June 30, 2025 • 41 mins
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When technology evolves faster than legislation, who protects your privacy? This episode dives deep into the concerning world of automatic license plate readers operated by companies like Flock Safety, which are collecting data on your movements without consent or oversight. We expose how law enforcement agencies have been caught circumventing state laws to conduct nationwide searches—a wake-up call about the urgent need for comprehensive data protection in America.
As our power grid strains under growing demands from data centers and AI technologies, nuclear energy is getting a second look. We explore the Department of Energy's fast-tracking of advanced nuclear reactor designs, particularly small modular reactors (SMRs) that promise safer, more affordable nuclear power. While companies like Elo Atomics partner with the government on promising innovations, we ask the hard questions about safety protocols and waste storage that remain unresolved.
Half of humanity experiences severe water scarcity for at least one month each year—a staggering statistic that demands innovative solutions. We explore breakthrough desalination technologies from companies developing submerged systems that leverage natural ocean pressure to produce clean water with 40% less energy than conventional methods. This approach could transform water access globally, though questions remain about large-scale environmental impacts.
The race for autonomous vehicle dominance accelerates as Amazon enters the robotaxi arena after acquiring Zoox for $1.3 billion. With plans to launch in Las Vegas and scale to 10,000 vehicles annually, they're challenging Waymo's established presence in San Francisco, Austin, and Phoenix. We break down why Texas and Arizona have become hotbeds for autonomous vehicle development, and why even industry leaders face a long road to profitability despite billions in investment.
These technological frontiers are reshaping our world in profound ways. Whether the subject is your personal data, our energy future, access to clean water, or how we'll move through cities tomorrow, the tension between innovation and responsibility remains at the heart of each conversation. Join us at The TechMobility Podcast as we navigate these challenges and more!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the TechMobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket Nuclear Energy's Big
Mo, a fix for more clean waterand Amazon's RoboTaxi Push.
From the TechMobility News Desk.
This one is fresh from the desk.
Regular listeners know that forthe longest time, one of the
(00:34):
touchstones of this program ispersonal privacy, big data, what
they are doing with data, thelack of protections for the
average citizen and just what'sgoing on out there.
A few weeks ago, I told youabout a company called Flock
Safety, and Flock operates acompany that has what they call
(00:54):
automatic license plate readersthat are all over the place, in
fact, most places.
You don't even know that yourinformation, your license plate,
is being recorded Without yourpermission, without your
knowledge, that data is beingaggregated and sold, in some
cases to law enforcement, aswell as other companies that
(01:16):
will, third parties that will dowhatever.
Marketing statistics whatever,but it's being sold.
You're the product.
Statistics whatever, but it'sbeing sold.
You're the product.
The reason why I'm bringingthis up again is this is from
404 Media, which is one of themany sources that I reach out to
for news and information,because there is so much going
(01:38):
on in the world that you can'tthat the mainstream media just
doesn't even begin to covereverything going on and that's
why you have me, because I'm outthere looking and I'm turning
over trade publications andindustry magazines and all kinds
of newsletters and things withinformation that will help you.
Here's the title Flock removesstates from national lookup tool
(02:03):
after ICE and abortion searchesrevealed.
I'm not going to get political,but here's my question.
I am on record of saying thatonce you have a tool like what
Flock has, what prevents anybodyworking for the company with an
(02:28):
agenda, even if Flock meanswell, even if Flock says we're
going to follow the law which,by the way, flock said that they
do, but there is no lawrequiring Flock to do that and
there is no teeth if they don't,there's no consequences for
them.
But what Flock found out isthat their information that they
(02:48):
have accumulated and madeavailable to various agencies
across the country was beingmisused outside of the
guidelines they had set, outside, in some cases, of state law
where it originated, and theagencies trying to use it were
breaking state law in theirstates by trying to reach
national.
So, as a result, in somejurisdictions Flock has actually
(03:12):
turned that access off.
This is my point.
It has nothing to do with thepolitical stripe, so let's put
that aside for a minute.
This is not a how you feelabout either one of those
subjects.
That's not where I'm going.
Where I'm going is the factthat when you have an aggregate
(03:33):
of information like that and, bythe way, may I remind you, the
flock was developing a tool thatused data captured in data
breaches, data captured in databreaches so, even as your data
was being unlocked unlawfully,they're scraping it to use
(03:56):
Because, again, remember, thereare no federal, nationwide laws
in the United States of Americathat prevents them from doing it
.
When it comes to big data,you'd have to trip across really
, really consumer protectionlaws, but that's more for a
transactional.
It's more transaction, whetherit's banking or making a
purchase or making a claim.
This does not fall into that.
(04:17):
My issue, my sole issue, inbringing this up and sharing it
with you today, is the fact thatexactly what I was afraid was
going to happen is happening.
People are using thisinformation and misusing this
information outside of theparameters in which it was
established and made availablenationwide for any law
(04:39):
enforcement or any type ofagency like that to use it or
any type of agency like that touse it, and in cases because,
again, no federal laws.
Some of these agencies areactually breaking laws in their
own states by accessing theinformation the way that they
did.
I'm not okay with that and thatis not.
Again, it's not political, it'snot.
(05:00):
I'm not on the subject.
I'm on the data.
Who is manipulating the data?
Who has access to thisinformation?
What are the guidelines and whois the keeper?
Who is the monitor?
Who's looking over theirshoulder, policing themselves?
(05:21):
And that may be okay for thepeople who are currently running
the company, and as long as itdoesn't go against their
business model.
But what happens when laws orprinciples or ethics come up
against making a buck?
Then what?
Again, remember no federal lawsregarding big data and what
(05:41):
they can do and what they can'tdo.
That's my question, that's myconcern and it should be yours
too, because everybody has aright to privacy.
Everybody has a right to be aprivate citizen.
Key there word private citizen.
Long as you're law abiding inAmerica, you should have the
(06:04):
ability to go and come as youplease mind your business, pay
your bills, work, love yourfamily and go and come.
I'm not okay with Big Brother.
Never was, never was.
Let me give you the specificexample, because I'm ranting.
Now I want to give you thespecific example.
I'm going to read this paragraphfrom 404 Media Flock, the
(06:28):
automatic license plate readercompany with a presence in
thousands of communities acrossthe United States, has stopped
agencies across the country fromsearching cameras inside of
Illinois, california andVirginia Agencies Federal I'm
not federal, but governmentalagencies.
Agencies federal I'm notfederal, but governmental
(06:49):
agencies.
The dramatic moves come after404 media revealed local police
departments were repeatedlyperforming lookups around the
country.
On behalf of ICE, A Texasofficer searched cameras
nationwide for a woman whoself-administered an abortion,
and lawmakers recently signed anew law in Virginia.
Ordinarily, floc allowsagencies to opt into a national
lookup database where agenciesin one state can access data
(07:11):
collected in another, as long asthey also share their data.
This practice what they weredoing violates multiple state
laws which bar the sharing ofautomatic license plate reader
data out of state, or it's beingaccessed for immigration or
health care purposes.
That's Virginia.
Law enforcement was goingagainst the law passed by people
(07:35):
who were elected by the peopleto represent them in stuff like
this.
