Mercedes-Benz has issued a server-side update to fix an oversight that had allowed owners of its EQS EV and recent S-Class sedans to watch video content on the 56-inch MBUX Hyperscreen displays found in those cars while they were in motion. In a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing spotted by Consumer Reports editor Keith Barry, the automaker says it found an “incorrect configuration” on its backend server in November that may have been installed on some vehicles. It estimates nearly 227 cars were affected by the oversight. And while Mercedes is not aware of any crashes, it’s moving forward with a recall.

News of the decision comes in the same week that a report from The New York Times said Tesla recently updated its vehicles to allow passengers to play select games even while their car was moving. “Solitaire is a game for everyone, but playing while the car is in motion is only for passengers,” the company’s infotainment system says after someone launches the title. It’s possible for the driver to bypass that warning and then play the game. It’s a feature NHTSA says it’s in contact with Tesla about.

“The Vehicle Safety Act prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with design defects posing unreasonable risks to safety,” a spokesperson for the agency told Engadget. In 2019, NHTSA said 3,142 people in the US died in crashes involving distracted drivers.

If you've been putting off placing a reservation for Ford's upcoming EV F-150, you're in for some bad news. There aren't any more. Reservations, I mean. The company has reportedly received 200,000 orders for the model and aren't taking any more. 

As Ford CEO, Jim Farley, announced on a live airing of CNBC Investing Club Thursday, “we are completely oversubscribed with our battery electric vehicles, Lightning especially.”

“We had to stop reservations we got so many,” he added. “We stopped at 200,000, and those are orders. Hard orders.” That's unlike the Maverick, which saw 100,000 reservations in the first two months after its debut but did not require potential buyers to actually put down a cash deposit so anyone could add their name to the list, financially risk-free. 

Even with this newly installed cap, Ford faces a significant production challenge. Farley noted during the show that full production capacity for the Lightning currently sits at “70,000 or 80,000 units." Don't fret if you're already on the reservation list, Ford is already looking for ways to boost its EV output. 

“We’re going to try to double that,” Farley told CNBC host Jim Cramer. “We’ve done it in the past. Don’t bet against Ford when we have to increase capacity. This is what we do.”

Initial deliveries for the F-150 Lightning are slated for the middle of 2022. 

Rockstar Games will soon release another big update for GTA Online, which includes a story mission featuring one of Grand Theft Auto V's main characters. "The Contract" centers around Franklin Clinton and his friends, who aspire to be problem solvers for celebrities and "rich folk who got rich folk problems."

One of those potential clients is Dr. Dre, who appears as himself in the story. A phone containing unreleased music from the rapper and producer has gone missing. As a potential partner for Franklin's new enterprise, it's your job to get it back.

You'll be able to hear those Dre tracks and other fresh music when the update arrives on December 15th. Rockstar is promising "an eclectic new radio station from some very special guest hosts" and big changes to current radio stations. Expect additional side missions, weapons (including an EMP launcher), vehicles, locations and more. Rockstar will reveal more details about "The Contract" in the coming days.

A few other well-known figures have appeared as themselves in the Grand Theft Auto series. Phil Collins was involved in several missions in GTA: Vice City Stories, while Katt Williams and Ricky Gervais performed stand-up sets in GTA IV.

Still, it's notable that Dr. Dre is taking a bigger role in GTA Online — he popped up briefly during 2020's Cayo Perico heist. Other major ongoing games like Fortnite include versions of real people and fictional characters from other properties. Perhaps GTA Online is becoming a metaverse too.

Many Tesla vehicles allow drivers to play a selection of games on the infotainment system while the car is in motion, according to a report by The New York Times. The company rolled out an update in the summer that reportedly let drivers play Solitaire, jet fighter game Sky Force Reloaded and strategy title The Battle of Polytopia: Moonrise while on the road.

The touchscreen is said to display a warning before a game of Solitaire starts. “Solitaire is a game for everyone, but playing while the car is in motion is only for passengers," the message reads, according to the Times. That indicates Tesla knows the game is playable while the car's moving.

