Ep.95 N:OW.2025.JAN07 CES 25 Innovation Awards, RoboTaxis, Nvidia Brain, Direct Democracy

CES 25 Innovation Awards, RoboTaxis on the march, $250 Nvidia Brain, Smart Smart Glasses, Kitchy Kitchen Screens, Vacuum with Claw, Direct Democracy Possible 
Well, this year is off to a roaring start with two Turo-rented electric vehicles leading the charge in both the New Orleans and Las Vegas terror events.  Can you imagine pimping out your brand new Tesla Cybertruck to Turo for rental and being told that your vehicle was blown up by a Green Beret gone mad? 
Rather than dwell on such profound issues, we choose instead to focus on topics like what is hot at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, which also happens to be in Las Vegas. We take a look at some innovations for the home, including robot vacuums with claw for cleaning and picking up out of place matter, (i.e. socks and underwear), fridges and microwaves with big screens, smarter glasses, and yes, self-flying balls! And did I mention the CES-announced nVidia super computer on a chip for $250? Brains for our robots!
We also look at how robotaxis will be getting more of a foothold in cities across America this year, from San Francisco to LA, Dallas, Austin, and Atlanta.  Uber and Lyft are in the picture, working with the car manufacturers to provide ride services.  Adoption looks to be swift, with Waymo passengers in California skyrocketing from 20K rides in 2023 to 500K rides in 2024! And we wrap it all up in a cyber bow with our thoughts about how democracy could evolve with a little help from our silicon-based friendz. Enjoy!
CES Smart Kitchen

Ep.88 N:OW.2024.NOV19 Starship6, Waymo LA, Rat Drivers, Police Body Cams, Leech Needles

StarShip Delivers, Autonomous Waymo Taxi in LA LA Land, Student Rodent Drivers, Seeing through the Smoke, Predictive Policing and Body Cams, Tired of Needles? Try Leach Tech..
Wouldn’t you know, Starship 6 takes off during our show, so naturally it’s in our lineup today!
Starship 6 successfully launches to space from its Texas pad.
And heads up if you are looking for an inexpensive DIY way of running your home on solar!  Waymo is in the news with LA now being served by their autonomous robot taxis! Its nice to be driven about, but this week we also pay homage to those who enjoy the act of driving, which, surprisingly,  goes beyond our species; it turns out rodents enjoy driving as well! And then there is the turtle on a skateboard..
 
And who says our upcoming humanoid robots need exactly the same senses as us, especially when they can have Pano Radar, enabling them to see clearly through smoke, fire, and fog. If one day my robot needs to rescue me from a wildfire, I’d want hir to see clearly what she is doing!  
 
Turns out rodents like to drive! photo-Greg Panos
The ethics of predictive policing are up again, this time in the context of analyzing data from thousands of police bodycams.  The data may help us predict who and where crime may occur, but at what cost to our privacy?  And do you have a fear of needles? 
Or how about some AI headphones that can put you in a sound bubble, enhancing what you want to hear around you, excluding what you don’t?
There’s a new blood draw in town, more like a leech than a mosquito in its approach to collecting our precious bodily fluids! It works great, and kinda ‘sucks.’ Enjoy.
New leech-like device to suck blood for sampling instead of needling

Ep.83 N:OW 2024.OCT15 Humanoids, Cryptoterrestrials, Robotaxis, StarShip 5, Lauch to Europa

A big week for Humanoids, Cryptoterrestrials, Robotaxis, StarShip 5 Launch, and deep space explorations to Europa 
Our human hosts, Allan, Sun, and Gabriel
Our special guest host, Gabrielle Cianfrani, joins us in studio, visiting from New Jersey as we delve into discussions on making memories, the rise of humanoid robots, new wind generator design, electric passenger e-planes, the amazing flight and landing of Starship 5, Mission to Europa in search of life, and the development of electronic skin and it’s implications.  
 
 
5’s booster lands successfully with the help of Mechazilla
 
Plus our AI buddies, Larry and Mary, give us a book report on Cryptoterrestrials and a review of the “We Robot” event in the Warner Brothers back lot, which we further explore with our dynamic human hosts, Sun, Bobby, Gabriele, and Allan. The episode also includes conversations about the role of media and misinformation in shaping public perception and the importance of critical thinking. Enjoy!
 
Two new Robotaxis vehicles debuted at the “We Robot” event