August 11, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

🚖 'Historic industry milestone' for U.S. robotaxi services

🚀 Virgin Galactic blasts its first tourists to the edge of space

💫 Watch the amazing Perseids meteor shower this weekend

UP FIRST

Waymo and Cruise given nod for 24/7 robotaxi services in San Francisco

Members of California's Public Utilities Commission voted 8/2 in favor of the move

Robotaxis are coming to San Francisco in a big way after California regulators voted on Thursday to allow autonomous-car companies Waymo and Cruise to offer around-the-clock paid ridesharing services in the city.

The decision is viewed as a big moment for the industry that could lead to a more rapid rollout of similar services.

Waymo and Cruise have been testing their autonomous cars in San Francisco for years and have even been carrying passengers, but various restrictions regarding times of operation and the presence of a safety driver prevented them from launching full-fledged ridesharing services. Thursday’s vote changes that.

Cruise described the decision as a “historic industry milestone," adding that the firm will continue to work closely with regulators and others linked to the service, while Waymo called the permit “the true beginning” of its commercial operations in the city.

Not everyone will be happy though, as some in San Francisco have complained that the driverless cars disrupt traffic and cause problems at emergency scenes.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Virgin Galactic blasts its first tourists to the edge of space

The company has already sold around 800 tickets for the experience

Virgin Galactic successfully completed its first tourism ride to the edge of space on Thursday.

After release from the carrier aircraft, two pilots guided the rocket-powered VSS Unity plane to 290,400 feet (55 miles/88.5 kilometers) above Earth.

On board Unity were 80-year-old Jon Goodwin, a former Olympic athlete from the U.K.; Antiguan Keisha Schahaff, who won a pair of tickets in a raffle organized by Virgin Galactic; and her daughter Anastatia Mayers, a philosophy and physics student.

Footage from the adventure showed the moment Unity fired up its rocket engine, blasting the passengers skyward.

At the highest point, the trio was able to enjoy amazing views of Earth and a few moments of weightlessness inside the cabin before gliding back to base in an experience that lasted around 90 minutes.

Back on the ground, Mayers commented: “You felt like a part of the team, a part of the ship, a part of the universe, a part of Earth. It was incredible and I’m still starstruck.”

ON THE HORIZON

Watch the amazing Perseids meteor shower this weekend

If you're lucky you could see around 100 meteors an hour

The Perseids meteor shower will peak this weekend, so be sure to catch it if you can.

Widely regarded as one of the best annual meteor showers, the Perseids will be most active this Saturday night and into Sunday morning, with blazes of light streaking across the night sky.

The best time to view the meteor shower is between midnight and dawn, with activity expected to be at its greatest in the hour before dawn.

The meteors are tiny particles of dust – most of them no larger than grains of sand – that come from the Swift-Tuttle comet. As Earth sweeps through the comet’s debris trail, the particles burn up in the atmosphere, resulting in streaks of light that many people refer to as shooting stars.

Last year wasn’t so great for viewing the Perseids as it coincided with a bright full moon, but this year offers a much better opportunity as the moon will only be 10% illuminated.

If cloudy skies prevent you from enjoying the show, then try again at the same time over the following days.

Digital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.