One of the more common stereotypical futuristic technologies–aside from holograms and intelligent robots–is a self-driving vehicle of some sort. Usually something airborne, because who wouldn’t want to travel fast AND have great views while getting there? When I was a kid, I imagined when I was an adult, I would climb in my hover car, tell it where I wanted to go, and then sit back and relax as my intelligent flying car shuttled me there with no delay.

While I’m pretty certain that flying cars are never going to happen (at least not in my lifetime), self-driving vehicles are actually almost here. In fact, according to Volvo, we might start seeing them on the road as soon as 2017. read more

Oxi the cat, of Northamptonshire, England is a regular British Shorthair cat, just like any other. He enjoys cat things like pouncing on toys, jumping on surfaces and staring down passerby from his house in Desborough. But, at night, this little feline becomes an intrepid explorer, ranging as far as three miles from his home. read more

Earlier this week, the FAA has finally submitted the outline for the proposed regulations for small drone operation and use. But after the submission of the long-awaited proposal, companies like Amazon are far less than pleased. Under these new regulations, small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) cannot be operated out of the line of sight of the operator, making proposed deliveries from companies like Amazon impossible.

The 200 page regulation draft was published on Sunday, and the President issued a complementary Presidential Memorandum to go along with it. The proposed rules are not set in stone yet, and the FAA will be accepting comments at regulations.gov for the next 60 days or so.

Here’s a brief overview of the important points of the proposed rules: read more

According to AP, Reuters and all those other super-informed organizations, the Wisconsin Assembly has passed a bill to make GPS tracking without consent of the individual a Class A misdemeanor. The bill was introduced earlier this week and is now headed to the Senate for approval. The bill was actually drafted and passed during last year’s session in the Assembly, but the Senate was unable to vote before the session ended. read more

Volkswagen Group, one of the largest car makers in Europe,  has announced that it has selected TomTom as its traffic service supplier of choice. TomTom Traffic is expected to begin showing up in Audi and Volkswagen vehicles in the next few years, providing drivers with traffic and GPS navigational information without the need for external devices. read more

According to the Legal Examiner, a complaint has been filed against GPS makers Garmin and TomTom in relation to a bus crash that left 35 hospitalized, ten injured and one teenage boy paralyzed. The bus driver was also named in the complaint as well as the company he worked for and the commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

From what I can gather, the crash happened in February 2013 in Boston. The driver, Samel J. Jackson was driving students from Philadelphia to Boston when the bus crashed into the Western Avenue Bridge on Soldier’s Field Road. Allegedly, the driver was looking at his GPS at the time of crash and failed to see the road signs that indicated the bus exceeded the height restrictions of the bridge. read more

The quadcopter that crashed on the White House lawn last week. Photo: U.S. Secret Service

Drones are a pretty contested topic in the government right now, as the public calls for laws and exemptions for use and the FAA cries that they don’t know what to do and it might be a long time until they get it together.

So, in an exemplary form of judgment, a government employee decided to fly his friend’s drone in Washington D.C. and accidentally crashed it on the lawn of the White House. The employee, reports say, was off duty and was not in a department related to drones at all. He was, however, drunk and obviously not thinking very clearly. By itself, that isn’t really news. However, in light of this incident, Phantom drone maker DJI has decided to add Washington DC to the list of no-fly zones for their drones. read more

Late last week, a Congressional committee heard arguments for allowing small drones under 5 pounds to be used commercially. A representative from the Small UAV Coalition and the head of the FAA Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Integration Office spoke with lawmakers about the issue of drones and their commercial use.

This topic has been under debate for about a year. Advocates argue that the use of small drones will not only help keep America competitive with other nations but also help boost industry if we take the lead in drone production and use. The FAA, however, is fighting for control of the UAV market and the lower airspace that these drones operate in. read more