Formula E announces the world's first driverless car racing series

Formula E, the global all-electric racing series, has partnered with a company called Kinetik to form the world's first driverless car racing series. The new support series, called Roborace, will run its races before each scheduled Formula E event starting next season.
Roborace will pit ten teams — each armed with two cars — against each other in hour-long races on the same street circuits that the Formula E cars compete on. Each one of the 20 autonomous electric cars will be the same as the next, so teams will have to focus on developing better algorithms and artificial intelligence to win. It's similar strategy to how Formula E teams were made to run the same cars in the electric series' debut season, which helped place an emphasis on the development of battery technology.
Ten teams, twenty cars, no drivers
One of the ten teams will be a "crowd-sourced community team," made up by "enthusiastic software and technology experts," according to Formula E. Beyond that, the series hasn't shared any other particular details about Roborace, its teams, or the cars, but a representative for Kinetik told Wired UK that the vehicles will have a top speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour (about 186 miles per hour). That would make them faster than the Formula E electric cars, which top out around 140 miles per hour. It also means that the Roborace cars would be the fastest autonomous cars on the planet, eclipsing Audi's self-driving RS7, which has a top speed of 149 miles per hour.
Roborace fills a gap left by the School Series, an electric kit car competition for kids that was run before a number of races in Formula E's first season. The School Series was dropped from the season two schedule shortly before the first race in Beijing, leaving room for a new support series like Roborace.

Lenovo and Razer unite to build a new range of gaming PCs

The world's biggest PC vendor is getting serious about gaming, and it's recruited one of gamers' favorite peripherals brands to help it establish its legitimacy. Lenovo and Razer today announce a major new partnership that will see them co-brand a range of Razer Edition Lenovo PCs, starting with the Y series of desktop towers that made their debut at IFA in September. The first prototype product of this collaboration is on show over at the Dreamhack Winter LAN party in Sweden today, and the two companies have ambitions to extend their relationship into joint product development as well.
A superficial look at the first Razer Edition from Lenovo shows the familiar Y series chassis, with only the accent color changing from red to Razer's signature green (along with new multichromatic lighting giving off a glow from underneath the case). Adding the Razer aesthetic will be just the start for Lenovo, however, as the big Chinese company is conscious of how savvy gamers are and promises this partnership is about more than just marketing. Future Lenovo gaming PCs will also benefit from Razer's software expertise, which has been demonstrated with things like Razer Comms, Synapse, and Cortex, a suite of useful tools for managing and optimizing settings for games. Razer also has a loyal and vocal fan base, which Lenovo says will be heeded in the development and refinement of future products.
Gamers are still PC makers' most reliable customers Gaming is "one area of the PC market that's actually growing," Lenovo's Victor Rios tells The Verge, "and for us, what’s also been exciting, is that it’s relatively stable." As the company's vice president and general manager for workstation and gaming computers, he's leading this new initiative. Along with fellow PC makers Acer and Asus, Lenovo is making a big bet on gaming as a driver for renewed sales of high-end PCs that command healthier profit margins. The esteem in which Razer's gaming keyboards and mice are held should help spur that, though Rios acknowledges that many of the most committed gamers will still prefer to build their own gaming rig.

Lenovo's Razer Edition PCs will be about combining the convenience of not having to chase down every single component yourself with the astute design choices that only a seasoned gamer will make. That means no software bloat, no superfluous extras (kaleidoscopic LED lights excepted), just a focus on great performance and reliability. Such is the plan, anyway. Razer and Lenovo also see a lot of potential in virtual reality applications as catalysts for purchases of more powerful PCs — which might bring a more casual consumer to the high-end PC market. Together, the two companies will try to capitalize on these trends by working jointly on developing new product categories as their collaboration deepens through 2016.
The first officially announced PCs from this partnership will launch at CES 2016 in Las Vegas in January, to be followed by a gradual expansion as the year progresses. Razer isn't tying itself to Lenovo in any exclusive way, but this is going to be the focus of its efforts for the foreseeable future.

