GM teams up with Microsoft on driverless cars
This image provided by General Motors shows the new company logo. (General Motors via AP)DETROIT – General Motors is teaming up with Microsoft to accelerate its rollout of electric, self-driving cars. “Microsoft is a great addition to the team as we drive toward a future world of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. It wants to be seen as a clean vehicle company, rather than a builder of cloud-spewing gas-powered pickups and SUVs. GM scrapped its old square blue logo for a lower case gm surrounded by rounded corners and an ‘m’ that looks like an electrical plug.
GM's Cruise to deploy fully driverless cars in San Francisco
The move announced Wednesday by GM-owned Cruise come two months after the company received California's permission to fully driverless cars in the state. “You’re seeing fully driverless technology out of the (research and development) phase and into the beginning of the journey to being a real commercial product," Cruise CEO Dan Ammann said Wednesday. California regulators also recently approved new rules allowing ride-hailing services to pick up passengers in self-driving cars, but Cruise isn't going down that road yet. Instead, Ammann pledged the company will move cautiously while dispatching up to five fully driverless cars into parts of San Francisco initially. Ammann declined to provide a timeline when asked if Cruise planned to use its driverless cars in ride-hailing service within San Francisco next year.
GM to run robot cars in San Francisco without human backups
General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit says it will pull the human backup drivers from its vehicles in San Francisco by the end of the year. Cruise will go neighborhood-by-neighborhood in San Francisco and launch the driverless vehicles slowly before spreading to the entire city, he said. Progress toward autonomous vehicles slowed markedly after an Uber autonomous test SUV ran down a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, in 2018. Both Cruise and Waymo program their vehicles to drive more conservatively than humans, but still need to progress safely, Shladover said. He noted that Cruise will tackle easier areas in San Francisco first before venturing into more complex traffic situations.
100 things to do in Jacksonville before you die
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Local author and travel expert Amy West challenges you to think again. In her new book, “100 Things To Do in Jacksonville Before You Die," West has rounded up the most iconic and legendary destinations the Bold City has to offer. 100 things to do in Jacksonville before you die (Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.) ● #51 Find Renewal in Nature at Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens: Learn about this hidden gem in Jacksonville with a true story of transformation. ● #86 Take a Selfie Tour of Jacksonville’s Murals: With over 100 murals and counting, it’s the most colorful way to explore the city.
CDC extends its “no sail order” for all cruise ships
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended a “no sail order” for all cruise ships. In recent weeks, at least 10 cruise ships reported crew or passengers that tested positive or experienced respiratory symptoms or flu-like illness. There are about 100 cruise ships idling in the Atlantic, Pacific or Gulf Of Mexico, either in port or offshore. Some of those ships, from Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Lines, have docked in Jacksonville over the past few weeks. “There will be changes, there may be reduced sailings, but the cruise industry will continue to be vibrant.
‘Golden Girls’-themed cruise to set sail from Miami next year
MIAMI – Sure, they have traveled down a road and back again, but next winter, the Golden Girls will be headed out to sea. An events company is planning a cruise for fans of the beloved 1980s sitcom departing from Rose, Blanche, Dorothy and Sofia’s home base of Miami in 2021. The five-night themed cruise sets sail April 5, 2021- April 10, 2021 with various stops on its itinerary, including Key West and Cozumel, Mexico. "Join other 'Golden Girls' fans for a once-in-a-lifetime gathering," the organizers' website says. Itinerary (Times are subject to change)Monday, April 5: Miami, Florida(Embarkation) 4:00 PMTuesday, April 6: Key West, Florida(Docked) 7:00 AM to 5:00 PMWednesday, April 7: At SeaThursday, April 8: Cozumel, Mexico(Docked) 7:00 AM to 6:00 PMFriday, April 9: At SeaSaturday, April 10Feb 29: Miami, Florida( Disembarkation )7:00 AM
Huge cruise ship squeezes through Greek canal to claim record
Cruise passengers held their breath as a 22.5 meter wide cruise liner became the largest boat to pass through Greece's narrow Corinth Canal, according to its operator. (Courtesy Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines)(CNN) - Cruise passengers held their breath as a 22.5 meter wide cruise liner became the largest boat to pass through Greece's narrow Corinth Canal, according to its operator. The Corinth Canal is a tidal waterway connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf, dividing the Pelopnnisos from mainland Greece. "Today Braemar made history as the longest-ever ship to cruise through the CorinthCanal," Fred Olsen cruise liners said on social media. At 6.3km (3.9 miles) long, the Corinth Canal shortens the sea route from Italian ports to the port of Athens.