All posts tagged: testing

Organ-on-a-chip technology could eradicate animal testing

Organ-on-a-chip technology could eradicate animal testing

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Researchers at the University of Rochester are developing an organ-on-a-chip platform designed to improve the prediction of dangerous side effects from cancer immunotherapies. The work, led by the university’s Translational Center for Barrier Microphysiological Systems (TraCe-bMPS), aims to provide drug developers with human-based testing tools that could eventually support regulatory submissions to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The team is using tissue chips containing human cells to investigate adverse immune reactions that conventional animal models can struggle to reproduce. The technology combines modular µSiM chips, developed by the Center’s director James McGrath, with integrated sensors developed by Benjamin Miller to measure barrier function and inflammatory signalling in real time. The project has reached an important regulatory milestone after being accepted into the FDA’s Innovative Science and Technology Approaches for New Drugs (ISTAND) programme. The programme is intended to help assess innovative drug development tools for potential regulatory use. If the Rochester platform ultimately achieves FDA qualification, pharmaceutical companies could use its data alongside other evidence when developing and seeking approval for new medicines. …

Inside the Luxury Robotaxi Uber, Lucid and Nuro Are Testing

Inside the Luxury Robotaxi Uber, Lucid and Nuro Are Testing

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Self-driving vehicles have become a common sight in the San Francisco Bay Area, and there are more companies looking to deploy their autonomous vehicles to public riders in the coming months. Earlier this year, ride-hailing giant Uber, electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors and autonomous vehicle company Nuro unveiled the Lucid Gravity robotaxi, the result of a three-way partnership announced last year. I got an early look at what the companies have deemed the “industry’s most luxurious robotaxi” at CES in January, but the vehicle was parked inside a conference hall. Last week, Nuro invited me to swing by its headquarters in Mountain View, California, to take a ride in one of its engineering prototype vehicles — with a safety driver onboard — as the companies aim for a public launch later this year. Nuro is conducting tests on public roads with safety operators behind the wheel in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Houston. The company is also using closed-course testing and simulations to prepare its self-driving technology for a public rollout. Lucid is …

Juiced Scrambler: Testing the best bang-for-your-buck moto-style e-bike

Juiced Scrambler: Testing the best bang-for-your-buck moto-style e-bike

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Juiced Bikes is one of the most recognizable names in the history of electric bikes in North America. Long before e-bike classes and speed limits became commonplace, the company built a loyal following with powerful bikes that blurred the line between bicycles and mopeds. But after the brand collapsed in 2024, many assumed Juiced was destined to become little more than a nostalgic footnote. Now it’s back under new ownership, and after spending several days riding the new Juiced Scrambler alongside Juiced’s fearless new leader Austin Gomes, I came away thinking the company is now going beyond trying to recapture the past. Instead, it’s trying to redefine what a legal, street-ready moped-style e-bike can be. The Scrambler is also the first real look at what the new Juiced intends to be. And if this bike is any indication, the brand’s new chapter is off to a strong start. Unlike many moped-style e-bikes that feel like they’re assembled from an off-the-shelf parts catalog, the Scrambler was designed from the ground up. Nearly everything about the bike …

Starbucks testing variation on existing fan-favorite drink, CEO says

Starbucks testing variation on existing fan-favorite drink, CEO says

Published by Daniella Wilson

Starbucks is adding some sparkle to its menu. The coffee giant has started to test carbonated versions of its popular Refreshers, which are iced fruit juice and tea drinks that have been sold since 2012. “I’m really excited that we’re getting ready to go test sparkling. We’re calling it Spritzers,” CEO Brian Niccol told investors at the company’s third quarter earnings call Wednesday, as first reported by Business Insider. He said, “Our team does a great job on getting to the delicious flavors that are relevant for the customer. So it’s been a really strong platform for us, and over the last quarter, really continued to perform.” Starting July 28, 100 Starbucks locations across Austin, San Antonio and St. Louis are testing out the new Spritz collection, which feature sparkling water. Starbucks is testing out a sparkling version of its Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher drink (Starbucks) The classic refreshers will be available, along with the new sparkling versions of the drinks, including a Super Mango Energy Refresher, Sparkling Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher, Sparkling …

Tesla self-driving manager describes scary conditions in robotaxi testing

Tesla self-driving manager describes scary conditions in robotaxi testing

Published by Miika Tikkanen

A former Tesla manager who ran the company’s “Full Self-Driving” test fleet in Houston says the operation was so understaffed that its cars became “rolling hazards on public streets,” according to a lawsuit. The manager, Javier Medrano, filed the wrongful-termination complaint in Houston federal court, and its contents were reported this week. He oversaw the fleet before Tesla launched its driverless “Robotaxi” in the city. One manager, 38 vehicles, three shifts Tesla runs fleets of test vehicles with human safety operators to develop and validate “Full Self-Driving.” Houston’s was the groundwork that fed into Tesla launching its Robotaxi in Houston and Dallas in April. Medrano says he became the sole operational manager of that Houston program by mid-2024. Then Tesla roughly doubled his load, from 15 vehicles and operators to 38, across three 24-hour shifts. The complaint calls that a “dangerous 38:1 operator-to-manager ratio” that blew past Tesla’s own “mandated 15:1 safety baseline.” Other test cities had multiple safety leads. Houston had Medrano. His job included auditing camera footage, running weekly ride-alongs, and investigating incidents. …