Instagram is reportedly testing support for multiple accounts

Fact: 94 percent of all college graduates end up becoming social media managers [citation needed]. Instagram knows this and is now testing support for multiple accounts, according to both Android Police and Droid Life. The option seems to be available to only select users on version 7.12.0, which itself is only available for Android beta testers, and can be found by scrolling all the way to the bottom of settings.


Right now, the only way to switch between your personal account, your small business' account, and your recently cracking down on third-party apps, the feature seems both inevitable and necessary.

novelty account of cheap food mocked up to look like fancy food, is to log out of Instagram entirely before inputting new credentials. Of course, a feature appearing in beta is no guarantee that it'll make it to the public-facing app, but with Instagram

Facebook expands parental leave policy to include employees outside the US

Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he plans to take two months off after the birth of his daughter, echoing the tech industry's recent investment in paid parental leave. That two months is half of Facebook's current policy, which allows some new parents in the US to take up to four months off. Now Facebook is expanding that policy to include all new parents in the company who work full-time, regardless of gender or location.
Beginning in 2016
The change "primarily affects new fathers and people in same-sex relationships outside the US," according to Facebook's head of human resources, Lori Matloff Goler.
Facebook is the most recent major tech company to greatly improve or expand its parental leave policy. This past summer Netflix announced a new unlimited maternity and paternity leave policy. Shortly after, Amazon announced it would be implementing its first-ever paternal leave policy for new birth and adoptive fathers.
That Zuckerberg is taking advantage of Facebook's policy is a good sign that other new fathers in the company will feel comfortable taking time off, and now that comfort can ripple outside the US. The benefits will apply to employees beginning January 1st, 2016.

The Things You Can Enjoy Doing While Walking

This morning, I went for a walk, and afterwards went to the gym. I know that most people use the treadmill for walking, but I prefer to walk outside, in the street or park.
I sit for many hours in front of the computer, and therefore, I prefer to walk outside, so I can enjoy the open space, see people, cars, the sun and the sky, instead of a screen and a wall.
When you walk outside, in the street, park or on the beach, you become invigorated and energized. There is air and open space, and this creates some kind expansion of the awareness.

When I walk in the morning I hear the birds singing, I see people going to work and I see the world waking to a new day. This is much more interesting than walking on the treadmill.
In the afternoon, just before or after sunset it is an hour of magic and a wonderful time to take a walk. The sky and the clouds change colors becoming crimson, orange and pink colored.

This, of course, is a matter of taste. Some people might not agree with me and prefer to walk on a treadmill and miss all this magic.
When I look around me, I see people with their eyes glued on their smartphones, or listening to music with their earphones.
Some people walk while smoking. How going for a walk and improving your health go hand in hand with smoking?
There are people who talk on the phone while walking. How can they enjoy walking or see the scenery around them if they talk on the phone? Walking is a kind of rest, a timeout, from your daily activities, so why not give the mind, ears and mouth some rest too?
It’s strange, but I rarely see anyone looking around, examining the buildings, the streets, the people, the houses or the cars. Has curiosity disappeared?
I hardly see people raising their heads to look at the top of the houses. I hardly see people raise their head to the sky when a plane flies by, and I don’t see people on the street looking at the stars and the moon at night.
A few months ago there was a beautiful sight in the sky, which occurred every evening for some time. The planets Venus and Jupiter, the most shining stars in the sky, where very close to each other (as seen from Earth, of course). One evening the moon joined them, and that was a spectacular sight, but I did not see people raising their heads to look at them. Maybe some did, but I am inclined to think they were in the minority. Where is curiosity?

The Things You Can Enjoy Doing While Walking:

1. You can enjoy the view.
2. You can watch nature, people, cars and houses. This could be quite interesting and is a good exercise for seeing details.
3. You can meditate while walking. There are meditations suitable for walking.
4. You can visualize what you want to achieve.
5. You can repeat affirmations about the things you want to get or do.
6. You can solve problems.
7. You can count your steps as an exercise for concentration and discipline.
   You can listen to music.
8. You can listen to an audiobook.

