Technology 6/18: Self-driving cars, hybrid electric planes shape future transportation

Elon Musk's X sues New York over content censorship laws

Billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform X has filed a lawsuit against New York, challenging the "Stop Hiding Hate Act" on the grounds that it violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution. The law requires social media platforms to publicly disclose their content moderation policies related to hate speech, misinformation and extremism.

Social network X is facing legal pressure.

X argues that deciding what content is allowed is a matter of debate and not the government ’s role. The lawsuit also cites a similar case in California, where a federal court blocked part of a similar law over free speech concerns.

New York lawmakers who supported the law said Elon Musk’s response proves the need for the regulation. Meanwhile, X is facing legal pressure from several places, including the European Union, where the company could be fined more than $1 billion for failing to comply with content moderation rules.

Mark Zuckerberg unveils smart glasses to be launched on June 20

Meta is preparing to launch a new line of smart glasses in collaboration with Oakley, expected to be announced on June 20. The information was revealed via a new Instagram account named "@oakleymeta" and posted by Mark Zuckerberg and Oakley.

This will be Meta’s third collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, the company that owns Oakley and Ray-Ban. Unlike previous Ray-Ban products that were more fashion- oriented and everyday, the Oakley Meta smart glasses are said to be performance-focused, targeting athletes, cyclists, and sports enthusiasts.

The product, codenamed Supernova 2, is inspired by the Oakley Sphaera sports glasses line. One potential change is that the camera could be placed in the center, instead of the edge of the glasses like previous Ray-Ban Meta models, improving the viewing angle when recording activities such as cycling or climbing.

There is no official word yet on whether the glasses will be sold in India, but with the growing trend of smart wearables, the possibility of a launch in major markets is very high.

A sporty combination of Meta and Oakley.

All eyes are on June 20 for detailed announcements on the product's design, features, and pricing.

AeroTEC Partners with Pratt & Whitney to Test Hybrid Electric Aircraft

AeroTEC has been selected by Pratt & Whitney Canada to lead the modification and flight testing of a hybrid-electric experimental aircraft at the company's Flight Test Center in Moses Lake, Washington.

The test aircraft, called the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100, will be powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada thermal engine and a 1-megawatt electric motor developed by Collins Aerospace. A mobile charging system has also been built for the project.

RTX hybrid electric test aircraft in flight. (Illustration photo)

The RTX test program aims to improve fuel efficiency by up to 30% compared to current turboprop aircraft, paving the way for new technologies in the future.

There is no exact schedule for the first test flight, however ground tests have been successfully conducted in Quebec, Canada, where the integrated propulsion system and battery were tested to maximum capacity.

AeroTEC has worked on similar aircraft conversion projects, including the all-electric Cessna Grand Caravan in 2020 and Universal Hydrogen's Dash 8-300 hydrogen-powered aircraft in 2023.

With this partnership, AeroTEC continues to promote the development of sustainable aviation technology.

Waymo expands robotaxi service to multiple US cities

Waymo has announced an additional 80 square miles of self-driving service in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley, bringing its total commercial footprint to more than 250 square miles across the state of California.

Waymo's robot taxi expands service area in the US.

The expansion comes just over a week after several Waymo self-driving vehicles were set on fire and vandalized during protests in Los Angeles over the Trump administration’s immigration policies, prompting Waymo to temporarily pull out of several areas, including downtown Los Angeles.

With the expansion on June 18, users in LA will be able to hail rides in areas like Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and all of Sunset Boulevard. Waymo now provides more than 250,000 paid rides per week across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, a five-fold growth rate over the past year.

Waymo has more than 400 vehicles in LA and more than 600 in the San Francisco Bay Area, continuing to assert its leadership in the self-driving industry. The company said it will continue to monitor the situation in Los Angeles before ramping up service again.

Minh Hoan

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cong-nghe-18-6-o-to-tu-dong-may-bay-lai-dien-dinh-hinh-giao-thong-tuong-lai-ar949500.html