Exclusive: Google’s New Head of Virtual Reality on What They’re Planning Next; #google

Cardboard is a hit, but what else is the search giant working on?

Google is well-known for its April Fools pranks. The first came in 2000 when the company’s search page suggested it could read users’ minds. (It couldn’t.) A few years later, Google told people it would deliver emails on old-fashioned paper through the post office. (It didn’t.) And then there was a 2007 plan to build a broadband network using sewage pipes called TiSP, or Toilet Internet Service Provider. (It’s not clear how many people dropped a fiber optic cable down their commode to try it out.)

So it was no surprise that when Google announced in June of 2014 that it had built a virtual reality headset almost entirely of cardboard, many people thought it was another of the company’s gags—if several months delayed. The project, dubbed Google Cardboard, has been anything but a joke. On Jan. 27, Google will announce that 5 million Cardboard have shipped. More importantly, the company says people are using them: 25 million Cardboard apps have been downloaded from its Play Store, meaning users have tried an average of five different experiences. The most popular app for the device is Chair in a Room, a surprisingly unsettling first-person horror game. But Cardboard apps range from rollercoaster simulators to field trips visits to well-known global monuments.

Cardboard may be the lowest-tech gadget in the history of modern consumer electronics. Its ingredients include about half a pizza box worth of cardboard, two magnets, a couple pieces of Velcro, two lenses and a single rubber band. Pop in a smartphone loaded with the right apps, and Cardboard becomes a virtual reality viewer. When you first see a Google Cardboard unit in person, it’s hard to believe it can do anything impressive. Then you put it on.

 In an era of blockbuster Kickstarter campaigns, major partnerships, and multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, Google’s recyclable virtual reality viewer may be the most popular “device” for the nascent technology. It would’ve been easy for Google to mark the win and forget about Cardboard as a stunt, if a highly impactful one. But Google has built on Cardboard’s success,adding new features to the device and accompanying software, like better audio. It has fostered a community of developers, crucial for getting fresh content and attracting new users. And it struck high-profile deals to give Cardboard viewers to more people, including one with The New York Times.

At least some of the credit for Cardboard’s early success belongs to Googler Clay Bavor, who recently marked his tenth anniversary with the Mountain View, Calif. firm. Bavor has been leading the Cardboard team since close to the beginning, while running the product and design teams responsible for some of Google’s most well-known software, like Gmail and Google Docs. Bavor describes Cardboard’s early difficulties, such as figuring how to interact with a smartphone that’s stuck inside a paper box. Smartphones have so-called magnetometers, which measure the strength and direction of magnetic fields. They’re meant to help phones figure out which direction they’re pointed in and make features like working compasses possible. So the team added metal magnets to Cardboard’s hardware, then created software to interpret shifts in their magnetic field as a user’s “click.”

“The interesting thing about Cardboard is, the smartphones weren’t built for VR,” says Bavor. “With the exception of a few, they were all designed and built before Cardboard existed. So there’s no thought about how you could optimize a smartphone to make it great not only as a smartphone, but also as the core of a VR device.”

Bavor says he’s been obsessed with the idea of making unreal things look realistic since he was a child. That led to interests in photorealism, computer modeling, and virtual reality. When Google recently decided to open a dedicated VR department, Bavor was a natural choice to run it. “I kind of became known inside Google as the VR nerd,” he tells TIME in his first interview since being named Google’s vice president of virtual reality earlier this month. “When David Coz, who was the engineer from the Paris office, showed up in Mountain View with the first Google Cardboard prototype it wasn’t long before someone said, ‘Clay needs to see this.'” That Google is putting resources into a new division, even as it seeks tostreamline its operations under a wider reorganization, shows the firm wants to take virtual reality—promising but unproven technology—seriously. (Google has also invested in augmented reality startup Magic Leap).

Still, Cardboard only offers an entry-level virtual reality experience. It’s likely the least-expensive gateway device to virtual reality. Forthcoming high-end virtual reality headsets from Oculus, Valve, Microsoft and Sony will cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on the computers needed to make them run. They will, for the price, offer much more immersive experiences. Samsung sells its Gear VR for $99, but it only works with that company’s line of phones. Worldwide sales of virtual reality gear are expected to rise to nearly $16 billion annually by 2020, estimates researcher Markets and Markets.