You can add to this list other activities that come to your mind.
Next time you go for a walk, remember what you read here and try doing one of the things I suggested. You will be surprised to discover a different world, interesting and beautiful.

12 Ways to Say Thank You and to Show Appreciation

1. Show your appreciation to your spouse, by taking him or her to a restaurant or a show.
2. Smile and nod your head when a driver stops his or her car to let you cross the street.
3. Buy a small present as a token of appreciation for someone who helped you in some way, even if he or she does not expect to receive anything from you. This need not be something expensive. You may buy flowers, a box of chocolate, a pen, or a book, for example.
4. Do you visit regularly a certain website because you like the articles it offers? Why not show your appreciation for the work and dedication of the writer or owner of the website?
There are two ways you can thank and show your appreciation, through a thank you email, or buying one of the books or other products the website offers.

5. If you are the owner of a business, once in a while, give your employees a small present, as a way to thank them and show your appreciation. This is something apart from bonuses or money. You may buy them a book or give them a ticket for a show. You may also give them a gift card they can use to buy something.
6. Are you a child that uses your parent’s car? Why not wash the car once in a while?
7. Did someone help you in some way, but he or she does not live nearby? Email them with a letter of appreciation, thanking them for what they have done for you.
8. Thank people on the wall of their Facebook.
9. You may send people a digital greeting card. There are many such services on the Internet.
10. If you know how to bake cake, bake one, and give it to the person you want to thank.
11. As a thank you and a token of appreciation, you may invite someone to dinner or lunch. You can either cook the meal, or invite him or her to a restaurant.
12. Ask the person how you can be of help, and what you can do for them.
These are just a few examples. If you think about it, you will find many other ways to thank people and show your appreciation.
Thanking people and showing your appreciation requires only a smile, a nod of the head, a kind gesture, a

small symbolic present, or a few kind words.
Saying ‘thank you’ creates a good and positive atmosphere and makes the world a better and happier place to live in.

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How to Live a Happier Life Instantly by Daniel Simms

1) Practice Gratitude
You’ve probably heard it before, but practicing gratitude is the first step to finding happiness in your life.
When you actively look for the GOOD in things rather than the bad, you train your subconscious mind to do the same. You will begin subconsciously looking for the positive side of things, and you will find what you look for. This is the biggest secret to happiness. If you look for positivity and happiness, you will find positivity and happiness.

Make it easy on yourself: think of 5 things for which you’re thankful during your commute.
2) Know Where You Are Going
A big part of happiness is knowing that there are bigger and better things ahead. When we believe that our lives have reached their peak, we become disinterested and depressed. Don’t let that happen!
Set goals for yourself (daily, weekly, and monthly) that will get your life moving in a better direction. Know where your life is going to be in a month, in a year, and in five years.
Consider setting personal goals, monetary goals, relationship goals, and physical goals to keep your life on a positive path.

3) Keep Your Mind on Progress 
 As evolutionary beings, we are hardwired to enjoy progress. Think about the beginning of a relationship, or the first two months of a new job: those were quite possibly the best parts of both of those things!
The reason is that we love progression, and most people stop progressing and become complacent.
Focus on making aspects of your life better all the time, not just when you’re starting something. Begin thinking: this part of my life is good, but how can I make it great?
If any area of your life does not excite you, it’s because it’s lacking progress. Change that as soon as possible to keep freshness in your life and a smile on your face.


4) Connect With People
A big reason people become unhappy or depressed is because they have a lack of social interaction… real, personal social interaction, without a screen interfering.
As humans we are naturally inclined to want to connect with other humans. Try smiling at every person who walks by you today. Most will smile back and that will make you feel good. Make it a point to go out at least once a week and interact with

people. Try to make a connection with people and you’ll find that it makes you happy when you succeed.
Remember above all else that happiness is a decision. If you choose to be happy, no person, circumstance, or event can take that decision away from you. Happiness is not something you get from money, possessions, your job, or even your family; it is a state of mind, and you can choose to be happy regardless of what is going on in your life.