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Tech NewsNewsTesla Knocks Facebook Off List of Top Five U.S. Companies by Market Cap
Elon Musk’s march towards either overseeing one of the biggest stock market bubble pops in recent history or being the guy who opens a solar-powered portal to Hell on Mars continues unabated: Tesla is now one of the country’s top five companies by market cap. Per CNBC, on Friday morning Tesla overtook Facebook to become … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsNewsAlaska Airlines to Ban ‘Emotional Support’ Animals Starting January 11
Alaska Airlines announced on Tuesday that it will no longer allow passengers to bring emotional support animals on its aircraft for any reservations made after January 11. The airline is the first to ban emotional support animals following new guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation about what kind of animals should be allowed on … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech NewsTransportationUber Kicks Its Self-Driving Car Unit Out the Side Door
Uber is bailing on its self-driving car unit, the Uber Advanced Technologies Group, and will sell it off to driverless trucking-focused startup Aurora in a deal that could create a combined firm valued at $10 billion, the companies announced on Monday. The success or failure of Uber ATG has long been viewed as a key … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsTransportationAmazon’s Zoox Driverless Car, or Possibly an iMac G3 on Wheels, Spotted in San Francisco
Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous taxi company, is scheduled to reveal its first self-driving cars on Dec. 14. Spoilers: They look dorky as hell. As flagged by The Next Web, various San Francisco residents saw what very much appears to be some of Zoox’s self-driving taxis outside the Fairmont Hotel on Mason Street this weekend—apparently being … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsNewsCalifornia Says Robot Taxi Can Now Charge for Rides
On November 19, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced it would now allow autonomous taxi companies to charge for their services across the state. California already had the most stringent rules in the country for AV operators, and the newly created Drivered Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Program and the Driverless Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Program will … Continued
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Tech NewsNewsYou Could Be Fined $50 for Not Wearing a Mask in NYC’s Travel Hubs
Heads up for folks catching a train, plane, or bus in the New York or New Jersey area: Starting today, the Port Authority is implementing a $50 penalty for travelers caught without a face covering within their facilities. While it still wants to put the “primary emphasis” on keeping mask-wearing voluntary for all riders, the … Continued
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Tech NewsTransportation‘Disturbing Revelations’ About Boeing 737 Max Crashes Made Public in New Report
Two plane crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving the new Boeing 737 Max aircraft weren’t a result of one single issue, but instead were caused by the failures of Boeing staff, Boeing management, and the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a new 245-page report released Wednesday by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech NewsNewsSouthwest Has Decided Not to Sanitize Your Seat Belt as Frequently
Southwest Airlines is reportedly scaling back its sanitation efforts between flights, with flight crew being told that sanitizing seat beats and armrests will not be part of this process. The airline said the new policy is focused on “optimizing” staff and shifting heavy cleaning to evenings. The airline told Gizmodo by email on Wednesday that … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsTransportationUber’s Junked JUMP Bikes Are Getting A Second Chance
When Uber sold off its e-transportation offshoot, Jump, earlier this year, the company was left with hundreds of employees that needed to be let go, and tens of thousands of electric bikes that, well, also needed to be let go… directly into the trash. See, apparently when the e-scooter giant Lime took Jump off of … Continued
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Tech NewsNewsThought You Could Easily Skirt Delta’s In-Flight Mask Policy? Yeah, Not Anymore
Delta Air Lines has implemented a new policy for enforcing masks on its planes that will require those who cannot wear face coverings for health reasons to fill out a new clearance screener for each flight. The company announced the new policy, effective this week, and said that it is currently discouraging those with health … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsNewsRevel Suspended More Than 1,000 NYC Riders in the Last Month for Being Reckless Idiots
If you live in a city with a shared motor scooter program, you’ve likely spotted at least one reckless driver zipping down the street without any regard for basic traffic rules or safety. Maybe the rider or riders failed to wear a helmet, or maybe they were riding on sidewalks or bike lanes. I’ve personally … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsNewsJapan’s Newest Bullet Trains Can Keep Running on Battery Power in the Event of a Disaster
Japan’s bullet trains are quite possibly the world’s most punctual form of transportation, and the safest way to hit speeds of over 200MPH without leaving the ground. The newest version, the N700s that’s now running on the country’s Shinkansen Line between Tokyo and Osaka, is also the first to feature a battery backup to keep … Continued
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Tech NewsNewsAirlines Have Been Banning Booze on Flights as a Covid-19 Precautionary Measure
A basic measure to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus is to maintain a distance of at least six feet between yourself and another person. But this becomes tricky in the tight quarters of a commercial aircraft, particularly for flight crew who may be required to make their way through aisles to service passengers. … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsNewsCoronavirus Is Delaying MTA’s Completion of Contactless Subway Payments
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is delaying rollout of its contactless payment system for the subway and bus systems, which was originally scheduled for October. Now, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, completion of the system is reportedly being pushed back into December. The system, OMNY, uses contactless credit cards or non-PIN-restricted debit … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsCitibike, Revel Shut Down in Coordination With New York City Curfew
Joining Minneapolis, Louisville, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and the nation’s capitol, New York City instituted a curfew last night meant to curb ongoing protests against lynchings of black and brown Americans by police. For reasons unknown, and at Mayor de Blasio’s behest, this curfew also included service stoppages for app-booked mobility options like Citibike and … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech NewsTransportationYou Can Carry This Inflatable Electric Bike in a Backpack
They’re better for the environment than a gas-guzzling car, but the other big advantage of commuting every day on an electric bike is that they’re easier to park. With Poimo, a prototype inflatable e-bike created at the University of Tokyo, you don’t even need to find a bike rack when you get to work, just … Continued