Time.com

#Chase ATMs to give cash via smartphones

NEW YORK — The machines are definitely getting smarter.

JPMorgan Chase said it is upgrading its entire fleet of ATMs this year to include several new perks — including the option to withdraw money using a smartphone.

The first phase of the rollout will let customers withdraw cash from a Chase ATM using a one-time pin number that will be sent to their smartphones, said JPMorgan spokesman Michael Fusco.

In the second phase, customers will be able to withdraw cash simply by tapping their phones to the ATM, using the same technology that enables Apple Pay and other payment apps, Fusco said.

"This is not replacing debit cards, just giving customers another convenient option if they do not have their debit card with them," Fusco said in a statement.

The ATM upgrades will provide other perks, including:

► Withdrawals of up to $3,000 on ATMs located inside branches and during branch hours.

► The ability for customers to choose a custom withdrawal amounts. Rather than multiples of $20’s, a customer may request $48 and receive it in the form of one $20, four $5’s, and eight $1’s.

► Check cashing via ATM.

► By the end of 2017, customers will also be able to make their Chase credit card and mortgage payments at the ATM.

The changes comes as Chase's monthly ATM transactions outpace the number of teller transactions in its branches, and as JPMorgan has been cutting costs, including staff, to boost profits.

JPMorgan has ATMs at more than 1,500 branches.

The bank is aiming to increase the number of teller transactions processed by ATMs to 90% from a current rates of 60% by the end of 2016.

Usatoday.com

#Microsoft plans to donate $1 billion in cloud services to nonprofits, researchers

The company says its wants to make the benefits of the cloud universally accessible

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wants to take the benefits of cloud services beyond wealthy societies

 Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft plans to donate US$1 billion in cloud services over three years to nongovernmental organizations and researchers, in a bid to provide access to these services to communities that can't afford them.

The donation by Microsoft, the size of which has been calculated at fair market value, could also bring long-term business benefits, as it would help the company win over a number of potential long-term users to its cloud platform.

Among the questions being asked at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland is how to make the benefits of cloud technology available universally rather than let only wealthy societies have access to the data, intelligence, analytics and insights that come from cloud computing, wrote Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a blog post Tuesday.

The new Microsoft Philanthropies arm of the company, set up last month, will provide nonprofits with the full suite of Microsoft cloud services, including Microsoft Azure, so that NGOs can run applications and make use of computing and storage power, CRM Online to manage relationships with donors and beneficiaries, and the Enterprise Mobility Suite to manage all of their devices, applications, and data.

Microsoft aims to address 70,000 NGOs through one or more of its cloud offerings by the end of 2017 and will focus on serving even more groups after that every year, Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith wrote in a blog post. In 2016 alone, the company expects to donate close to $350 million in cloud services to nonprofits, according to Smith.

The other leg of the Microsoft program is the expansion by 50 percent of donations for its current Microsoft Azure for Research program, which has so far provided free cloud computing resources for over 600 research projects on six continents. Microsoft is also planning to donate cloud services combined with last-mile connectivity for underserved communities around the world. The company is focused on using TV white spaces, which are unused portions of wireless spectrum in the frequency bands generally used for television, for last-mile connectivity.

Microsoft has been pushing its cloud services around the world, including setting up data centers in some countries to meet local government requirements that data should be stored locally.

Philanthropy efforts by tech companies have, however, been viewed with skepticism, as they are seen as secretly promoting business agendas. Facebook's Free Basics, a program to provide select Internet services including Facebook to users without data charges, has been criticized in India as a way to promote the social networking platform.

Microsoft's program to use TV white spaces for connectivity has also been criticized by the Indian mobile industry, which is demanding that the white spaces should be auctionedrather than given free.

Pcworld.com

Officials confirm Tennessee couple won historic #Powerball

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A small town warehouse supervisor turned in one of three tickets splitting the world-record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot, and swiftly announced that he would take his money now, giving up hundreds of millions of dollars in the future.

John Robinson said he reached out to his brother for help assembling a team of lawyers and financial planners before deciding to take the winnings in a single lump sum of nearly $328 million, rather than let the Lottery invest the prize and pay him 30 annual installments totaling an estimated $533 million.

Why pass up on a certain income totaling more than $200 million?

Powerball jackpot co-winners Lisa and John Robinson of Munford, Tennessee, speak to the media at the headquarters of the Tennessee Lottery in Nashville, Tennessee, Jan. 15, 2016.

