We still don’t know when Valve will launch the Steam Machine, but we may not have to wait too long. Valve just imported roughly 50 tons of “Game Consoles” into the United States in the two-day period between May 1st and April 30th, according to import records viewed by The Verge.
Technology
Humanless big rig completes first US freight run
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A big rig left Houston, Texas, in the middle of the night with nobody inside. By morning, it had completed a 230-mile delivery near Dallas right on schedule. There was no driver, no backup operator and no one stepping in remotely.
According to Bot Auto, this marks the first fully humanless, over-the-road commercial truckload in the U.S.
More importantly, the run followed a real customer timeline and moved through the same freight network that companies rely on every day, rather than a controlled test or staged demonstration.
Here’s a breakdown of exactly what happened and why it matters.
BIG RIGS DELIVER CARGO WITH NO HUMANS AT THE WHEEL
A Bot Auto autonomous big rig completed a 230-mile commercial freight run from Houston to near Dallas with no driver, observer or remote operator. (Bot Auto)
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How the Houston-to-Dallas autonomous big rig run happened
CEO and founder of Bot Auto, Xiaodi Hou, explained exactly how it played out. “Our autonomous truck departed Riggy’s Truck Parking in northeast Houston, headed to Hutchins, Texas, just south of Dallas. Departure was late at night as the shipper requested overnight service for this route. The truck ran 230 miles northbound on I-45,one of the busiest freight corridors in the country, navigated stop lights, side streets and frontage roads. There was no safety driver or observer, nor a remote operator. It was booked through our customer Ryan Transportation, true to our operating model, which is compatible with how freight actually moves in America today.”
That’s the part that stands out. This ran like a normal overnight load, just without a driver.
The load moved through Ryan Transportation, not a special test system. Hou makes that very clear, “Real freight, real customer, real timeline, delivered safe and on time. We are not disclosing the shipper or commodity, but this was not a load we manufactured to check a box. It moved through Ryan Transportation, a top-20 freight brokerage. Booked, priced, and executed the same way as any truckload moves in America. We made money on it. This is a commercial business, not a research project.” In other words, nothing about this run was staged behind the scenes.
What ‘fully humanless’ means in autonomous trucking
Many companies still rely on hidden human support. Bot Auto takes a different approach.
“The industry often blurs the line between driverless and human-supervised,” Hou explained. “For Bot Auto, fully humanless means no safety driver, no back-seat monitor, and no low-latency remote human fallback. More specifically, our safety design does not require any human to notice, decide, or react within one minute to keep the truck safe. We may have operational visibility, just like an airport tower can monitor the plane, but it does not fly the plane. That is our standard: humans can support the mission, but the truck must own the driving safety case.”
That’s a big difference from systems that still lean on human backup.
What happens if the truck encounters a problem
One of the biggest concerns, and understandably so, is how the autonomous driving system reacts under pressure. Hou said the truck is designed to handle that on its own.
“The truck would not wait for a human to save it,” he said. “If it reached a condition outside its approved operating boundary, it would enter a mitigated risk condition: slow down, create space, and bring itself to a controlled safe state. The principle is simple: when the truck encounters extreme or unexpected situations, it does not gamble. It acts conservatively. Sometimes that means stopping; sometimes it means continuing briefly to reach a safer place to stop. Human support can help after the vehicle is already safe, but the vehicle has to own the first minute.”
So the system is designed to play it safe first, then deal with the situation after it is under control.
The safety testing behind removing the driver
Bot Auto says removing the driver came after extensive validation and careful testing.
“We operated on our own internal validation framework, rigorous and data-driven,” the company said. “Millions of miles of simulation, extensive real-world testing with safety drivers, scenario-specific disengagement analysis, and a documented operational design domain defining precisely the conditions under which the system is authorized to run. We did not remove the driver until the system demonstrated, across a comprehensive set of tests, that it performs at or above the level of a professional human driver on this route. Safety isn’t one number; it is a system-level property.”
That is the level of testing the company says it absolutely needed before taking the driver out completely.
THIS EV HAS A FACE, AND IT TALKS BACK WITH AI
Bot Auto says the truck is designed to slow down, create space and reach a safe state if it encounters a problem on the road. (Bot Auto)
Why the cost per mile could change the trucking industry
Technology alone does not transform an industry. Economics do. Hou says the numbers already work.
