AI, batteries, and Doom: tech twists in 2026

TechCrunch Mobility relaunched its robotaxi coverage this week, flagging AI as the biggest variable in autonomous fleets. The move signals that the industry sees AI as the decisive factor for scaling driverless services.

The outlet’s announcement arrived alongside a handful of off‑beat experiments: Every Electric began paying New York City residents to run air conditioners on its free batteries, a developer rendered Doom using only SQL, and Sony released a guide warning that larger model numbers don’t guarantee better cameras. Each story illustrates how hype meets hard limits in today’s tech ecosystem.

AI and the robotaxi debate

TechCrunch Mobility’s return to robotaxi reporting underscores a shift in editorial focus. The publication now frames autonomous ride‑hailing as an AI problem rather than a pure hardware challenge. That framing matters because investors and regulators often treat AI performance as a proxy for safety.

The coverage comes at a time when several pilot programs are expanding in major cities. Operators still rely on lidar, radar, and high‑definition maps, but the software stack determines route efficiency and incident response. The lack of a unified benchmark for AI readiness leaves cities to gamble on untested models. Critics argue that the rush to deploy could outpace safety assessments.

Battery sharing in NYC

Every Electric launched a program that pays New York residents to hook their home air‑conditioners to the company’s free batteries. The scheme aims to flatten peak demand by shifting load to stored energy during hot afternoons.

Participants receive a modest stipend for each hour their unit runs on battery power. The startup notes that its batteries are “beloved by household cats,” a quirky detail that hints at low noise and heat output. The program’s success hinges on homeowner adoption and the reliability of the free batteries under continuous cycling.

City officials have not yet quantified the grid impact, but the pilot could inform broader demand‑response strategies. If the model scales, utilities might see a new lever for managing summer spikes without building new peaker plants.

SQL as a game engine

A hobbyist demonstrated that 1,300 lines of SQL can render accurate bitmapped views of Doom at 35 frames per second. The code queries a relational database for geometry, texture, and lighting data, then streams the frames to a client.

The experiment proves that SQL’s set‑based operations can perform real‑time graphics calculations, albeit with limited resolution and frame rate. It also raises questions about the practicality of using declarative languages for performance‑critical workloads.

Developers skeptical of the demo point out that the approach relies on a highly optimized schema and that scaling to modern game standards would be prohibitive. Still, the proof‑of‑concept sparks debate about repurposing existing data stacks for unconventional tasks.

Sony’s camera naming conventions

Sony published a guide that decodes its alphanumeric camera model numbers, warning that a higher‑priced designation does not always mean better performance. The guide explains that letters indicate sensor size, feature set, and market segment, while numbers often reflect the generation.

For example, a model with a “Z” suffix may target videographers, whereas a “R” model focuses on stills. The guide also notes that some mid‑range cameras inherit high‑end sensors but lack advanced autofocus modules, leading to mismatched expectations.

The clarification helps buyers avoid costly missteps when upgrading. It also underscores the marketing pressure that pushes manufacturers to inflate model names without delivering proportional capability gains.

What to watch

The robotaxi narrative will sharpen as AI benchmarks emerge and cities request transparent performance data. Keep an eye on whether Every Electric’s battery stipend yields measurable grid relief during the next heat wave. Watch for follow‑up analyses of the SQL Doom demo that test its limits on larger scenes. Finally, monitor Sony’s next naming rollout for signs that the company is adjusting its scheme in response to consumer pushback. Each of these threads will reveal whether novelty translates into lasting value.

Updates

• 2026-10-16 — Pixelated 121: Is Googlebook the first real post-smartphone PC? (source)