Waymo, the self-driving company owned by Alphabet, is planning a major expansion of its robotaxi services, fueled by $16 billion in funding, according to TechCrunch. The company currently operates in six markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, and Miami, and intends to add over a dozen new cities internationally, such as London and Tokyo.
The announcement comes as Waymo's progress over the past 18 months has been "undeniable," according to TechCrunch. However, industry watchers have expressed mixed opinions on whether $16 billion will be sufficient to build a profitable robotaxi business. One source stated the answer "kept landing in the squishy sort of 'it depends' territory."
In other news, a march supporting California's billionaires drew a small crowd of around three dozen attendees in San Francisco, as reported by TechCrunch. The event, organized by Derik Kauffman, aimed to protest the proposed Billionaire Tax Act. The San Francisco Chronicle noted that journalists nearly outnumbered demonstrators at the event, where signs displayed messages such as "We ❤️ You Jeffrey Bezos."
Meanwhile, Amazon MGM Studios released a final trailer for its upcoming space odyssey, "Project Hail Mary," based on Andy Weir's 2021 novel, according to Ars Technica. The film, written by Drew Goddard, who also wrote the screenplay for "The Martian," is highly anticipated by non-sports fans.
In the realm of consumer technology, Wired published reviews of ebike locks and Soundcore's Aerofit 2 Pro earbuds. Wired tested several ebike locks, recommending options like the Abus Granit Super Extreme 2500 and the Kryptonite New York Diamond Bike U-Lock for their security features. The review also highlighted the specific locking needs of ebikes, such as thicker tubes and unique frame shapes. Additionally, Wired reviewed Soundcore's Aerofit 2 Pro earbuds, which aim to add effective noise canceling to open earbuds by physically transforming between open and closed modes. The review noted the earbuds' innovative design and good features but also pointed out their size and inconsistent noise canceling.
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