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Waymo is continuing to expand its foothold across the US, having recently started offering paid robotaxi services in more parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. Next up are Atlanta and Miami, and now the company has revealed plans to offer its driverless Waymo One service in the nation's capital in 2026. Before that can happen, though, Waymo will need to get approval from regulators. The company says it will "continue to work closely with policymakers to formalize the regulations needed to operate without a human behind the wheel in the District." DC currently requires autonomous vehicles to have a human at the wheel, ready to take control if necessary. Our priority remains ensuring that any company operating in the District such as Waymo does so in a manner that prioritizes safety, aligns with our regulatory framework, and integrates seamlessly into DCs unique transportation ecosystem, German Vigil, a spokesman for the District Department of Transportation, told The Washington Post. He noted that the agency is refining its approach to regulation "based on public input, emerging best practices and lessons learned from other jurisdictions. Waymo has tested its vehicles in DC for several years and it plans to "continue introducing ourselves to DCs communities and emergency responders over the coming months." Per the Post, if and when Waymo One does become available in the District, the robotaxis would not take riders to any of the region's airports, as they wouldn't (at least at the outset) have a permit to cross into Maryland or Virginia.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-aims-to-offer-paid-robotaxi-rides-in-washington-dc-next-year-161523916.html?src=rss
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Instagram is adding another tool to its arsenal of anti-bullying measures. This time, however, Meta is enlisting school officials directly in an effort to speed up its response to safety issues affecting young teens. The company is introducing a new Schools Partnership Program that aims to give teachers and school administrators a way to intervene when students experience bullying on Instagram. The program offers schools something that many parents have long said they wanted: a way to fast-track in-app reports that directly affect young students. Meta is promising that schools who join the program will have their reports prioritized in its moderation queue, and that it will respond to these reports within 48 hours. Schools that sign up will also get a school partner badge appended to their Instagram account, along with in-app information about how to use its reporting tools and other resources. Notably though, it doesnt sound like Meta is hiring additional content moderators to aid with these new fast-tracked reports. When asked about increasing headcount to support the program, an Instagram spokesperson told Engadget only that reports from schools will be expedited via its existing reporting channels, and that schools will be able to add "additional context" to their reports. Meta says its already tested the program with 60 schools and that early results have been promising. Now, middle schools and high schools in the United States can sign up to join a waitlist for the program. The pilot program is far from the first time Instagram has tried to address bullying. The app introduced comment limiting features in 2021, and added a tougher "restrict" feature last year. But while these features can help teens avoid certain types of negative interactions, they still required teens (or their parents) to tweak their settings. By now giving schools more authority to report specific instances of bullying or other bad behavior, Meta is offering some hope that it will be easier for schools to address the underlying behavior.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-has-a-new-program-for-school-officials-to-report-bullying-160027748.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
When Sony's wireless earbuds come to mind, the flagship-quality WF-1000XM5 is probably the first product that jumps out. However, the company is also adept at building budget models, blending features and tech to give users a solid value for a lot less money. That was the proposition when the WF-C700N arrived in 2023, offering active noise cancellation (ANC), solid battery life and other features for $120. Now, Sony is back with the successor to those earbuds, the WF-C710N, that packs a host of improvements but keeps the price the same. First, Sony says it improved ANC performance by employing dual mics on each earbud on the C710N. The C700N only had one on each side. The company is also using AI Noise Reduction this time around to improve call quality. On the outside, Sony replaced the physical button for the onboard controls with a touch panel, and the company added wear detection for added convenience. You can also expect longer battery life on the C710N. At 8.5 hours with ANC enabled, that's an hour longer than the C700N. With ANC off, you can expect up to two hours more than the previous model. Additionally, total battery life including the case is doubled, with up to 30 hours of noise-canceling use available (up to 40 hours with ANC off). Sony improved the quick charge feature as well, giving you an hour of play time in five minutes instead of the previous 10-minute window. The WF-C710N is available for preorder today in black, white, pink and a transparent Glass Blue for $120. I guess Sony's confusing product names aren't entirely going away after all. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-overhauls-its-budget-earbuds-while-keeping-the-price-the-same-010025194.html?src=rss
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