Driverless Cars to Expand Service in San Francisco

Artificial Intelligence, Companies, Tech News, Technology, Transportation Industry

In August of 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission passed a vote that allows driverless car companies Waymo and Cruise to expand their operations in San Francisco. Until now, Cruise and Waymo were only permitted to offer limited service within the city. This vote enables both companies to charge a fare for rides at any time of day or night, on any street within the municipality.

Waymo and Cruise are similar in concept to companies such as Uber or Lyft, just without the human driver. While some first responders are concerned that driverless vehicles have not yet perfected the method of getting out of the way of emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks, other travelers are hopeful that driverless vehicles will help to limit traffic fatalities, which are on the rise in San Francisco.

Gas Prices Reach Summer High

Companies, Consumerism, Energy News, Lifestyle

According to Reuters.com, the cost of gasoline has gone up considerably this August. Gas prices across the nation have hit an average of $3.86 per gallon, an all-time high for 2023. This is a 7% increase over prices that were seen just one month ago. In certain states, such as California and Washington, the cost has risen above $5.00 per gallon.

The abnormal timing of this price increase has some people perplexed. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at price tracker GasBuddy.com noted that, “We tend to see prices declining going into the fall.”

The price jump can be attributed to several refineries that are closed for maintenance. This impacts the available supply of oil. Heat waves, like those the United States has experienced this summer, also affect refinery production.

Despite the steep cost of filling the tank, gas prices are still below where they were in August of 2022. Labor Day travelers may still hope to get some relief at the pump.

United Airlines Unveils New Seats

Lifestyle, Markets, Transportation Industry

As airlines struggle to recover from COVID-19 losses, United Airlines displayed its new model for front-of-the-plane seats. The new seats, which will be used on narrow-body domestic flights, include wireless armrest charging stations, setback screens, large tray tables, privacy barriers between seats, and winged headrests to increase comfort.

Other airlines, including JetBlue and Delta, have also upgraded their seats recently in hopes of attracting travelers who are interested in paying higher fees for additional luxury.

United’s new seats will soon be showcased on the Boeing 737. They are being manufactured by aviation technology group, Safran. Mark Muren, managing director of identity for United, said, “There’s no one seat that can probably fulfill all of our needs but this is the one we want to build our future around in the domestic space”.

Pizza Hut Teams Up with Turtles for Movie Promotion

Consumerism, Film, Technology

In order to promote the August premier of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Pizza Hut rekindled their decades old partnership with the TMNJ franchise to deliver a select number of pizzas in the New York City subway system. Children from the 80’s and 90’s are rejoicing in this nod towards their childhood, as they fondly remember the cartoon turtles, who are famous for enjoying pizza in the tunnels below the city.

According to Lindsay Morgan, Pizza Hut’s chief marketing officer, “Pizza Hut and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a longstanding history that goes back to the ’90s. Bringing the two together again for a new generation was a no-brainer… We wanted to pay homage to the Turtles’ origins and their love of pizza, while also infusing modern touchpoints and a fun, creative take on pizza deliveries”.

By texting a turtle emoji to a specified phone number, Pizza Hut customers could have their orders delivered to selected spots in subway stations. A YouTube Video explains the promo and documents the excitement of getting pizza delivered directly to your subway stop. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be in theaters on August 2.

Egg Prices are Finally Returning to Normal

Consumerism, Lifestyle, Markets, News

Between January 2022 and January 2023, the price of eggs increased by 70%, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A severe and extended outbreak of the avian flu combined with higher production costs for farmers sent egg prices soaring to an unprecedented $5.30 per dozen in December 2022. Thankfully, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently reported that the cost of a dozen eggs has since returned to roughly $1.00.

This dramatic change is a result of the waning of the avian flu and the fact that egg producers have been busy replacing hens. As of May 1, 2023, there were 387 million egg producing hens in the United States, which is a 5% increase over last year. Daniel Sumner, University of California, Davis agricultural economics professor, explained, “There are now more hens and more eggs on the market. That is, supply has increased, and prices have normalized”.  Sumner also predicted that, barring another flu outbreak, egg prices should remain moderate for the foreseeable future.