Your next trip to an unfamiliar destination could be made much smoother thanks to upcoming Google Maps updates.
The app will soon be able to give you more in-depth details about where you’re traveling, both before you set off and while you’re on the move, according to a Google blog post .
We’re most excited about Google Maps finally being able to estimate the cost of toll roads you might want to use on your journey. Thanks to the feature you’ll be better able to weigh up the pros and cons of choosing to ‘Avoid Toll Roads’ on your route.
Right now the feature is restricted to around 2,000 toll roads across the US, India, Japan, and Indonesia, but over time new roads and regions will be added.
Another update will add new details to the digital map, including upcoming traffic lights, stop signs, and details about buildings you’re passing, which should help you get a better feel for a location you’re visiting for the first time.
Improved iOS support coming soon
Last but not least, Google is bringing several improvements to Maps on its Android OS rival in the coming weeks and months.
iPhone users will soon be able to take advantage of new widgets offering quick access to the most important details of your upcoming trip. In addition, if you wear an Apple Watch you’ll be able to start navigation using the Google Maps app without needing to pull your phone out – a new ‘Take me home’ complication will also enable you to quickly open directions home.
Google Maps will also be integrated with Siri , Spotlight, and the Shortcuts apps directly on iOS. Once the update has been rolled out, installed, and set up, you’ll be able to ask Siri for directions using your voice. Google says this feature will start to appear “in the coming months”, with enhanced Siri search functionality being added after the initial rollout.
Windows 11 is getting a new AI-powered eye contact feature for video calls, but rather than making these calls feel more natural, it actually looks pretty creepy.
Announced at its recent event on the future of hybrid work, this new feature aims to use artificial intelligence to make it look like your eyes are looking directly at the person you’re video calling.
Most webcams , including ones built into laptops, sit above the screen, but when we’re on video calls, we’re usually looking at the video of the person we’re talking to, instead of looking directly at the camera. This leads to callers appearing to look down when talking, rather than making eye contact, as most of us would when talking to people in person.
Microsoft’s attempt to fix this by adjusting the video caller’s pupils so they face the screen, in a bid to make video calls, as Windows chief Panos Panay claims, “more human,” is certainly interesting, but from the results we’ve seen so far, the effect appears more unnerving than the company intends.
Analysis: AI has its limits – and this is one of them
In the video clip Microsoft showed, a woman speaks on a video call, and her pupils do indeed make it appear that she’s looking at the screen. However, there are slight glitches that even when subtle, make it clear that something isn’t quite right.
It’s a classic example of the ‘uncanny valley’, where an attempt to synthesise an artificial human causes a sense of uneasiness in real humans, often because of imperfections which tell us that what we’re looking at is fake.
In fact, the uncanny valley can be more pronounced in more realistic attempts, as we subconsciously pick up more minor details, which then increases the impact of the effect, and that’s something that appears to have happened here.
By trying to make video calls in Windows 11 “more human,” Microsoft has actually done the opposite, and when you notice the little issues and glitches, you’re unable to see past the artificiality of it all. Ironically, it seems that this new feature is actually more distracting then if a caller was not looking at the camera.
Thankfully this feature will likely be optional, and there may be future updates that make it look more realistic, but at the moment we can’t imagine many people using it, and it shows that while AI has many fantastic uses, it also has its limits.
Via TechCrunch
This is shaping up to be a great year for electric bikes – we're only halfway through March, and we've already seen some truly exciting launches from some of the world's biggest bike builders, plus some lesser-known names with big ambitions. There have been so many launches, in fact, that it can be hard to keep track, so we've rounded up all of 2022's most exciting new launches. There are doubtless lots more on the horizon, but these are the ones we're most looking forward to taking for a ride ourselves so far...
1. Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5
Folding e-bikes are extremely practical, but rarely exciting. The RadExpand 5 is the exception. This is no sedate commuter bike; instead it's built like a tank, and packs down small enough to toss in the trunk of your car for off-road weekend adventures.
In addition to a 750W motor and super-tough frame, it boasts 4in knobbly tires for tackling mud and rutted tracks, full fenders to prevent that mud spraying up your back, and water resistant wiring. It can keep running for up to 45 miles on a single charge, which matches many road e-bikes, and is particularly impressive when you consider the RadExpand 5 weighs a hefty 62.5lb (about 28kg). Big batteries don't come light, after all.
