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Cruise's robotaxis return to Arizona roads
Cruise will start re-deploying its autonomous vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona after a major upheaval last year that led to a pause in its operations. However, the robotaxis will have human drivers behind the wheel.
Waymo's self-driving vehicles are now doing Uber Eats deliveries in Phoenix
Uber and Waymo have officially launched the next part of their ongoing multi-year partnership, which also includes offering robotaxi rides to the ride-hailing service's customers in the area.
Urbanista unveils ANC earbuds with a light-powered charging case
The company is using Powerfoyle solar cell material for its $149 Phoenix earphones.
AMD teases new 'Dragon Range' CPUs for high-end gaming laptops
With the release of its (impressive) Q1 2022 financial results, AMD also revealed plans for its upcoming Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 series laptop CPUs.
Waymo shares in-depth details of self-driving car activity in Phoenix
Waymo’s vehicles have driven a total of 6.1 million miles in Phoenix, Arizona, where it first started testing its self-driving technology.
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.
Amazon will deliver some same-day orders in just a few hours
We knew Amazon was considering making one-day shipping the default for Prime-eligible purchases, but now, the company is going even further. Prime members in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Orlando and Dallas can now expect their same-day orders to arrive in just a few hours.
Uber is testing rooftop ads on its ridesharing fleet
Uber is getting into the advertising business. The company has reached a partnership with the ad-tech company Adomni to bring roof-top ads to its fleet, Adweek reports. Drivers in Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix will soon be able to put ad displays on their vehicles, and Uber plans to expand the option to more cities.
Waymo’s fully-automated shuttles are picking up riders around Phoenix
Waymo is now offering limited "rider-only" trips in Phoenix, Arizona, Chief Executive John Krafcik told reporters this weekend. At the moment, the fully-autonomous ridesharing service is only available to a few hundred early users.
Verizon enlists Boingo to help it bring 5G indoors
Sure, real 5G is up to three times faster than LTE, but there are a few caveats. As we discovered in Chicago, 5G doesn't always hold up when you're trying to use it indoors. Even a pane of glass can cause your signal to flicker between 5G and 4G. Verizon (Engadget's parent company) and Boingo are hoping to change that. The companies are working together to bring 5G Ultra Wideband service to indoor public spaces, like airports, office buildings and stadiums.
LG's V50 ThinQ 5G is up for pre-order tomorrow from Sprint
Starting tomorrow, customers in select cities can preorder Sprint's first two 5G devices -- the LG V50 ThinQ 5G and HTC 5G Hub. They'll be available in Sprint's first four expected 5G markets -- Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Kansas City -- by May 31st. And in the next few weeks, they'll hit Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, DC. Sprint's announcement suggests its on track with its goal to launch 5G in those cities this spring.
Waymo's self-driving vans will start picking up Lyft riders in Phoenix
Waymo and Lyft have clarified how their self-driving technology partnership will work in the short term. As an initial move, Lyft customers in the metro Phoenix area will have access to 10 Waymo vehicles in the next few months. You'll just have to pick the vehicle type from the Lyft app, much like you would with any other ride option. The move will both expand the reach of Waymo's fledgling self-driving operations and provide "valuable feedback."
Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G is available for pre-order at Verizon
Verizon (Engadget's parent company) has opened pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. You'll need access to 5G connections to get the most out of the device of course, so the provider has also named 20 more cities in which it will turn on its mobile 5G network this year.
Waymo launches its first commercial self-driving car service
The rumor was true: Waymo's self-driving car service is here. The company has launched Waymo One, its first commercial ride hailing offering. People in part of the metro Phoenix area can use an app to ask for an autonomous vehicle 24/7 much like they would ridesharing cars, complete with price estimates and trip reviews. Up to three adults and a child can travel at once. To no one's surprise, though, Waymo is starting cautiously -- it's hoping to avoid further collisions and ease the community into a driverless world.
Waymo test will provide rides to and from public transportation
Waymo announced today that it's partnering with the Phoenix area's regional public transportation authority, Valley Metro, in order to explore whether self-driving vehicles are an effective way to get people to and from public transportation. Starting in August, Valley Metro employees will be able to hail a Waymo ride via the company's app for their first- and last-mile transit connections. Waymo said in its announcement that as cities grow, "the 'last mile' -- how people connect to public transportation efficiently, affordably and safely -- is one of the main challenges communities struggle to solve." With its Valley Metro partnership, Waymo aims to test how autonomous vehicles can help fill those mobility gaps.
Waymo partners with Walmart for grocery pick-up in Phoenix
Walmart's latest move into tech is a partnership with Waymo. In Phoenix later this week, the pair will begin a pilot program where customers can order groceries on the retailer's website, get a ride to and from the store in a Waymo car and then snag a discount on their groceries. More than that, Waymo is teaming up with Avis Budget Group to pick up and drop off customers when they need a rental car.
Sprint is bringing 5G to New York, Phoenix and Kansas City in 2019
As providers gear up for their 5G rollouts, they're announcing their first territories for their next-generation networks. Sprint had already named six cities it plans to bring 5G to early next year, and it's adding three more locales to the list: New York City, Phoenix and Kansas City.
Waymo starts testing its autonomous cars in Atlanta
Waymo started offering free autonomous rides in Phoenix last April as a way to promote its self-driving cars. The Alphabet-owned company has been trying to ramp up its own ride-sharing service to compete with Uber and Lyft, offering a driverless taxi service Waymo hopes to use in covering a region larger than London. Now, Waymo is expanding beyond Arizona, launching a test program set to launch in Atlanta, Georgia.
Waymo preps for self-driving taxi service with rider insurance deal
Waymo faces a slew of challenges if it's going to get its autonomous taxi service up and running, not the least of which is insurance. Who's going to cover passengers when there's no human pilot to help determine who's responsible? Thankfully, someone has stepped up to the plate. Waymo has struck a deal with insurance tech startup Trov to protect passengers when the service goes live in Phoenix in 2018. Trov has adapted its on-demand insurance to be triggered by software instead of a human, giving you automatic coverage during your trip without having to pay extra or even acknowledge that the policy is taking effect.
Waymo’s driverless taxi service will open to the public soon
Waymo is working on an autonomous taxi fleet, modeled after the pilot program it currently offers outside of Phoenix. The big difference here is that once fully launched, Waymo's service won't have a driver behind the wheel. Additionally, the company will up its fleet of self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans from 100 to 500. As you'd imagine, the entire ride-hailing process will be handled via a mobile app. While the initial service area will be limited to the Phoenix metro area, in a post on Medium, the company says eventually it will "cover a region that's larger than the size of Greater London." Waymo says that the public will be able to start taking autonomous rides "over the next few months" in the agricultural suburb, Chandler, Arizona.