“With that complete accounting, the economics still work decisively in our favor,” he said. “This run came in below $2 per mile.”
That puts the cost of this trip below what a human-driven truck would typically run.
Hou also pushed back on simplified comparisons. “I want to be precise here, because the industry has a habit of cherry-picking the easy savings and hiding the real costs… autonomous trucking’s cost impact isn’t a simple trade-off between driver wages and vehicle cost, it runs deep into operations.” The point here is that the savings go beyond just removing the driver.
And those economics could improve as the network grows. “It improves at scale. The fixed costs of building and validating the system are largely sunk. As we add trucks and lanes, the per-mile cost of the technology keeps declining.” That means the more trucks and routes they add, the lower the cost per mile can go.
What regulations allowed this run in Texas
Texas has been one of the most active states in enabling autonomous vehicle deployment.
“Texas passed Senate Bill 2807 in 2025, creating a formal authorization program for commercial autonomous vehicle operations, administered by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles,” Hou said. “Bot Auto applied and was approved under that program… We met every requirement.”
That includes safety compliance, system reliability and the ability to safely stop if something fails.
Is this a one-time milestone or something repeatable
The bigger question now is whether this type of run can happen consistently across real freight lanes.
“The Houston-to-Dallas lane is repeatable now, and it isn’t a one-time event,” the company said. “We selected it deliberately: high freight volume, strong hub infrastructure at both ends, a supportive regulatory environment. Expansion is already underway.”
The company is focusing first on high-volume freight lanes in the Texas triangle, which includes Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
What skeptics are saying and how Bot Auto responds
Skepticism has followed autonomous trucking for years. Hou addressed that directly, “A truck left Houston with no one in it, ran 230 miles on public roads, and delivered freight to a customer on time. That happened. The skeptics had a reasonable argument for a decade because this industry has been long on promises and short on execution. I understand and respect that. The question is no longer whether it can be done. It is who can do it at scale, safely, and economically. That is the competition we intend to win.”
WAABI + VOLVO UNVEIL NEXT-GEN SELF-DRIVING TRUCK
Bot Auto says its driverless truck navigated I-45, side streets, frontage roads and stoplights during the Houston-to-Dallas run. (Bot Auto)
What this means to you
This shift could change more than the trucking industry. If autonomous freight scales, deliveries could become more predictable. Overnight shipping windows may tighten. Costs could come down over time.
There are also workforce implications. Long-haul trucking is a major employer, and any transition will raise real concerns about jobs. However, supporters point to reduced fatigue and fewer human errors.
Critics want to see long-term real-world data before drawing conclusions. For consumers, the biggest impact may be subtle at first. Some analysts point out that it could even reduce inflationary pressures, since rising transportation costs are often directly passed on to consumers.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
This Texas run does not mean highways will suddenly fill with empty big rigs. It does show that autonomous freight has moved beyond the prototype stage. Now the focus turns to what happens next. Can companies repeat this across more routes, in different conditions, over time and still keep things safe? The empty cab is what grabs your attention. The bigger question is whether this holds up across everyday freight operations.
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As humanless semi trucks become common on our major highways, are you comfortable sharing the road with them? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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On the morning of May 5th, 1961, 37-year-old Alan Shepard woke up, ate a breakfast (consisting of a filet mignon wrapped in bacon, scrambled eggs, and orange juice), strapped into the Freedom 7 rocket, and blasted off into space, becoming the first American astronaut to do so.
Shepard’s historic flight — and the first crewed flight of Project Mercury — did two things. It demonstrated that after getting beat to space by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, America was still in the race. And it proved the United States could safely send a human into space and back, helping to restore national confidence during the Cold War. Shepard’s flight only lasted 15 minutes, but it provided enough critical information to serve as a foundation for America’s human spaceflight program in the years to come.
Shepard’s flight only lasted 15 minutes, but it provided enough critical information to serve as a foundation for America’s human spaceflight program in the years to come
Sixty-five years later, the Artemis program is attempting to build off that foundation by proving that humans can not only survive in space, but also build permanent infrastructure and thrive there. The Artemis II mission, which just concluded last month, was a particular high-water mark for human spaceflight, with the crew traveling farther than anyone in the history of the space program.
