Tesla cars can officially drive themselves -- someday (The 3:59, Ep. 127)

Tesla, Nintendo, LeEco, oh my. We discuss three companies hyping new ideas for familiar technology and wonder whether anyone is buying the pitch.

Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter

Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.

Expertise Streaming video, film, television and music; virtual, augmented and mixed reality; deep fakes and synthetic media; content moderation and misinformation online Credentials

Three Folio Eddie award wins: 2018 science & technology writing (Cartoon bunnies are hacking your brain), 2021 analysis (Deepfakes' election threat isn't what you'd think) and 2022 culture article (Apple's CODA Takes You Into an Inner World of Sign)

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Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News

Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.

Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials

SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.

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Joan E. Solsman

Roger Cheng

Oct. 20, 2016 9:58 a.m. PT

From here on out, all Tesla models will have the hardware they need for full autonomy.
Tim Stevens/Roadshow

Get your motor running.

Releasing a video of a completely hands-free commute, Tesla has announced that all its electric car models will now include the hardware necessary to be completely driverless.

But don't expect your car to drop you off and park itself anytime soon. Elon Musk's company said that full self-driving Autopilot won't be available until it has undergone millions of miles of road testing. And like Google, Ford and everyone else developing driverless vehicles, Tesla must wait for government regulators to figure out what's legal on the road.

Also on this podcast, we chat about the Nintendo Switch, a device that can transform from handheld and tablet gaming on the go into a console experience on a TV. We also discuss LeEco, a Chinese company launching itself in the US as a Netflix, Apple and, yes, Tesla all rolled into one.

The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by the CNET News team in New York and producer Bryan VanGelder.

Tesla cars can officially drive themselves -- someday (The 3:59, Ep. 127)

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