An ecosystem is being created where cars and robots are autonomous and connected so they will be able to connect to other devices, sensors, and data repositories available to them. Let's explore some safety risks associated with this future connectivity on our roadways. We'll then close with the product of the week: a new tablet that is Amazon's first real effort to build a Surface-like laptop.

Companies scrambling to compete with the advancing delivery capabilities offered by Amazon and UPS are looking to drone delivery options. Will this be the future of delivery? TechNewsWorld engaged aviation safety expert Mark Baier, CEO of AviationManuals and ARC Safety Management Software Systems, in an extensive conversation about how, and if, drone regulations and consumer lust for speedy airdrop service will ever safely coexist.

GTC21, this year's Nvidia GPU Technology Conference, was terrific as always. The alleged focus was on AI and autonomous cars. But, as I watched presentation after presentation from folks out of the entertainment industry, I realized that if you started putting some of these various elements together, they effectively predicted the end of movies as stand-alone, costly entertainment.

Skeptics of giving computers control over high-risk activities like driving cars were given some ammunition last week when researchers at OpenAI discovered their two-month-old machine vision system could be tricked with a pen and paper into misidentifying objects. For example, their new system could be fooled into identifying an apple as an iPod by attaching a note to the apple with the word iPod on it.

Global sales of electric vehicles in 2020 surged despite a drop in overall sales of passenger cars, according to a report from Canalys. Sales of EVs jumped 39 percent globally, reaching 3.1 million units, while sales of passenger vehicles fell 14 percent. Europe was a prime driver of EV sales last year, with the vehicles garnering 11.5 percent of new car sales in the region.

Qualcomm has announced several products that will be used to enhance next-generation automobiles. These future cars will most certainly be electric and increasingly autonomous. Let's discuss that this week -- and we'll take a close look at a forthcoming Cadillac that could be more of a technology showcase than anything by Tesla.

A strategic partnership with Microsoft was announced Tuesday by General Motors and Cruise aimed at speeding up the commercialization of shared self-driving vehicles. In addition, Microsoft will be joining GM, Honda and some institutional investors in adding US$2 billion to Cruise's coffers, bringing the value of the shared self-driving vehicle company to $30 billion.

We still seem to do these remote activities as we did when we met in person. Streaming and video conferencing tools we are using still don't allow us to do what we once did face-to-face, but they have other advantages that aren't being utilized to make the experience better. Let's talk about who did a great job, and what worked at CES; and then what sucked at the event. We'll close with a look at a promised new vehicle from GM: the Cadillac Lyriq.

This year, due to COVID restrictions, CES is all digital. Let's talk about what you'll see at the show, and what might make an event like CES work better virtually. I used to teach a class on how to put together tech events, and I'm pulling out my old notes for this. We'll close with the product of the week, a monitor launched by Dell that is focused on video conferencing in the new normal.

While the pandemic has been painful, it has caused things to accelerate in several areas impressively rapidly. Two of those areas are robotics and artificial intelligence, which we'll see adapted broadly this decade with a considerable bump in 2021. Let's talk about all of that this week, and we'll close with the first product of the week in 2021, the Somnofy AI Sleep Monitor.

Final rules governing unmanned aircraft, commonly known as drones, have been released by the Federal Aviation Administration. The move is expected to open the door for delivery of consumer packages by air. The rules establish minimum standards for safety so drones can fly over populated areas and at night under certain conditions.

Since 2014, when Apple first set out to design its own vehicle, the company has engaged in automotive research and development collectively under the name "Project Titan." A report that Apple now is readying its own self-driving car for release in 2024 is being met with a healthy dose of skepticism by some analysts.

When we decided on a plug-in hybrid, after a lot of research it narrowed down to three with the right balance of performance and efficiency. Those were the Audi Q5 e, the BMW X3 Plug-in Hybrid, and the Volvo XC60 Recharge. Let's walk through what we ended up with, and why, because it wasn't at all what we expected.

Healthcare is a mess, not just here in the U.S., but in most countries. Some of the biggest problems in this data-rich era are the lack of interoperability and fact-based advice. Two companies that stand out as aggressively trying to fix this are IBM and Microsoft. Let's contrast IBM's and Microsoft's healthcare efforts this week -- and we'll close with my product of the week: the most advanced electric motorcycle on the market.

Artificial intelligence has made noticeable changes to technologies around the world. Perhaps AI's most notable potential, however, is its role in the supply chain industry. The value of shrinking and localizing the supply chain process through the use of AI is more apparent than ever, and positions the technology as a vital tool.