There have been ups and downs, of course. We’ve lived through enough mission delays, aborted launches, and funding cuts to know that anything we do in space is still constrained by the political and financial realities of what takes place here on the ground. Commercial space companies are not riding to the rescue; their priorities are tourism, satellites, and perhaps orbital data centers. Americans are looking around at rising prices and wondering why so much money is being spent on rocket launches. It’s no longer enough to prove we can go to space. The question now is: Why do we keep going back?
We know that human spaceflight is a remarkable tool for inspiring people to pursue a STEM education. It drives students and engineers and future astronauts to try to solve some of the biggest mysteries in the universe. Ultimately, it’s a desire to explore. These photos from America’s first foray into the human spaceflight program are a good reminder of that instinct.
That’s on top of the “ton” of shipments that Valve watcher Brad Lynch mentioned late last week — and there’s reason to believe these containers have the new Steam Machine or Steam Frame inside, not just an extra batch of the Steam Deck handheld. (The Steam Deck was also designated a “Game Console” for import purposes.)
While Valve’s logistics partners had a dearth of shipments after Christmas 2025, they appear to be ramping back up, with nearly 100 tons of product moving into the US over the past two months. During that time, cargo ships with names like Ever Logic and Ever Shine have brought ten 40-foot containers from China to Los Angeles, CA and Tacoma, WA, weighing 127,228 kilograms (140 US tons) in total.
Each of those 40-foot containers can weigh over 3,700kg when empty, so there’s substantially less than 140 tons of actual product making it into the US. But even accounting for the containers, Valve’s new shipments weigh a good bit different than the previous ones — suggesting they may have a new product inside.
For a few years now, each of Valve’s 40-foot containers to cross the ocean have held up to 42 packages for a total gross weight of around 14,500kg (32,000lbs), import records show. That was true as recently as April 18th, around which time the Ever Sigma deposited a 14,322kg, 42-package shipment in Tacoma, Washington with Valve’s partner Ingram Micro. Perhaps it still had Steam Decks inside rather than Steam Machines?
But a few days later, the Ever Shine brought a notably lighter 12,608kg (27,800lbs) container to Tacoma, again with 42 packages. Import records show Valve’s partners didn’t change to a lighter type of container; it’s still the standard 40-foot model that weighs roughly 3,700kg when empty.
Valve has had at least seven shipments like that since April 23rd, with an average weight of 12,600kg. Subtract the weight of the containers, and you wind up with around 53,124kg of product, packaging, pallets, and padding for the journey, or roughly 50 tons of “Game Consoles.”
Just remember that 50 tons isn’t actually a lot! Valve says the Steam Machine weighs 2.6kg (roughly 5.73lbs) per console, so the recent surge in shipments could add up to fewer than 20,000 Steam Machines, particularly if any of them are pre-bundled with a controller or other items which increase each package’s weight. (Valve told us bundles would be available.)
The Steam Controller appears to have already sold out on launch day. Unless Valve plans to create a huge stockpile, the Steam Machine could go even faster. I’m less sure about the Steam Frame, even though I’m personally excited for competition in the gaming headset market.
It’s still possible all of these containers have Steam Deck handhelds inside, and something else accounts for the change in weight. Either way, Valve’s finally getting hardware moving again. Valve designer Pierre-Loup Griffais recently told us the company was “working hard on trying to address” supplies of its handheld so you can buy that one again, too.
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Your phone buzzes. A text message pops up saying you have an outstanding traffic violation, and if you scan the attached QR code immediately, you can pay a $6.99 balance and avoid a court appearance.
It looks official. It sounds urgent. And it is completely fake.
Scammers are now targeting drivers across the U.S. with text messages that impersonate state courts, demanding payment for traffic violations that never happened. This campaign has already hit residents in New York, California, North Carolina, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Connecticut and New Jersey, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
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FAKE SSA EMAIL ALERT: SPOT THIS SCAM FAST
Scammers send fake court texts with QR codes demanding $6.99 payments for nonexistent traffic violations. (Neil Godwin/Future via Getty Images)
What makes this fake court text scam different from last year’s toll texts
You might remember the wave of smishing scams in 2025 that we reported on, which pretended to be from state toll agencies. Those texts pushed people toward phishing websites through direct links. This new variation takes a different approach, and a more convincing one.
Instead of a plain text link, these messages include an image that looks like an official court notice. It carries formal language, official-sounding headings and a QR code embedded directly in the document. The shift from a clickable link to a scannable code makes it harder for automated security tools to flag the message as dangerous.
