Today was the deadline for Google to reveal how it’s complying with Judge James Donato’s order to crack open Android for third-party app stores, stop illegally tying its Google Play Billing system to its app store, and let developers link to ways to download their apps outside the Play Store in the US.
Technology
Get ready for a foldable electric car that makes parking a breeze
Have you ever wished you could park your car in a tight spot without worrying about scratches or dents? Or drive through narrow streets without getting stuck in traffic? If so, you might be interested in the City Transformer’s CT-2 electric car, a revolutionary vehicle that can fold itself to fit any space.
CLICK TO GET KURT’S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK VIDEO TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER
CT-2 electric car (City Transformer) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How does the CT-2 electric car work?
The CT-2 electric car is designed to offer practical adaptability for urban drivers. It can seamlessly transition from being 4.26 wide to 3.28 feet wide for parking at the push of a button. This means that it can drive like a car and park like a motorcycle, saving space and time.
CT-2 electric car (City Transformer) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
The car also has twin engines in the rear wheels, providing up to 20 horsepower and a top speed of 55.9 mph in its full-width mode. It has a range of 74.6 to 111.8 miles. The power output is 15 kilowatts.
CT-2 electric car (City Transformer) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
MORE: BEST DASH CAMS FOR YOUR CAR
What does the CT-2 vehicle offer inside?
The car is equipped with a smart dashboard that displays the battery level, speed and width settings. It also has a touch screen that allows the driver to control the music, navigation and other features. The next generation of the car will be able to connect to the internet and receive updates and alerts from the manufacturer.
CT-2 electric car (City Transformer) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
The CT-2 is a two-seater car that has a tandem seating position designed to conserve space.
CT-2 electric car (City Transformer) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What safety features does the CT-2 vehicle offer?
The car has a safety system that prevents it from folding or unfolding while in motion or when the doors are open. It also comes with front and rear disk brakes as well as advanced driver-assistance system on the next generation, blind spot monitoring and forward collision warning system.
What are the benefits of the CT-2 electric car?
The CT-2 electric car has several advantages over conventional cars, especially in crowded and congested cities. Some of these benefits are as follows.
Space-saving: The car can fold itself to park like a motorcycle and occupy less than a quarter of a standard parking spot, allowing up to four vehicles to fit in one space. This reduces the need for parking infrastructure and frees up space for other uses. The car can also drive through narrow alleys and lanes inaccessible to larger vehicles, avoiding traffic jams and saving time.
Four CT-2 electric cars parked (City Transformer) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Energy-efficient: The car runs on electricity, which is cheaper and cleaner than fossil fuels. The car has a low carbon footprint and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
CT-2 electric car (City Transformer) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Cost-effective: The car has a low maintenance cost, as it has fewer moving parts and less wear and tear than conventional cars. The car also has a low insurance cost, as it is less likely to be involved in accidents or thefts. The car also has a low operating cost, as it consumes less electricity and does not require gas or oil.
CT-2 electric car (City Transformer) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
MORE: DON’T JUDGE THIS SOLAR CAR JUST BY ITS SIZE
What are the challenges of the CT-2 electric car?
The CT-2 electric car is not without its limitations. It is not suitable for long-distance travel, as it has a range of 112 miles that drops to 74 miles with air conditioning on. Another challenge is the lack of infrastructure and regulations for folding cars. The car may also encounter difficulties accessing charging stations, as they may not be compatible with its size and shape.
How much will the CT-2 electric car cost?
The CT-2 electric car is expected to cost about $19,000 and has already captured attention, especially among first responders. One thousand orders have been placed for medical emergency crews. An additional 1,000 orders from around the globe are in the pipeline. Production is set to commence in Italy, and City Transformer aims for a public release in July.
City Transformer is projected to enter mass production in the latter half of 2025. They tell us they plan to start delivering vehicles to our first customers towards the end of 2025.
MORE: WHY SELF-DRIVING CARS ARE ABLE TO COMPLETELY BREAK THE RULES IN THIS CALIFORNIA CITY
Kurt’s key takeaways
The CT-2 electric car offers a smart urban solution for drivers who value maneuverability and convenience. It can fold itself to fit any space, drive with speed and stability, and save energy and emissions. I can see this being a hit in crowded cities like New York City.
Considering the CT-2’s range and power output, would you consider it a practical choice for your daily commute? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.
Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:
Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Even at $1,000, the Xbox Ally X handheld didn’t ship with magnetic drift-resistant joysticks, and neither did the $600 model. But for an extra $20 at Amazon, you can change that today — with officially Asus-approved and sanctioned TMR joysticks from Gulikit, the company that’s made a name for itself by supplying aftermarket drift-resistant sticks.
