It's my life, you're just along for the ride!

If you’re wondering how many projects Jaguar Land Rover’s developing in addition to its pothole and cyclist alerts, the answer is “quite a few.” In fact, the company has revealed that it’s working on several technologies, which can monitor your condition to prevent accidents, collectively called “Sixth Sense.” The most intriguing one in the list is “Mind Sense,” which was derived from a NASA tech used to enhanced a pilot’s concentration skills. Mind Sense aims to read your brain waves (amplified and filtered by software) using sensors embedded in the steering wheel. An on-board computer will then assess whether you’re alert enough to commandeer a vehicle weighing thousands of pounds. The steering wheel could be programmed to vibrate or the computer could issue a warning sound, in case you’re daydreaming or starting to fall asleep.

The automaker is also in the midst of putting together medical-grade sensors to embed in the driver’s seat, particularly for the Jaguar XJ luxury sedan. Those sensors will be in charge of making sure you’re fit to drive; it could, for instance, dim the lighting or play some music if it senses stress. In future cars with self-driving capability, it could detect whether you’re having a seizure or a heart attack and automatically take control of the steering wheel.

Jaguar wants to make sure its fancy infotainment system doesn’t distract you, as well, so it’s developing an upgraded version that can predict what you want to press before your fingers even reach it. It actually already has a prototype of a mid-air touch screen display that uses cameras to track your hands. In the future, the company plans to add ultrasonic feedback in order to trick your brain into thinking you’ve already touched the screen. Finally, the British company’s working on an accelerator pedal that provides haptic feedback. It could vibrate when you’re going over the speed limit, for example, or as a warning that you’re going to hit another vehicle.

via Jaguar adapts NASA tech to monitor brainwaves and avoid accidents.

Cuba’s making it easier and cheaper for its citizens to get online by building out an island-wide network of WiFi hotspots. According to local paper Juventud Rebelde, the nation’s state-run telecommunications company will open up internet access in 35 locations that should be available from the start of July. The move will also cut the price of getting online in half, with an hour of connection pegged to cost $2 per hour. According to Cuba’s director of telecommunications, Luis Manuel Diaz, that’s still too expensive for the bulk of the island’s citizens. It’s hardly a surprise, either, since the cost of a Netflix subscription in the country is around a third of the average monthly wage.

It may be 2015 but that doesn’t mean that Cubans are going to enjoy Google Fiber-style speeds straight off the bat. In fact, users will have their speed capped to “1MB per user,” which we’re taking to mean 1Mbps, although that could just be an issue with the translation. There’s also going to be come issues with congestion, since the infrastructure can only cope with 50-100 users at a time.

The New York Times believes that could be an issue since there’s a growing number of younger citizens who own smartphones. In fact, Havana’s one existing hotspot, based in the workshop of a local artist, is described as being “constantly packed.” Then again, it’s a step in the right direction as the world’s biggest tech companies see the island as a rich seam of untapped potential.

via Cuba is getting island-wide WiFi hotspots next month.

Have you ever found your car stranded in a parking lot because some neighboring (jerk) drivers have parked too close for you to even open the door? That’s one problem that Jaguar Land Rover’s new prototype remote app can solve, letting you back your vehicle out of a tight spot using your smartphone.

The app uses the same sensors that Jaguar Land Rover’s vehicles currently rely on for their autonomous parking features. But instead of sitting in the car and letting the vehicle do all the work, the app allows drivers to control its steering, throttle, brakes, even gearshifts (presumably just reverse and forward) from outside the ride. So drivers can serve as their own spotters for getting in and out of tight spaces, or ensuring their car doesn’t bottom out on a hill while off-roading.

via A Smartphone App Turns a Land Rover Into a Giant RC Car.

Here’s an amusing and emotional short film about an old woman in a nursing home who struggles to send a text message to her daughter. You should watch it.

In case you need convincing, the video—produced by Mick Andrews and Brett O’Gorman—has won plaudits at film festivals around the world, snatching title of Best Short Film at Nantucket Film Festival. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll probably want to text your mom. [Vimeo] 

via Watch This Beautiful Short About an Old Lady Struggling to Text Message.

DOTTY from Brett and Mick on Vimeo.