One example Bleeping Computer shared claimed to be from the “Criminal Court of the City of New York.” The notice warned that an unpaid parking or toll violation had entered the “formal enforcement stage” and demanded immediate payment, or else an in-person court appearance. Real courts communicate through official mail, not unsolicited text messages with QR codes.
SAMSUNG MESSAGES ENDING? WHAT ANDROID OWNERS MUST KNOW
Cybercriminals target drivers nationwide with fake violation texts designed to harvest sensitive information. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
How this court impersonation text scam actually works
Scanning the QR code takes you to an intermediary page with a CAPTCHA. That step is intentional. Scammers use it to filter out security researchers and automated scanners so their phishing infrastructure stays under the radar longer.
Once you complete the CAPTCHA, you land on a site designed to look like your state’s DMV or another government agency. It presents an “unpaid balance,” always $6.99 in every case documented so far. That suspiciously round number creates urgency without raising an immediate alarm.
Clicking to pay takes you to a form that asks for your name, address, phone number, email address and credit card information. Everything you enter goes directly to the scammers. That data can fuel follow-on phishing attempts, identity theft, financial fraud or be sold outright to other bad actors.
For reference, fake New York DMV sites in this campaign have used hostnames like “ny.gov-skd[.]org” or “ny.ofkhv[.]life,” neither of which has anything to do with actual New York state government infrastructure.
Ways to stay safe from traffic violation text scams
These scams are sophisticated enough to fool a lot of people, but a few smart habits can keep you well ahead of them.
1) Never scan QR codes from unknown senders
The most important thing you can do is also the simplest: do not scan QR codes from unknown senders. If a text arrives from a number you don’t recognize, and it asks you to scan something or make a payment, treat it as suspicious until proven otherwise. State agencies across the U.S. have made their position clear. They do not send text messages requesting personal information or payment details. If you genuinely owe a fine, you will receive official correspondence through the mail with verifiable contact information.
2) Always go directly to your state’s official website
Never enter credit card information on a site you reached through a QR code in a text message. Go directly to your state’s official .gov website instead, type the address manually into your browser and look up your actual account status there. If a charge is legitimate, it will show up when you log in through the real site.
GOOGLE SEARCH LED TO A COSTLY SCAM CALL
A new phishing scam impersonates U.S. courts, using QR codes to steal personal and financial data. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
3) Use strong antivirus software on your devices
Strong antivirus software adds a critical layer of protection that works even when you don’t. A good security app can detect phishing attempts, flag malicious sites before you enter any information and alert you to threats that arrive through text or email. Make sure your antivirus is active and updated on every device you use to open links or scan QR codes. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
4) Consider using a data removal service
If your personal information has already been exposed through a scam like this one, a data removal service can help limit the damage. These services scan data broker databases and request the removal of your name, address, phone number and other personal details that scammers rely on to target you. It won’t undo what happened, but it can reduce your exposure going forward and make it harder for bad actors to reach you again. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
5) Sign up for an identity theft protection service
This scam collects exactly the kind of information that makes identity theft possible: your name, address, phone number, email address and credit card details. An identity theft protection service monitors your accounts, credit file and personal information for suspicious activity and alerts you the moment something looks off. Some services also provide recovery assistance and insurance if your identity does get compromised, which can make an overwhelming situation a lot more manageable. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at CyberGuy.com.
6) Act fast if you have already entered your information
If you already entered your payment information on one of these sites, contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to dispute charges and request a new card number. Check your credit reports for any unusual activity and consider placing a fraud alert with one of the major credit bureaus.
7) Report the text to your carrier and the FTC
If you receive one of these texts, report it. Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM), which is the carrier reporting shortcut used across major U.S. networks. You can also file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and alert your state’s attorney general’s office.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
This scam works because it exploits something real: the anxiety most people feel when a government notice shows up demanding action. The fake court language, the formal tone and the embedded QR code all contribute to an experience designed to short-circuit your skepticism. But the tells are there if you look. No legitimate court sends text message ultimatums with QR codes. No state DMV asks you to scan an image from a stranger’s phone number to pay a $6.99 balance. When something feels urgent and slightly off, that combination is usually the scam talking.
If a court could send you a text message threatening legal action for less than the cost of a coffee, and millions of people might actually pay it, what does that tell us about how little most of us actually trust ourselves to spot a scam in the moment? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
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