Although players have to acknowledge that they're a passenger, the driver can tap that button and play the game. Even if a passenger is playing something, it's possible that a driver will divert their attention to the screen to see what's happening anyway.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 3,142 people died in crashes involving distracted drivers in the US in 2019. A 2017 study suggested that many infotainment features absorbed drivers' attention too long for them to be safe. Researchers at the University of Utah found that, when drivers used voice-based and touchscreen systems, they "took their hands, eyes and mind off the road for more than 24 seconds to complete tasks."

Drivers are supposed to keep their hands on the steering wheel when Tesla's Autopilot is engaged, but a recent study suggested drivers become less attentive when the mode is active. In August, the NHTSA said it was investigating Autopilot following a number of crashes with parked first responder vehicles. Those resulted in one death and 17 injuries.

Other automakers lock many touchscreen and infotainment features when the car is in motion. Stellantis (fka Fiat Chrysler), for instance, lets drivers and passengers watch a DVD on the dashboard screen in some vehicles, though only when the car's parked. NHTSA guidelines urge automakers to ensure that cars with infotainment devices prevent drivers from carrying out "inherently distracting secondary tasks while driving.”

Tesla has addeda numberof games to its infotainment system over the last few years. Until a few months ago, they were only playable while the car was parked. The Times says Tesla and CEO Elon Musk didn't respond to requests for comment — the company no longer has a PR department. Engadget has contacted the NHTSA for comment.

Psyonix is bringing a couple more Ford vehicles to Rocket League this week, and whether players are more interested in brand-new cars or classics, there should be something to catch their interest. On December 9th, the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV will land in the Item Shop. Perhaps to underscore that this is an electric vehicle, you'll see a visual lightning effect when it goes supersonic.

Joining the Mach-E in the store this week is the classic 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R. Each car is part of a bundle that includes themed decals, wheels, a player banner and engine audio. You can buy each bundle for 1,100 Credits or both for 2,000 Credits. The bundles will be available until December 22nd.

The addition of the Mach-E and GT350R builds on the partnership between Psyonix and Ford. The F-150 arrived in the game earlier this year. The automaker is also sponsoring the Rocket League Championship Series Fall Major, an in-person tournament that takes place in Stockholm this week.

Nissan has unveiled the lunar lander prototype it has been working on with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The automaker has been collaborating with the agency on driving controllability since January 2020.

To help ensure the rover doesn't get stuck on the lunar surface, Nissan has employed a version of its e-4orce all-wheel control technology. The company says its driving-force controls can minimize wheel spin "in accordance with surface conditions." Not only could that prevent the rover's wheels from digging into the moon's powdery, rocky terrain, it might help the lander conserve precious energy.

Nissan announced the e-4orce powertrain system early last year. The tech, which is featured in the Ariya electric crossover and upcoming next-gen Leaf, allows for precise, independent control for all four wheels. The Ariya has front and rear motors, and the torque of each can be controlled individually to deliver traction during acceleration.

The company believes "the knowhow gained from this joint research with JAXA will lead to innovations in our vehicles that will bring benefits to customers," according to Toshiyuki Nakajima, general manager of Nissan's Advanced Vehicle Engineering Department.

The current design of the rover isn't aesthetically exciting, unfortunately. Right now, it's a rectangular box on wheels. But, as is usually the case, it's what's on the inside that really counts.

The electrification of the bicycle has historically meant just that: A bike, but with an electric motor. You might find some other smart conveniences on higher-end models, but "less is more" has usually been the way. Urtopia, the latest e-bike brand from China, has other ideas. Its debut ride is, on paper, one of the most tech-heavy bikes we’ve seen. The spec sheet reads more like a phone’s than a next-gen fixie.

For example, beyond the 250W hub motor with three levels of riding assist (and an estimated 30-80 mile range), there’s an integrated dot-matrix display, a fingerprint reader, GPS, 4G (via eSIM), mmWave sensors for vehicle detection, an integrated alarm and, well… the list goes on.