Baidu’s Apollo Go begins London robotaxi testing with Uber and Lyft

Baidu’s Apollo Go begins London robotaxi testing with Uber and Lyft

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Baidu’s Apollo Go started robotaxi road testing in London today, and it’s doing it with both of ride-hailing’s biggest names at once — Uber and Freenow by Lyft. The launch lands days after Apollo Go ran the first fully driverless trial in any right-hand-drive market, in Hong Kong. Two milestones in one week, on opposite ends of the world. London: both ride-hailing giants at the same time Testing with Freenow by Lyft kicks off in Brent, a borough in west and northwest London, using Apollo Go’s sixth-generation RT6 vehicle. Safety operators are on board for now, and the route covers a mix of urban and suburban driving. Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft say public rides won’t start until 2027, subject to regulatory approval. The London deployment comes out of two separate deals Baidu signed in 2025. The Lyft partnership is meant to scale thousands of Apollo Go vehicles across key European markets. The Uber partnership targets thousands of vehicles on Uber’s platform across global markets outside the US and mainland China. Uber and Lyft …

Lyft and Baidu enter London’s robotaxi battleground as testing begins

Lyft and Baidu enter London’s robotaxi battleground as testing begins

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Chinese tech giant Baidu has started testing autonomous vehicles in London as part of its partnership with Lyft and Freenow, the German taxi and multi-mobility app that Lyft now owns. Baidu is the latest in a string of companies to test self-driving technology in the UK ahead of commercial robotaxi deployments. The testing, which began Tuesday with human safety operators, comes nearly a year after the two companies struck a strategic partnership to deploy Baidu’s purpose-built Apollo Go RT6 robotaxi across key European markets through the Lyft platform. The vehicles will eventually be available through Freenow, which Lyft acquired in 2025 for about $197 million. That deal gave Lyft a foothold in Europe’s ride-hailing market, where a handful of well-funded companies are now jockeying to be first to market with robotaxis. London is particular is shaping up to be a key battleground in the region. In April, Waymo began testing its autonomous vehicles with human safety operators in the city. Uber and its self-driving tech partner, Wayve, also announced plans to launch a robotaxi service in …

XREAL Aura Hands-on: Testing the Hybrid AR/VR Headset

XREAL Aura Hands-on: Testing the Hybrid AR/VR Headset

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Blending augmented reality and virtual reality into a single device, the XREAL Aura aims to deliver a hybrid experience for gaming, streaming and productivity. Weighing under 95 grams, its lightweight design incorporates prism lenses and electrochromic dimming technology, making sure a comfortable fit and adaptable visuals in various lighting conditions. Nathie explores how features like the Sony micro OLED displays—offering a 1920×1200 resolution per eye and a 120 Hz refresh rate, contribute to the Aura’s immersive viewing experience. Additionally, the device’s reliance on the Android XR platform highlights its potential for multitasking and spatial computing, though its success hinges on the development of a robust ecosystem. Dive into this breakdown to understand how the Aura’s six degrees of freedom (6DoF) enables precise spatial interaction, while hand tracking and object anchoring enhance usability in virtual environments. You’ll also discover how the Bose-tuned open-air speakers provide immersive audio without headphones and how the compact processing puck balances portability with functionality. By the end, you’ll gain insight into the Aura’s strengths, its limitations, such as battery life and …

GPT-5.6 Review: Testing Sol, Terra, and Luna Models

GPT-5.6 Review: Testing Sol, Terra, and Luna Models

Published by Miika Tikkanen

OpenAI’s latest release, GPT-5.6, introduces a tiered model structure designed to cater to diverse user needs while balancing performance and cost-efficiency. The three tiers, Sol, Terra and Luna, offer varying capabilities, from handling complex tasks like coding automation and multimodal processing in the premium Sol tier to supporting high-volume, repetitive operations with the economical Luna option. World of AI explores how GPT-5.6 not only surpasses competitors like Claude Fable 5 in key benchmarks but also delivers practical benefits, such as a 1.5 million token context window and reduced operational costs across all tiers. Dive into this deep dive to uncover how GPT-5.6’s tiered approach impacts real-world applications, from streamlining front-end design workflows to allowing large-scale data analysis with its Ultra Mode feature. You’ll also gain insight into its pricing structure, which ensures affordability without sacrificing quality and learn about its standout capabilities in areas like cinematic content creation and advanced reasoning. Whether you’re a professional managing intricate projects or a business optimizing routine operations, this overview provides a clear understanding of what GPT-5.6 brings to …

Ford’s ,000 EV pickup caught testing again

Ford’s $30,000 EV pickup caught testing again

Published by Miika Tikkanen

The midsize electric pickup was spotted testing in Arizona this time as Ford prepares to take the wraps off. The midsize Ford EV pickup is launching in 2027 With the all-electric F-150 Lightning dead and gone, Ford is preparing to introduce its next EV pickup. As the first vehicle based on its new Universal EV Platform (UEV), Ford’s upcoming model is smaller, more efficient, and considerably cheaper, with prices starting at around $30,000. We got our first look at the midsize four-door pickup earlier this month as Ford began testing it in public. The disguised prototype, spotted in Long Beach by The Autopian, appeared even smaller than expected, driving in between a Ford Ranger-based Mazda B-Series and an F-150 pickup. It also sat much closer to the ground, with a design similar to Ford’s iconic Ranchero. With the new EV pickup set to launch in 2027, Ford is ramping up testing. Another camouflaged prototype was recently captured in Arizona during hot weather testing. The new image from KindelAuto offers a good side view of the …