21 settembre 2016

Elon Musk News - Issue 45 🚀🚗🌇

"If we can effectively merge with AI by improving the neural link ... then effectively you become an AI-human symbiote"

Elon Musk News

ISSUE 45 🚀🚗🌇  September 20th 2016


Here are the top 3 stories in this issue of Elon Musk News:
  1. Elon Musk Says SpaceX's Mars Colonial Transporter Can Go Well Beyond Mars
  2. First look at Tesla v8.0 software update with UI overhaul, improved Autopilot visualisation, and more
  3. Elon Musk to Unveil Interplanetary Transport System for Human Mars Mission
In a series of tweets last Friday, Elon Musk revealed that the Mars Colonial Transporter can actually go well beyond Mars, and as a result will need a new name. There should be much more information on this, and SpaceX's plans to colonize Mars in one week when Musk speaks at the International Astronautical Congress.
There are also articles in this issue that highlight some of Musk's comments during his recent Y Combinator interview, a first look at autopilot v8.0, video of a Lamborghini Huracan vs. a P100D, and much more!
Thank-you for being part of this newsletter, and enjoy Issue 45!
Sincerely,
Zachary K.D.
Thank-you to ClipperCreek for making this issue possible!

Featured Quote

"If we can effectively merge with AI by improving the neural link ... then effectively you become an AI-human symbiote"

— Elon Musk
Quote from Y Combinator | Photo from Bill Brooks

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Elon Musk News

Elon Musk Has Been Perfecting the Electric Car for Over 25 Years

"In college, I sort of thought helping with electrification of cars was how it would start out. That's actually what I worked on as an intern, was advanced ultra-capacitors, to see if there would be a breakthrough relative to batteries for energy storage in cars. And then, when I came out to go to Stanford, that's what I was going to be doing my grad studies on, was working on advanced energy storage technologies for electric cars. And I put that on hold to start an internet company in '95, because there does seem to be a time for particular technologies when they're at a steep point in the inflection curve."

SpaceX

Elon Musk Says SpaceX Could Have a Mars Colony by 2026

"…look at it this way: at this point, I'm certain there is a way. I'm certain that success is one of the possible outcomes for establishing a self-sustaining Mars colony, a growing Mars colony. I'm certain that is possible. Whereas until maybe a few years ago, I was not sure that success was even one of the possible outcomes."
"In terms of having some meaningful number of people going to Mars, I think this is potentially something that can be accomplished in about 10 years. Maybe sooner, maybe nine years. I need to make sure that SpaceX doesn't die between now and then and that I don't die, or if I do die, that someone takes over who will continue that."

Elon Musk Says SpaceX's Mars Colonial Transporter Can Go Well Beyond Mars

Elon Musk used an offhand tweet yesterday to reveal — and possibly humblebrag — that his company's Mars Colonial Transporter, the ship intended to start taking people to Mars as soon as 2024, has a range that extends "well beyond Mars." As such, he sent out a request for a new name for the MCT, since the Mars bit is already obsolete — well, at least as obsolete as a name can be before the ship actually, you know, goes to Mars.

Elon Musk to Unveil Interplanetary Transport System for Human Mission

SpaceX has a long road ahead if they want to lead humanity's colonization of a new world. In just one week, that endeavor will begin at the International Aeronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico where CEO Elon Musk will give a talk titled Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species. SpaceX will use the venue to present its long-term plans to establish a human colony on Mars.
Read the full article | Photo from SpaceX

Tesla

First look at Tesla v8.0 software update with UI overhaul, improved Autopilot visualisation, and more

While the Autopilot update is great for every Tesla owner since the end of 2014 – when Tesla introduced the Autopilot hardware in every new car, the new UI affects every Tesla owner since the launch of the Model S in 2012. With this said, some of the most interesting UI upgrades actually only affects Tesla vehicles with Autopilot. Tesla upgraded the Autopilot visualisation on the dashboard to now enable the rendering of the cars in the correct angle relative to the Tesla instead of just in parallel to the trajectory of the Tesla.
The media app also received a complete overhaul. You get shortcuts to your favorite radio and streaming stations. They also improved the search with filters for artists, albums, and songs.

Eleven teams just drove around the world in electric vehicles: 9 Teslas, 1 Denza & a bus

Four years ago, Rafael de Mestre became the first EV driver to solo circumnavigate the globe in his Tesla Roadster. He's just done it again, this time with company, once again showing that EVs are entirely suitable for long distance travel. After challenging EV drivers to join him in an around-the-world road rally, they departed in June and finished in 80 days as planned, under the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona. The rally included eleven teams from nine countries, including eight Tesla Model S, one Tesla Roadster, one DENZA (a joint brand from Daimler and BYD), and an electric bus from Hungarian firm Modulo.

