Uber on Wednesday launched its self-driving pilot program that allows some passengers to get to their destination in a vehicle that drives itself, marking the company's first public test in the U.S. of the future of the technology. The ride-sharing service rolled out its first fleet of four autonomous vehicles, which come equipped with an Uber driver and an engineer in the front two seats who intervene occasionally, Reuters reports. The Ford Fusion cars have 3D cameras, global positioning systems and a detection system that uses lasers to assess objects on the road. The vehicles can stop at red lights, go at green lights, drive over bridges and maneuver around other vehicles on their own. Earlier this year, Uber said the technology is in its early days, but some still cheered its first step.

Apple is bringing a load of new features to the iPhone and iPad through a software update launching Tuesday. The new software, called iOS 10, brings a major refresh to some of the iPhone's core apps and features, like Siri, iMessage, and the Photos app. Siri and iMessage will be compatible with third-party apps in iOS 10, meaning you'll be able to do things like send money to friends within a messaging thread and ask Siri to call a Lyft for you. The new Photos app will use artificial intelligence to scan your photos and determine their subject matter, enabling you to search for specific images based on what's in them, like dogs, trees, or food. It's important to remember to back up your iPhone before upgrading to iOS 10.

Decades ago, before the Internet was a gleam in Uncle Sam's eye, computers were stupid. Not in the sense of being primitive, though they were also that, but in the literal sense of being internally braindead. So stupid, in fact, that we nicknamed this prehistoric, biz-angled species of keyboard-and-monitor "dumb terminals"--slang for intentionally complexity-allergic vessels into which content was beamed by sophisticated, centrally located machines that filled rooms like squadrons of refrigerators. In old-school parlance, we called those machines "mainframes." In today-speak, you might call them cloud servers.

On Interstate 280 outside San Francisco, towering white Volvo semitrucks have been driving themselves around for months–under the careful supervision of humans in the cab. Otto, a startup founded by automation experts eager to get their inventions out of the lab and onto the road, has been working to reinvent commercial trucking since it was founded in January. And in August, ride-sharing giant Uber announced it was acquiring Otto and its 91 employees in a deal worth an estimated 680 million. One fresh shake-up keeps following another among companies that have promised to sell self-driving vehicles and services. Along with the Otto buy, Uber revealed that customers would be able to summon autonomous rides in Pittsburgh by September.

Oxford English Dictionary Adds'Merica, Gender-Fluid and Squee

As a technology researcher, I'm often asked if tech growth has peaked, or if there is more to come. After spending lots of time thinking about this question, I've decided that the tech industry is in for a sea change, leading to a potential tripling of demand for tech-related goods and services over the next decade. Here are my seven reasons to be bullish about technology's future, broken down by category. A major move to build out broadband wireless networks will provide the underlying infrastructure critical for innovation in communications, the Internet of Things (which will connect lots of formerly "dumb" electronics, like air conditioners and coffee makers) and self-driving automobiles. Meanwhile, "mesh networks" that connect nearby devices to one another in local grids will allow for a new wave of wireless innovation in densely packed cities and other communities.

Self-driving vehicles promised to revolutionize the transportation industry. Automated cars could reshape every industry that relies on the automobile, from car manufacturing, to taxis, limousines and trucking. By taking human beings--who aren't the drivers they think they are--out from behind the wheel, self-driving cars could also save millions of lives. Self-driving cars will also have a profound effect on the environment--but whether it's for better or for worse will depend on technological and policy choices that have yet to be made. Automated vehicles could reduce energy consumption in transportation by as much as 90%, or increase it by more than 200%, according to research from the Department of Energy (DOE).

Amazon's Alexa is present in millions of living rooms by way of the Echo speaker and the Fire TV. Now, Amazon's virtual assistant is coming to tablets with new 89.99 Fire HD 8, the company announced Thursday. Amazon is also pushing Alexa to last year's Fire HD 8 tablet as well as the 49.99 Fire and 229.99 Fire 10 through a free software update over the coming months. The new Fire HD 8 will be up for pre-order starting Thursday in 16GB or 32GB storage options.

Sony unveiled a slimline PlayStation 4 during a press conference at the PlayStation Theater in Times Square Wednesday afternoon. Sony boss Andrew House kicked off the show by leaping straight to the revised system, which he said would be "slimmer, lighter, more energy efficient" than the current model, which hasn't changed since its launch in November 2013. The slimmer PlayStation 4 will be the "standard" PlayStation 4 moving forward, said House, and it's designed "to appeal to as wide an audience as possible." It'll be available by September 15 for most markets, and Sony's going to sell it for 299, or 50 less than the current model's 350 price tier. PlayStation 4 system architect Mark Cerny then confirmed the existent of PlayStation Pro, Sony's souped-up, razzle-dazzle followup to its not quite three years old PlayStation 4 games console.

Apple already launched both developer and public beta programs allowing users to try out the software over the summer. The new iOS comes with a largely similar design to iOS 9, which Apple launched last year. However, Apple made several improvements to the operating system's functionality, allowing users to add stickers to iMessage, as well as digitally write messages to other users. The operating system also comes with an overhauled Apple Music redesign, helping users find more music and stream it. Most importantly for third-party developers, iOS 10 allows any app maker to access Apple's virtual personal assistant Siri and use the intelligent service to do everything from allow users to book a ride on Lyft to get directions from third-party mapping apps.