Technology
Book Excerpt Special: Jonathan Lethem’s ‘Program’s Progress’
Class struggle. Infirm secondary superheroes. Suicidal sheep. It’s all in Jonathan Lethem's new collection of short stories, "A Different Kind of Tension." Here's an excerpt — featuring class struggle with cars!
November 26, 2025
Friday Video: The Horrors of the Modern High-Tech Car
As more technology wheedles its way into our cars, they get scarier and scarier.
October 31, 2025
‘Embarrassment’: Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking Still Flawed at Night
Relying solely on vehicle automation for pedestrian detection and collision avoidance is not advised, a new study said.
October 17, 2025
Under Pressure: Uber’s Navigation System Endangers the Public With Reckless Driving Directions
An Uber driver made an illegal u-turn and hit someone, but the in-app navigation told him to do it and the company won't give up the code.
October 6, 2025
Talking Headways Podcast: Live from MARS To Change the ‘Crash First, Fix Later’ Mentality
Welcome to MARS: Modern Analytics for Roadway Safety. Let's talk about it in a special edition of the podcast.
September 18, 2025
What Will It Take to Automatically Brick Drivers’ Cell Phones Behind the Wheel?
The technology to stop cell phone use behind the wheel has existed for years. Why are so few drivers using it – and why aren't lawmakers making them?
July 24, 2025
This City Is Turning Bikes into Data-Collection Devices to Support More Bike Lanes
A recent high-tech pilot is helping one Michigan city make the case for low-tech safety technology that saves lives and gets people in the saddle.
February 6, 2025
Alarming Report Shows that Two Auto-Braking Systems Can’t See People in Reflective Garb
The safety strips are useless in the eyes of automatic braking systems on two very popular car models.
January 10, 2025
Could ChatGPT Make America More Walkable?
No, generative AI shouldn't plan a whole city — but a new study argues it could help identify gaps in our sidewalk networks, tree canopies, and more.
December 4, 2024
Talking Headways Podcast: City Tech with Rob Walker
Author Rob Walker on how technology has progressed transportation policy in the last decade.
November 21, 2024
