China's Baidu Aims to Offer Robotaxi Service Overseas --- Search-engine giant has been operating driverless taxis in some Chinese cities

SINGAPORE -- Chinese internet company Baidu is seeking to roll out its driverless ride-hailing service overseas in an effort to extend its competitive advantage outside China.

The Beijing-based company hopes to test and deploy its Apollo Go robotaxis in places including Hong Kong, Singapore and the Middle East, people familiar with the matter said. It has been discussing the plans with companies and regulators in those regions, they said.

An Apollo Go representative said Apollo Go intended to release a new version of its autonomous-driving platform, called Apollo 10.0, that is "designed for a global audience."

Chinese and U.S. companies are looking to put autonomous-driving technologies into wider commercial use, both in driverless taxi services and in driver-assistance software for consumer cars.

Geopolitical tensions have arisen in the area. The U.S. Commerce Department in September proposed banning Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles on American roads due to national-security concerns. China also has tightened scrutiny of data collected by cars running on the road.

Tesla is set to unveil its robotaxi this week after repeated delays.

 Separately, in China, the U.S. electric-car maker has said it expects to win local government approval to introduce its higher-level driver-assistance software in the first quarter of next year.

Baidu and other Chinese companies have been operating robotaxi services in multiple cities in China. Baidu's Apollo Go said in August that it operated more than 400 driverless taxis in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, which was its biggest fleet in the country. In the April-June quarter, the company provided nearly 900,000 rides in China.

Another Chinese company, Pony.ai, which is backed by Toyota and Saudi Arabia's NEOM Investment Fund, has explored deploying its autonomous-driving technology in South Korea, Europe and the Middle East. Pony.ai has inked a partnership with a Singaporean taxi operator to run robotaxis.

China's WeRide, which counts Nissan as an investor, said it has obtained test permits for autonomous-driving vehicles in four countries, including the U.S. It has teamed up with Uber to operate robotaxis in the United Arab Emirates and has run autonomous shuttle buses on Singapore's Sentosa Island.

WeRide had been planning an initial public offering on Nasdaq in the U.S. but delayed the IPO in August ahead of the Commerce Department's proposed restrictions. "The primary motivation for expanding overseas is the intense and unhealthy competition in the domestic market," said CCB International analyst Qu Ke.

In recent months, Chinese robotaxi operators have offered discounts to attract passengers at home, pushing ride fares lower than traditional taxi services and sparking driver protests.

Baidu, China's biggest search-engine operator, has been seeking new growth engines in fields such as self-driving technology, artificial intelligence and cloud computing, as its core advertising business has slowed in recent years. Its revenue comes mostly from China. Industry executives say the most advanced version of Tesla's driving-assistance technology stands ahead of Chinese rivals, but while Tesla waits to get regulatory approval in China, many local competitors have started providing similar features and at a lower cost.

In the U.S., Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, offers its autonomous ride-hailing service in several cities including San Francisco and Los Angeles. General Motors-backed Cruise, which halted operations after an accident in San Francisco last year, is seeking to return to U.S. roads. Both are working with Uber to reach more consumers." [1]

What will happen with most common profession in Lithuania - driving? Who cares?

1. China's Baidu Aims to Offer Robotaxi Service Overseas --- Search-engine giant has been operating driverless taxis in some Chinese cities. Huang, Raffaele; Qu, Tracy.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 10 Oct 2024: B.4.

 

Kaip siųsti tekstus „iPhone“, kai išjungiama mobiliojo ryšio paslauga --- Atsisiųskite „iOS 18“, nukreipkite savo „iPhone 14“, 15 arba 16 į dangų ir galėsite siųsti pranešimus per palydovą

  "Floridoje? Atnaujinkite savo iPhone į iOS 18 dabar.

 

 Ne, ne naujiems pagrindinio ekrano dizainams – palydoviniams pranešimams. Jei mobiliojo ryšio paslauga nutrūksta, kai uraganas pasiekia pakrantę, jūsų iPhone gali būti gelbėjimosi ratas draugams, šeimos nariams ir pagalbos tarnyboms.

 

 Mattas Van Swolas gyvena 10 mylių už Ašvilio (JAV). Kai uraganas Helene išjungė korinio ryšio tinklus ir elektrą, užtikrinančią Wi-Fi ryšius, jis negalėjo pasakyti savo šeimai, kad yra saugus. Tačiau kai audra praėjo, jis išėjo į lauką ir nukreipė savo iPhone 15 Pro Max į dangų.

