- What the Car Did — And What It Might Do (NYT) "More perversely still, the suburban lifestyle that the Interstates enabled also gave rise to an atomized, individualistic politics, which soon bred a revolt against the taxation and central planning that made their construction possible in the first place. After a century in which the car radically remapped American society, creativity about its own future got stuck in a cul-de-sac. ...we’ve also indulged in some sci-fi speculation...trying to imagine what would happen if this unprecedented engine of American society — the machine that, more than any other, for better or worse, has given shape to American life for a century — really does undergo this radical transformation. The consequences would touch crime and punishment, work and leisure, exercise and partying and sex. In the past five years, the headlong push toward self-driving technology has swept up not just Google’s tech rivals but the world’s automakers as well. Tesla, Cadillac, Volvo, Audi and Nissan have already rolled out models with autonomous modes for highway driving, akin to cruise controls that can also steer and brake; next year, more brands and models will join their ranks."
- When 100% of Cars Are Autonomous (NYT) "What does it feel like to live in that world? And how does 21st-century society — which has been built, in ways large and small, around human drivers — change and reconfigure when they all become mere riders?"
- Inside the Races That Jump-Started the Self-Driving Car (Wired) "Daily news reports about self-driving cars no longer surprise. What retains its shock value is how quickly we've gotten here."
- Forget Cars, Self-Driving Shuttles Are Be the Future of Transportation (Wired) "...the shuttles have greater potential, as viable tools of mass transit. They could be used on college campuses or in retirement communities. Or to supplement public transportation in the suburbs."
- A Self-Driving Truck Might Deliver Your Next Refrigerator (Wired) "Since early October, autonomous trucks built and operated by the startup Embark have been hauling Frigidaire refrigerators 650 miles along the I-10 freeway, from a warehouse in El Paso, Texas, to a distribution center in Palm Springs, California."
- Can Ford Turn Itself Into a Tech Company? (NYT) "...Ford has invested hundreds of millions in self-driving cars and is making surprising progress. In a report earlier this year, Navigant Research placed Ford at the top of its leader board, ahead of tech companies like Waymo and Uber as well as auto rivals like GM and Toyota, based on Ford’s advanced manufacturing capabilities coupled with its strides in software development. Ford’s big, blinking target is 2021 — the year it hopes to release a vehicle that meets the Society of Automotive Engineers International’s definition of Level 4 autonomy (no human operator required in the area and conditions it’s programmed for). ...in a series of interviews with nearly a dozen executives, barely anyone mentioned cars or trucks at all. Instead, I heard the Ford Motor Company described as a 'mobility solutions provider' that engages in 'multimodal journey planning.' People spoke about 'whiteboarding' and 'blue-skying' big ideas. ...Ford has spent the past several years quietly snapping up tech talent. Most industry observers believe these are the right moves for Ford to be making. But it’s still tough to reconcile today’s Ford — which makes money by selling millions of combustion-engine trucks and S.U.V.s every year, along with a handful of sedans and hybrids — with the eco-tech-mobility conglomerate Hackett [Ford CEO] envisions it becoming."
- Google's Self-Driving Car Dream Is Finally Coming Real (Wired) "And once you’ve taken the driver out, putting a rider in becomes something like an afterthought. ...the technology has to be damn near perfect to get to this point. Then it’s just a matter of buttoning things up—and reaping the safety benefits and dollars that come with it."
- Tesla’s Dangerous Sprint Into the Future (NYT) "To hear its executives tell it, Tesla is misunderstood because it is still perceived as a car manufacturer, when its goals are more complex and far-reaching. Tesla’s goal has always been focused on going green, rather than creating the driverless future. Tesla’s grand plans in many respects depend on how much innovation the company can bring to the process of battery making. Musk has promised that before the end of this year, a Tesla vehicle will drive itself coast to coast completely on autopilot. A number of competitors — especially Waymo and General Motors — seem to be closing in on similarly ambitious goals. Long before anyone saw Tesla as a legitimate player in the auto industry, Musk also appears to have understood that in taking chances that no established carmaker would, Tesla could be an innovative force to quicken our slow, plodding progress in transportation." and Will Traditional Auto Makers Steal the Future From Tesla? (Barrons - Paywall) "
BUSINESS:
- Trump's biggest mistake in Asia: rejecting trade (Axios) "...when the history of Trump's trip is written, it will be his decision to opt out of an Asian trade framework, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that has the gravest and most lasting consequences. Why it matters: His approach marginalizes the United States in a region that will define the 21st century. American businesses will find themselves unable to compete in Asian markets, and no laundry list of one-off deals and bilateral accords will compensate for the losses." and Susan Rice: Trump Is Making China Great Again (NYT) "Played correctly, his ambitious five-country, 12-day trip could have steadied his administration’s rocky start in this vital region. Instead, it left the United States more isolated and in retreat, handing leadership of the newly christened 'Indo-Pacific' to China on a silver platter. He blamed his predecessors rather than China for our huge trade deficits... Such scenes of an American president kowtowing in China to a Chinese president sent chills down the spines of Asia experts and United States allies who have relied on America to balance and sometimes counter an increasingly assertive China. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting, he delivered a vitriolic, nationalistic speech on trade that made the United States look angry and rendered us more isolated. ...the leaders of the 11 remaining Trans-Pacific Partnership countries announced a framework to remake their deal without the United States, leaving America outside the largest trade agreement in the world."
