GoKawiil
Tech News
Actor Austin Abrams, who stars in Zach Cregger's new video game adaptation 'Resident Evil,' revealed he drew inspiration from the horror-comedy 'Shaun of the Dead' when developing his character. Abrams said he embraced an unpolished, everyman approach to surviving a zombie outbreak rather than playing his role as a conventionally heroic action figure.
Elon Musk said his tunneling company, The Boring Company, is developing an early-stage Hyperloop concept meant to cut travel time between Austin and San Antonio to under 30 minutes. The company's official account confirmed interest in building the project, though Musk's comment originated as a reply to an AI-generated sci-fi video rather than a formal announcement.
Photographer Austin Mann published his annual deep-dive into the iPhone 18 Pro camera, testing the new variable aperture, Pro manual controls, and Photographic Styles 3. He praises the camera's automatic aperture selection, showcases low-light shots enabled by the wider f/1.48 aperture, and details how to separate focus from exposure for the first time on iPhone.
SpaceX manager Kyle Gonzalez was arrested after allegedly stabbing a Tesla contractor in the neck during a night out at the Waterhole Saloon near Austin, Texas. Court documents say the confrontation began over a karaoke performance and a pool game, escalating when Gonzalez allegedly threatened to kill the man before attacking him with a pocket knife. The contractor survived after emergency surgery, and Gonzalez was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon.
A rider in Austin used Tesla's newly launched Cybercab robotaxi service and documented on X how the vehicle became stuck navigating out of his hotel's parking lot due to a construction closure in one lane. Unable to detect the alternate open lane, the car reportedly shuttled back and forth four times before halting and declaring the trip complete, leaving the passenger back where he started.
Shortly after Tesla began testing its pedal-free, steering-wheel-free Cybercab on Austin streets, the NHTSA opened an audit into whether the vehicle complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The agency has since issued a Special Order demanding Tesla certify under oath that the Cybercab meets these rules by September 30, with noncompliance risking fines up to $139 million and possible prison time for falsified claims.
A Cybercab rider in Austin reported that a trip meant to take ten minutes stretched into a 70-minute ordeal, with the vehicle initially heading the wrong way before winding through east Austin. Electrek attributes the meandering routes to the fact that Tesla's robotaxis cannot yet use highways and operate only within a limited, pre-mapped geofenced zone, unlike Waymo which already drives on highways in some cities.
Tesla quietly opened its two-seater Cybercab robotaxi rides to the public in Austin on September 4, announcing it via a post on X rather than a livestreamed event. Analysts and investors said the low-key rollout offered scant detail, with the fleet still small and confined to a geofenced zone, while separate tests in New York required human drivers and steering wheels.
As Tesla's autonomous Cybercab vehicles begin appearing in cities including Austin, New York, Washington DC, and San Diego, several personal injury law firms are already publishing marketing material aimed at potential accident victims. Firms such as Sarofiem and Antoun, Funes Law, and Angel Reyes and Associates are positioning themselves to handle liability claims even though no confirmed Cybercab accidents have occurred yet.
Austin Fire Department Chief Matthew McElearney told NBC that Tesla's Cybercab, which relies on a touchscreen instead of a steering wheel for manual control, could hinder first responders trying to move the vehicle during emergencies. He noted the touchscreen requires power, training, and precision, which may not be feasible if responders are wearing gloves, covered in dust or sweat, or if the car is damaged.
A Tesla Cybercab rider in Austin, Matthew Skrzypczak, found his in-car screen glitch into a hidden interface featuring camera feeds and a touchscreen joystick for shifting the vehicle forward and reverse. He managed to close the door and honk the horn but couldn't get the car to move using the joystick, possibly due to user error. Tesla has not explained why a passenger was able to access what appears to be a feature meant for employees or emergency responders.
Tesla has started offering paid rides in its two-seat, steering-wheel-free Cybercab across a roughly 288-square-mile geofenced zone in Austin, Texas. A Verge reporter who spent about an hour riding in the vehicle described a mix of impressive purpose-built design and unresolved problems, including long wait times, awkward drop-off spots that blocked traffic, and butterfly-door glitches.