If you move to an on-demand model, there is no such thing as leaving on the TV and the meter keeps running.

I suppose they could try to keep the outdated "scheduled" way of showing movies or other programming and stream that, but why would you do that? And if you aren't doing that, how are you going to monitor usage?

Just charge a premium for a scheduled non-stop stream and be done with it.

if everything is automated, there is no more poor or middle class

besides, a poor country like the philippines: everyone has a maid and a driver. even the maids have maids and drivers

having people work for you is not proof of being rich. it's a proof of overpopulation

Not quite so much in a Tesla. With their latest software, you put in your destination and it will plan your route based on supercharger locations. They're adding more all the time to make efficient routes. But wait ... there's more! Not only do they route you to superchargers, the route planner tells you how long you have to spend at each location charging to get to the next charger.

At the rate they're installing superchargers and combined with any future battery improvements, range anxiety won't be any worse than it is for gasoline vehicles. Possibly less so.

Yes ... the manufacturer's CEO's salary.

I seriously doubt that's where it's headed at least not in the way you describe. The trend is towards on demand streaming. Even HBO who I thought would be the last is one of the first with their no landline subscription needed access to their on demand service.

There may be usage based billing, but a set fee makes more sense so that even if people get really busy and barely watch anything for a while, companies still make their money.

Some cable companies are looking into turning essentially every channel into nearly on-demand with features such as rewinding any show back to the beginning even if you didn't record it on your DVR or have it playing with the real-time buffer to go back on.

The future is trending towards what customers want and when they want it. The holdouts run the risk of having an upstart that full-on embraces new tech replace them.

Sure, I mean it could be as simple as they're looking for a way to transport their workers and/or goods and maybe hope to make some additional money off broader sales. Could also be that they have a whiteboard in a room somewhere with tons of "what if" written down on future projects that could be tied into their own transportation infrastructure.

More fat people drink the diet version ... well, seeing as it tastes awful, I would not expect thin people to drink it, would you?

Sales of diet Pepsi are falling because half of them are buying Pepsi Max instead. Not sure how it differs from the diet option. They both taste equally bad to me.

You can put in 1MWh of energy in Diesel in about the same time it takes you to put 1kWh of energy into a battery.

(And hoses to carry significant power levels of electricity are huge compared to those for carrying diesel, and a good deal less safe).

I'm not sure if I think it's incredibly disheartening that Stephen Hawking had been following that whole situation, or that I think it's incredibly cool that he's that in touch with kids. Hm.

Can it be both?

Driverless cars are prime real estate for ads. If it's for-hire, then you know at least one of the passengers and where they are going. Combined with whatever other data metrics they have on that person, ads practically write themselves.

if a disease can spread because it can find enough vectors since not enough vaccinate, you are also giving the disease time and space to tinker, and perhaps evolve a new strain that existing vaccines don't protect against

so: yup. but that's less superrich killing and more superstupid killing us

i always thought it would make a great conspiracy dystopian story where the superrich, with everything automated, don't need us anymore

so they simply kill us all off

the earth reduced to 700,000 souls from 7,000,000,000 in a matter of days (some sort of highly infectious agent?)

Is it not obvious? Some people (mostly systemd supporters) are jealous of other (more normal, except perhaps here) users who are married with dogs. (I cannot comment on users who are married to dogs, but for them there is goatse.d).

Yes. and with its bare hands, to boot!