The bike itself has a striking aesthetic that doesn’t bother to hide the fact that this is possibly the most technologically advanced model you’ll see this year. The frame was designed by Mathis Heller who has experience with BMW and IKEA among others, and it’s pure curves and racing lines. The stealth bomber look is further enhanced with all the cables hidden from view inside the frame. The Urtopia is pitched as a city bike and while the (removable) battery isn’t overly obvious, there’s no doubt to even the most casual of glances that you’re not wielding a regular analog pedaller.

When this thing arrived, I was dreading putting it together. Previous experience has taught me that while not complex, you’ll want to set aside some time (and space) to get things set up. Turns out, the prototype model I tested only really needed the front wheel inserted and the tires pumped and I was good to go.

James Trew / Engadget

The obvious draw here for gadget fans will be the “smartbar” — an onboard computer built right into the handlebars. The dot matrix display is the centerpiece of the bike and only dials up that “bike from the future” vibe. On the right-hand side where the bell would usually be is the fingerprint reader which interacts with the computer in a few ways (it’s also a digital bell). The left-hand side houses the four-way D-pad which is where you change modes and settings along with powering the bike on (but not off, more on that later).

Despite that long list of smart features, not all of them were available to test on the prototype I was sent. The hardware for the mmWave sensors is there, but there’s no way to activate it. The GPS and eSIM require the companion app to work and that’s not ready yet also. Sadly, those are some very interesting features we’ll have to wait and see on, but most everything else was present and correct.

Before the fun stuff, the basic e-bike functionality (power/speeds/range etc.) appears to be on par with other hub-motor bikes I’ve tried. For example, I recently tested the Tenways city bike, which has a 250W battery and motor compared to the Urtopia’s 360Wh cell. But both have 250W torque-based brushless hub motors and the same Gates carbon belt.

Things get more exciting once you turn the bike on. You’ll be greeted with a wooshing sound from the speaker in the smartbar and the company logo appearing on the display before defaulting back to the speedometer. I am informed that some of the sounds will be user-configurable and I hope that includes the option to turn them off. Before you ride, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the controls. Up and down on the D-pad will cycle through the assistance levels: Pedal mode, Eco, Comfort and Sport (there’s also a “Turbo” mode which is akin to a “throttle” mode).

James Trew / Engadget

Tap left or right, and you’ll be presented with turn signals projected on the ground (these also remain on when the lights are on but flash when you initiate a turn). To switch the actual lights on, however, involves speaking to the bike — there’s no manual control, only voice.

This is where things get a little goofy. Urtopia warns in its press materials that the voice recognition system hasn’t been fully “trained.” Yet, for me, it worked perfectly. Perhaps they only trained it on dull-voiced Britons? Anyway, to turn the lights on you’ll need to place a digit on the fingerprint reader and wait for the face icon to appear on the screen letting you know you can issue your command like some sort of Belgian Michael Knight. It’s cool but I’d still like a physical switch so that I don’t have to talk to my bike in public, not least because when you’re riding, it’s harder for the smartbar to hear your voice thanks to the rustling wind, etc. The result is you either have to stop for a second or lean into the handlebars as you go, neither is very elegant.

The list of things you can currently control with your voice includes: Change speed mode, lock the bike, indicate a turn and change the smartbar’s volume. All of those, bar the volume (and lights) have physical controls too. It’s a cute idea and presents a hands-free option, but in practice, I do wonder how useful it is over a nice button you can mash.

Another feature that feels like technology doesn’t necessarily improve is the bell. On this bike it’s built into the fingerprint reader. A long press activates voice recognition, a short press will emit a digital “ring ring.” It works fine, but it’s not as responsive as a physical bell would be. I had times where I was approaching someone from behind and wanted to alert them to my presence, only for the bell to sound half a second after I passed them. Other times it took two or three tries for it to even trigger.

James Trew / Engadget

The experience with the alarm also needs a little smoothing out. I love the idea that I can leave the bike “locked” and if anyone moves it, it’ll issue an audible alarm. The problem is, the Urtopia will do this any time it’s locked. This might seem fine until you learn that “locked” is basically “standby” and the bike will be in this mode as soon as you connect the battery. So if you put the battery in and then start wheeling the bike out the front door, the alarm will sound.

