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  • GM’s Cruise Robotaxi Service Hits a Speed Bump

    GM’s Cruise Robotaxi Service Hits a Speed Bump

    General Motors’ Cruise has hit a speed bump, forced to recall its robotaxis just a day after getting authorization to operate them in California.

    Like many companies, GM and Cruise are racing to develop autonomous vehicle capabilities. Cruise scored an early victory over its rivals, becoming the first to receive the green light to operate in California.

    According to TheStreet, however, the victory was short-lived. Just a day after receiving its authorization, a Cruise robotaxi was involved in an accident in which its autonomous systems were to blame.

    The company “is recalling certain automated driving systems (ADS),” according to documents filed with the National High Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “The software may, in certain circumstances when making an unprotected left, cause the ADS to incorrectly predict another vehicle’s path or be insufficiently reactive to the sudden path change of a road user.”

    The news is a major setback for the autonomous vehicle company and further illustrates the challenges involved in making autonomous driving a reality.

  • Microsoft Invests In Cruise, GM’s Self-Driving Subsidiary

    Microsoft Invests In Cruise, GM’s Self-Driving Subsidiary

    As part of a new $2 billion round of funding, Microsoft has invested in Cruise, GM’s self-driving subsidiary, sending GM’s stock up 9%.

    Headquartered in San Francisco, Cruise’s mission is to bring all-electric, self-driving, shared vehicles to the market. The investment will see Microsoft become the preferred cloud provider for Cruise, as it leverages Azure to help commercialize its vehicle offerings.

    “Our mission to bring safer, better, and more affordable transportation to everyone isn’t just a tech race – it’s also a trust race,” said Cruise CEO Dan Ammann. “Microsoft, as the gold standard in the trustworthy democratization of technology, will be a force multiplier for us as we commercialize our fleet of self-driving, all-electric, shared vehicles.”

    “Advances in digital technology are redefining every aspect of our work and life, including how we move people and goods,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “As Cruise and GM’s preferred cloud, we will apply the power of Azure to help them scale and make autonomous transportation mainstream.”

    This latest round of investment brings Cruise’s total valuation to $30 billion. Meanwhile, GM’s stock reached an all-new, intraday high on the news, hitting $54.42 after the opening bell.

  • Royal Caribbean: Anthem Of The Seas Diverted To Miss Yet Another Storm

    Royal Caribbean is really suffering this cruise season thanks to stormy weather and a bit of what could be called bad judgement.

    The Royal Caribbean ship, Anthem of the Seas sailed through a massive storm with wind gusts strong enough to blow deck chairs around and pound the ship with 40 foot waves last month, but managed to make it to shore with 4500 angry passengers.

    Royal Caribbean has just narrowly avoided being in the same predicament this week.

    Royal Caribbean said in a statement, “Anthem of the Seas is heading back to Cape Liberty (New Jersey) immediately to avoid a severe storm and provide guests with a comfortable journey back home.”

    The statement continued, “We have been closely watching a weather system gaining strength off the coast of Cape Hatteras. Based on the most recent weather forecast, if Anthem of the Seas continues on its regular scheduled itinerary, the ship would encounter the brunt of the large and powerful storm on the return to Cape Liberty.”

    They were expected to dock on Wednesday.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gvBcwbfeyA

    The decision was the result of new and improved methods of operation that came about after last month’s fiasco.

    Royal Caribbean surely can’t afford another publicity hit like that one. Passengers recorded their dangerous situation on cell phones.

    One passenger from the first Royal Caribbean storm incident is suing the cruise line for severe injuries he suffered.

    Delaware resident Bruce Simpson filed the suit. He claims that Royal Caribbean officers knew the danger they were risking when taking the ship, staff and its 4500 passengers into a storm that had been forecasted.

    Simpson said in the lawsuit that at one point, he was “hurled across the room with such force that he was knocked unconscious.”