All that can be yours for a mere $1,299 (about £900 / AU$1,600), making it one of the cheapest folding e-bikes around – including ones for gentle city pottering.
View at Rad Power Bikes
2. Yamaha Wabash RT
Yamaha is one of the oldest e-bike builders, and it's already launched two new models for 2022 – the Wabash RT and CrossCore RC . Both look impressive, but for us, the Wabash is the most exciting of the pair thanks to its off-road capabilities. The 2021 Garmin Connect Fitness Report found that gravel cycling was one of last year's fastest-growing activities, and throwing a motor and battery into the mix opens up the sport to even more people.
Yamaha itself calls the Wabash RT 'tough as dirt', and it's built to handle rough trails as easily as smooth roads. It has a 500W motor for powering up hills, plus flat, MTB-style handlebars for maneuvrability, knobbly Maxxis Rambler tires, and Shimano GRX RX hydraulic brakes.
The Wabash RT is a class-3 e-bike, and is capable of hitting up to 28mph with the motor engaged. That means you'll have to be careful where you ride it; in some territories it'll be technically classified as a moped, and will need to be licensed if you want to ride on public roads (though private land should be fine with the owner's permission). It's available now for $4,099 (about £3,000 / AU$5,600).
View at Yamaha
3. Cannondale Mavaro Neo
This is also shaping up to be a great year for road e-bikes, including a brand new take on the Cannondale Mavaro Neo . The 2022 update of this powerful e-bike can keep rolling for up to 100 miles on a single charge, which is hugely impressive for a model without a range extender, and means you won't have to be stingy with the assistance level during long weekend rides.
This is one of the first e-bikes we've seen sporting the new Bosch e-bike smart system , which includes a mobile app that puts you in control, letting you tweak power and performance on the fly and allowing you to download firmware updates without a trip to a workshop. There's also a built-in Garmin radar that alerts you to hazards approaching from behind while you concentrate on the road ahead.
The new Mavaro Neo is available now from Cannondale for £5,800 (about $7,800 / AU$10,600). That's definitely towards the higher end of the scale for an e-bike, but once you've checked out the full spec sheet, it makes sense.
View at Cannondale
4. Ducati Futa
Motorcycles and e-bikes are close cousins, so it's no surprise that the likes of Harley-Davidson and Ducati are branching out into the world of pedelecs. Ducati already has an impressive range of e-MTBs for powering up muddy slopes and fast technical descents, but it's now added a road e-bike to its arsenal – and it's quite a looker.
The Ducati Futa (which takes its name from a pass between Emilia Romagna and Tuscany) barely looks like an e-bike at all, and is super light at 12.2kg. It's packed with top-end components too, including a K Force WE groupset with 2x12 speed wireless electronic shifting, Vision AGX30 wheels with carbon rims, sturdy Pirelli Cinturato Velo 'tubeless ready' tires, and a tough, aerodynamic Trimax Carbon Aero handlebars.
There's a 250Wh battery (plus an optional 250Wh range extender), and the bike's five power settings are controlled via a Garmin bike computer built into the handlebars. All that doesn't come cheap, though – the standard Ducati Futa is priced at £7,690 (about $10,000 / AU$14,000), and the Futa Limited Edition is an eye-watering £11,990 (about $16,000 / AU$22,000).
View at Ducati
5. Ampler Juna and Axel
Estonian e-bike builder Ampler has been busy in 2022. Not only has it revamped its existing lineup of pedelecs , it's also added two brand new models to the range. The Ampler Juna and Axel are essentially the same, but the former has a step-through frame while the latter has a step-over design.
While the Ducati Futa is a luxurious status symbol, the Juna and Axel are light, practical, and pretty affordable as far as e-bikes go. Each one weighs between 16.3 and 16.5kg including fenders, lights, and a kickstand, which means you shouldn't struggle to shoulder them when necessary, and you won't have to splash out extra cash on accessories to make them road-safe.
You wouldn't know they're e-bikes at first glance, either – the battery and drive unit of each bike is tucked into a surprisingly slender down tube, and even the ride computer/display unit is fully integrated. All that comes for a very reasonable £2,490 (about $3,300 / AU$4,500), which is a very reasonable price for a class-1 pedelec with these specs.
View at Ampler
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