There’s an easy fix for this, but also not entirely helpful. Simply turn the bike on and that will disable the alarm. In fairness, this is a quirk of it being a prototype. Production models will allow you to disable the alarm with the fingerprint sensor or the companion app, but this isn’t something I could test. It’s worth mentioning that, right now, there’s no actual way to turn the bike off other than by removing the battery, so fingers crossed these are some kinks that can be ironed out by launch. I asked a company representative if this was the plan and he confirmed that it was.

So, tech aside, what does this thing ride like? The sitting position puts you leaning forward in more of a racer pose than a typical town bike where you might be more upright. It’s comfortable though, even after mid to long rides (the longest I managed was 11 miles but I was up for more) although the Velo saddle could be a little easier on the butt — it’s fairly hard and doesn’t appear to be gel-lined.

In pedal mode, there’s no noticeable resistance from the motor as expected with a hub of this type. At 13Kg/30 pounds, it’s pretty light for an e-bike — mostly thanks to the carbon fiber body. This means if you don’t want to use the battery it’s still a functional regular bike. Tap up on the D-pad though and things get fun real quick. Like most e-bikes, the Urtopia is limited on its power assistance based on territories. The US version tops out at 20 MPH before you’re on your own and the EU version will cap out at 16 MPH of electric assistance.

James Trew / Engadget

The three power modes all feel pretty fast. That’s to say, even “eco” mode will help you along nicely. Step up to Comfort mode and you probably have nearly all the power you need to get where you’re going and have a good balance of exercise and assistance. In Sport mode, this thing feels really quite fast despite the standard limitations. I often found myself dropping back down to Comfort mode when other humans were near as it can feel quite lively — in a good way.

If you really are feeling like chilling out and letting the bike do all the work, there’s also that Turbo mode. Long press Up on the D-pad and even the lightest of pedaling will soon get you to 20mph. Given the racey aesthetic and the forward seating position, this is a lot of fun for not a lot of effort.

With that in mind, I should mention the range. Urtopia claims you should be good for anything between 30 and 80 assisted miles. This will obviously depend on the terrain and which power mode you’re in, and it’s quite a wide estimate. I haven’t run the battery down yet, but the indicator on the smartbar did seem to get quite low even on a 10-mile ride. It’s hard to know if this is a prototype quirk or just that the battery is draining fast (which, again, could be something that changes in final hardware with final firmware? Hard to know).

This is why I saved the section on GPS and the 4G connectivity until now. One of the more interesting selling points here for me is that you will be able to track and locate the bike on a map at almost any time. The company tells me it plans to offer data bundles for the 4G connectivity for about $30 a year — which seems pretty reasonable for the peace of mind of being able to locate your bike anywhere if it were to go missing. My question is… what impact might this have on the battery if it’s pinging GPS and running 4G while idle? Alas, a question I can’t answer until we get to try the final model.

The same question goes for the mmWave sensors. Another thing I am currently unable to test.

James Trew / Engadget

What I do know is that as the bike is right now, it’s incredibly fun to ride and thanks to the weight, fairly easy to handle (I live in a fifth-floor apartment, so wrangling it into the small elevator is thankfully more manageable). The techno styling might not be to everyone’s taste, but I’m quite fond of it. And most importantly, it’s nice to see something so tech-forward, even if some of the headline features weren’t ready. I am eager to try them once they are and after speaking with the company I got the sense there is more to come. I jokingly suggested they should allow music through the smartbar speaker (the bike has Bluetooth) and they suggested that was possible as are the required OTA updates to deliver such new features.

Right now, the Urtopia is available for pre-order via Indiegogo. As such, the standard caveats apply, but given how close to final the prototype I have is, it doesn’t seem like there’s any more development to be done, just some fine-tuning on those remaining features. If you do pre-order you’ll be able to pick one up for $2,000 which is a really competitive price even for the bike without those extra features enabled. According to the campaign, that price will almost double once it goes to retail, so if you’re taken by what you see, there’s a decent incentive to get on board sooner rather than later.

