicles, which resemble the cars of today. For it has gotten rid of the steering wheel and brake pedal. Seats for four passengers are arranged to face each other to make conversation easier. The doors on Zoox's vehicle slide open, similar to the Origin from Cruise, the self-driving arm of GM. 

For easy maneuvering in cities, Zoox's vehicle is a few feet shorter than small sedans like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. It also has an unusually large battery — 133kWh — roughly twice the size of many electric vehicles sold today. The large battery also contributes to its hefty weight for its size, 5,401 pounds.

Zoox won't be selling its vehicle and instead intends to operate a ride-hailing service to help public transportation in cities. Zoox's vehicle doesn't have a steering wheel or brake and accelerator pedals, so testing it is more complicated.

Source: CNN

Also Read:

HYUNDAI IONIQ ELECTRIC 2020 LAUNCHED | PRICE IN NEPAL, FULL SPECIFICATION

HYUNDAI AND CANOO TO CO-DEVELOP ALL-ELECTRIC PLATFORM FOR FUTURE ELECTRIC VEHICLES

HYUNDAI MOTOR PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S. GOVERNMENT TO FURTHER EXPLORE HYDROGEN FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGIES

HYUNDAI AND KIA DEVELOP WORLD'S FIRST ICT CONNECTED SHIFT SYSTEM

TOP 5 SUVS IN NEPAL IN 2020 | UPDATED PRICE

KIA RECALLING 2,95,000 VEHICLES DUE TO RISK OF ENGINE FIRES

Last September, Amazon announced a voice assistant alliance ahead of its yearly fall event with the goal to ensure smart devices are compatible with multiple digital assistants concurrently. Nearly a year later, the coalition has over 70 companies pledging support, including Facebook, Garmin, and Xiaomi, which recently joined. Yet, Amazon’s biggest rivals in the voice assistant space — Apple, Google, and Samsung — have yet to join.

Amazon’s Voice Interoperability Initiative’s goal is to have companies create smart devices that support multiple voice assistants like Alexa or Cortana concurrently. But without Apple, Google, and Samsung’s voice assistants (Siri, Google Assistant, and Bixby), the biggest competitors to Alexa, the idea feels empty. They’ve got 70+ companies on board, but it seems like they’re missing the ones that matter?

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE THREE NEW MEMBERS DON’T SEEM THAT BIG OF A DEAL FOR AMAZON’S INITIATIVE, EITHER
The announcement of the three new members don’t seem that big of a deal for Amazon’s initiative, either, as each company already supports Alexa:

Facebook’s Portal devices have Alexa integration
Garmin’s GPS devices include Amazon Alexa
Xiaomi has an Alexa skill that allows the voice assistant to connect and operate its smart devices
Oddly enough, Apple and Google have no issues collaborating with Amazon to work on an open-source smart home platform, which is expected to launch next year. But that initiative doesn’t require Apple and Google to potentially let additional assistants like Alexa onto their smartphones.

The e-commerce giant also announced today that it had released new guidelines to help manufacturers create new devices that support more than one voice assistant.

Source: TheVerge

Also Read:

FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, TWITTER URGED BY EU TO DO MORE AGAINST FAKE NEWS

APPLE PLANS SPECIAL EVENT FOR SEPTEMBER 15, NEW PRODUCTS ANTICIPATED    

CHINA LAUNCHES INITIATIVE FOR GLOBAL DATA SECURITY ISSUES    

GOOGLE URL PARAMETER TOOL UPGRADE WILL BE 'REALLY COOL' WHEN MIGRATED TO NEW SEARCH CONSOLE  

AMAZON EXPANDING TO 25,000 WORKERS IN SEATTLE SUBURB

GOOGLE LAUNCHES READ ALONG OFFLINE APP TO HELP KIDS LEARN AND READ BETTER

Amazon has announced an upgraded model of its Echo Frames smart glasses, adding better sound quality, longer battery life, and new colors. Furthermore, the new Echo Frames are now available for anyone to buy, as the company transitions the Alexa-equipped glasses from a “Day One Edition” invitation-only device to a full-fledged product.

The second-generation Echo Frames will cost $249.99 — a $70 price increase over the original models, which sold for $179.99. (Existing Day One Edition Echo Frames customers will be able to upgrade their pair to the new model for $70, however.)

Like the original model, the new Echo Frames are designed to offer a simple, discreet way to use Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant during your everyday outings. Visually, the new models look pretty similar to the old pair, with a design that looks more or less like a regular pair of thick-framed glasses, albeit with thicker-than-usual stems on the side (where all of the hardware is). The new model adds two new colors to the standard black, with blue and tortoiseshell options. Amazon is also partnering with LensCrafters to make it even easier for customers who use prescription lenses to get lenses on the smart glasses (although it also offers a guide for any optician).

The glasses themselves function somewhere between a smart accessory and a pair of strange Bluetooth headphones. You’re able to pair them to an iOS or Android phone using the microphone and speaker to connect to the Alexa app and take advantage of Amazon’s smart assistant features, similar to the Echo Buds. But you’ll also be able to use them for standard Bluetooth “headphone” tasks, like listening to music and using your device’s own assistant (like Siri or Google Assistant).
While Amazon is elevating the Echo Frames to “real” product status, the company also announced that its other Day One wearable device — the Amazon Echo Loop ring — won’t continue. While the company will stop production and sales of the Echo Loop ring, it does promise that it’ll continue to offer “updates and support” for existing customers, at least for now. The new Echo Frames are available to preorder now, ahead of a December 10th release.

Source: theverge

---

Reviews is conducting a weekly contest. Answer a simple question and get a chance to win exciting gift hampers from Aiken Care Package. Go to our Facebook page for more details or also can check the details on our Instagram page.

---

Also Read:

NISSAN AND DATSUN: ANOTHER SHOWROOM IN TOWN

450+ NISSAN KICKS ON THE ROAD

NISSAN LICENSES LITHIUM-ION BATTERY TECHNOLOGY TO APB CORPORATION

NEW CARS LAUNCHING IN 2020

TOP 5 CARS IN NEPAL UNDER 30 LAKHS

SUZUKI VITARA BREZZA BS6 PETROL VERSION NOW IN NEPAL

NEW UPCOMING ELECTRIC CARS IN NEPAL 2020

TOP 5 PICKUP TRUCKS IN NEPAL