Tesla Model S P100D drag races Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4

It hasn't even been a week since one of the first deliveries of a Model S P100D took place in Palm Beach, Florida, and now comes the first drag racing video showing Tesla's amazing 760 horsepower sedan duke it out against a Lamborghini.
Not surprisingly, the instantaneous torque of the Tesla allows it to get an initial jump on the 3,419-pound V-10 naturally aspirated Lambo, but what happens next is surprising. The Model S manages to fend off the Italian supercar until much later into the race.

Tesla is in a full 'end-of-the-quarter push', more inventory cars and buyers reporting unusual discounts

Tesla always goes full steam ahead at the end of the quarter to reduce transit time and make sure as many vehicles as possible get delivered in order to increase revenue for the quarterly report. But we knew this quarter would be even more special after a company-wide email from CEO Elon Musk leaked last month.
Tesla increased the number of inventory vehicles available in order to cut the wait time. Previously, it would still take a few days between the transaction and the delivery even if the vehicle was on the lot and up to 2 weeks to get it delivered from another Tesla store, but now some new buyers are reporting been able to drive it off the lot. Someone has even reported being offered an inventory Model S 75 for the price of a new Model S 60 and others are reporting up to $7,500 in additional discounts.

Hyperloop

Hyperloop One Makes Progress on North Las Vegas Test Site

Hyperloop One is making progress in constructing its North Las Vegas test site in a quest to transport travelers through its proposed system of giant pipes at speeds of 750 miles per hour. A concept that not too long ago only existed on paper is quickly becoming reality in the desert north of Las Vegas, Nevada.
In addition to the test site, Hyperloop One is constructing a site to manufacture the Hyperloop parts, called the Metalworks facility, according to buildzoom. Work on the test site actually began in January, and to date is estimated to have a total job value of $1.9 million. Hyperloop One plans to build the 1,400-meter high-speed test track, an electrical system to support the track that will cost nearly $1 million, and a 26,250 square foot foundation for a tent structure.

OpenAI

Elon Musk Says Humanity's Survival Depends on "A.I.-Human Symbiote"

Elon Musk says the key to preventing an artificial intelligence-induced apocalypse is to create an "A.I.-human symbiote." It's the fated neural lace, part of the "democratization of A.I. technology," that connects our brains to the cloud. And when enough brains are connected to the cloud — when "we are the A.I. collectively" — the "evil dictator A.I." will be powerless against us all.

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20 settembre 2016

Elon Musk News - Elon Musk defends level 3 autonomy against Google & Volvo, says ‘morally wrong to withhold functionalities that improve safety’ 🚗❎👷

"I'm confident we can get to at least one meter per second [on Tesla's production line]. So, a 20-fold increase."

Elon Musk News

ELON MUSK DEFENDS LEVEL 3 AUTONOMY AGAINST GOOGLE & VOLVO, SAYS 'MORALLY WRONG TO WITHHOLD FUNCTIONALITIES THAT IMPROVE SAFETY' 🚗❎👷  September 16th 2016


Here are the top 3 stories in this issue of Elon Musk News:
  1. Elon Musk defends level 3 autonomy against Google & Volvo, says 'morally wrong to withhold functionalities that improve safety'
  2. SpaceX hopes to return to flight by November, company's president claims
  3. Elon Musk confident that Tesla can attain staggering 20-fold increase in production speed in Fremont
It's amazing how much can happen in the span of only a few days. SpaceX's president Gwynne Shotwell said that they should be launching rockets again in November, and Tesla's new Model S P100D was tested by DragTimes who confirmed its staggering 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds. Elon also gave an interview with Y Combinator's Sam Altman, you can watch the interview here.
Thank-you for being part of this newsletter, and enjoy Issue 44!
Sincerely,
Zachary K.D.

Featured Quote

"I'm confident we can get to at least one meter per second [on Tesla's production line]. So, a 20-fold increase."

— Elon Musk
Quote & photo from Y Combinator

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SpaceX

SpaceX hopes to return to flight by November, company's president claims

SpaceX hopes to start launching its rockets again in November, a mere three months after the company's Falcon 9 exploded on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. That's according to SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell, who spoke today at Euroconsult's World Satellite Business Week — a conference in Paris. "We're anticipating getting back to flight, being down for about three months, and getting back to flight in November," said Shotwell

What Happens if SpaceX Beats NASA to Mars?

William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for human exploration and operations, had a very astute response: "It's not a competition." He went on to explain that whichever company or agency first able to make it to red planet is irrelevant to the bigger picture of expanding the presence of humanity into deep space. "It advances us as a species," he said. NASA is rooting for SpaceX and the success of the Red Dragon program as much as Musk and his team are rooting for NASA.

Work on SpaceX's Boca Chica launch site continues

Construction is expected to be completed by late 2017, with launches potentially starting as soon as 2018. SpaceX has stated that while NASA missions (launches of probes to different parts of the solar system, as well as the company's Commercial Cargo Resupply Services and Commercial Crew Program) will still be launched from the Cape, the launch of some non-NASA payloads (such as the SES, Thaicom and JCSAT satellites SpaceX has already sent to orbit) would likely move to Boca Chica.