7-Eleven has teamed up with Nuro for autonomous vehicle deliveries in Mountain View, California. Residents can place orders through the 7Now app and an AV might bring the items to their location.

Autonomous deliveries won't cost customers anything extra. They're available from 8AM until 9PM PT every day, and the companies say orders should arrive in around 30 minutes. When the AV arrives, customers collect their items from the rear. There are some limitations. You won't be able to order age-restricted items — such as alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets — for autonomous delivery.

Nuro will initially use self-driving Priuses with a human operator monitoring the tech from the driver seat. Eventually, Nuro's R2 robot, which has been making deliveries in other states, will bring 7-Eleven orders to customers' doorsteps in Mountain View, where the company is based.

This is the first commercial AV delivery service in California, according to Nuro. The state's DMV granted Nuro California's first Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Permit last December.

With Tesla's latest FSD ("Full Self-Driving") release, it's asking drivers to consent to allowing it to collect video taken by a car's exterior and interior cameras in case of an accident or "serious safety risk." That will mark the first time Tesla will attach footage to a specific vehicle and driver, according to an Electrek report. 

Tesla has gathered video footage as part of FSD before, but it was only used to train and improve its AI self-driving systems. According to the new agreement, however, Tesla will now be able to associate video to specific vehicles. "By enabling FSD Beta, I consent to Tesla’s collection of VIN-associated image data from the vehicle’s external cameras and Cabin Camera in the occurrence of a serious safety risk or a safety event like a collision," the agreement reads. 

By enabling FSD Beta, I consent to Tesla’s collection of VIN-associated image data from the vehicle’s external cameras and Cabin Camera in the occurrence of a serious safety risk or a safety event like a collision.

As Electrek notes, the language could indicate that Tesla wants to ensure it has evidence in case its FSD system is blamed for an accident. It could possibly also be used to detect and fix serious issues more quickly.

FSD 10.3 was released more widely than previous betas, but it was quickly pulled back due to issues like unwarranted Forward Collision Warnings, unexpected autobraking and more. At the time, CEO Elon Musk tweeted that such issues are "to be expected with beta software," adding that "it is impossible to test all hardware configs in all conditions with internal QA, hence public tests."

However, other drivers on public roads are unwitting beta testers, too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently investigating a driver's complaint that it led to a November 3rd collision in Brea, California. The owner alleged that FSD caused his Model Y to enter the wrong lane and hit another car, causing considerable damage to both. 

Tesla is releasing the new beta to even more users with Driver Safety Scores of 98 and up — previously, beta releases were limited to drivers with perfect 100 scores. Tesla charges drivers $199 per month for the feature or $10,000 in one shot, but has failed meet promised deadlines for autonomous driving. Currently, the FSD system is considered to be a Level 2 system — far from the Level 4 required to really be "full self-driving." 

Last year, Polestar announced that it's stunning Precept concept EV sedan would become a real production car. Now, the company has shown the first official images of the production version and confirmed that it will arrive in 2024 as the Polestar 5, Roadshow has reported.

Unlike many auto show concepts, the new vehicle strongly resembles the Precept that it's based on. That includes the long wheelbase, "shark" nose, fastback design and geometric creasing. "It makes me very proud to see how much of the concept car's design is making it into the Polestar 5," said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath in a statement. It's likely to use a version of parent Geely's upcoming SPA2 EV platform also earmarked for the Polestar 3 SUV and next-generation Volvo XC90. 

With the Polestar 5, the company has nearly fleshed out its EV lineup that includes the current Polestar 2, upcoming Polestar 3 SUV and the original Polestar 1, a PHEV that will no longer be produced after 2021. A Polestar 4 is also in the offing as a smaller crossover-style SUV that could be the analog of Volvo's C40 Recharge, according to an Autocar report. 

That will give it a product lineup roughly equivalent to Tesla, with a sedan, hatchback, crossover and SUV. Given Polestar's design chops, and the excellent Polestar EV driving characteristics we've seen so far, it should be a formidable rival.