Number of EVs to ‘jump tenfold’ by 2030, Cruise driverless cabs banned from San Francisco
The number of electric cars will jump almost tenfold by the end of the decade as China continues to drive both production and adoption, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said. A new report from the IEA has predicted there will be roughly 220 million electric passenger vehicles on the road by 2030, up from 26 million in 2022, fuelling what it described as an “unstoppable” shift to net zero. This surge will mean demand for fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas and coal, will peak within the next seven years, the IEA said. Telegraph
California has suspended Cruise driverless taxis from San Francisco streets after a pedestrian was dragged under its wheels after an accident. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) cited safety concerns, claiming the company had misrepresented what had happened after the incident. The company is one of two firms that has been allowed to provide taxi trips with driverless cars in the city. Cruise said in a statement it would be “pausing operations in the city”. Driverless taxis, sometimes referred to as autonomous vehicles (AVs), are a common sight in San Francisco. BBC
Thousands of AI-generated images depicting child abuse have been shared on a dark web forum, new research has found. About 3,000 AI images of child abuse were shared on the site in September, with 564 depicting the most serious kind of imagery including rape, sexual torture and bestiality. Of the images, 1,372 depicted children aged between seven and 10 years old, according to research by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). The charity said the most convincing images would even be difficult for trained analysts to distinguish from photographs. Sky News
Lenovo is back with a concept smartphone that can curl around your wrist. The company’s Motorola Mobility division is showing off the prototype at today’s Lenovo Tech World event. The smartphone features a flexible display that can do more than just fold. It also bends at several points across the screen, allowing it to wrap and curl. Lenovo has dubbed the concept an “adaptive display” smartphone, which can be shaped into different forms, depending on your needs. In terms of specs, the device features a flexible OLED panel with a screen resolution at full HD plus. PC Mag
Google is doing well, but not well enough for investors. On Tuesday, parent company Alphabet reported stronger-than-expected overall revenue for the quarter but missed analyst expectations in its closely watched Google Cloud business. Alphabet stock fell in after-hours trading despite strong third-quarter earnings announced on Tuesday following months of modest growth. It reported third-quarter revenue of $76.69bn, up 11% year over year and above analyst predictions of $75.9bn. The Guardian
Microsoft has detailed its earnings for the first quarter of its 2024 fiscal year, pointing to a record-breaking Q1 for Xbox gaming revenue, despite a 7% drop in hardware sales. Over the course of Microsoft’s Q1 2024, which covers 1st July to 30th September, Xbox generated $3.9bn USD in gaming revenue – equating to a 9 percent year-on-year increase – which the company attributed to strong performance from first-party titles and Game Pass. Eurogamer
Apple could be about to launch a MacBook Pro with an M3 chip inside, although if this laptop does arrive, stock might be thin on the ground to begin with. That’s the word from Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst and heavyweight Apple leaker, who has just changed tune very rapidly regarding the possibility of the M3 silicon turning up this year. Previously Kuo held the line that the MacBook Pro M3 was not going to turn up this year, and was something Apple had scheduled for 2024. Tech Radar
