🤖 Robotaxi expansion 🚀 Astronaut launch 📳 Strangest gadget? 🚙 Car interior joy | |
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Waymo gets green light to expand paid robotaxi service
| The nod comes despite ongoing safety concerns with the tech as well as objections from the traditional taxi industry over job security | Autonomous car specialist Waymo has received permission from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to expand its robotaxi service to Los Angeles and more parts of San Francisco, CNBC reported. Waymo has been testing autonomous rides in these places for a while, but it now has permission to charge riders for journeys as part of a broader pilot program. The decision follows a voluntary recall by Waymo of its driverless cars last month to fix software issues after two of its vehicles crashed into a pickup truck within minutes of each other. It also marks the end of a suspension imposed by the CPUC last month on Waymo's expansion efforts ... | |
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SpaceX launches Crew-8 to the ISS | The four crewmembers are scheduled to reach the space station on Tuesday morning ET and you can track their journey live online | SpaceX successfully launched Crew-8 to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday night. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, blasted away from the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida just before 11 p.m. ET. There was a moment of concern 30 minutes from liftoff when it emerged that a small crack had been found on a seal on the hatch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, but after careful analysis, engineers deemed the vehicle safe for launch. Crew-8 is now heading to the space station. You can follow the crew’s progress toward the ISS in real time on its website ... | |
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EXPERIENCE by Mark Jansen |
This $350 wearable is one of the strangest gadgets I’ve ever used
| It's not clear if the Apollo does what it says on the tin, but trying it out did offer some valuable lessons about wearable tech | Anxiety and depression are on the rise in the U.S., most likely spurred on by the global trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic but not helped by the fast pace of everyday modern life. So, when I was approached to try out the Apollo wearable — a wearable device that claims to lower stress levels, boost meditative states, and improve focus and sleep quality — I jumped at the chance. How does it do this? Good vibrations — literally! The Apollo claims to tap into your nervous system through vibrations, using long and slow vibrations to calm you down for sleep or short, quick buzzes when it’s time to focus and get stuff done. I’ve been playing a lot of Cyberpunk 2077, so it goes without saying I was keen to try it out ... | |
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OPINION by Christian de Looper |
The Kia EV9 is the template for a modern car interior — here’s why
| 'The interior of the Kia EV9 is comfortable and pleasant to be in. In fact, it should serve as a template for carmakers'
| Carmakers are in the process of reinventing the wheel. While some companies are simply slapping an electric powertrain in an existing chassis and calling it a day, the majority of companies are taking the transition to electrified as an opportunity to redesign their lineups completely — both outside and in. Just look at the EV6, a car that would be impossible to imagine in Kia’s lineup just five years ago. But while the fresh and new exterior designs are fun to look at, it’s the interior that really impacts the driving experience. And while plenty of companies are making great changes to their car interiors, in my opinion, there’s no carmaker that has created a better experience than Kia with the new EV9 ... | |
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