Will Amazon one day provide free two-day Prime shipping to the moon? Probably not, but the company’s CEO Jeff Bezos does have a plan in which the company would build a system to ship supplies to future moon settlements. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Uber Wants To Make Up With California, Give Self-Driving Cars Another Shot
By 3.3.17
Last December, the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the registration of 16 self-driving Uber cars that were operating in San Francisco, because Uber had not sought the proper permissions from the state to operate these autonomous vehicles. The ridesharing company quickly picked up and headed south to Arizona, but it may be ready to give the Golden State another try. [More]
Americans’ Gas-Guzzling Habit Will Peak In 2018
By 3.2.17
While the total number of cars on the road will increase in the coming years, experts predict that the United States’ oil usage will peak next year. That’s because the growing popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles along with ever-increasing (government-mandated, at least for now) fuel economy standards mean that the our gasoline usage will peak next year, and fall from there. [More]
San Francisco Suing Hertz For Allegedly Ripping Off Car Renters On Golden Gate Bridge
By 3.2.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
If you rent a car from Hertz in San Francisco, it’ll automatically pay the toll for crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. But the city says in a new lawsuit that the rental car company is gouging tourists by fraudulently charging them millions of dollars in extra fees. [More]
Ford Recalls 32,000 Vehicles Over Airbags That Won’t Inflate
By 3.2.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
So far, more than 42 million vehicles equipped with shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags have been recalled in the U.S. But it’s another issue with the autoparts maker that has Ford recalling nearly 32,000 vehicles: airbags that won’t inflate. [More]
Some Younger People Are Buying Cars So They Can Drive For Ride-Sharing Services
By 3.1.17
For many drivers, the best part of having your own car is that you don’t have to deal with anyone else — you can blast your music, sing at the top of your lungs, or eat a tuna sandwich, and there’s no one to judge you. But some younger drivers now may have a new reason to buy a car: To become a driver for Uber or Lyft. [More]
Uber CEO Says He Has To “Grow Up” After Being Caught On Video Arguing With Driver
By 3.1.17
You’ve probably heard by now how Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick was caught on video berating one of his own drivers after that driver complained that he had lost money because of the company’s fickle pricing and policy changes. Now Kalanick is doing damage control, telling employees and users that he needs “leadership help” after the incident. [More]
Nintendo Sues Company Giving Real-Life Mario Kart Rides
By 2.28.17
If you’ve ever played Mario Kart and said “This would be super fun in real life, and even better in a Mario/Luigi/Bowser/Princess Peach costume,” then the good news is that someone in Japan made your dream a reality. The bad news: They didn’t get permission from Nintendo. [More]
No, It’s Not Just You: Lots Of The Internet Is Down, Thanks To A Problem At Amazon
By 2.28.17
UPDATE: Shortly after 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Amazon said that the affected services were fully recovered and operational. [More]
Taco Truck Stuck In Traffic For Hours Does Everyone A Favor By Opening For Lunch
By 2.28.17
Being stuck in traffic for hours on end? Awful. Being stuck in traffic for hours on end with some tacos? Not so bad at all. [More]
SpaceX Planning To Send Tourists On A Trip Around The Moon In 2018
By 2.28.17
Who knew all you’d have to do to get a lift into space is ask Elon Musk for a ride? ride? The CEO of SpaceX (and Tesla) says two private citizens approached the company — ostensibly wearing trench coats and carrying suitcases of cash — and asked to go on a trip around the moon. He’s planning to take them there in 2018. [More]
NASA Testing New Super Quiet, Supersonic Passenger Jet Design
By 2.27.17
Eleven months after NASA said it was working on a quieter, “low boom” supersonic passenger jet that could travelers around the world in a matter of hours, the agency says it has started testing the plane with Lockheed Martin. [More]
American Airlines’ “Simplified” Boarding Process Now Has 9 Boarding Groups
By 2.24.17
In an attempt to better serve passengers and, you know, get things moving, airlines have been revamping their boarding processes in recent years, from Delta Air Lines employees pre-load carry-on bags to Southwest’s changes to family boarding. American will soon debut its proposed solution to this problem, by increasing the number of boarding groups to nine.
[More]
Direct Flights From Kenya Means Direct Shipments From Flower Farms
By 2.24.17
Until now, airlines couldn’t have direct flights from Kenya to the United States: Travelers had to change planes in a third country because Kenya’s biggest airport didn’t meet the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s safety and security standards to send planes here directly. Now non-stop flights are beginning, and that means direct shipments of fresh vegetables and flowers. [More]
Customs Agents Require Passengers On Domestic Flight To Show ID Before Exiting Plane
By 2.24.17
While you might be used to the sight of Customs and Border Protection agents checking the passports of travelers arriving in the United States from abroad, passengers on a recent domestic Delta Air Lines flight had the unusual experience of having to show identification before they could leave the plane. [More]
Tesla Wants To Bundle Car Sales With Insurance And Maintenance
By 2.23.17
Usually when you purchase a new vehicle, you know you’ll have to buy insurance separately, and — depending on the terms of the sale — pay for maintenance costs somewhere down the proverbial and literal road. Tesla says it’s planning to eventually bundle all of that together for one price. [More]
Lyft Making Major Push Into The Midwest With Biggest Expansion To Date
By 2.23.17 — Updated: 3.1.17
Congratulations, residents of Eau Claire, WI; Kankakee, IL; and Mankato, MN — you will soon have another way to get from point A to point B: Lyft is adding more than 50 cities to its lineup, its largest expansion to date. [More]
Uber Driver Claims Company Keeps More Money Than It’s Supposed To
By 2.23.17
When you hail an Uber car, the driver of that vehicle is supposed to get a set percentage of the total fare you pay. However, one driver claims that Uber is breaking its agreement with drivers by basing their cut on an amount that is lower than what the passenger is charged. [More]