Again, I am not talking aboutimmigration.
I'm not talking aboutimmigration.
I'm not talking about abortion.
That's not what thisconversation is about.
What I'm talking about is theaccess.
I'm talking about the accessthat these agencies could go
(07:59):
around their own states, searchnationwide for something they're
trying to do locally, butthey're going nationwide, which
means somebody in Texas, if youlive, say I don't know Iowa own
states, search nationwide forsomething they're trying to do
locally, but they're goingnationwide, which means somebody
in Texas, if you live, say Idon't know Iowa can be nosing
around to find out stuff aboutyou which may or may not be
pertinent, because there's nosearch warrant required.
They could go just pokingaround for whatever vague reason
(08:24):
they want to use.
Right now, flock cut thisbecause it was brought up.
They had their own diagnostictools, they ran diagnostics, but
again, this is leaning on thedecency of the folks currently
controlling this data, runningthis company.
That makes me nervous, becausethere are no checks and balances
(08:47):
and your data is just out therein the wild.
That, theoretically, I mean,even if Flock and even if
everybody at Flock was good,it's still because it's all in
one place could be hacked.
Another issue we don't know howrobust their information
protection systems are.
Again, no laws, no liability.
(09:09):
We don't know.
And that's the kind of stuffthat concerns me, which is why I
wanted to share it with you, tomake you aware of what was
going on.
We need protection.
America's thirst forelectricity has spawned a
boomlet for nuclear power.
You are listening to the TechMobility Show.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
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Speaker 2 (10:04):
Social media is the main place to be these days, and
we are no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
(10:31):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days, and we're no
exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
(10:52):
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
(11:12):
topic-specific videos each week.
Shorter than a full show.
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
you're interested in aparticular topic covered on the
weekly radio show, from ApplePodcasts to iHeartRadio and many
podcast platforms in between,we got you covered.
Just enter Tech Mobility Topicsin the search bar, wherever you
(12:05):
listen to podcasts.
From a long line of legendarycoupes comes the CLS, the
world's first ever four-doorcoupe.
That was a Mercedes-Benzcommercial from 2005.
Mercedes has always been aboutevolution and not revolution,
and they've been about longevity.
And most dyed-in-the-woolMercedes owners usually don't
buy them.
At least they didn't used toBuy a Mercedes for prestige.
(12:28):
They bought it because theyplanned to hold it 25, 30 years
and they knew the vehicle wouldlast that long, unlike today
where it's a whole differentballgame.
But even back then, as theywere trying to make the vehicles
more affordable to create thenext group of buyers that would
grow into the brand stillevolutionary, not revolutionary,
(12:50):
and that best describes all theold, traditional European
automakers.
Mostly all of them areevolutional, not revolution, and
that was the thing that wastheir stock and trade.
So Mercedes-Benz.
And that was the thing that wastheir stock and trade.
So Mercedes-Benz.
(13:10):
With the growth of electricvehicles, demand, demand for
power-hungry data centers andthe need for Jews to power
energy-intensive AI initiatives,the US Department of Energy has
placed the development ofadvanced nuclear reactor designs
on a fast track.
But what does this mean for thenation's power grid and, more
importantly, the availabilityand price of that power?
(13:33):
This is topic A.
Let's take a step back.
Let me take you back some 40,50 years.
A lot of folks don't remember,but those of us that were alive
do remember 1979.
Little place in Pennsylvaniacalled Three Mile Island.
(13:58):
The beleaguered nuclear powerindustry, which started on the
promise of clean, limitlessenergy, ran into problems and
budget overruns and collapsed.
More than one utility in tryingto cover it, and I'm thinking
about Seabrook.
I grew up in New England.
Seabrook 1 and 2 were nuclearpower plants that were supposed
(14:21):
to come online.
Our local utility owned a partof that.
It would end up contributing totheir bankruptcy and getting
bought out by somebody else.
The traditional nuclear powerindustry today in the United
States still provides 18% of theelectric power in the United
(14:43):
States of America.
Bet you didn't realize it wasthat high.
Here's something else youdidn't know.
You probably would think well,they haven't built new nuclear
power plants in forever.
That wouldn't be true either.
Utility down in Georgia broughtonline four years ago the most
recent, what I would calltraditionally built nuclear
(15:06):
power plant.
Now, why say traditional?
They're large, they wereexpensive, they were prone to
cost overruns, reams and reams,and reams and reams of safety
issues that they had to satisfy.
You had to have specializedknowledge to build them,
specialized people to weldcertain things, they had to be
(15:27):
inspected.
There was all kinds of problems.
So what's different?
Now?
That wasn't then.
Well, if you followed thisprogram, you might remember me
talking about what they callsmall modular reactors or SMRs.
These are significantly smaller.
These are significantly smallernuclear plants that cost way
(15:55):
less to build, are more easy andare built on existing
technologies.
In other words, the need forall the specialized skills that
we've lost over the last 40years because we haven't been
building nuclear power plants atscale.
So all those people who hadthat knowledge that was required
, important, necessary inhelping to build a nuclear power
plant, that's gone.
So in the midst of having totrain new people, they came up
(16:17):
with plans.
Now I have to tell you there isnot a single SMR generating
power in the United States atthis time.
Canada is bringing one online.
They're testing.
There's been a lot ofapplications before the Nuclear
Energy Commission and, of course, our government labs that deal
(16:39):
with this stuff.
They've been tinkering aroundwith it for years, but again,
there is none online in theUnited States yet.
So this DOE program wouldoversee pilots conducted outside
of the national laboratories.
And while numerous smallmodular reactor nuclear startups
(17:01):
are pursuing approval from theUS Nuclear Regulatory Commission
on Design and Constructionpermits which is still, even for
the smaller ones, prettycomprehensive in itself the
Federal Department of Energy isstarting a new pilot program to
expedite testing of advancedreactor designs under its direct
supervision and, like I said,this program will oversee pilot
(17:24):
projects conducted outside ofthe national laboratories, such
as Idaho and Oak Ridge, whichare also doing small nuclear
reactor collaborations.
So here's the thing Will weever see one?
Well, that's what these permitsare doing.
They're trying to build them,test them, run them at scale and
(17:46):
see what happens in controlledsituations.
Here's something that you mightnot know the Idaho National
Laboratory, the nation's primaryresearch facility for testing
new reactor designs, has notbuilt one since the 1970s.
Meanwhile, there are companiesthat are already working to move
(18:07):
forward with advanced and SMRdesigns.
Notice the difference, becauseSMR is not the only design being
pursued.
But there's a list Elo, atomicsX Energy Terra Power, nuscale
Power, okolo and NaturaResources, among others.
The first one, alo Atomics, isbased in Austin and in Idaho and
(18:32):
they're already directlyworking with the Department of
Energy and they think they canget things done.
Now, nuclear energy, uranium isstill a dangerous material.
It's radioactive, it has ahalf-life that is beyond anybody
currently walking the planetever.
(18:53):
And we don't have an official,actual, permanent storage for
this stuff.
Yes, we talked about YuccaMountain, but Yucca Mountain's
been tied up in lawsuits forever.