    After Simpson was hurled across the room into a door, he suffered from a concussion, a bruise on his left eye, an injured wrist and pains and bruising in his neck, ribs and torso.

    It seems Royal Caribbean at least made the right call in turning back this week’s Anthem of the Seas voyage. What do you think?

  • Trace Adkins Enters Rehab After Brawl On Cruise

    Country music superstar Trace Adkins checked himself into a rehab facility this morning after allegedly getting into a brawl with an impersonator, while he was celebrating his birthday, on a seven-day country music cruise, for Norwegian Cruise Lines.

    Adkins was reportedly intoxicated when he heard an impersonator singing karaoke to one of his songs, and then started a fist fight with the man. Ironically, Adkins had earlier tweeted a message to his Twitter followers telling them to behave themselves. “Up here in my suite, overlooking the pools. Behave yourselves,” he tweeted on the first day of the cruise. Apparently, Adkins should have listened to his own advice. When the ship docked in Jamaica, Adkins made the decision to cut the trip short, and enter a rehab center.

    Adkins had a previous stint in rehab in December 2001, and had stayed sober for over 12 years. What caused him to relapse is currently unknown. A rep for Adkins released the following statement on his behalf: “[Trace] has entered a treatment facility after a setback in his battle with alcoholism. As he faces these issues head-on, we ask that his family’s privacy will be respected.”

    Adkins opened up about his 2001 stay in rehab, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2011.

    Nine years ago, I had a very caring and responsible manager who forced me into an intervention situation. I went and did my month in rehab, and it worked for me. I’ve been sober for nine years now. It had gotten to a point in my life where it was probably going to take me down that road, too. If it didn’t end up in that situation, it certainly was going to cost me my career — and my manager saw that, and they cared enough about me to gather my friends and family and co-workers all together, and they put me through one of those gut-wrenching interventions.

    If you’ve ever been through one of those things, it’s the most humiliating experience you’ll ever have. To hear people you respect and love sit there and tell you the kind of pain you’ve been causing them. They tear you down completely then they haul you off to rehab. So I did that, and yeah, I’m an alcoholic. And are there enablers? There are, but I luckily had a group around me that finally put their foot down.

    Image via Twitter

  • Cruise Deals: Find a Cheap Cruise for the Holidays

    If you’re looking for a cruise deal, you should have no problem finding a cheap cruise for the holidays. Whether you want to give the gift of a cruise to a loved one or purchase it as a gift for yourself, there is no shortage of cheap cruise offerings right now. Considering that you get a room, great food and entertainment all in one low price, cruises can make a great gift.

    Carnival

    Carnival is one of the most popular cheaper cruise lines out there and they certainly live up to their reputation this holiday season. If you want to get away at Christmas, they have a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise that starts at $389 per person.

    If you prefer to save traveling until after the holidays are over, you can book a 3-night Bahamas cruise that leaves out of Port Canaveral starting at $159 per person. If you aren’t into the shorter cruises and want something that will get you away for almost a week, there is a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise that starts at $309 per person. This cruise departs in the second half of January.

    Norwegian

    Carnival isn’t the only cruise line with good cruise deals–Norwegian Cruise Lines offers some pretty good deals themselves. If you want to give the gift of a cruise, but don’t want to break the bank, you can purchase a 3-night Bahamas cruise from Norwegian starting at $129 per person. For those who don’t mind spending a little more money, a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise can be purchased starting at $399 per person. An added bonus, this cruise can be taken right after the New Year’s festivities are over.

    Royal Caribbean

    Royal Caribbean has the second best cruise deal on our list with a 3-night Bahamas cruise starting at $130. This is a nice extended weekend cruise that won’t cost you much vacation time before the year gets started. Royal Caribbean offers a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise starting at $376. This is a little bit more than a similar cruise offered by Norwegian, but less than a similar one offered by Carnival, so this comes down to cruise line preference.

