Tech Times Weekly Wrap: TikTok US Ban, NHTSA Tesla Autopilot, Chinese Laser Tech for Submarines

Tech Times Weekly Wrap offers the top news from last week, starting with the TikTok US Ban, passed and signed earlier and marked a significant threat to its operations in the country. 

NHTSA also completed the Tesla Autopilot investigation, which concluded that it mismatched driver engagement systems and caused a safety divide.

Moreover, China's latest laser technology development for a submarine's propeller could potentially improve its underwater performance. 

TikTok US Ban: What Happened Last Week

The massive threat against TikTok saw a significant development last week as not only did the US Senate sign it for its next-level review, but it was also signed into law by US President Joe Biden.

Effectively, this would finally bring down TikTok, as once implemented, it could identify it as a foreign entity and require it to sell its platform in the country. 

TikTok previously regarded it as something that, once this happened, the company and its CEO, Shou Zi Chew, would bring a lawsuit against the United States government for the law.

Moreover, as early as now, TikTok reiterated its stand on the issue, saying it would stop its operations in the country instead of selling to an American company that would set it apart from ByteDance, its parent company.

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NHTSA Tesla Autopilot Investigation Done

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently concluded its years-long investigation on Tesla's Autopilot driving system, which saw numerous reports of owner complaints.

Until August 2023, there were as many as 956 accidents involving Autopilot, but the NHTSA claimed that half of these were irrelevant to the case. 

NHTSA revealed that Tesla's inadequate driver engagement system is unsuitable for its Autopilot technology, which led to abuse and preventable crashes.

It was also revealed that Tesla's directions to users about keeping their hands on the steering wheel and their attention to driving are inadequate claims from the NHTSA and other regulatory agencies.

That being said, Autopilot's probe may be over, but the agency opened a new investigation into Tesla's safety patch, released last December. 

Chinese Laser Tech for Subs Propeller

The future of submarine warfare may be finally here, with China's latest development on laser technology for a sub propeller to help it reach new speeds. 

This is the latest development from China that could transform submarines' existing propellers into more advanced and powerful ones. 

It is an underwater fiber laser-induced plasma detonation wave propulsion, reports SCMP, which could generate as much as 70,000 newtons of thrust and is comparable to a commercial jet engine. 

Moreover, these lasers bring propulsion and the so-called "supercaptivation" that vaporizes saltwater and decreases water resistance, allowing the vehicle to travel faster than sound underwater and avoid making mechanical noise vibrations that reveal their location. 

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