There is no material storedthere at this time and people
(19:17):
who are concerned about nuclearpower have legitimate concerns.
How safe is it?
What is your safety protocol?
What are you going to do ifthings go sideways?
What is your plan to minimizeharm to the environment, harm to
people, harm to our planet?
Something worth asking andthey're asking Now.
In the days before, that askadded a lot of time and a lot of
(19:42):
cost overruns and a lot ofcompanies went broke trying to
bring these to pass, and eventhe one that came online with
Georgia was years late andbillions over budget.
But the SMR is one of theadvanced technologies that
promises to offer a solution,but you're not looking at this
(20:03):
year.
You're not looking at next year.
Conceivably, the projects willbe online by the end of this
decade, if everything goes well.
You're probably looking atmaybe 10, 15 years before these
become an integral part of ourpower grid.
We'll see Bad news the world isrunning out of clean water.
(20:25):
Good news there's a technologythat can fix it.
This is the Tech of clean water.
Good news there's a technologythat can fix it.
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
If you've missed any of ourweekly episodes on the radio,
our podcast is a great way tolisten.
(20:46):
You can find the Tech Mobilitypodcast just about anywhere.
You can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech Mobilitypodcast in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media it's the place to
(21:08):
be.
We, no exception.
Hi, I'm ken chester, host thetech mobility show several times
a week.
I post to tiktok several of thetopics that I cover on my
weekly radio show.
It's another way to keep up onmobility, technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the tech mobility showon tiktok.
(21:29):
Check it out.
I start this segment with astartling fact.
Did you know that half of theover 7 billion people currently
inhabiting planet Earthexperience severe water scarcity
(21:51):
for at least one month eachyear?
And that's according to theUnited Nations, that's 3.5
billion people don't have accessto water one month out of every
12.
Let that sink in A radical newkind of desalination technology.
(22:12):
Desalination, big word isfinally on the cusp of helping
to resolve this problem.
This is topic B.
The old adage water, watereverywhere, and not a drop to
drink.
We live in a world of water.
(22:32):
Our bodies are mostly water.
We use water for everything.
We freeze it, we turn it foreverything.
We freeze it, we turn it intosteam, we boil it, we cool it.
It runs, it don't run.
We recycle it, we process it.
We use it in manufacturing.
We use it to boil vegetables tocook with.
(22:55):
We use it to clean with,whether we're cleaning our house
or cleaning ourselves.
We use it to drink, to nourishour bodies, because we need
water to survive.
Water is integral to the veryexistence of mankind on this
planet, regardless of where youare on the spectrum, whether
you're surviving running acompany cooking a meal, you're
(23:18):
surviving running a companycooking a meal, getting cleaned
up, getting ready for work,cleaning up your kids,
processing you name itEverything from food to steel to
whatever needs water.
It is the most ingenious liquidever.
Talk about perfect design andbeautiful design.
(23:39):
Water does it all in every bitof its different configurations.
Yet 3.5 billion people on thisplanet, on terra firma, on
planet earth, on terra firma, onplanet Earth, don't have access
to water Out of 365 days a year.
(24:02):
For at least 30 days a yearalmost 10% of their yearly
existence they don't have accessto water and your body can't go
but a week without it.
Yet they go four weeks withoutit.
So where am I going with this?
Water scarcity is projected tobecome much more acute in the
(24:27):
coming decades owing to moreextreme weather patterns, the
dissemination of the world'saquifers, saltwater incursion
because when you pull that muchwater out, it sucks the
saltwater in and contaminates itand growing urban populations.
This threatens humanity at afundamental level, and not just
because we need water to drink,but without it there's no food
(24:50):
or manufacturing and very littleelectricity.
Now for decades to bring waterto places that don't have it.
Desalination has been the onlyreason places from the Caribbean
to the Emirates have beenhabitable, that they could
survive out there in the desert,but it's always been a solution
(25:12):
of last resort for one bigreason it's expensive.
It's horr's expensive.
It's horrifically expensive Ifyou're near the ocean.
What they're doing, whetheryou're in California or Saudi
Arabia, is on land.
Engineers would literally boilthe ocean, pull the water in,
boil it, creating steam thatwould become drinking water and,
(25:34):
on its way, drive some powergenerating turbines to pay back
a bit of the cost.
It was so energy intensive thatin the 1960s, some proposed
using nuclear power to do it,and the world's largest plant in
Saudi Arabia produces much ofits water through evaporation
(25:55):
and this is an older technology,but, like they say, there's a
solution for that.
And around 2000, about 25 yearsago, reverse osmosis changed
everything.
In this process, water isforced through a plastic
membrane with holes so tiny thatonly water molecules fit
through, leaving behind salt andother impurities.
(26:15):
This process requires abouthalf the energy, making it a
credible option for Trinidad,which in 2002 got a plant that
now produces 40 million gallonsof water a day, and Israel,
which got one in 2005 and nowproduces 85 million gallons of
water a day.
And many more plants followed.
(26:37):
And now this is the standard wayto desalinate water, because
you can't drink ocean water.
The salt content's too high andwould actually poison you.
You need clean, desalted water,purified.
That's what your body requires,and most of these processes,
because any contaminants wouldfoul manufacturing processes,
(26:59):
all sorts of things.
It is still expensive comparedwith traditional water sources
like reservoirs and aquifersbetween $2 and $6 per thousand
gallons, and a lot of that costdepends on the cost of
electricity where you live.
So there are other costs thatare non-financial.
Intakes can suck up marine life.
Outflow pipes can dump aconcentrated brine hazardous to
(27:22):
the same marine life back intothe sea, and these issues led
California to say no to a planin Huntington Beach that needed
it.
So what are they doing?
Still need water, though.
Still need water thoughOslo-based Flossien it's a
Netherlands-based water rise andBay Area-based ocean.
(27:43):
Well, are companies that havejumped on this new idea of
desalinization that's submergedat a depth of 400 meters.
Here's what they're talkingabout.
Instead of expending hugeamounts of energy to pump
seawater onto land and thenpressurize it inside of a plant,
why not take advantage of theocean's extreme natural pressure
(28:04):
?
At depth, seawater naturallywants to cross a desalination
membrane, so as long as thefreshwater is on one side, it's
being pumped to the surfaceBottom line.
There is a net energy savingsof 40%, making it even more
doable, and there are other bigadvantages.
These facilities can be faroffshore and out of sight, so
(28:24):
there's no competition forbeachfront property.
And once in place, the systemscan be scaled up without ever
having to negotiate over realestate, which keeps the costs
down.
And because the process happensdown so deep, the salty brine
byproduct is quickly dispersedin the ocean without harming
aquatic plants or animals.
(28:45):
And at that depth the ocean iscleaner, free of the
microorganisms and, pardon me,fish, poop and other debris that
can quickly foul a reverseosmosis membrane.
It's cleaner.
The resulting pressure, thenatural pressure down that deep
makes the thing work and yousave 40%.
(29:05):
Sounds like a great starter,but despite the technology's
promise, three companies onlybuilt modest facilities to prove
their value to potentialcustomers.
They really want to cut a dealwith the government because
they've got the deep pocketsnecessary to develop the
projects.
