Google Fiber bids farewell to the free era, the upgraded Tesla Model S may be unveiled next week, Hitachi releases a robot waiter | Lei Feng Morning News

Google Fiber is no longer free

Previously, Google Fiber's promotional slogan was: pay once, free for life. But the latest news shows that this "free" service is about to end. According to foreign technology media Engadget, Google Fiber's new payment plan consists of two parts:

1. Choose Fiber 100 high-speed broadband, but users pay $50 per month;

2. Use the community shared network and the price remains free.

Previously, Google Fiber's initial installation fee was $300, with no monthly fee. The new plan will charge almost no installation fee and will provide faster Internet speeds. Currently, this payment plan will be implemented first in Kansas City. Regarding this service adjustment, industry insiders speculate that this may mean that Google Fiber is facing revenue pressure within Alphabet. The new reduction in initial installation fees will attract more customers to use this service.

According to reports, users who have signed an agreement with Google Fiber can use it for free until May 19.

Hitachi releases "robot waiter"

According to Japanese media reports, Hitachi has recently released a new humanoid robot code-named EMIEW3, which has functions such as multilingual response, getting up after falling down, and actively providing help. It can undertake tasks such as shopping guide and reception.

EMIEW3 Robot

Hitachi said that EMIEW3 is the latest model after the two EMIEW series robots released in 2005 and 2007. It is 90 centimeters tall and weighs about 15 kilograms. Although it is small, it can walk in a coordinated pace with people, with a maximum moving speed of 6 kilometers per hour, and can stand up on its own after falling.

The robot's voice, image and language functions are not processed by its internal program, but by an external intelligent system connected to the Internet, which improves the robot's intelligence and service level. It can recognize specific sounds in the noise, communicate with guests in a noisy environment, and find guests who seem to need help and take the initiative to provide services. Multiple robots in different locations can also share information through the Internet.

Hitachi plans to officially launch it on the market in 2018 to cope with the increasing number of foreign tourists.

BMW starts using HTC Vive to design new cars

BMW recently announced plans to introduce HTC Vive into the early stages of automotive research and development, allowing it to play a role in in-car design, remote collaboration, testing and evaluation, and more.

Specifically, in the design process of BMW cars, VR can be used to visualize the car trims, and test drive scenarios can also be simulated to help designers quickly revise the draft. In addition, members of the development and design team in different regions do not need to gather together. They can just put on Vive to view the prototype car "together" and communicate about their feedback. This not only improves design efficiency but also saves a lot of money. In addition to the Vive helmet, BMW has also added interactive equipment such as audio, seats, and steering wheels so that designers can evaluate the design prototype.

In order to maximize the advantages of HTC Vive, BMW said that the entire VR system will be supported by a professional-grade workstation:

Processor: Intel Core i7

Graphics card: 2*Nvidia Geforce GTX Tian X

Foreign media said that the upgraded Tesla Model S will be unveiled next week

According to information obtained by CENT from insiders, Tesla may launch an upgraded version of Model S as early as next week . The focus of this improvement is not on the performance of the car itself. The manufacturer hopes to make the interior and exterior more "luxurious" to enhance the competitiveness of Model S in front of luxury cars of the same level from brands such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. It is reported that the most obvious change will be a slight visual change on the front face. The front face of the upgraded Model S is not exactly the same as that of the Model X or Model 3, but the two are similar. The LED headlights look simpler.

Tesla insiders revealed that the company will make a series of upgrades to the Model S with the goal of simplifying the manufacturing process and adding some more luxurious equipment. The latter goal is particularly important because the Model S will soon face its most powerful competitor: the newly released Model 3.

Alphabet subsidiary releases humanoid bipedal robot that can climb stairs

At the New Economic Summit held in Tokyo, Japan yesterday, Schaft, the Japanese robotics subsidiary of Alphabet, took the stage with a humanoid bipedal robot.

Compared with the previous Boston Dynamics bipedal robot, this robot looks much slimmer; it walks a bit like pacing, but it still maintains good balance; it can climb and clean stairs, and carry up to 60 kilograms of weight. It is worth mentioning that this bipedal robot seems to be similar to the robot TARS in the movie "Interstellar".