The company says it worked with Xbox Ally manufacturer Asus to create these sticks, that they’ll be “automatically recognized” when you swap them in, and that you can use the handheld’s built-in Armoury Crate app to calibrate them afterwards.
And while I haven’t tried these ones (I do have a pair in my Switch), I can confirm it’s pretty easy to pop open the Xbox Ally to install. Just loosen the Philips-head screws, poke in a guitar pick pry tool to create a small gap, and pull a little harder than you think you need to pop open the clips. The joystick modules are right underneath. There’s nothing blocking you — just pop a ribbon cable and undo their three screws.
Here’s the company’s walkthrough in case you want to see for yourself — though I do not recommend taking sharp tweezers to ribbon cables when your fingernails can do that job safer and easier. (I may have broken a few ribbon cables in my life.)
When we’re talking about TMR or the older and slightly less power-efficient Hall effect joystick technology, I usually write “drift-resistant” instead of “drift-free” because you may find your center point drifting over time — but the beauty of magnetic is you just have to recalibrate! Unlike the potentiometer joysticks that ship with Nintendo, Sony PlayStation, and Microsoft Xbox controllers, you’re not scraping away material that’ll lead to permanent drift as you use the magnetic versions.
Gulikit’s new Xbox Ally sticks are $20 in the US today, and should also be available in the UK for £20, and in Italy, France, and Spain for €22, this January.
Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer of Palantir Technologies Inc., speaks at the Hill & Valley forum at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 30, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images )
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
– AI fuels blue-collar productivity boom across manufacturing, Palantir technology chief tells FOX Business
– New exoskeleton adapts to terrain with smart AI power
– Purdue becomes first university to require AI competency for all undergrads as universities race to adapt
RISE OF MACHINES: Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar told FOX Business artificial intelligence is fueling a blue-collar productivity boom, not mass unemployment as forecast by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Sankar said AI is accelerating hiring, training and American industrial growth.
SMART STEPS: Recreational exoskeletons have been popping up for years, but the new IRMO M1 exoskeleton feels like a turning point. This next-generation wearable blends artificial intelligence (AI), a forward-facing camera, LADAR sensors and lightweight robotics to give your legs a serious boost on trails and city streets.
With training and assist modes, the M1 adapts to your goals whether you want more power or more strength. (IRMO)
EDUCATION REWIRED: Purdue University has announced a new “AI working competency” requirement, the first of its kind at an institution of higher learning, for all undergraduate students on their main campus, Indianapolis and West Lafayette, to complete starting in 2026.
‘DISPARATE IMPACT’: White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks called out blue states Tuesday for inserting “woke” ideology into artificial intelligence as the Trump administration moves to cut what he described as “unnecessary” regulations on the rapidly developing technology.
EYES TO THE FUTURE: Artificial intelligence (AI) is charging into a new phase in 2026 – one that could reshape business operations, global competition and even which workers thrive, according to Goldman Sachs’ Chief Information Officer Marco Argenti.
Artificial intelligence enters a new phase in 2026 that could reshape business operations, global competition and workforce outcomes, according to Goldman Sachs Chief Information Officer Marco Argenti. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
‘MORE USABLE’: OpenAI announced an update for ChatGPT Images that it says drastically improves both the generation speed and instruction-following capability of its image generator. A blog post from the company Tuesday says the update will make it much easier to make precise edits to AI-generated images. Previous iterations of the program have struggled to follow instructions and often make unasked-for changes.
HANDS-FREE TECH: Chrome on Android now offers a fresh way to digest information when your hands are busy or your eyes need a break. A new update powered by Google Gemini can turn written webpages into short podcast-style summaries. Two virtual hosts chat about the content, making it feel easier to follow during your commute or while you multitask.
DESANTIS VS. TRUMP: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said on Monday that state officials have the right to regulate artificial intelligence despite President Trump’s recent executive order aiming to require a national AI standard the president argues would overrule state laws.
TECH FORCE: The Trump administration launched a new initiative Monday aimed at recruiting top-tier technical talent to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) at the federal level. The hiring program, known as “Tech Force,” plans to recruit roughly 1,000 early-career technologists for a two-year service term across various federal agencies.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, says state officials have authority to regulate artificial intelligence despite President Trump’s executive order seeking a national AI standard he says would override state laws. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
HOME RUN: Baseball teams have long searched for a way to study the entire swing without sensors or complex lab setups. Today, a new solution is entering the picture. Theia, an AI biomechanics company, debuted a commercially available video-only system that analyzes bat trajectory and full-body biomechanics together. This new approach works in real baseball environments and needs no reflective body markers, wearables or special equipment.
POLICING PUSH: Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., helped advocate for the AI Civil Rights Act last week in order to prevent companies from using what Democrats describe as “biased and discriminatory AI-powered algorithms.”
