promoearn: An Uber tragedy could upend the self-driving car industry

Monday, March 19, 2018

An Uber tragedy could upend the self-driving car industry

FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2016 file photo, an Uber driverless

New technology's worst fears came true

A self-driving Uber car hit and killed a woman in Tempe, Ariz., Sunday night, the first known pedestrian death involving such a vehicle. The car had a safety driver at the wheel, as is the norm when testing autonomous vehicles, according to police. What happens now? Uber shut it all down. The company says it has suspended testing self-driving cars in all U.S. cities, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. For some activists worried about the new technology, the tragedy is proof that self-driving vehicles are not ready for prime time. The biggest unanswered question may be whether people will feel comfortable being shuttled by a robot.

Time to give those Facebook privacy settings a tune-up

Facebook is scrambling to contain a growing firestorm over revelations that political data firm Cambridge Analytica got its hands on the profile information of 50 million people and created remarkably detailed and intimate profiles that were used to target voters for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Explain. Facebook suspended Cambridge Analytica last week after learning the British firm had obtained user profiles from another developer's personality quiz app. Criticism of Facebook ratcheted up over the weekend after reports from The New York Times and The Observer of London. And the Russia investigation? Yes, that's also in play. Cambridge Analytica was asked in December to turn over documents to special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. What now? Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., want hearings.

•	Tl;dr: This issue raises questions about whether Facebook does enough to protect users from privacy violations by third parties. Here's how to check your privacy settings.
•	British broadcaster Channel 4 secretly filmed the CEO of Cambridge Analytica saying his company could entrap politicians in compromising situations. More here.
•	The controversy engulfing Facebook pushed the company's stock to its worst one-day plunge since March 26, 2014. The market overall was also sharply lower.

Is your bracket busted? You're not alone

The NCAA tournament is never short on madness and crazy upsets. Seriously, who saw these Sweet 16 teams coming ? And not to be a hater, BUT Kansas State is the villain of March Madness. The team sent home the NCAA tournament's most likable Cinderella, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Which Sweet 16 teams are contenders or just pretenders? We've got you covered.

Four mysterious explosions by a 'serial bomber' have rocked Austin

Residents of Austin were told to use an "extra level of vigilance" and not even go near packages, bags or backpacksafter a series of bombings this month have stoked fear across the Texas capital.Two people were killed by the package bombs; four more were injured. "Clearly, we are dealing with a serial bomber," Police Chief Brian Manley said. What we know so far:

•	The first three attacks were similar: a plain, cardboard box with standard shipping labels was left on a doorstep. Each package had a bomb inside.
•	The latest bomb on Sunday was different: The package was on the side of a road in a different part of town and was activated by a tripwire.
•	Police initially raised the possibility of a hate crime because victims in the first two explosions were black. The third apparent target was Hispanic. The victims of Sunday's blast were white males.
•	Authorities believe the attacks were to send a message but don't know what that is.

Other stories worth a read:

•	President Trump renewed his call for drug traffickers to get the death penalty, saying Monday he wants to emulate countries with "no tolerance" policies that execute drug dealers.
•	Stephen Hawking submitted a paper on the theory of "multiverses" days before his death that could have been Nobel Prize-worthy. The legendary scientist never won a Nobel — and they aren't awarded posthumously. More on his theories.
•	Meghan McCain shared a photo of her and her dad, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., offering a glimpse of the 81-year-old who has been battling brain cancer.
•	Is Volkswagen about to squash the Bug? Maybe not yet. Despite reports that the Volkswagen Beetle is about to meet its demise, the German automaker has no plans to discontinue it in the U.S. Swipe through these photos of the iconic car.
•	Actor Jim Carrey got roasted for sharing a portrait resembling Sarah Huckabee Sanders.