But here's something thisarticle does not ask.
(29:26):
If you are removing that muchwater every single day out of an
ocean at some point, doesn'tthat have its own problems?
I mean, if you got enoughpeople with these systems, maybe
in 15, 20 years, pulling oceanwater out to desalinize, to make
it drinkable, usable for folksaround the world, what happens
(29:49):
to the oceans?
Does the normal cycle ofreplenishment negate that?
Nobody's answered that question.
Negate that Nobody's answeredthat question.
Because at some point an actiongets an opposite and equal
reaction.
And if you're pulling that muchwater out, what's going on?
What is the reaction to marinelife, the ocean levels and
(30:11):
everything else that's going on,and does that make climate
change worse?
Does that compound a problem?
Dunno, amazon.
And does that make climatechange worse?
Does that compound a problem?
Don't know.
Amazon is playing catch up toWaymo when it comes to robo-taxi
deployment.
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
(30:37):
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Start by visiting our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
(31:00):
Did you know that Tech Mobilityhas a YouTube channel?
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Each week, I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot
topics that I cover during myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
(31:21):
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Check it out.
Are you tired of jugglingmultiple apps and platforms for
meetings, webinars and stayingconnected?
Look no further thanAONmeetingscom, the all-in-one
browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AONmeetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
with family and friends all inone place and for one price.
Here's the best part you canendure a 30-day free trial.
(31:55):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
Aonmeetingscom, whereinnovation meets connection.
Get started today andrevolutionize the way you
communicate.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(32:28):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Robotaxis, moving small groupsof people to destinations across
and around select Americancities, was the way that major
automakers and leaders in thespace like Waymo and Uber at the
(32:49):
time envisioned how autonomousvehicles would be introduced to
the American populace at large.
Now that was about eight yearsago and since then a lot has
changed.
Many companies have dropped outof this space, recalibrated
their tech towards commercialtrucking.
Why?
Because they found out it was alot harder to count for all the
variables in one and oneaverage mile of travel, that as
(33:13):
human beings we're prettycomplex individuals to deal with
all this stuff in a mile ofdriving.
And they had to put that all insome kind of way.
And it wasn't working all thatwell because anything could
happen and they were trying toengineer for everything and
anything which of course you dothat you're going to end up
coming at cross goals and crossneeds for that.
(33:34):
So a lot of companies droppedback.
Waymo is the pioneer and, forthe record, is the only company
in the United States right nowoperating every day an actual
not pilot but actual commercialautonomous robo-taxi service.
(33:55):
Three cities they're doing thatright now San Francisco, austin
and Phoenix.
They do it right now.
They move hundreds of thousandsof people every week right now
In the space.
They were first their littlecar which went around Mountain
View, around their campus, witha top speed of 25 miles an hour.
(34:16):
They've come a long ways, andthat was 2009 before everybody
else jumped in.
They were, and still are.
First, amazon has decided thatthey want a piece of this action
and they're playing catch-up.
They're playing hard, they'rethrowing some hard money at this
thing.
So let me back up.
(34:38):
Amazon is just not it's not awild hair.
They actually bought arobo-taxi company called Zoox
that's Z-O-O-X a number of yearsago, back in well, in 2020, for
$1.3 billion, and they plan tostart public rides in Las Vegas
(35:00):
this year.
At the same time, thedriverless taxi sector is seeing
increased competition.
Waymo's expanding to new cities.
Taxi sector is seeing increasedcompetition.
Waymo is expanding to newcities, and you may have heard
that Tesla is actually finallyrolling out their robo taxi
service and they're scheduled tolaunch in Texas this month.
Now let me stop right here.
You might be wondering, gee Ken, what is up with Texas and
(35:24):
Arizona?
Why, when we talk aboutautonomous vehicles, whether
they're autonomous trucks,autonomous cars it's always
Texas and Arizona?
What's up?
Is it the climate?
Well, that's part of it.
Also, part of it is a very.
How do we put this I don't wantto use the word lax, let's just
say less rigid regulatoryenvironment that permits these
(35:48):
folks to do the tests that theydo and actually go into business
.
That other states are morestringent and demanding, and
they've covered a lot of miles.
Most of what we know aboutautonomous vehicles in the
United States of America wasdeveloped in hard miles in three
states primarily and theseweren't the only states, but
this is where most of ithappened, and that's Texas and
(36:11):
Arizona, for sure, and, to alesser extent, california.
California had a lot morerobust standards, so typically,
texas and Arizona became the defacto place.
It's where Waymo actuallylaunched this service.
It's where most of yourautonomous trucks actually
operate and will actually gocommercial in the next year or
(36:33):
so.
They're a lot closer.
Do you remember Maven?
You probably don't, and if youdon't, it's okay.
Gm was looking at launching arobo-taxi service, at launching
a robo-taxi service and actually, before they bought Aurora not
Aurora, I'm sorry before theybought Cruise Automation for a
(36:56):
billion dollars, they werelooking at launching Maven,
which was a robo-taxi service,back in 2017, 2018.
And, as you remember, it didnot happen.
Wasn't ready for prime timethen.
But, like anything today, withtechnology moving at lightning
speed with the growth of AI,which is definitely helping in
(37:18):
this case.
More and more companies arefinding a path to get into it.
Why a robo-taxi?
Well, one, it's a way to makemoney on a technology up front.
Number two we still do not havespecific federal laws regarding
(37:39):
autonomous vehicles.
We have guidelines put out bythe National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and theseguidelines first came out let's
see in 2013, 2014.
They published three differentsets up to about 2017.
But they weren't guidelines,they weren't rules, they weren't
laws, they weren't requirements.
(38:00):
And even Waymo now, and thesecompanies looking to launch
these robo-taxis are operatingfrom waivers from NHTSA that
waives certain federal motorvehicle safety standards, like
the need, if it's a vehicle on apublic highway, it has to have
foot pedal controls.
It has to have controls for ahuman being, which a robo-taxi
(38:21):
doesn't need a human being.
So you don't need a gas pedal,a brake, a steering wheel, a
turn signal, a switch to turn onthe headlights All unnecessary
Shoot.
A switch to turn on theheadlights All unnecessary Shoot
.
A switch to turn on thewindshield wipers All
unnecessary.
There's no human driving, theydon't need it, so they had to
get waivers for that.
Billions and billions andbillions and billions of dollars
(38:43):
.
If you think the auto industryis capital intensive, let me
help you.
Going to autonomous vehicles isthe next step.
And no, it is not forunderfunded folk.
It is not for folk that need apayback in two years.
It's folks that's in it to winit for the long haul and has the
money to sustain because it'sgoing to take a while.
(39:06):
Sustain because it's going totake a while.
But as they're scaling up, inthe case of Amazon and Zoops,
they plan to build 10,000 robotaxis a year within the next two
years, next two years.
They already have worked a dealin Las Vegas with let me get it
(39:28):
now because I want to make surewe get this right I believe the
name of the hotel Resorts WorldLas Vegas.
Early days, early adopters willget a chance to experience an
Amazon robo-taxi when you staythere, and it's not going to be
everybody.