 REUTERS/HARRISON MCCLARY

"We're going to take the lump sum, because we're not guaranteed tomorrow," Robinson said. "We just wanted a little big piece of the pie. Now we're real grateful we got the big piece of the pie."

They have no plans to move from their small, grey, one-story house in Munford, a town of about 6,000 north of Memphis.

Why not move into a luxurious compound somewhere?

"I've never wanted that in the past. I don't really want that now," said Lisa Robinson, who works in a dermatologist's office.

"Big houses are nice," her husband said. "But also you gotta clean 'em."

They'll pay off their mortgage and their daughter's student loans, but don't plan any big purchases. Both plan to return to work on Monday.

"That's what we've done all our lives, is work," John Robinson said. "You just can't sit down and lay down and not do nothing anymore. How long are you going to last?"

Tennessee Lottery executive Rebecca Hargrove said the couple would get a "small check today for a few million," and collect the full lump sum in about 10 business days.

CBS News' David Begnaud reported that Dana Naifeh's grocery store sold the state's winning ticket. On Thursday morning, surveillance cameras captured the head of the Tennessee Lottery walking in with the billion dollar news and a $25,000 bonus for the store, which is named Naifeh's.

John Robinson said earlier Friday that they would help certain friends, give to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, and donate to their church.

"I'm a firm believer in tithing to my church," Robinson said in an appearance on NBC's "Today" show.

Their daughter Tiffany, who flew with them to New York and back, said she also wants a horse.

"My first thought was, I've always wanted a horse," she said. "I get a horse now. My dad always said, 'When I win the lottery.'"

John Robinson carried the precious slip of paper to New York City and back before showing up at Tennessee's lottery headquarters. Their lawyer went with them, as did their rescue dog, Abby, who snoozed through most of the excitement.

The other tickets were sold in Melbourne Beach, Florida, and Chino Hills, California, each one overcoming odds of 1 in 292.2 million to land on all the numbers. Lottery officials in those states have yet to confirm or identify the winners. News of a possible winner in California was quickly deflated Friday when that feel-good tale was described as a prank.

Lawyers who have represented other lottery winners advise against going public until they are ready to manage such a huge windfall. Talking seriously with experts in tax law, financial planning, privacy, security and other safeguards can help keep them, and their winnings, safe, they say.

The Robinsons seemed aware of at least some of the risks, even as they told the world that they were sudden multi-millionaires.

Their neighbor Mary Sue Smith, told The Associated Press that Lisa Robinson asked her Friday morning to put "No Trespassing" signs on their lawn.

"Who will be coming out of the woodwork?" said Mary Sue Smith. "Everybody you knew in high school and elementary ... You know what happens."

The couple's son, Adam, is an electrician, and their daughter, Tiffany, lives nearby after graduating from college recently.

Mary Sue's husband, Roy Smith, called them "fine people," dependable and hard-working.

"It could not have happened to better people," Roy Smith said. "He's a civic-minded person, and he probably will remember the town."

Munford's mayor, Dwayne Cole, had wished openly Thursday for an investment in the town, whose annual budget is $3.67 million. He said Munford's needs include fire department equipment, an indoor athletic facility for local schools and a community gymnasium.

On Friday, Cole told the AP that they are not the kind to squander their money.

"They're small town people who appreciate community, appreciate family values. They appreciate hard work. They are responsible. They've always lived within their means," said Cole, who owns an auto parts store in town.

"They have to understand, though, this is a big deal. This is not just a big deal for Munford. This is a big deal nationwide and worldwide. They understand that, I think. I hope they do," Cole added. "I believe they can deal with it. It may be totally overwhelming."

Robinson said he bought the winning ticket at his wife's request at Naifeh's on his way home from work Wednesday night, even though he wasn't feeling well. His wife stayed up to watch the drawing, carefully writing down the numbers.

Then she started "hollering and screaming through the hallway saying, 'You need to check these numbers. You need to check these numbers,'" Robinson said.

He did, four times, then thought: "Well, I'll believe it when the news comes in on the morning."

Cbsnews.com

Apple’s #iPhone 7: Everything we know so far.

 Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 may very well represent the most radical iPhone redesign we’ve seen yet. Not only will the iPhone 7 likely sport a new form factor, there are also a number of rumors pointing towards the device completely doing away with the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack.