 

 „Parašyta „Prisijungta“. Staiga mano telefonas pradeda šviesti nuo tėvų ir draugų žinučių“, – sakė 30 metų Van Swolas, dirbantis išmaniųjų namų įmonėje. „Aš iš karto apsiverkiau, kad galiu išsiųsti žinutę savo tėvams“.

 

 Pradėjusi nuo „iPhone 14“ linijos, „Apple“ tyliai savo populiarius telefonus pavertė palydoviniais telefonais. Pirma, žmonės galėtų juos naudoti, norėdami susisiekti su pagalbos tarnybomis. Naudodami naujausią programinės įrangos naujinį, taip pat galite siųsti SMS žinutes šeimos nariams ir draugams. Po Helene daugelis pasitikėjo iPhone. Žurnalo žurnalistė Rachel Wolfe, pranešanti iš Ašvilio, naudojo palydovines žinutes savo „iPhone 14 Pro“, kad nusiųstų naujienas savo kolegei.

 

 Nesvarbu, ar esate uragano kelyje, štai kaip įgalinti palydovinius pranešimus savo iPhone:

 

 Ko tau reikia

 

 Techninė įranga, reikalinga prisijungti prie palydovų, yra visuose „iPhone 14“, „15“ ir „iPhone 16“ modeliuose. Nežinote, kokį telefoną turite? Eikite į „Settings“, tada „General“ > „About“ > „Model Name“.

 

 Avarinė SOS galimybė turėtų tiesiog veikti. Tačiau norėdami įgalinti palydovinių pranešimų siuntimą, turite naudoti „iOS 18“. Patikrinkite arba atnaujinkite programinę įrangą skiltyje „Nustatymai“ > „Bendra“ > „Programinės įrangos naujinimas“. Jei esate atnaujinę, galite siųsti „iMessage“ arba SMS žinutes bet kam, kai neturite mobiliojo ryšio arba „Wi-Fi“ ryšio.

 

 Visi „iPhone“ naudotojai, gaunantys jūsų pranešimus, taip pat turėtų naudoti „iOS 18“. Ir tai geriausiai veikia, jei prie savo šeimos bendrinimo arba kritinės padėties kontaktų pridėsite visus, kuriuos jums gali prireikti, naudodami programą „Health“.

 

 Ar naudojate „Android“? Palydovinių žinučių siuntimas šiems telefonams dar neprigijo. Tačiau naujasis „Pixel 9“ yra pirmasis „Google“ telefonas, turintis galimybę per palydovą susisiekti su pagalbos tarnybomis.

 

 Ten, kur reikia būti

 

 Jei esate už korinio ryšio diapazono, iššokančiajame lange bus paklausta, ar norite naudoti žinutes per palydovą. Turite būti lauke, aiškiai matydami dangų ir horizontą. (Debesys neblokuos signalų, bet medžiai užblokuos.) „iPhone“ programinė įranga nurodo, kur nukreipti įrenginį. Prisijungus prie palydovo, jis gali paraginti jus judėti į kairę arba dešinę arba apsisukti, kad išlaikytumėte ryšį.

 

 „Kai tai darai, atrodai, kaip debilas, o tik sukiesi galinėje verandoje“, – juokdamasis sakė Van Swolas.

 

 Keliomis dienomis po audros Van Swolas ir jo žmona Erin Derham eidavo į netoliese esantį golfo aikštyną, kur jiems geriau sekėsi siųsti ir gauti žinutes.

 

 Tai nėra greita: „Apple“ teigia, kad esant idealioms sąlygoms, žinutės išsiuntimas gali užtrukti 30 sekundžių. Jei esate po medžiais su „šviesia arba vidutinio dydžio lapija“, tai gali užtrukti minutę.

 

 Kai išbandžiau originalią „iPhone 14“ avarinę SOS funkciją, neabejotinai turėjau smuikuoti, kad prisijungčiau prie palydovo – net stovint plačiai atvirame lauke.

 

 Ką galite siųsti

 

 „Apple“ teigia, kad negalite siųsti nuotraukų, vaizdo įrašų ar garso pranešimų.

 

 Van Swolas sakė, kad jam sunku siųsti „iMessage“ tekstus. Wolfe'ui pasisekė geriau. Jos siunčiamuose „iMessages“ pranešimuose buvo nustatytas 500 simbolių limitas, kurių siuntimas užtruko apie minutę.

 

 Atsakymų gavimas taip pat buvo nukentėjęs arba praleistas. Van Swolas teigė, kad atsakymai bus gaunami lėtai, ypač kai jis pirmą kartą prisijungs po 36 valandų neprisijungęs. Wolfe'as sakė, kad negavo visų žinučių iš savo kolegos, kol negrįžo prie mobiliojo ryšio.