NEWS:
- How American politics went batshit crazy (Axios) "...six seminal events in the past 24 years that steered us here: Newt Gingrich, in the early 1990s, weaponized warfare politics in a methodical and sustained way. Fox News, created in 1996, televised and monetized this hard-edged combat politics. Facebook and later Twitter, both products of the post-2000 Internet revolution, socialized rage and argument. John McCain picking Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008 celebritized rage politics. Facebook, with command of so much of most voters' time and attention, algorithm-ized rage starting around 2015. Twitter + Trump, igniting in 2016, habitualized and radicalized the moment-by-moment rage and reaction of politicians, voters and the media."
- Warnings of a weaker, poorer Britain emerging ahead of breakup with European Union (LA Times) "...as negotiations move slowly toward a March 2019 breakup date, it is becoming increasingly clear to some observers that Britain risks becoming weaker, poorer and, most damaging of all, increasingly irrelevant. The Bank of England recently warned Brexit would probably hamper productivity and put a brake on economic growth, estimating up to 75,000 job losses in the financial services industry alone and a drop in business investment of up to 20%."
READ THIS:
- Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (Yuval Noah Harari) "...Harari recounts the course of history while describing events and the individual human experience, along with ethical issues in relation to his historical survey. Homo Deus...deals more with the abilities acquired by humans (Homo sapiens) throughout its existence, and its evolution as the dominant species in the world; the book attempts to paint an image of the future. Many philosophical issues are discussed, such as the human experience, individualism, human emotion and consciousness. The book describes the current abilities and achievements of mankind."
TECHNOLOGY:
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- When 100% of Cars Are Autonomous (NYT) "What does it feel like to live in that world? And how does 21st-century society — which has been built, in ways large and small, around human drivers — change and reconfigure when they all become mere riders?"
- Inside the Races That Jump-Started the Self-Driving Car (Wired) "Daily news reports about self-driving cars no longer surprise. What retains its shock value is how quickly we've gotten here."
- A Self-Driving Truck Might Deliver Your Next Refrigerator (Wired) "Since early October, autonomous trucks built and operated by the startup Embark have been hauling Frigidaire refrigerators 650 miles along the I-10 freeway, from a warehouse in El Paso, Texas, to a distribution center in Palm Springs, California."
- Can Ford Turn Itself Into a Tech Company? (NYT) "...Ford has invested hundreds of millions in self-driving cars and is making surprising progress. In a report earlier this year, Navigant Research placed Ford at the top of its leader board, ahead of tech companies like Waymo and Uber as well as auto rivals like GM and Toyota, based on Ford’s advanced manufacturing capabilities coupled with its strides in software development. Ford’s big, blinking target is 2021 — the year it hopes to release a vehicle that meets the Society of Automotive Engineers International’s definition of Level 4 autonomy (no human operator required in the area and conditions it’s programmed for). ...in a series of interviews with nearly a dozen executives, barely anyone mentioned cars or trucks at all. Instead, I heard the Ford Motor Company described as a 'mobility solutions provider' that engages in 'multimodal journey planning.' People spoke about 'whiteboarding' and 'blue-skying' big ideas. ...Ford has spent the past several years quietly snapping up tech talent. Most industry observers believe these are the right moves for Ford to be making. But it’s still tough to reconcile today’s Ford — which makes money by selling millions of combustion-engine trucks and S.U.V.s every year, along with a handful of sedans and hybrids — with the eco-tech-mobility conglomerate Hackett [Ford CEO] envisions it becoming."
- Google's Self-Driving Car Dream Is Finally Coming Real (Wired) "And once you’ve taken the driver out, putting a rider in becomes something like an afterthought. ...the technology has to be damn near perfect to get to this point. Then it’s just a matter of buttoning things up—and reaping the safety benefits and dollars that come with it."
