Month: January 2021

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  FedEx Express is slated to be the first customer of the BrightDrop EV600 and will begin receiving its vehicles later this year. [credit: General Motors ]

On Tuesday morning, General Motors Chairwoman and CEO Mary Barra announced a new business for the company during her keynote speech at this year's all-virtual CES. It's called BrightDrop, and the goal is to provide a range of electrified products for the logistics and delivery industries.

"We are building on our significant expertise in electrification, mobility applications, telematics and fleet management, with a new one-stop-shop solution for commercial customers to move goods in a better, more sustainable way," Barra said.

BrightDrop's first product is called the EP1, and it's a pallet with an electric propulsion assist meant to transport things short distances, such as from a delivery van to the customer's door, at speeds of up to 3mph (5km/h). The EP1 can carry up to 200lbs (91kg) and about 23 cubic feet (651L) of cargo, with adjustable shelves and lockable cabinet doors. GM says the EP1 will be available early this year.

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Back in November, Capcom announced that personal data for up to 350,000 people may have been revealed by a "customized ransomware attack" on its systems. Today, the company announced that the number has grown to 390,000 potential victims, including over 16,000 confirmed to have had their information compromised.

The group of 16,415 people whose personal data was definitely taken is primarily made up of Capcom business partners and current and former employees, who had their name, email address, and other contact information revealed.

Capcom is also now confirming earlier suspicions that company information, including "sales reports, financial information, game development documents, [and] other information related to business partners," was taken during the attack. Documents matching that description have been circulating around certain corners of the Internet since November.

Enlarge / Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC, July 29, 2020. (credit: Getty | Graeme Jennings)

UPDATE 1/12/2021, 11:15am EST: And now there is a third. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill) announced Tuesday morning that he, too, has tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering with maskless Republican colleagues.

In a statement, Schneider said that during the insurrection, he was "forced to spend several hours in a secure but confined location with dozens of other Members of Congress," and "several Republican lawmakers in the room adamantly refused to wear a mask."

Schneider reported that so far, he has not experienced symptoms but was nevertheless concerned. "Today, I am now in strict isolation, worried that I have risked my wife’s health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff," he said. “Wearing a mask is not a political statement, it is public health guidance, common courtesy, and simply what should be expected of all decent people."

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  In 2001, BMW put a digital display in the dash of its newest 7 Series, heralding the advent of the iDrive infotainment system. [credit: BMW ]

With the coronavirus pandemic causing CES to be held virtually this year, some exhibitors have been looking for different ways to capture our attention. Take BMW for example. In CESes of yore, the German automaker often had a large presence, showing off concepts and even providing a fleet of cars for five-minute test drives. Obviously that won't work in 2021, which is a shame for BMW because this year marks the 20th anniversary of its very first iDrive infotainment system, which debuted in the 7 Series in 2001.

So instead, the automaker made this short film to mark the occasion. Warning: it's pretty weird, but at the same time I think it's kind of charming, featuring an old graybeard 7 Series meeting a young whippersnapper iX SUV one night at the BMW museum.

Back in 2001 the 7 Series was BMW's flagship sedan, loaded to the gunnels with the latest and greatest technology the Bavarians could muster. In previous generations that meant powered reclining rear seats and maybe a car phone. But that year the new 7 Series arrived with something called iDrive, combining the car's entertainment equipment with navigation and a way to interact with the car's settings. A pair of screens—one in the main instrument display, one in the center stack—displayed information, and to interact with it all, a rotary controller sat on the center console. In short, it was one of the first true infotainment systems.