 

 Vis dėlto, abiems Šiaurės Karolinos bandytojams palengvėjo, kad turi tinkamą programinę ir aparatinę įrangą. „Tai tik atsitiktinumas, kad atnaujinome savo telefonus dieną prieš audrą“, – sakė Van Swolas.

 

 Tikiuosi, kad jums niekada nereikės naudoti šios funkcijos, bet jūs taip pat turėtumėte atnaujinti. Galbūt, džiaugsitės, kad tai padarėte." [1]

 

1. How to Send Texts On an iPhone When Cell Service Goes Out --- Download iOS 18, point your iPhone 14, 15 or 16 at the sky, and you can send messages over satellite. Stern, Joanna.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 10 Oct 2024: A.9.

  How to Send Texts On an iPhone When Cell Service Goes Out --- Download iOS 18, point your iPhone 14, 15 or 16 at the sky, and you can send messages over satellite

"In Florida? Update your iPhone to iOS 18 right now.

No, not for the new homescreen designs -- for the satellite messaging. If cell service goes down when some hurricane hits the coast, your iPhone could be a lifeline to friends, family and emergency services.

Matt Van Swol lives 10 miles outside of Asheville, N.C. When Hurricane Helene took out cellular networks and the electricity that powers Wi-Fi connections, he couldn't tell his family he was safe. But once the storm passed, he stepped outside and pointed his iPhone 15 Pro Max at the sky.

"It said 'Connected.' All of a sudden, my phone just starts lighting up with these texts from my parents and friends," said Van Swol, age 30, who works for a smart-home company. "I cried immediately, to be able to get a text out to my parents."

Starting with the iPhone 14 line, Apple has quietly turned its popular handsets into satellite phones. First, people could use them to contact emergency services. With the latest software update, you can text family and friends, too. In the aftermath of Helene, many relied on iPhones. The Journal's Rachel Wolfe, reporting from Asheville, used satellite texting on her iPhone 14 Pro to send her story updates to her colleague.

Whether or not you're in the path of any hurricane, here's how to enable satellite messaging on your iPhone:

What you need

The hardware needed to connect to satellites is in all iPhone 14, 15 and 16 models. Not sure which phone you have? Go to Settings, then General > About > Model Name.

The emergency SOS capability should just work. But to enable satellite texting, you have to be on iOS 18. Check or update your software under Settings > General > Software Update. If you're up-to-date, you can send iMessage or SMS texts to anyone when you don't have cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

All iPhone users receiving your messages should be running iOS 18, too. And it works best if you add anyone you might need to reach to your Family Sharing or emergency contacts, in the Health app.

You're on Android? Satellite texting hasn't yet caught on for those phones. But the new Pixel 9 is Google's first phone with the ability to contact emergency services via satellite.

Where you need to be

If you are out of cellular range, a pop-up will ask if you want to use Messages via satellite. You need to be outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon. (Clouds won't block signals, but trees will.) The iPhone's software guides where to point your device. Once connected to a satellite, it may prompt you to move left or right -- or turn around -- to maintain the connection.

"You look like a moron when you're doing it, you're just spinning around on your back porch," Van Swol said laughing.

In the days after the storm, Van Swol and his wife, Erin Derham, would walk to a nearby golf course where they had better luck sending and receiving messages.

It isn't fast: Apple says in ideal conditions, it might take 30 seconds to send a message. If you are under trees with "light or medium foliage," it might take a minute.

When I tested the original iPhone 14's emergency SOS capability, I definitely had to fiddle to connect with a satellite -- even while standing in a wide open field.

What you can send

Apple says you can't send pictures, videos or audio messages.

Van Swol said he had difficulty sending iMessage texts. Wolfe had better luck. There was a 500-character limit on the iMessages she sent, and each took about a minute to send.

Getting responses was also hit or miss. Van Swol said responses would come in slowly, especially when he first connected after being offline for 36 hours. Wolfe said she didn't receive all the messages from her colleague until she got back on cellular.

Still, both North Carolina testers were relieved they had the right software and hardware. "It's just a fluke that we updated our phones the day before the storm," Van Swol said.

I hope you'll never need to use this feature, but you should update, too. You might be glad you did." [1]

1. How to Send Texts On an iPhone When Cell Service Goes Out --- Download iOS 18, point your iPhone 14, 15 or 16 at the sky, and you can send messages over satellite. Stern, Joanna.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 10 Oct 2024: A.9.