We could build homes that stand up to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and other disasters. We could build cars that are lighter and more fuel-efficient. Like the opening for the old TV show, "The Six Million Dollar Man," we have the technology. So why don't we use it? The reason is that people who build homes, cars, and other things would need to be retrained -- but the result would be a more sustainable and safer world.

Drones are now commonly used for aerial photography and videography, to cover live events, deliver small items, and to survey dangerous places and situations. While some companies maintain their own drone force, others prefer to outsource their use of drones to service providers that deal with the regulatory and legal issues that crop up with the commercial use of UAVs.

Amazon has cleared a key government hurdle in its flight path to deliver packages by airborne drones. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has granted the online retail giant a Part 135 certificate, which allows Amazon Prime Air to operate as an air carrier. The move lets Amazon make commercial deliveries under a trial program that uses drone technology announced last year.

Municipalities throughout the United States have been switching from diesel- and natural gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles, to cut costs and reduce damage to the environment. However, funds are drying up as governments grapple with falling income due to lower taxes and business activity, along with increased costs to deal with the pandemic.

One of the enormous changes coming to us that has accelerated significantly of late is drone delivery, which promises to provide more speedy fulfillment of online orders. First for small items like meals and medicines, and eventually for larger items -- and even people. Still, drone delivery has some challenges to overcome.

When WWII broke out on Sept. 1, 1939 with Germany's invasion of Poland, few could have expected the technological leaps that would occur over the next six years. The true lasting impact of the technological advances of the Second World War are seen in the ability to take commercial jets around the world, the ever-bigger cruise ships, and the massive skyscrapers seen in cities all over the globe. With peace came a new world of opportunity that lead to the Internet and much more.

Uber is looking to food delivery for rescue from falling revenues caused by people staying at home because of the pandemic. Gross bookings for Uber Rides have decreased by three percent year over year, the company noted in its Q1 2020 financial report. On July 6, Uber announced that it's acquiring on-demand food delivery service PostMates for $2.65 billion. The deal is expected to close in Q1 2021.

Last month Mercedes and Nvidia announced a relationship. The potential for Mercedes and Nvidia to change the very nature of personal transportation is carried within this partnership. This combination could be magical, both in terms of creating a better alternative to Tesla, and a deeper relationship between you and the company providing your car as a service.

Welcome to the world of four Naperville North High School students in a western suburb of Chicago. Their entrepreneurial and technical skills earned them the Pete Conrad Scholar award for their invention of Airlyft, a versatile drone. TechNewsWorld recently met with these student innovators to discuss how they applied teamwork and persistence to overcome constant setbacks imposed by COVID-19.

Nvidia just held its GTC event, and of the virtual keynotes I've seen so far, CEO Jensen Huang's was the best. That's because the company made the decision to cut it into segments, mostly under 16 minutes, so viewers didn't have to watch things they weren't interested in. Also, Jensen mixed up the content between the speaker, videos and static images, so it was interesting to watch.

Autonomous car efforts aren't looking very good. It is becoming clear that the five-level ranking system for autonomous cars is stupid. The reality is that the definition of "autonomous" is binary: Either the car can drive itself or it can't. The fact is that car makers don't want to take the final step to autonomy -- Level 5 -- because they are afraid of liability.

Spurred by everything from environmental concerns to the desire to avoid congested roads, companies are developing, testing, and beginning to implement a wide array of drone delivery systems. A number of practicalities need to be worked out before drone delivery becomes an everyday occurrence -- including regulations and drone technology itself -- but it's likely only a matter of time.

As I write this, the first studies of the Coronavirus outbreak are coming in. The count now exceeds 17,500 cases in 24 countries. There have been more than 360 deaths, almost all in China. Most at risk are older males with pre-existing chronic diseases that weaken their immune symptoms. Women appear to have a higher natural resistance to viruses. WHO has declared it a global health emergency.

Uber has launched a pilot program in California that lets drivers in Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and Sacramento set their own fares for airport rides. Drivers can set a fare multiple on Uber's base, time, and distance rates for UberX and UberXL trips, according to the company. Drivers can increase the fare in 10 percent jumps up to five times Uber's base price.

Getting around Las Vegas during CES is a nightmare. One evening I wanted to go to the In-N-Out Burger place, and even though it was only a mile or two from my hotel, the traffic was so bad that I doubted I'd make there and back before midnight -- and it was only 6 p.m. I used to try to walk CES, but the miles of fast walking on concrete ripped the soles off both my feet one year.