Google's Self-Driving Car is Tested by Blind Man

In 2010, Google announced it's self-driving car project. The company has been working on building cars that rely on laser range finders, radar sensors, and video cameras to navigate the road ahead in order to make driving safe, more efficient, and more accessible.  While Google hasn't said yet what they plan on doing with the cars, it should be a good business for them because the cars rely heavily on Google's data centers.

The steering wheel turns automatically, and the vehicle stops for red lights and stop signs. Radar and lasers check for cross-traffic and prevent the vehicle from collisions.

Steve Mahan, a man who only has 95 percent of his vision, recently took the car for a test drive. A Google employee sat next to him with a computer, programming the route to each destination.

"Where this would change my life is to give me the independence and the flexibility to go the places I both want to go and need to go," Mahan said.

Mahan isn't the only person who's life would be drastically affected by the introduction of this self-driving car. Many people who have medical conditions that have kept them off the road in the past will be able to use cars as a means of transportation again.

"There are a lot of hoops that are going to need to be jumped through in the years to come: Things like driver's licenses and regulatory stuff to allow these vehicles to traverse roadways. But the technology is absolutely intriguing," said Eric Bridges, government affairs director for the American Council of the Blind.

I look forward to seeing what this invention will bring in the future. Many other companies, including Lexus and BMW, are working toward building a robotic car as well.

Some Employers Cross the Line During Recruitment

A recent debate was brought up when a New York statistician was asked by a job interviewer for his Facebook username and password. Although he withdrew his application on the grounds that he didn't want to work for a company that would ask such information, this was not an isolated incident. It is becoming more and more common for companies to ask potential employees for their private Facebook information.

While the use of social media is not new to the recruitment process, asking for Facebook passwords is taking it a step too far in many people's opinions.

"I have heard about recruiters and hiring managers performing searchers on social media channels when vetting out candidates, but directly asking for a password is akin to asking for the password to an employee's email account or other password-protected material," said Jake Wengroff, global director, social media strategy and research, Frost & Sullivan. "It is a clear invasion of privacy."

A recent poll conducted by CBC asked readers if they would hand over their Facebook login information to a potential employer. More than 82 percent of the respondents said "No, it's an invasion of my privacy."

I agree with the opinion that employees deserve a certain amount of privacy, and asking for a password to a person's personal life is crossing an obvious line. However, in this economy, many people cannot afford to stand up for their rights and give up the opportunity for a job. I think that in the near future, enough cases will be filed, and asking for a Facebook password as part of a job interview will be deemed illegal.

Starbucks' New Acquisition Looks Promising

Starbucks recently announced the opening of its first Evolution Fresh juice store in Bellevue, Washington. Evolution Fresh had been selling its juices in grocery stores, such as Whole Foods, before being purchased by Starbucks in November for $30 million.

The new store offers premium juices made from fresh, natural ingredients as well as other food items like wraps, salads, soups, and vegetarian and vegan options. Evolution Fresh is one of the few juice companies that still cracks, peels, presses and squeezes its own fruits and vegetables rather than using pureed or powdered ingredients.

Starbucks' acquisition of Evolution Fresh is part of an attempt to broaden its business as consumers' demand for healthier products increase. The company has introduced lower-calorie and lower-fat food options, sugar-free syrups, and switched from whole milk to 2 percent milk as the default in its drinks.

While the new store offers much healthier options, consumers will be paying for this service. An eight-ounce drink will cost $4.99 and a 16-ounce drink will cost $7.99. While eight dollars for a glass of juice sounds pricey, they hope to reach Starbucks' current clientele by offering high-quality beverages at a premium price.

Based on Starbucks' history of success, I think that their acquisition of Evolution Fresh was a smart decision from a business standpoint. They have already conquered the coffee industry, and by expanding their services into a similar industry that targets different consumers, they will experience even more success.

Facebook Gives Companies a New Way of Advertising

Last week, Facebook launched Timeline for Brands, which allows companies to make facebook pages with the same look and feel as regular users.

Every brand's Facebook page will automatically switch to Timeline by the end of the month. However, most brands are making the switch themselves, as they see this as becoming a successful new tool to reach consumers.

"It allows us to tell our brand history in a highly visual and organized timeline. Whether you're a fan since the brand's launch or a new fan who wants to learn about Lexus - you can see what we've been doing," said Kat Kirsch of Lexus. "We can showcase all major vehicle launches, redesigns and concept cars."

Timeline for individual profiles was designed so that users could easily tell their stories and create their identities online, and this concept carries over to Timeline for Brands.

The Timeline layout allows companies to expand or hide specific posts as well as respond directly to private messages. The layout is also more engaging and social for individual users, allowing them to see how many friends "like" the brand, as well as friends' public mentions of related topics.

The Facebook IPO filing put pressure on the social media website to find new ways to grab the attention of investors. Because websites like this tend to have a short life (look at MySpace, for example), the creators must constantly make updates to keep it relevant for users, advertisers, and investors. So far, Facebook has been successful in differentiating itself, and Timeline for Brands was just the next step. 

Project Phenix is the New Buzz in Hollywood

After Blockbuster was phased out by new technology, online companies such as Netflix and Hulu dominated the movie industry. However, two of Hollywood's biggest production companies have introduced a new way to enjoy movies.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment recently teamed up with SanDisk and Western Digital to create "Project Phenix". This service allows consumers to back up movies onto portable storage devices, such as SD cards and hard drives, and then use them on laptops, tablets, and mobile phones.

The companies behind Phenix intend to make the system simple, easy to use, and stored in a local but portable format.

"[Project Phenix] will provide consumers with a digital solution for movies and TV shows that is as simple to use as DVD and Blu-ray discs," said Bert Hesselink, chief technical officer of Western Digital Branded Products, in a statement. "Digital library content can be easily viewed inside the home on a TV, PC or tablet, or when owners are on the move with a portable library copy, providing mobile viewing even when a reliable Internet connection is not available, such as a plane, car, train or remote location."

With the introduction of new technology, Hollywood has had to innovate the way consumers are able to watch movies. Companies such as Netflix and Hulu have utilized the popularity of the Internet in order to reach consumers, but there are still areas in which they can improve. Project Phenix hopes to simplify the system and make it easy for its users, which is the most important thing most consumers look for when they just want to watch a movie.