You literally, in this case,because they're launching it out
(39:50):
slow will have to sign up forit, but it's a big deal and,
trust me, the only reason whyany of these companies are in it
is they've looked at the futureand they've decided that
robo-taxis there's money in itat some point, but they need to
spend the money to make themoney.
And you're looking at 10, 15years before they break even.
(40:10):
And bear in mind, waymo alreadyhas 15 years in, 16 actually
already, and it's probably goingto take another five or six at
the minimum.
And they're the leaders.
Everybody else is followingsuit.
It's going to take them a while,but robo taxis are coming.
And it's going to take them awhile, but robo-taxis are coming
and, in case, in way mode,they're here and there's going
(40:32):
to be more of them.
So, in case you thoughtautonomous vehicles were dead,
eh, not exactly, not quite yet,not exactly, just a little
slower rollout.
But they are coming and youwill experience it.
You might even see one ifyou're in Vegas or Austin or
Phoenix or God forbid SanFrancisco.
Welcome to the TechMobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket Nuclear Energy's Big
Mo, a fix for more clean waterand Amazon's RoboTaxi Push.
From the TechMobility News Desk.
This one is fresh from the desk.
Regular listeners know that forthe longest time, one of the
(00:34):
touchstones of this program ispersonal privacy, big data, what
they are doing with data, thelack of protections for the
average citizen and just what'sgoing on out there.
A few weeks ago, I told youabout a company called Flock
Safety, and Flock operates acompany that has what they call
(00:54):
automatic license plate readersthat are all over the place, in
fact, most places.
You don't even know that yourinformation, your license plate,
is being recorded Without yourpermission, without your
knowledge, that data is beingaggregated and sold, in some
cases to law enforcement, aswell as other companies that
(01:16):
will, third parties that will dowhatever.
Marketing statistics whatever,but it's being sold.
You're the product.
Statistics whatever, but it'sbeing sold.
You're the product.
The reason why I'm bringingthis up again is this is from
404 Media, which is one of themany sources that I reach out to
for news and information,because there is so much going
(01:38):
on in the world that you can'tthat the mainstream media just
doesn't even begin to covereverything going on and that's
why you have me, because I'm outthere looking and I'm turning
over trade publications andindustry magazines and all kinds
of newsletters and things withinformation that will help you.
Here's the title Flock removesstates from national lookup tool
(02:03):
after ICE and abortion searchesrevealed.
I'm not going to get political,but here's my question.
I am on record of saying thatonce you have a tool like what
Flock has, what prevents anybodyworking for the company with an
(02:28):
agenda, even if Flock meanswell, even if Flock says we're
going to follow the law which,by the way, flock said that they
do, but there is no lawrequiring Flock to do that and
there is no teeth if they don't,there's no consequences for
them.
But what Flock found out isthat their information that they
(02:48):
have accumulated and madeavailable to various agencies
across the country was beingmisused outside of the
guidelines they had set, outside, in some cases, of state law
where it originated, and theagencies trying to use it were
breaking state law in theirstates by trying to reach
national.
So, as a result, in somejurisdictions Flock has actually
(03:12):
turned that access off.
This is my point.
It has nothing to do with thepolitical stripe, so let's put
that aside for a minute.
This is not a how you feelabout either one of those
subjects.
That's not where I'm going.
Where I'm going is the factthat when you have an aggregate
(03:33):
of information like that and, bythe way, may I remind you, the
flock was developing a tool thatused data captured in data
breaches, data captured in databreaches so, even as your data
was being unlocked unlawfully,they're scraping it to use
(03:56):
Because, again, remember, thereare no federal, nationwide laws
in the United States of Americathat prevents them from doing it
.
When it comes to big data,you'd have to trip across really
, really consumer protectionlaws, but that's more for a
transactional.
It's more transaction, whetherit's banking or making a
purchase or making a claim.
This does not fall into that.
(04:17):
My issue, my sole issue, inbringing this up and sharing it
with you today, is the fact thatexactly what I was afraid was
going to happen is happening.
People are using thisinformation and misusing this
information outside of theparameters in which it was
established and made availablenationwide for any law
(04:39):
enforcement or any type ofagency like that to use it or
any type of agency like that touse it, and in cases because,
again, no federal laws.
Some of these agencies areactually breaking laws in their
own states by accessing theinformation the way that they
did.
I'm not okay with that and thatis not.
Again, it's not political, it'snot.
(05:00):
I'm not on the subject.
I'm on the data.
Who is manipulating the data?
Who has access to thisinformation?
What are the guidelines and whois the keeper?
Who is the monitor?
Who's looking over theirshoulder, policing themselves?
(05:21):
And that may be okay for thepeople who are currently running
the company, and as long as itdoesn't go against their
business model.
But what happens when laws orprinciples or ethics come up
against making a buck?
Then what?
Again, remember no federal lawsregarding big data and what
(05:41):
they can do and what they can'tdo.
That's my question, that's myconcern and it should be yours
too, because everybody has aright to privacy.
Everybody has a right to be aprivate citizen.
Key there word private citizen.
Long as you're law abiding inAmerica, you should have the
(06:04):
ability to go and come as youplease mind your business, pay
your bills, work, love yourfamily and go and come.
I'm not okay with Big Brother.
Never was, never was.
Let me give you the specificexample, because I'm ranting.
Now I want to give you thespecific example.
I'm going to read this paragraphfrom 404 Media Flock, the
(06:28):
automatic license plate readercompany with a presence in
thousands of communities acrossthe United States, has stopped
agencies across the country fromsearching cameras inside of
Illinois, california andVirginia Agencies Federal I'm
not federal, but governmentalagencies.
Agencies federal I'm notfederal, but governmental
(06:49):
agencies.
The dramatic moves come after404 media revealed local police
departments were repeatedlyperforming lookups around the
country.
On behalf of ICE, A Texasofficer searched cameras
nationwide for a woman whoself-administered an abortion,
and lawmakers recently signed anew law in Virginia.
Ordinarily, floc allowsagencies to opt into a national
lookup database where agenciesin one state can access data
(07:11):
collected in another, as long asthey also share their data.
This practice what they weredoing violates multiple state
laws which bar the sharing ofautomatic license plate reader
data out of state, or it's beingaccessed for immigration or
health care purposes.
That's Virginia.
Law enforcement was goingagainst the law passed by people
(07:35):
who were elected by the peopleto represent them in stuff like
this.
Again, I am not talking aboutimmigration.
I'm not talking aboutimmigration.
I'm not talking about abortion.
That's not what thisconversation is about.
What I'm talking about is theaccess.
I'm talking about the accessthat these agencies could go
(07:59):
around their own states, searchnationwide for something they're
trying to do locally, butthey're going nationwide, which
means somebody in Texas, if youlive, say I don't know Iowa own
states, search nationwide forsomething they're trying to do
locally, but they're goingnationwide, which means somebody
in Texas, if you live, say Idon't know Iowa can be nosing
around to find out stuff aboutyou which may or may not be
pertinent, because there's nosearch warrant required.
They could go just pokingaround for whatever vague reason
(08:24):
they want to use.
Right now, flock cut thisbecause it was brought up.