- Tesla’s Dangerous Sprint Into the Future (NYT) "To hear its executives tell it, Tesla is misunderstood because it is still perceived as a car manufacturer, when its goals are more complex and far-reaching. Tesla’s goal has always been focused on going green, rather than creating the driverless future. Tesla’s grand plans in many respects depend on how much innovation the company can bring to the process of battery making. Musk has promised that before the end of this year, a Tesla vehicle will drive itself coast to coast completely on autopilot. A number of competitors — especially Waymo and General Motors — seem to be closing in on similarly ambitious goals. Long before anyone saw Tesla as a legitimate player in the auto industry, Musk also appears to have understood that in taking chances that no established carmaker would, Tesla could be an innovative force to quicken our slow, plodding progress in transportation." and Will Traditional Auto Makers Steal the Future From Tesla? (Barrons - Paywall) "
BUSINESS:
- Trump's biggest mistake in Asia: rejecting trade (Axios) "...when the history of Trump's trip is written, it will be his decision to opt out of an Asian trade framework, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that has the gravest and most lasting consequences. Why it matters: His approach marginalizes the United States in a region that will define the 21st century. American businesses will find themselves unable to compete in Asian markets, and no laundry list of one-off deals and bilateral accords will compensate for the losses." and Susan Rice: Trump Is Making China Great Again (NYT) "Played correctly, his ambitious five-country, 12-day trip could have steadied his administration’s rocky start in this vital region. Instead, it left the United States more isolated and in retreat, handing leadership of the newly christened 'Indo-Pacific' to China on a silver platter. He blamed his predecessors rather than China for our huge trade deficits... Such scenes of an American president kowtowing in China to a Chinese president sent chills down the spines of Asia experts and United States allies who have relied on America to balance and sometimes counter an increasingly assertive China. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting, he delivered a vitriolic, nationalistic speech on trade that made the United States look angry and rendered us more isolated. ...the leaders of the 11 remaining Trans-Pacific Partnership countries announced a framework to remake their deal without the United States, leaving America outside the largest trade agreement in the world."
NEWS:
- How American politics went batshit crazy (Axios) "...six seminal events in the past 24 years that steered us here: Newt Gingrich, in the early 1990s, weaponized warfare politics in a methodical and sustained way. Fox News, created in 1996, televised and monetized this hard-edged combat politics. Facebook and later Twitter, both products of the post-2000 Internet revolution, socialized rage and argument. John McCain picking Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008 celebritized rage politics. Facebook, with command of so much of most voters' time and attention, algorithm-ized rage starting around 2015. Twitter + Trump, igniting in 2016, habitualized and radicalized the moment-by-moment rage and reaction of politicians, voters and the media."
- Warnings of a weaker, poorer Britain emerging ahead of breakup with European Union (LA Times) "...as negotiations move slowly toward a March 2019 breakup date, it is becoming increasingly clear to some observers that Britain risks becoming weaker, poorer and, most damaging of all, increasingly irrelevant. The Bank of England recently warned Brexit would probably hamper productivity and put a brake on economic growth, estimating up to 75,000 job losses in the financial services industry alone and a drop in business investment of up to 20%."
READ THIS:
- Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (Yuval Noah Harari) "...Harari recounts the course of history while describing events and the individual human experience, along with ethical issues in relation to his historical survey. Homo Deus...deals more with the abilities acquired by humans (Homo sapiens) throughout its existence, and its evolution as the dominant species in the world; the book attempts to paint an image of the future. Many philosophical issues are discussed, such as the human experience, individualism, human emotion and consciousness. The book describes the current abilities and achievements of mankind."
TECHNOLOGY:
- Sean Parker unloads on Facebook "exploiting" human psychology (Axios) "It's a social-validation feedback loop ... exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you're exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology. The inventors, creators — it's me, it's Mark [Zuckerberg], it's Kevin Systrom on Instagram, it's all of these people — understood this consciously. And we did it anyway."
- This is what happens when Facebook eats your business (Quartz) "Facebook attempted to buy Snapchat for $3 billion in 2013, but was rebuffed... ...Facebook has tried time and again to mimic multiple functions of Snapchat’s in standalone apps, but never found much success. ...until it outright copied Snapchat’s Stories structure for its own apps. Since Facebook copied Snapchat, it’s gone public and has lost roughly $3.1 billion through the first three quarters of the year—more than Facebook wanted to buy it for four years ago."
- Al Franken Just Gave the Speech Big Tech Has Been Dreading (Wired) "'Everyone is rightfully focused on Russian manipulation of social media, but as lawmakers it is incumbent on us to ask the broader questions: How did big tech come to control so many aspects of our lives? Franken asked... A handful of companies decide what Americans 'see, read, and buy,' dominating access to information and facilitating the spread of disinformation, he added. 'Last week’s hearings demonstrate that these companies might not be up to the challenge they created for themselves...'"