Abort! SpaceX, Boeing Taking Different Tacks in Launch Escape Tests

While both companies are required to include one of these escape systems in their vehicles, the approach to testing the systems differs slightly between the two companies.
SpaceX's Dragon's escape system was directly tested in May 2015, during the craft's first pad abort test. The capsule was placed on a launch pad by itself (no rocket) and controllers fired the Dragon's eight SuperDraco launch-abort engines; in the case of an emergency (like a rocket explosion) those engines would fire the craft away from danger. The Dragon was able to reach an altitude of nearly 5,000 feet (about 1,500 meters), demonstrating that it could get away from the pad on its own.
Read the full article | Photo from

Tesla

Elon Musk defends level 3 autonomy against Google & Volvo, says 'morally wrong to withhold functionalities that improve safety'

Tesla's CEO defended the company's decision to push level 3 semi-autonomous system, a system under which the driver basically acts as the backup to the autonomous technology.
"I feel quite strongly that as soon as you have data that says that autonomy improves safety [we should bring it to market]. Even hypothetically 1 or 2 percent safer. There are 1.2 million people dying from automotive accidents a year. One percent is 12,000 lives saved."
Musk went on to highlight the real reasons why he thinks some companies are against level 3 autonomy: "And I think it would be morally wrong to withhold functionalities that improve safety simply in order to avoid criticisms or for fear of being involved in lawsuits."
Read the full article | Photo from Tesla

Elon Musk confident that Tesla can attain staggering 20-fold increase in production speed in Fremont

Sam Altman of Y Combinator recently had the opportunity to have a 1-on-1 sit down with Elon Musk. During the interview, they conversed about various subjects including whether or not he [Musk] thought people getting their PhDs is generally useful, the colonization of mars, and artificial intelligence. But one statement, in particular, that Musk revealed in his talks with Altman stood out like a sore thumb: he believes that the team at Tesla can increase the speed on the production line by, a staggering, 20-fold.

First look at Tesla's Model S P100D performance: 10.7 sec 1/4 mile, 0-60 in 2.5 sec

Using the VBOX, Dragtimes was able to confirm a 10.7 second 1/4 mile and 760 horsepower (567KW). The Model S P100D's unofficial 10.7 second 1/4 mile blast tops the previous world record of 10.8 seconds held by a Model S P90D with Ludicrous.

Addressing Peak Energy Demand with the Tesla Powerpack

Los Angeles is still in need of an electric energy solution that ensures reliability during peak times. As winter approaches, homes and buildings in the basin will need more natural gas for heat. These demands apply uncharacteristically high pressure to the energy system, exposing the Los Angeles basin to a heightened risk of rolling blackouts.
Last week, through a competitive process, Tesla was selected to provide a 20 MW/80 MWh Powerpack system at the Southern California Edison Mira Loma substation. Tesla was the only bidder awarded a utility-owned storage project out of the solicitation. Upon completion, this system will be the largest lithium ion battery storage project in the world. When fully charged, this system will hold enough energy to power more than 2,500 households for a day or charge 1,000 Tesla vehicles.

Mobileye Lashes Out at Tesla for "Pushing the Envelope" of Safety

While Elon Musk continues to declare that his Teslas will soon be "by far the safest cars on the road," his former partners at Mobileye are singing a different tune. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Mobileye Chief Technology Officer Amnon Shashua said Tesla was "pushing the envelope in terms of safety," and that this audacity would hurt the autonomous car industry.
Now that it's independent, odds are good that Mobileye wants to establish its own foothold in the market, and to distance itself from a company that will continue to make headlines whenever it loses footing. Car crashes are normal, unfortunate events, but computers are great scapegoats. Even if Tesla could cut automobile deaths in half, the rare Autopilot malfunction would still cause a media frenzy. Mobileye, which has moved on to other automotive partnerships, would rather not be tied to such a liability.

Tesla is suing oil industry exec for impersonating Elon Musk to get confidential information

Elon Musk has warned people to stay vigilant and "revolt against the propaganda of the fossil fuel industry which is unrelenting and enormous". Now Tesla is having its own fight against the oil industry and it's not one to promote electric vehicles. The company is suing an oil pipeline services firm and its Chief Financial Officer who Tesla says tried to impersonate Musk to gain confidential information about Tesla's deliveries during the current quarter.

Hyperloop

Shervin Pishevar: The first Hyperloop will likely be built overseas

Shervin Pishevar, well-known venture capitalist and co-founder in the two-year-old L.A.-based futuristic transportation company Hyperloop One came to TechCrunch Disrupt today to chat about shooting across the world people and things — faster than the speed of sound.
But just how soon will we see that happen? Pishevar says his team is "full steam ahead" to get us there by 2021 and that the first one will likely be overseas. "The thing I learned from Travis Kalanick, Elon and others is they don't spend their time thinking about competition. They think about what they're going to build next," he said. "We're not thinking about the past, we're full steam ahead on the future."

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This Is The End

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