They had their own diagnostictools, they ran diagnostics, but
again, this is leaning on thedecency of the folks currently
controlling this data, runningthis company.
That makes me nervous, becausethere are no checks and balances
(08:47):
and your data is just out therein the wild.
That, theoretically, I mean,even if Flock and even if
everybody at Flock was good,it's still because it's all in
one place could be hacked.
Another issue we don't know howrobust their information
protection systems are.
Again, no laws, no liability.
(09:09):
We don't know.
And that's the kind of stuffthat concerns me, which is why I
wanted to share it with you, tomake you aware of what was
going on.
We need protection.
America's thirst forelectricity has spawned a
boomlet for nuclear power.
You are listening to the TechMobility Show.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
Look no further thanAONmeetingscom, the all-in-one
browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AON Meetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
with family and friends all inone place and for one price.
Here's the best part you canendure a 30-day free trial.
(09:54):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
Aonmeetingscom, whereinnovation meets connection.
Get started today andrevolutionize the way you
communicate.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Social media is the main place to be these days, and
we are no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
(10:31):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days, and we're no
exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
(10:52):
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
(11:12):
topic-specific videos each week.
Shorter than a full show.
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
you're interested in aparticular topic covered on the
weekly radio show, from ApplePodcasts to iHeartRadio and many
podcast platforms in between,we got you covered.
Just enter Tech Mobility Topicsin the search bar, wherever you
(12:05):
listen to podcasts.
From a long line of legendarycoupes comes the CLS, the
world's first ever four-doorcoupe.
That was a Mercedes-Benzcommercial from 2005.
Mercedes has always been aboutevolution and not revolution,
and they've been about longevity.
And most dyed-in-the-woolMercedes owners usually don't
buy them.
At least they didn't used toBuy a Mercedes for prestige.
(12:28):
They bought it because theyplanned to hold it 25, 30 years
and they knew the vehicle wouldlast that long, unlike today
where it's a whole differentballgame.
But even back then, as theywere trying to make the vehicles
more affordable to create thenext group of buyers that would
grow into the brand stillevolutionary, not revolutionary,
(12:50):
and that best describes all theold, traditional European
automakers.
Mostly all of them areevolutional, not revolution, and
that was the thing that wastheir stock and trade.
So Mercedes-Benz.
And that was the thing that wastheir stock and trade.
So Mercedes-Benz.
(13:10):
With the growth of electricvehicles, demand, demand for
power-hungry data centers andthe need for Jews to power
energy-intensive AI initiatives,the US Department of Energy has
placed the development ofadvanced nuclear reactor designs
on a fast track.
But what does this mean for thenation's power grid and, more
importantly, the availabilityand price of that power?
(13:33):
This is topic A.
Let's take a step back.
Let me take you back some 40,50 years.
A lot of folks don't remember,but those of us that were alive
do remember 1979.
Little place in Pennsylvaniacalled Three Mile Island.
(13:58):
The beleaguered nuclear powerindustry, which started on the
promise of clean, limitlessenergy, ran into problems and
budget overruns and collapsed.
More than one utility in tryingto cover it, and I'm thinking
about Seabrook.
I grew up in New England.
Seabrook 1 and 2 were nuclearpower plants that were supposed
(14:21):
to come online.
Our local utility owned a partof that.
It would end up contributing totheir bankruptcy and getting
bought out by somebody else.
The traditional nuclear powerindustry today in the United
States still provides 18% of theelectric power in the United
(14:43):
States of America.
Bet you didn't realize it wasthat high.
Here's something else youdidn't know.
You probably would think well,they haven't built new nuclear
power plants in forever.
That wouldn't be true either.
Utility down in Georgia broughtonline four years ago the most
recent, what I would calltraditionally built nuclear
(15:06):
power plant.
Now, why say traditional?
They're large, they wereexpensive, they were prone to
cost overruns, reams and reams,and reams and reams of safety
issues that they had to satisfy.
You had to have specializedknowledge to build them,
specialized people to weldcertain things, they had to be
(15:27):
inspected.
There was all kinds of problems.
So what's different?
Now?
That wasn't then.
Well, if you followed thisprogram, you might remember me
talking about what they callsmall modular reactors or SMRs.
These are significantly smaller.
These are significantly smallernuclear plants that cost way
(15:55):
less to build, are more easy andare built on existing
technologies.
In other words, the need forall the specialized skills that
we've lost over the last 40years because we haven't been
building nuclear power plants atscale.
So all those people who hadthat knowledge that was required
, important, necessary inhelping to build a nuclear power
plant, that's gone.
So in the midst of having totrain new people, they came up
(16:17):
with plans.
Now I have to tell you there isnot a single SMR generating
power in the United States atthis time.
Canada is bringing one online.
They're testing.
There's been a lot ofapplications before the Nuclear
Energy Commission and, of course, our government labs that deal
(16:39):
with this stuff.
They've been tinkering aroundwith it for years, but again,
there is none online in theUnited States yet.
So this DOE program wouldoversee pilots conducted outside
of the national laboratories.
And while numerous smallmodular reactor nuclear startups
(17:01):
are pursuing approval from theUS Nuclear Regulatory Commission
on Design and Constructionpermits which is still, even for
the smaller ones, prettycomprehensive in itself the
Federal Department of Energy isstarting a new pilot program to
expedite testing of advancedreactor designs under its direct
supervision and, like I said,this program will oversee pilot
(17:24):
projects conducted outside ofthe national laboratories, such
as Idaho and Oak Ridge, whichare also doing small nuclear
reactor collaborations.
So here's the thing Will weever see one?
Well, that's what these permitsare doing.
They're trying to build them,test them, run them at scale and
(17:46):
see what happens in controlledsituations.
Here's something that you mightnot know the Idaho National
Laboratory, the nation's primaryresearch facility for testing
new reactor designs, has notbuilt one since the 1970s.
Meanwhile, there are companiesthat are already working to move
(18:07):
forward with advanced and SMRdesigns.
Notice the difference, becauseSMR is not the only design being
pursued.
But there's a list Elo, atomicsX Energy Terra Power, nuscale
Power, okolo and NaturaResources, among others.
The first one, alo Atomics, isbased in Austin and in Idaho and
(18:32):
they're already directlyworking with the Department of
Energy and they think they canget things done.
Now, nuclear energy, uranium isstill a dangerous material.
It's radioactive, it has ahalf-life that is beyond anybody
currently walking the planetever.
(18:53):
And we don't have an official,actual, permanent storage for
this stuff.
Yes, we talked about YuccaMountain, but Yucca Mountain's
been tied up in lawsuits forever.
There is no material storedthere at this time and people
(19:17):
who are concerned about nuclearpower have legitimate concerns.
How safe is it?
What is your safety protocol?
What are you going to do ifthings go sideways?
What is your plan to minimizeharm to the environment, harm to
people, harm to our planet?
Something worth asking andthey're asking Now.
In the days before, that askadded a lot of time and a lot of
(19:42):
cost overruns and a lot ofcompanies went broke trying to
bring these to pass, and eventhe one that came online with
Georgia was years late andbillions over budget.