PRICING GAP : Instacart is using AI-enabled pricing experiments that are substantially raising the prices of identical products for different customers, according to an investigation by Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collaborative.
FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
X
LinkedIn
SIGN UP FOR OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS
Fox News First
Fox News Opinion
Fox News Lifestyle
Fox News Health
DOWNLOAD OUR APPS
Fox News
Fox Business
Fox Weather
Fox Sports
Tubi
WATCH FOX NEWS ONLINE
Fox News Go
STREAM FOX NATION
Fox Nation
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.
But Google isn’t just letting app developers do things however and whenever they’d like. The company’s quietly updated its support pages with a January 28th deadline to enroll in specific Google programs for “alternative billing” and “external content links” — and these programs will come with large alternative fees of their own, assuming Judge Donato doesn’t opt for Epic and Google’s proposed settlement instead.
While it isn’t collecting fees yet, Google says it will charge developers $2.85 for every app and $3.65 for every game a user installs within 24 hours of clicking a link that takes you outside Google’s app store to download them outside the Google ecosystem.
Plus, it’ll take a 20 percent cut of any in-app purchases and 10 percent of any auto-renewing subscriptions. Apps still need to be submitted to Google for review, use a Google API to track them, and developers have to report all transactions (including $0 free trials) if they want to participate.
Meanwhile, developers who want to offer their own billing solutions will only get a 5 percent discount compared to Google’s current fees, likely making it not worth the effort to try alternative billing at all. Google will charge 25 percent for in-app purchases and 10 percent for auto-renewing subscriptions there; devs will need to integrate a Google API to track those, and report all transactions within 24 hours.
The company will cap some of these fees at 10 percent of a developer’s first $1 million of earnings, making it a bit easier for small developers, but perhaps no easier than it is currently. Google already offers a similar cap at 15 percent, so this too is a 5 percent discount.
How will Judge James Donato react? When Apple told Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers it would require a 27 percent fee for external payments in the parallel Epic v. Apple case, she found Apple in contempt of court, and an appeals court backed up that decision just days ago. However, the appeals court did suggest that Apple may be able to collect some fee, writing that:
Apple should be able to charge a commission on linked-out purchases based on the costs that are genuinely and reasonably necessary for its coordination of external links for linked-out purchases, but no more.
Google currently claims that “the fees associated with the external content links program reflect the value provided by Android and Play and support our continued investments across Android and Play.”
But Google also says it won’t collect any fees quite yet, writing:
In the future, Google intends to apply a service fee on successful transactions and downloads completed via external content links. At this time, however, Google is not assessing these fees and is therefore not requiring developers in this program to report these transactions or downloads to Google.
In their joint progress report today, Epic and Google’s lawyers write that while Epic agrees with the January 28th deadline and other requirements, “Epic has indicated that it opposes the service fees that Google announced it may implement in the future and that Epic will challenge these fees if they come into effect.”
Of course, none of this will come to pass if Judge Donato accepts Google and Epic’s proposed settlement instead, which would generally apply worldwide (instead of just in the US) and comes with lower standard transaction fees.
But Google signaled that settlement, too, would come with fees on alternative billing and external app downloads, and Judge Donato seemed skeptical of the settlement in November. He’s ordered an evidentiary hearing on January 22nd before he makes a decision.
Since Google’s support pages seem to be fluid as Epic v. Google continues, we’ve archived copies of their current text below.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
Austin, TX3 minutes ago
Texas Eats: Spicy ramen bowls in Austin, wok-fired fusion in SA and Houston Barbecue
Alabama9 minutes ago
LOOK: Alabama football celebrates comeback win over Oklahoma in CFP
Alaska15 minutes ago
Rivers Turn Bright Orange in Alaska
Arizona21 minutes ago
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham signs 5-year extension averaging $7.5M a year
Arkansas27 minutes ago
Where to watch Houston vs. Arkansas today: College basketball free stream
Florida1 year ago
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Connecticut2 years ago
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
Oregon2 years ago
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Virginia1 year ago
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Education2 years ago
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Politics7 hours ago
Sen Murphy warns ‘people are going to die’ as Congress punts on expiring Obamacare subsidies
World8 hours ago
Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan, wife sentenced to 17 years in corruption case
News8 hours ago
U.S. launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American deaths
Politics19 hours ago
Trump administration touts ‘most secure border in history’ as 2.5 million migrants exit US
World20 hours ago
How the reparations loan for Ukraine fell apart at the eleventh hour
-
Iowa6 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Iowa1 week agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Maine4 days agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland6 days agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
Technology1 week agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
South Dakota6 days agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
New Mexico4 days agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
Nebraska1 week agoNebraska lands commitment from DL Jayden Travers adding to early Top 5 recruiting class