Of course, seeing as how the next iPhone will be a number upgrade in the refresh cycle (as opposed to an ‘S’ upgrade), it stands to reason that the iPhone 7 will introduce a wide array of compelling new features.

With the rumor mill already in full swing, we’ve compiled a list of all the interesting iPhone 7 rumors we’ve seen spring to life over the past few months. While Apple’s iPhone plans are certainly subject to change, the list below is a reasonable and safe approximation of what exciting features folks looking to upgrade can look forward to later this year.

1. No headphone jack

Without question, the most startling design change to the iPhone 7 may be its lack of a headphone jack. What started out as a crazy rumor has since been corroborated by a number of varying sources. According to reports, Apple will completely remove the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack and instead rely on the Lightning port for audio. Doing so will not only save space, thus allowing for a thinner iPhone, but will also improve the overall sound quality. A Fast Company report from last week claimed that the iPhone 7’s “audio system will also leverage a new noise-canceling technology” that will be “baked into the phone and also into the headphones that will plug into it, and will help remove background noise in music playback and in phone calls…”

The only question, though, is how big the backlash will be if Apple actually does abandon the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack? Will consumers protest and take their wallets elsewhere, or will this eventually blow over with time, much like other instances where Apple has abandoned legacy technologies.

2. Waterproof design

One of the side benefits to eliminating the headphone jack is that it makes it easier to waterproof the iPhone. After all, it’s one less port for water to creep into and wreak havoc with the circuitry. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen reports that the iPhone 7 will be completely dust and waterproof and may very well come with an IP68 rating. If this pans out, the iPhone 7 would be able to withstand submersion under water at great depths and still operate swimmingly after the fact.

3. New form factor

While the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus display sizes will be the same as what Apple already uses on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, it stands to reason that the iPhone 7 will introduce a new look and feel to Apple’s smartphone lineup. Indeed, every major iPhone upgrade (the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, iPhone 6) has incorporated new design elements and there’s no reason to think that the iPhone 7 will be any different. One safe bet is that the iPhone 7 will be even thinner than the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

4. Wireless Charging

Though smartphones from companies like Samsung have had wireless charging for some time, Apple will reportedly jump on the bandwagon with the iPhone 7. Apple, we should point out, isn’t completely new to the world of wireless charging as that’s how the Apple Watch is charged.

5. Bigger battery

Battery life has long been a sore spot for some iPhone users. Of course, this is arguably a good problem as it shows that consumers love using their iPhones. With respect to Apple’s next-gen iPhone 7, a recently surfaced report claims that the battery packs on the iPhone 7 models may have more capacity than the ones used on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Specifically, the iPhone 7 Plus model may be graced with a 3100 man battery. In contrast, the iPhone 6s Plus battery is 2750 mAh. If this translates into longer battery life, that may be a strong impetus for folks to upgrade.

6. Better photos with dual-cameras

We haven’t heard too much about the iPhone 7 camera just yet, but a recently unearthed patent suggests that Apple is actively exploring implementing two distinct camera modules on the iPhone. Doing so would not only help improve overall camera quality, but would also improve image quality and overall detailing when zooming in. Another compelling use-case involves the ability to record two types of video at the same time, one in regular 4K and one in slow motion.

We should also point out that Apple back in April acquired LinX Computational Imaging, an Israeli company with incredibly advanced camera technology. As we highlighted a few months back, LinX touted its cameras as “leading the way to DSLR performance in slim handsets.” Some of the other features LinX’s camera technology provided includes improved low light photography, decreased noise levels and much more.

7. More RAM

Unfortunately, this rumor only pertains to the iPhone 7 Plus. According to reputable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will bestow the iPhone 7 Plus with 3GB of RAM, a slight bump up from the 2GB of RAM currently found in the company’s iPhone 6s lineup. While this rumor has a 50-50 shot of being true, it’s widely believed that the iPhone 7 model will ship with 2GB of RAM.

8. 256GB of Storage

With iPhones today capable of taking 4K video and high-quality photos, iPhone users, more than ever, are in need of more varied storage options.

To that end, rumor has it that the iPhone 7 Plus alone (do you notice a pattern here?) may be graced with a 256GB model. As it stands now, the largest capacity iPhone checks in at 128GB.