But the SMR is one of theadvanced technologies that
promises to offer a solution,but you're not looking at this
(20:03):
year.
You're not looking at next year.
Conceivably, the projects willbe online by the end of this
decade, if everything goes well.
You're probably looking atmaybe 10, 15 years before these
become an integral part of ourpower grid.
We'll see Bad news the world isrunning out of clean water.
(20:25):
Good news there's a technologythat can fix it.
This is the Tech of clean water.
Good news there's a technologythat can fix it.
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
If you've missed any of ourweekly episodes on the radio,
our podcast is a great way tolisten.
(20:46):
You can find the Tech Mobilitypodcast just about anywhere.
You can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech Mobilitypodcast in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media it's the place to
(21:08):
be.
We, no exception.
Hi, I'm ken chester, host thetech mobility show several times
a week.
I post to tiktok several of thetopics that I cover on my
weekly radio show.
It's another way to keep up onmobility, technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the tech mobility showon tiktok.
(21:29):
Check it out.
I start this segment with astartling fact.
Did you know that half of theover 7 billion people currently
inhabiting planet Earthexperience severe water scarcity
(21:51):
for at least one month eachyear?
And that's according to theUnited Nations, that's 3.5
billion people don't have accessto water one month out of every
12.
Let that sink in A radical newkind of desalination technology.
(22:12):
Desalination, big word isfinally on the cusp of helping
to resolve this problem.
This is topic B.
The old adage water, watereverywhere, and not a drop to
drink.
We live in a world of water.
(22:32):
Our bodies are mostly water.
We use water for everything.
We freeze it, we turn it foreverything.
We freeze it, we turn it intosteam, we boil it, we cool it.
It runs, it don't run.
We recycle it, we process it.
We use it in manufacturing.
We use it to boil vegetables tocook with.
(22:55):
We use it to clean with,whether we're cleaning our house
or cleaning ourselves.
We use it to drink, to nourishour bodies, because we need
water to survive.
Water is integral to the veryexistence of mankind on this
planet, regardless of where youare on the spectrum, whether
you're surviving running acompany cooking a meal, you're
(23:18):
surviving running a companycooking a meal, getting cleaned
up, getting ready for work,cleaning up your kids,
processing you name itEverything from food to steel to
whatever needs water.
It is the most ingenious liquidever.
Talk about perfect design andbeautiful design.
(23:39):
Water does it all in every bitof its different configurations.
Yet 3.5 billion people on thisplanet, on terra firma, on
planet earth, on terra firma, onplanet Earth, don't have access
to water Out of 365 days a year.
(24:02):
For at least 30 days a yearalmost 10% of their yearly
existence they don't have accessto water and your body can't go
but a week without it.
Yet they go four weeks withoutit.
So where am I going with this?
Water scarcity is projected tobecome much more acute in the
(24:27):
coming decades owing to moreextreme weather patterns, the
dissemination of the world'saquifers, saltwater incursion
because when you pull that muchwater out, it sucks the
saltwater in and contaminates itand growing urban populations.
This threatens humanity at afundamental level, and not just
because we need water to drink,but without it there's no food
(24:50):
or manufacturing and very littleelectricity.
Now for decades to bring waterto places that don't have it.
Desalination has been the onlyreason places from the Caribbean
to the Emirates have beenhabitable, that they could
survive out there in the desert,but it's always been a solution
(25:12):
of last resort for one bigreason it's expensive.
It's horr's expensive.
It's horrifically expensive Ifyou're near the ocean.
What they're doing, whetheryou're in California or Saudi
Arabia, is on land.
Engineers would literally boilthe ocean, pull the water in,
boil it, creating steam thatwould become drinking water and,
(25:34):
on its way, drive some powergenerating turbines to pay back
a bit of the cost.
It was so energy intensive thatin the 1960s, some proposed
using nuclear power to do it,and the world's largest plant in
Saudi Arabia produces much ofits water through evaporation
(25:55):
and this is an older technology,but, like they say, there's a
solution for that.
And around 2000, about 25 yearsago, reverse osmosis changed
everything.
In this process, water isforced through a plastic
membrane with holes so tiny thatonly water molecules fit
through, leaving behind salt andother impurities.
(26:15):
This process requires abouthalf the energy, making it a
credible option for Trinidad,which in 2002 got a plant that
now produces 40 million gallonsof water a day, and Israel,
which got one in 2005 and nowproduces 85 million gallons of
water a day.
And many more plants followed.
(26:37):
And now this is the standard wayto desalinate water, because
you can't drink ocean water.
The salt content's too high andwould actually poison you.
You need clean, desalted water,purified.
That's what your body requires,and most of these processes,
because any contaminants wouldfoul manufacturing processes,
(26:59):
all sorts of things.
It is still expensive comparedwith traditional water sources
like reservoirs and aquifersbetween $2 and $6 per thousand
gallons, and a lot of that costdepends on the cost of
electricity where you live.
So there are other costs thatare non-financial.
Intakes can suck up marine life.
Outflow pipes can dump aconcentrated brine hazardous to
(27:22):
the same marine life back intothe sea, and these issues led
California to say no to a planin Huntington Beach that needed
it.
So what are they doing?
Still need water, though.
Still need water thoughOslo-based Flossien it's a
Netherlands-based water rise andBay Area-based ocean.
(27:43):
Well, are companies that havejumped on this new idea of
desalinization that's submergedat a depth of 400 meters.
Here's what they're talkingabout.
Instead of expending hugeamounts of energy to pump
seawater onto land and thenpressurize it inside of a plant,
why not take advantage of theocean's extreme natural pressure
(28:04):
?
At depth, seawater naturallywants to cross a desalination
membrane, so as long as thefreshwater is on one side, it's
being pumped to the surfaceBottom line.
There is a net energy savingsof 40%, making it even more
doable, and there are other bigadvantages.
These facilities can be faroffshore and out of sight, so
(28:24):
there's no competition forbeachfront property.
And once in place, the systemscan be scaled up without ever
having to negotiate over realestate, which keeps the costs
down.
And because the process happensdown so deep, the salty brine
byproduct is quickly dispersedin the ocean without harming
aquatic plants or animals.
(28:45):
And at that depth the ocean iscleaner, free of the
microorganisms and, pardon me,fish, poop and other debris that
can quickly foul a reverseosmosis membrane.
It's cleaner.
The resulting pressure, thenatural pressure down that deep
makes the thing work and yousave 40%.
(29:05):
Sounds like a great starter,but despite the technology's
promise, three companies onlybuilt modest facilities to prove
their value to potentialcustomers.
They really want to cut a dealwith the government because
they've got the deep pocketsnecessary to develop the
projects.
But here's something thisarticle does not ask.
(29:26):
If you are removing that muchwater every single day out of an
ocean at some point, doesn'tthat have its own problems?
I mean, if you got enoughpeople with these systems, maybe
in 15, 20 years, pulling oceanwater out to desalinize, to make
it drinkable, usable for folksaround the world, what happens
(29:49):
to the oceans?
Does the normal cycle ofreplenishment negate that?
Nobody's answered that question.
Negate that Nobody's answeredthat question.
Because at some point an actiongets an opposite and equal
reaction.
