Tag: angeles
E3 annual video game showcase event in Los Angeles cancelled
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Waymo to test driverless rides with employees in Los Angeles
Waymo will begin testing its autonomous Jaguar I-Paces without a human safety operator in Los Angeles in the next couple of weeks. This is the company’s next step on its path to commercializing robotaxi services in its second California city. To start, only employees will be able to hail rides in the driverless robotaxis. While […]
Waymo to test driverless rides with employees in Los Angeles by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch
Waymo is starting driverless taxi tests in Los Angeles
Late last year, Waymo secured a Driverless Pilot permit from the state of California, bringing the alphabet-owned brand one step closer to launching its autonomous taxi service in the state. Now, Waymo is already expanding its service area, announcing plans to begin testing driverless cars in Los Angeles. The company tells Engadget that the test will mark the first time that fully autonomous cars will roam the streets of LA, and that thanks to successful tests in San Francisco, its been able to roll out autonomous drivers in new cities with “little-to-no on-board engineering work.”
That doesn’t mean the company is ready to launch its Waymo One taxi service in California, however. The LA test will likely follow the same course as Waymo’s fleet in San Francisco: a limited number of vehicles only available to riders in the Waymo Research Trusted Tester program. Waymo didn’t have any details to share regarding when the full driverless taxi service will be available to customers in Los Angeles, but it probably hinges on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issuing the firm a Driverless Deployment permit. Until it can clear that final legal hurdle, Waymo’s paid taxi service will remain exclusive to Phoenix AZ. So far, GM’s Cruise robotaxi service is the only company permitted to charge for driverless rides in the state, so long as those rides take place during daylight hours.
Following a rigorous cycle of validation and safety readiness evaluation, @Waymo is starting fully-autonomous (no human driver) testing in LA. Thrilled by the data confirming, once again, how well our ML-based 5th-gen Driver generalizes across cities! pic.twitter.com/hd0XU5zecT
— Dmitri Dolgov (@dmitri_dolgov) February 27, 2023
Waymo didn’t give any specific dates for when the test will begin, but noted that its 5th-generation Jaguar I-Pace cars will start rider-only testing in Santa Monica, and only outside of rush-hour. Then, the program will expand in accordance with Waymo’s safety framework before eventually launching to consumers. Oh, and in case you were worried that the cars might make LA traffic even worse, the company promises that its continuously updating its self-driving software to avoid stalling traffic, as one stopped Waymo vehicle recently did in San Francisco.
NCIS: Los Angeles is coming to an end after 14 seasons
After 14 seasons, one of CBS’ longest-running shows is coming to an end. The current season will be the last for NCIS: Los Angeles, which is a spinoff of the original NCIS. According to Deadline, the cast and crew were informed on Friday about the cancelation.
The network crime procedural stars Chris O’Donnell, LL Cool J, Linda Hunt, Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Medalion Rahimi, Caleb Castille, and Gerald McRaney as agents with Los Angeles’ NCIS division, charged with detaining criminals who pose a threat to the nation’s security. Created by Shane Brennan has been on the air since 2009.
As Deadline notes, it’s not a huge surprise given the show’s expensive budget and networks looking to tighten the purse strings as of late. That said, NCIS: Los Angeles has had consistently strong ratings during its run and is the top show in its time slot, averaging around 6 million viewers. So while it is coming to an end, a show with 14 seasons is anything but a failure.
“This NCIS Crossover was a huge success!! Thank you to all our millions of fans around the world!! Some of our best ratings in years,” wrote co-lead LL Cool J on Instagram. “After 14 seasons, this is the perfect time to end @ncisla on top of our game!!!” LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell have been the original leads during the show’s run as special agents who often use cutting edge tech to catch baddies threatening national security.
The show’s season finale is set for May 14, which means the timing of the announcement will give the show time for a worthy conclusion. “We look forward to delivering an end to the series that is both satisfying and does justice to these beloved characters,” said Executive Producer and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill in a statement.
So for NCIS: LA fans, you’ll still have time to soak up the heroics of G, Sam, Marty, Nell, Hetty, and the rest of the gang. Per Deadline, CBS’ other long-running primetime shows CSI and Criminal Minds have both been revived, so it may not be the end completely for NCIS: LA