    Extra Costs

    If you or the person you’re gifting a cruise to are first-time cruisers, there are a few costs you should be aware of. You are expected to provide a tip for the dining staff, housekeepers, etc. This might be a no-brainer, but Carnival adds a daily tip to your final bill, which has taken some first-time cruisers by surprise. While cruise lines include food and some non-alcoholic drinks around the clock as part of your fare, alcohol isn’t included in this unless you specifically add on the option.

    Even though there is no shortage of activities to do on the cruise ship, if you want to participate in excursions, this will come at a cost. Since the cruise line’s excursion costs can be a little inflated, it’s always a good idea to do your research in advance and see if you can score a better deal by booking directly through the excursion site.

    [Image via Twitter]

  • U.S. Cruise Missile Syria Attack Looms

    Are the days of Hitler’s poisonous gas brutality behind us? Several hundred lost their lives in Syria last Wednesday to what many are estimating was a chemical attack. However, the Syrian government has strongly denied any connection to the disastrous event even though photos of the atrocities victims endured have been leaked.

    The Syrian government is officially not assuming responsibility for the situation. The chemical attack has not only threatened those directly attacked, but many more have fled the country as refugees. In fact, estimates claim 30,000 people are now refugees as a result of the attack.

    U.N. representatives arrived in Syria to investigate; however, the Syrian government would not allow these representatives access to the Damascus area where the supposed chemical attack occurred. Now, as a result of the looming threat, officials for the United States are considering involvement in order to prevent potentially global devastation.

    The White House National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, took to Twitter to condemn those responsible for the attacks.

    Barrack Obama said in a CNN exclusive, “Some core issues that the United States has both in terms of us making sure that methods of mass destruction are not proliferating as well as needing to protect our allies, our bases in the region. I think that it is fair to say that as difficult as the problem is, this is something that is going to require America’s attention and hopefully the entire international community’s attention.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP13L-7Jes0

    President Barrack Obama shared his concerns with CNN. “If the U.S. goes in and attacks another country, without a U.N. mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it, ‘Do we have the coalition to make it work?’ Those are considerations that we have to take into account,” President Obama said.

    [Image via Wikimedia Commons is not indicative of potential considerations by U.S. government]

  • Cruise Ship Death: FBI Now Investigating

    Though it seems an unthinkable tragedy, the high number of people who take cruises every year means that some deaths are likely to occur. This week, the FBI has begun investigating one such death that happened aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship this past weekend.

    According to an Associated Press report, a 62-year-old woman was found dead in her cabin on the cruise ship Enchantment of the Seas on Sunday, March 24.

    The woman has not been identified, except to the extent that she is an American citizen. Royal Caribbean Cruises told the AP that her husband was the person who found her.

    The ship was scheduled to dock in Baltimore on Monday, and the company reportedly called both the FBI and Baltimore Police, as policy dictates. The ship docked on time and FBI agents boarded the ship to investigate.

    Cruise ship mishaps have been gaining more attention in the news lately, due to an incident in which the Carnival cruise ship Carnival Triumph became disabled at sea, leaving passengers with limited water, food, and working sewage facilities for days.

  • Facebook Status Reveals Why Cruise Captain Came Near Shore

    The captain of the Costa Concordia, Francesco Schettino, has been placed under arrest and may be facing manslaughter charges stemming from the six deaths authorities now say he caused.

    Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper reports that the captain executed a swing-by maneuver near the island of Giglio so the ship’s head waiter could wave to family on shore. It is not known if the waiter asked for the maneuver, or if the captain intended to surprise him.

    The waiter’s sister had posted a Facebook status:

    Which translates to:

    ‘Shortly the “Concordia di Costa Cociere” will be close. A salute to my brother, who will finally disembark for a holiday in Savona.’

    However, apparently the captain misjudged the maneuver and crashed the ship into the rocks near the island. More than 4,000 people were evacuated in the night. Six have been found dead so far; fifteen are still missing.