9. Blazing Fast and power efficient A10 processor

With each successive iPhone release, Apple manages to greatly improve both the performance and power efficiency of its processors. That being the case, it’s reasonable to assume that the iPhone 7 will house a blazing fast A10 processor.

Some rumors we’ve seen thus far have suggested that the A10 will deliver a performance boost of 20% while simultaneously reducing power consumption by 40%, relative to the iPhone 6s. Coupled with larger capacity battery packs (see above), we can only hope that the iPhone 7 models will really deliver a notable uptick in battery performance.

10. Earlier release date

Since the iPhone 4s hit store shelves in 2011, every new iPhone has launched sometime during the Fall. In 2016, Apple may decide to switch things up. According to an Apple Insider report from this past November, Apple may release its next-gen iPhone model sometime during the Summer.

This seems very unlikely, of course, for a number of reasons. Apple is under tremendous pressure this year to grow holiday-quarter sales. We also would have certainly seen more components leak at this point if iPhone 7 production was going to ramp up in time for a summer launch.

Rumored features not likely to happen

• No home button. While perhaps a design choice Apple will implement in the future, we haven’t seen any genuine indication that 2016 will be the year the home button disappears
• No OLED display. The rumors surrounding Apple’s interest in OLED displays have become too loud to ignore. Still, it’s far too early in the game to expect the iPhone 7 to feature said display. From what we’ve heard thus far, an iPhone equipped with an OLED display won’t become a reality until the iPhone 8 ships in 2018.

 Bgr.com

#Volkswagen Proposes Fix for 430,000 Affected Cars in the US

Volkswagen’s engineers come up with a catalytic converter that could possibly end the company’s woes

Jan 11, 2016 at 9:16 am EST

In recent months, Volkswagen ride the rough waves of the emissions scandal, that involved hundreds of thousands of its cars being fitted with a device which effectively deceived emissions testing under lab conditions.

The scandal was not only a big hit on demand for Volkswagen vehicles, but also for diesel-powered vehicles, which saw a steep decline. Volkswagen’s sales have plummeted in the recent past, as the company desperately looked for a way to either eliminate the issue completely, or to at least mitigate some of its worries.

Recently, the company recommended a couple of quick software updates and a hardware update for some engine variants. The solution was put under consideration by the European body for environmental protection, which consequently accepted the fix, much to the relief of Volkswagen stakeholders.

However, Volkswagen executives ensured the EPA they recognized the fact that the company’s troubles in the US were far from over. They acknowledged America's stricter approach towards Co2 emissions and damage to the environment. Volkswagen’s executives went on to pledge to find a solution to the crises they were facing in the region, and put an end to the bad publicity they have continuously been subject to.

The situation went from bad to worse for the company as the US filed a complaint with the Department of Justice against the German automaker, in lieu of the emissions scandal. The complaint asserts that around 600,000 diesel vehicles produced by Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen had illegal devices in the engine, that consequently led to CO2 emissions significantly higher than EPA regulations. The complaint also highlighted a violation of the Clean Air Act, whereby the automaker designed its motor vehicles in a manner that contradicts an agreement it made with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Volkswagen has recently announced that its engineers have constructed a catalytic converter, that could potentially provide a suitable fix for around 430,000 cars accused of cheating emissions tests in the United States. German Daily Bild am Sonntag reported on Sunday that cars equipped with the first generation EA 189 engine, will be fitted with the catalytic converter that would help fix the emission problem created in those vehicles.

While the company refused to comment on the report by Bild am Sonntag, the paper reported that Volkswagen’s CEO, Matthias Mueller, will hope to convince at least a few EPA officials at a meeting in Washington, scheduled for Wednesday, in light of these recent findings. The relationship between the company and regulatory body has been quite strained in the past four months, as the company has struggled to come to an agreement with US authorities, on a fix for affected vehicles in the scandal.

Bidnessetc.com

6 tech trends to look out for at #CES and beyond.

1. Screens. Televisions always seem to take the lion’s share of CES headlines, and 2016 will not be an exception. But as we progress from HD to Ultra-HD to large-format 4k TVs, the next frontier will be the format of those screens. And sometimes evolution does not mean bigger, but smaller.

