Tesla demands the removal of a video that shows a Tesla vehicle striking a child dummy, Apple allegedly files trademarks for VR stuff, and is room scanning before an exam unconstitutional?
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Monday, August 29, and I’m your host, Tom Li.
The Washington Post reported that Tesla CEO Elon Musk wasn’t too happy with a video that allegedly showed a Tesla vehicle hitting a child-sized mannequin. According to the Post, Musk found the footage to be defamatory and devalued Tesla’s drive assistance feature. In addition to criticisms, Tesla also sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Dawn Project, which published the video. The group is using the video as an example to advocate against the efficacy of self-driving cars. Besides the advocacy group, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also investigating Tesla’s driver assistance system. The administration recently upgraded its investigation after numerous collisions with parked emergency vehicles involving Tesla cars.
Source: Washington Post
Apple’s iPhone event will take place on Sept. 7, when the company is expected to announce the iPhone 14. But ahead of the event, the company appears to have registered two trademarks for something related to VR. Bloomberg reported that Apple has applied for names including Reality One, Reality Pro, and Reality Processor. Speculations on whether Apple will move into VR have circulated since 2017, but a series of leaks in recent months certainly seems to show that it’s inching closer to reality. Even if the company is diving into VR, it’s still unlikely that it will announce anything at its Sept. 7 event.
Source: Bloomberg, 9to5Mac
A federal judge this week agreed with a student’s allegation that scanning a room before a remote exam is unconstitutional. When the trend of the remote exam first began, academic institutions went to great lengths to ensure honesty, which often meant using strict proctoring methods. In some cases, the proctor would ask the student to show their environment before an exam. In this case, the student said it violated his Fourth Amendment rights, to which the U.S. district court judge agreed. The civil rights attorney who represented the student called the decision a landmark case.
Source: NPR
In light of Tesla news, Elon Musk revealed the hidden meanings in the Tesla and SpaceX logos. Musk unveiled the secret on Twitter, admitting that he “agonized” over the logos’ font design. According to Musk, the Teska’s “T” is shaped like an electric motor’s cross-section, and the X in SpaceX references the rocket’s arc in orbit. Isn’t that cool?
Source: Business Insider
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Tom Li.