TRUMPTEL:
- How Donald Trump is remaking the federal courts in his own image (Mother Jones) "When Donald Trump took office, he inherited more than 100 federal judicial vacancies. It was a nearly unprecedented number, roughly twice the number that President Barack Obama inherited in 2009. Trump has moved quickly to fill these lifetime appointments with a slate of the most conservative and least diverse nominations since Reagan. While Trump’s legislative efforts can be repealed and his executive orders undone, federal judges are rarely removed from the bench. By working to install judges with remarkable speed, Trump and his grateful conservative allies are creating a durable legacy that will last long beyond his administration. Trump’s nominees are, so far, roughly 90 percent white and 80 percent male." and Trump Nominee for Federal Judgeship Has Never Tried a Case (NYT) "Brett Talley, is the fourth judicial nominee under President Trump to receive a 'not qualified' rating from the bar association and the second to receive the rating unanimously. Mr. Talley will now face a full hearing in the Senate." and Trump is dangerously cutting corners in his quest to remake the Judiciary (LA Times) "Past presidents have shared information about prospective judicial nominations with the ABA before nominations were announced so the bar group could make a confidential report to the White House. The Trump administration, however, refuses to give the ABA advance information about potential judges. The ABA isn’t infallible, but it has a record of evaluating prospective judges in a fair and bipartisan way."
- Donald Trump Jr. Exchanged Messages With WikiLeaks (WSJ - Paywall) "On Sept. 20, 2016, WikiLeaks contacted the son of President Donald Trump through a direct message on Twitter to advise him about the pending launch of a website that would highlight ties between the elder Mr. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the email. The exchange marks the first evidence of direct contact between senior Trump campaign officials and the Sweden-based WikiLeaks."
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:
- You Love ‘The Simpsons’? Then Let’s Talk About Apu (NYT) "The feelings of South Asian Americans toward the character and the show he inhabits are the focus of 'The Problem with Apu,' a documentary debuting Nov. 19 on truTV. The unintended result: a generation of Indian actors being asked to channel Apu in countless auditions."
TODAY'S SONG:
- Cars (Gary Numan)
- This is what happens when Facebook eats your business (Quartz) "Facebook attempted to buy Snapchat for $3 billion in 2013, but was rebuffed... ...Facebook has tried time and again to mimic multiple functions of Snapchat’s in standalone apps, but never found much success. ...until it outright copied Snapchat’s Stories structure for its own apps. Since Facebook copied Snapchat, it’s gone public and has lost roughly $3.1 billion through the first three quarters of the year—more than Facebook wanted to buy it for four years ago."
- Al Franken Just Gave the Speech Big Tech Has Been Dreading (Wired) "'Everyone is rightfully focused on Russian manipulation of social media, but as lawmakers it is incumbent on us to ask the broader questions: How did big tech come to control so many aspects of our lives? Franken asked... A handful of companies decide what Americans 'see, read, and buy,' dominating access to information and facilitating the spread of disinformation, he added. 'Last week’s hearings demonstrate that these companies might not be up to the challenge they created for themselves...'"
TRUMPTEL:
- How Donald Trump is remaking the federal courts in his own image (Mother Jones) "When Donald Trump took office, he inherited more than 100 federal judicial vacancies. It was a nearly unprecedented number, roughly twice the number that President Barack Obama inherited in 2009. Trump has moved quickly to fill these lifetime appointments with a slate of the most conservative and least diverse nominations since Reagan. While Trump’s legislative efforts can be repealed and his executive orders undone, federal judges are rarely removed from the bench. By working to install judges with remarkable speed, Trump and his grateful conservative allies are creating a durable legacy that will last long beyond his administration. Trump’s nominees are, so far, roughly 90 percent white and 80 percent male." and Trump Nominee for Federal Judgeship Has Never Tried a Case (NYT) "Brett Talley, is the fourth judicial nominee under President Trump to receive a 'not qualified' rating from the bar association and the second to receive the rating unanimously. Mr. Talley will now face a full hearing in the Senate." and Trump is dangerously cutting corners in his quest to remake the Judiciary (LA Times) "Past presidents have shared information about prospective judicial nominations with the ABA before nominations were announced so the bar group could make a confidential report to the White House. The Trump administration, however, refuses to give the ABA advance information about potential judges. The ABA isn’t infallible, but it has a record of evaluating prospective judges in a fair and bipartisan way."
- Donald Trump Jr. Exchanged Messages With WikiLeaks (WSJ - Paywall) "On Sept. 20, 2016, WikiLeaks contacted the son of President Donald Trump through a direct message on Twitter to advise him about the pending launch of a website that would highlight ties between the elder Mr. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the email. The exchange marks the first evidence of direct contact between senior Trump campaign officials and the Sweden-based WikiLeaks."
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:
- You Love ‘The Simpsons’? Then Let’s Talk About Apu (NYT) "The feelings of South Asian Americans toward the character and the show he inhabits are the focus of 'The Problem with Apu,' a documentary debuting Nov. 19 on truTV. The unintended result: a generation of Indian actors being asked to channel Apu in countless auditions."
TODAY'S SONG:
- Cars (Gary Numan)
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