So here is some big news: on Jan. 4, LG announced the world’s first rollable display. You read that right: you can roll-up this 18-inch display like a newspaper. Sure, we have seen flexible screens, such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge smartphone. But this announcement from LG could mean significant advancements in a wide range of edgeless displays across many categories.

Of course, the age of screens may die off when Magic Leap launches its virtual retinal display, which projects a digital light field into the user’s eye. The secretive startup just announced another $827 million in funding last month, on top of the $542 million Google-led investment round the year prior.

But, for now, 4k content will become more readily available and the price tag on 4k TVs will continue to drop.

2. Smart glasses. No, the idea of technology you wear on your head has not died. Since we are not expecting any big announcements about Facebook’s Oculus, HTC and Valve’s Vive and Sony’s PlayStation VR at CES this year, the door is open for smaller players in virtual reality (VR) to steal headlines.

Coming from the guy who brought us James Bond’s mini-submarine car in “The Spy Who Loved Me,” Ralph Osterhout’s company ODG is now making available a pair of $3,000 R-7 Smart Glasses that offer a Google Glass-like hardware/software platform that provide the wearer with 3D stereoscopic see-through displays, wireless connectivity, a built-in 1080p front-facing camera and a range of sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes and magnetometers.

And while most of the hardware out there could be generously described as a snorkeling mask with tethered wires that inspire images of an old-timey scuba helmet, this one is more akin to those big, plastic, drugstore sunglasses that your grandma wears over her regular glasses.
ODG is marketing its product to developers for enterprise application, so we will have to see who does what with them.

3. Smart … rings? Much has been written about fitness tech, and FitBit is set to announce some advances to keep competitive with the Apple Watch.

But while I am on my rant about most wearable tech lacking a certain je ne sais quoi, here is a gadget that I might wear even if it was not a gadget.

Born from a Kickstarter campaign back in August, and raising more than $650,000 from nearly 2,400 backers in about five weeks, the ŌURA ring has taken the wearable community by a storm.

You put this beautifully designed, waterproof, Zirconia ring on your finger, and it measures and analyzes your body and learns about you and your lifestyle. It automatically sends information to your phone, where a mobile app displays observations and makes personalized recommendations about things such as sleeping patterns and activity levels.

4. The Internet of (Too Many?) Things. Toss a paper airplane on the CES show floor (actually, do not — security is tight this year) and chances are it will land on something that is “connected” that probably should not be. Forks. Coffee makers. Lightbulbs. You name it.

On this topic, I will keep things short and sweet, except to say that it will be exciting to see how connected things, especially medical tech, can continue to improve the lives of consumers, and build on frameworks such as Apple HomeKit and Apple Health.

5. Connected cars. Over the past few years, automakers have used CES to announce some exciting advancements, from innovative powertrains to in-vehicle telematics. In fact, CES has helped make it seem necessary to upgrade your car as frequently as you do your smartphone.

This year, sure, we will see more news from Apple’s CarPlay, Google’s Android Auto, and proprietary platforms such as Ford’s Sync AppLink. The most notable announcement here is Toyota’s partnership with Ford to deploy Livio’s SmartDeviceLink, a platform that works for both smartphone apps and in-dash infotainment applications, which means consumers can – once third-party developers get their hands on it – transfer apps and settings from vehicle-to-vehicle, even between different manufacturers.

We will also get more announcements about self-driving/autonomous cars and connected cars: car-to-car, car-to-infrastructure such as traffic lights, stop signs and the road itself, and car-to-driver. But the big, big news was supposed to be Faraday Future — but sadly its big announcement fell flat.

If the well-funded start-up that says it aims to “change the way the world perceives mobility” is going to nip at the heels of Tesla and place its name next to Apple in the annals of history, it will not be with the design of its early concept car. It will need to deliver on its aim to redefine how the car connects to the driver, and how the driver accesses – not buys – the car. But according to Faraday Future, anything with an FF badge on it is years away from hitting the streets.

6. Drones. Of course, drones. A predictions list for 2016 must include drones. More than 100 are expected to make an appearance at the show this year.

But one standout will be the Lily, which claims to be the world’s first “throw-and-shoot camera.” Think selfie camera built into a lightweight (under three pounds), high definition (it shoots 1080p), waterproof drone that follows you around automatically and captures your jumps on the slopes. But like George of the Jungle, you will want it to watch out for that tree – the Lily isn’t capable of obstacle avoidance (yet).

Luxurydaily.com