Arizona
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TSMC is building a second chip plant to meet US semiconductor demand
The White House and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing co. (TSMC) have announced plans to build a second chip plant in Arizona.
Google will pay Arizona $85 million over illegally tracking Android users
Google will pay Arizona $85 million to settle a 2020 lawsuit, which claimed that the search giant was illegally tracking Android users.
Hummer EV first drive: An enormous electric super truck
The idea of a gas-free Hummer almost feels like a contradiction, but unsurprisingly it's actually a lot of fun. Impractical, ostentatious fun.
Arizona is the first state to allow driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet
Arizona is the first state to let you hold your driver's license or state ID in Apple Wallet.
Apple says eight states have signed up to let people store IDs in Wallet
Arizona and Georgia are first up, with six more to follow.
Google reportedly made it harder to find Android privacy settings
Google reportedly made it harder to find Android privacy settings and even pressured phone makers into hiding settings.
Another state has failed in its attempt at app store reform
Arizona's app store competition bill has failed after the state Senate pulled the measure.
Uber backup driver charged with negligent homicide in self-driving accident
Uber's self-driving test car struck and killed a person two years ago, and today a grand jury indicted the backup driver on a charge of negligent homicide.
Arizona sues Google claiming it illegally tracked Android users
Arizona has sued Google over claims that it illegally collected location data from users without their permission, according to the Washington Post. The state’s attorney general Mark Brnovich argued that Google kept location tracking running in the background for mapping, weather and other apps, along with searches, even if users turned the feature off.
Apple chip-maker TSMC is building a $12 billion plant in Arizona
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which manufactures processors and other chips for Apple, NVIDIA and many other firms, has confirmed that it will build a $12 billion chip fab plant in Arizona.
Waymo goes dark except for fully driverless rides
Waymo is joining Uber and Lyft in curtailing its ride services to limit the spread of COVID-19, with a notable exception. The Alphabet-owned company has paused both Waymo One service with human overseers in Phoenix as well as its California self-driving tests in order to protect the "health and safety" of passengers and the community. However, it planned to continue its fully driverless service in Phoenix as well as its UPS delivery services and truck testing, at least "for now." The company believed it could respect local and CDC health guidelines on social isolation with no human drivers involved.
NTSB blames Uber’s 'inadequate safety culture' for self-driving fatality
The NTSB has lambasted Uber's "inadequate safety culture" and "lack of risk assessment mechanisms" before its self-driving fatality. In March 2018, an autonomous 2017 Volvo XC90 struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg as she crossed the street in Tempe, Arizona. Officials have also assigned blame to the safety driver, who at the time was watching The Voice on her smartphone. NTSB chair Robert L. Sumwalt said "the collision was the last link in a long chain of actions and decisions made by an organization that unfortunately did not make safety the top priority."
Uber self-driving car involved in fatal crash couldn't detect jaywalkers
Uber's self-driving car that struck and killed a pedestrian in March 2018 had serious software flaws, including the inability to recognize jaywalkers, according to the NTSB. The US safety agency said that Uber's software failed to recognize the 49-year-old victim, Elaine Herzberg, as a pedestrian crossing the street. It didn't calculate that it could potentially collide with her until 1.2 seconds before impact, at which point it was too late to brake.
Waymo will test its self-driving taxis on employees in California
Self-driving venture Waymo has been given permission by California authorities to transport people in its robotaxis. According to TechCrunch, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) gave Waymo the green light this week, issuing a permit that will allow the company to participate in the state's Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Service pilot. This means that Waymo employees will be able to hail a self-driving vehicle and take guests on rides within the company's South Bay territory.
Lyft offers non-emergency rides to Medicaid patients in Arizona
Lyft will offer rides to more people in need of them for health reasons, as it's signed up to become a Medicaid provider in Arizona. Non-emergency medical transportation rides will be covered for eligible patients. Lyft is also working on expanding the program to Medicare services in other states.
Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument lenses get their first look at space
Scientists are one step closer to precisely 3D mapping the galaxy and better understanding dark energy. For years, a team of more than 70 international organizations have been building the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which will allow us to see the sky in a way we never have before. Earlier this week, DESI reached a "first light" milestone when scientists produced the first focused images with the instrument's precision lenses. The images show the Whirlpool Galaxy -- an estimated 23 million light years from Earth.
Waymo is building a new service center for its self-driving fleet
Waymo announced plans to open a new technical service center in Mesa, Arizona. There, it will service and maintain its Waymo One cars -- the vehicles that make up its self-driving car service. Waymo launched the on-demand, autonomous rides (with human backup) in December. And, by the looks of this expansion, things are going well for the company.
Uber will not face criminal charges for last year's self-driving crash
Nearly a year after one of Uber's autonomous SUVs struck and killed a pedestrian, Elaine Herzberg, Arizona prosecutors said they did not find the company criminally liable in the incident. Reuters published parts of the letter from Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk. The collision video, as it displays, likely does not accurately depict the events that occurred. The case was referred from Maricopa County, where it occurred, due to a conflict. Uber has not commented on the letter, however the prosecutor's office has referred the case back to Maricopa County's office to see if the back-up driver -- who was apparently streaming Hulu at the time -- will face charges. NHTSA and the NTSB are still investigating the crash, even as Uber has resumed some testing.
You can’t pay for 'the wall' with a porn tax
An Arizona Republican is attempting to place a levy one of the world's most popular hobbies, especially if you've got any alone time. State senator Gail Griffin is pushing a bill that would force adults to pay a $20 online "porn tax." Revenue from the initiative would be channeled into building a wall along the state's southern border.
Uber allegedly ignored safety warnings before self-driving fatality
Just days after Uber announced its plans to resume testing of its self-driving taxis, new information reveals that a whistleblower had made the company aware of the technology's safety failures before the incident in Arizona last March, which saw a pedestrian struck and killed by one of Uber's vehicles, and which led to the suspension of all testing activity.
