On the Road to Autonomy

Electric vehicles--and Ford-backed Rivian in particular--got another kick in the collective rear bumper this week, thanks to Amazon.

While the kids were schooling the adults about the disaster that is global warming, Amazon committed to purchasing 100,000 (yes, that's 5 zeros) electric delivery vehicles over the next 10 years. The plan is to have the first electric trucks supporting Prime fans in 2021 and have all the new EVs o...

Ending traffic fatalities is the ultimate goal of autonomous vehicle developers. So every year that the introduction of self-driving cars is delayed means more lives lost. And the calculus keeps holding steady, unfortunately.

Last year, an estimated 36,760 people died in motor vehicle accidents in the U.S., according to an early assessment from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That number, while repre...

If you've seen one smartphone, you've seen them all. Until now.

Debuting today, the OnePlus 7 Pro is zippy phone with a gorgeous screen for maximum legibility. It boasts some clever features, as well, and over the past week of testing ahead of its launch, I found it to be a worthwhile upgrade, especially if you've had your current phone for more than 2 years and you're looking for a new model to support you on your summer sojou...

Testing BMW's lineup of vehicles on the track and on the highway was an informative (and fun) way to spend a couple of days in Palm Springs. Despite our best attempts, no harm came to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan (well, maybe just a little bit).

There are plenty of blankets that compress to lilliputian portions to fit into a climber's backpack or an exec's briefcase. Plenty of these throws will keep you warm, some can even endure a complete drenching. But for me, the one true test of a travel blanket is, can it survive a dog?

Even a little dog. 

Rumpl has a certain cachet as a designer of stylish blankets for the outdoors that work equally as well on the cabin couch fo...

How could a terrible report on traffic congestion be good news? Because it means the economy is moving--even if drivers aren't.

Traffic and navigation company Inrix just released its annual study of congestion, the Global Traffic Scorecard, and found things have not improved, particularly in the U.S. But that's good because it means the economy is still chugging along.

Overall, Inrix found that on average Americans wasted 97 hou...

For air travelers, hell is other people jamming their luggage into the overheads - on top of your fragile gear. Now you can beat the devil with the Pelican ProGear Carry-On BA22, a case engineered with an almost neurotic amount of military-grade tech. 

The BA22 uses a double-walled, crush-proof design that can withstand up to 1,500 pounds of pressure. To stave off luggage handler abuse, there are no zippers to jam or rip....

A lot of luggage looks tough but isn't waterproof or strong enough to protect fragile electronics. The Pelican Elite BA30 Vacationer is the exception, luggage built by a company known for making hurricane-proof cases for first responders.

The Pelican Vacationer is a hard case with a double-walled design that can withstand up to 1,500 pounds of pressure. It eschews zippers in favor of recessed latches that won't jam or get torn...