And if you're pulling that muchwater out, what's going on?
What is the reaction to marinelife, the ocean levels and
(30:11):
everything else that's going on,and does that make climate
change worse?
Does that compound a problem?
Dunno, amazon.
And does that make climatechange worse?
Does that compound a problem?
Don't know.
Amazon is playing catch up toWaymo when it comes to robo-taxi
deployment.
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
(30:37):
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Start by visiting our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
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Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
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(31:00):
Did you know that Tech Mobilityhas a YouTube channel?
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Each week, I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot
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I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
(31:21):
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
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Check it out.
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Robotaxis, moving small groupsof people to destinations across
and around select Americancities, was the way that major
automakers and leaders in thespace like Waymo and Uber at the
(32:49):
time envisioned how autonomousvehicles would be introduced to
the American populace at large.
Now that was about eight yearsago and since then a lot has
changed.
Many companies have dropped outof this space, recalibrated
their tech towards commercialtrucking.
Why?
Because they found out it was alot harder to count for all the
variables in one and oneaverage mile of travel, that as
(33:13):
human beings we're prettycomplex individuals to deal with
all this stuff in a mile ofdriving.
And they had to put that all insome kind of way.
And it wasn't working all thatwell because anything could
happen and they were trying toengineer for everything and
anything which of course you dothat you're going to end up
coming at cross goals and crossneeds for that.
(33:34):
So a lot of companies droppedback.
Waymo is the pioneer and, forthe record, is the only company
in the United States right nowoperating every day an actual
not pilot but actual commercialautonomous robo-taxi service.
(33:55):
Three cities they're doing thatright now San Francisco, austin
and Phoenix.
They do it right now.
They move hundreds of thousandsof people every week right now
In the space.
They were first their littlecar which went around Mountain
View, around their campus, witha top speed of 25 miles an hour.
(34:16):
They've come a long ways, andthat was 2009 before everybody
else jumped in.
They were, and still are.
First, amazon has decided thatthey want a piece of this action
and they're playing catch-up.
They're playing hard, they'rethrowing some hard money at this
thing.
So let me back up.
(34:38):
Amazon is just not it's not awild hair.
They actually bought arobo-taxi company called Zoox
that's Z-O-O-X a number of yearsago, back in well, in 2020, for
$1.3 billion, and they plan tostart public rides in Las Vegas
(35:00):
this year.
At the same time, thedriverless taxi sector is seeing
increased competition.
Waymo's expanding to new cities.
Taxi sector is seeing increasedcompetition.
Waymo is expanding to newcities, and you may have heard
that Tesla is actually finallyrolling out their robo taxi
service and they're scheduled tolaunch in Texas this month.
Now let me stop right here.
You might be wondering, gee Ken, what is up with Texas and
(35:24):
Arizona?
Why, when we talk aboutautonomous vehicles, whether
they're autonomous trucks,autonomous cars it's always
Texas and Arizona?
What's up?
Is it the climate?
Well, that's part of it.
Also, part of it is a very.
How do we put this I don't wantto use the word lax, let's just
say less rigid regulatoryenvironment that permits these
(35:48):
folks to do the tests that theydo and actually go into business
.
That other states are morestringent and demanding, and
they've covered a lot of miles.
Most of what we know aboutautonomous vehicles in the
United States of America wasdeveloped in hard miles in three
states primarily and theseweren't the only states, but
this is where most of ithappened, and that's Texas and
(36:11):
Arizona, for sure, and, to alesser extent, california.
California had a lot morerobust standards, so typically,
texas and Arizona became the defacto place.
It's where Waymo actuallylaunched this service.
It's where most of yourautonomous trucks actually
operate and will actually gocommercial in the next year or
(36:33):
so.
They're a lot closer.
Do you remember Maven?
You probably don't, and if youdon't, it's okay.
Gm was looking at launching arobo-taxi service, at launching
a robo-taxi service and actually, before they bought Aurora not
Aurora, I'm sorry before theybought Cruise Automation for a
(36:56):
billion dollars, they werelooking at launching Maven,
which was a robo-taxi service,back in 2017, 2018.
And, as you remember, it didnot happen.
Wasn't ready for prime timethen.
But, like anything today, withtechnology moving at lightning
speed with the growth of AI,which is definitely helping in
(37:18):
this case.
More and more companies arefinding a path to get into it.
Why a robo-taxi?
Well, one, it's a way to makemoney on a technology up front.
Number two we still do not havespecific federal laws regarding
(37:39):
autonomous vehicles.
We have guidelines put out bythe National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and theseguidelines first came out let's
see in 2013, 2014.
They published three differentsets up to about 2017.
But they weren't guidelines,they weren't rules, they weren't
laws, they weren't requirements.
(38:00):
And even Waymo now, and thesecompanies looking to launch
these robo-taxis are operatingfrom waivers from NHTSA that
waives certain federal motorvehicle safety standards, like
the need, if it's a vehicle on apublic highway, it has to have
foot pedal controls.
It has to have controls for ahuman being, which a robo-taxi
(38:21):
doesn't need a human being.
So you don't need a gas pedal,a brake, a steering wheel, a
turn signal, a switch to turn onthe headlights All unnecessary
Shoot.
A switch to turn on theheadlights All unnecessary Shoot
.
A switch to turn on thewindshield wipers All
unnecessary.
There's no human driving, theydon't need it, so they had to
get waivers for that.
Billions and billions andbillions and billions of dollars
(38:43):
.
If you think the auto industryis capital intensive, let me
help you.
Going to autonomous vehicles isthe next step.
And no, it is not forunderfunded folk.
It is not for folk that need apayback in two years.
It's folks that's in it to winit for the long haul and has the
money to sustain because it'sgoing to take a while.
(39:06):
Sustain because it's going totake a while.
But as they're scaling up, inthe case of Amazon and Zoops,
they plan to build 10,000 robotaxis a year within the next two
years, next two years.
They already have worked a dealin Las Vegas with let me get it
(39:28):
now because I want to make surewe get this right I believe the
name of the hotel Resorts WorldLas Vegas.
Early days, early adopters willget a chance to experience an
Amazon robo-taxi when you staythere, and it's not going to be
everybody.
You literally, in this case,because they're launching it out
(39:50):
slow will have to sign up forit, but it's a big deal and,
trust me, the only reason whyany of these companies are in it
is they've looked at the futureand they've decided that
robo-taxis there's money in itat some point, but they need to
spend the money to make themoney.
And you're looking at 10, 15years before they break even.
(40:10):
And bear in mind, waymo alreadyhas 15 years in, 16 actually
already, and it's probably goingto take another five or six at
the minimum.
And they're the leaders.
Everybody else is followingsuit.
It's going to take them a while,but robo taxis are coming.
And it's going to take them awhile, but robo-taxis are coming
and, in case, in way mode,they're here and there's going
(40:32):
to be more of them.
So, in case you thoughtautonomous vehicles were dead,
eh, not exactly, not quite yet,not exactly, just a little
slower rollout.
But they are coming and youwill experience it.
You might even see one ifyou're in Vegas or Austin or
Phoenix or God forbid SanFrancisco.
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