The King Without a Throne

In 1531, Ferdinand I of the Habsburg dynasty became the King of Germany, Hungary and Croatia, Archduke of Austria, and Holy Roman Emperor. His grandson, also called Ferdinand, inherited the titles in 1619, followed by his son, Ferdinand III, in 1636.

The Habsburgs were in their golden age, but it didn't last. The next Ferdinand suffered from a medical condition and was forced to abdicate his throne in 1848. Even less lucky was Franz Ferdinand, who famously caught an assassin's bullet in 1914. Four years later, the Habsburgs lost their empire for good when Austria dethroned and exiled them.

A century later, the Habsburgs are still around and there's even another Ferdinand, albeit one with a very different life than the ones who came before him.

‘Ferdinand Zvonimir Maria Balthus Keith Michael Otto Antal Bahnam Leonhard von Habsburg-Lothringen,’ heir apparent to the royal House of Habsburg-Lorraine, is 25 years old and shares a Vienna apartment with his sister. On occasion, he goes for long runs around the vast Schonbrunn Palace, where the Habsburgs once spent each summer. These days, he has to pay the entry fee to get in like anyone else.

In theory, he's an archduke of Austria and a royal prince of Hungary, but the titles don't mean much when the throne no longer exists. Not that he minds -- without an empire to inherit, he's free to pursue his real passion: motor sports, specifically endurance races that can last as long as 24 hours. And he's good at it, if his 2021 victory at the prestigious Le Mans race in France is any indication.

Self-Repossessing Cars Are Coming

Imagine this. You're running late for work. After you throw on your shoes and stuff your laptop into your bag, you rush out the door, angling for your car. But as you reach for the handle, the car suddenly starts backing up. A moment later, your once reliable ride roars out of sight, leaving you stranded in the driveway. Then it dawns on you: You forgot to make your monthly payment and now your AI-powered car is heading back to the dealership or your lender, perhaps destined for another driver who's better at staying on top of their bills.

This might sound like something out of a sci-fi flick or a dark comedy, but Ford recently filed a patent for self-repossession systems. Ford claims that they have no intention of actually deploying the system anytime soon, but just dreaming it up has raised eyebrows.

Essentially, a lender would be able to communicate with a car's computer system and self-driving AI. If a driver falls behind on payments, the bank could command the car to turn itself in at a repossession lot. The lender might also instruct the car to contact the police.

For now, cars aren't supposed to drive themselves long distances unless a human is behind the wheel. This likely means that self-repossessing cars are still a ways off. But with current technology, a car could simply drive itself to a nearby spot that's easier for tow trucks to access. Likewise, a lender might be able to simply shut a car down or turn off certain features, like the radio and air conditioning, until the owner catches up on their payments.