In my mind, the idea of a self-driving car has always seemed too far fetched. That’s the kind of stuff I’d always see in movies. The idea seemed too dangerous as well. I would contemplate the possibility of it’s mainstream existence, and I often concluded that the required technological advancements and the required amount of extensive testing would be too extreme to actually allow such a creation to transport individuals among everyday commuters.
However, Lyft and Motional did not allow these thoughts and concerns to hinder their developments, and self-driving vehicles have officially hit the Las Vegas streets!
According to News3, “Lyft users can now experience fully electric AV riding in Motional’s new IONIQ 5 robotaxi, as part of Lyft and Motional’s multimarket commercial deployment.” The companies have been conducting autonomous rides with their joint creation since 2018 in Las Vegas. How did I not know about this before now?
Lyft released a blog saying that Motional and Lyft will begin transporting public passengers in IONIQ 5 robotaxis starting in 2022. Then, they will scale to a full-fledged commercial launch in 2023.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of response we see from rideshare users across the board. This concept just seems so… wild at this point. I’m slightly apprehensive to hop into the back seat of one of these cars, but, at the same time, I can’t wait for this experience. If I was a betting lady, I would say that most of the rideshare-using community will, initially, experience very similar feelings. This is yet another reason why I whole heartedly believe Las Vegas is the coolest city in the world. We’re revolutionary!
Las Vegas… I think we’ve finally reached the “future.”
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A Flying Car Has Been Approved For Take Off
Well folks… I think we’ve officially entered the future. There have been many incredible technological advances in the twenty-first century thus far. This one might just take the cake.
Several different companies have been trying to create a flying car for a good while. One of these companies is Samson Sky, and one of those aircraft/car combos is the Switchblade. The Switchblade is a project that has been in the making for 14 years. According to The Hill, The Switchblade “could be just weeks away from getting its wheels off the ground after a Federal Aviation Administration inspection on July 15 determined it’s safe to fly.” The Samson Sky team wasted no time following their greenlight from the FAA. The Switchblade was out on the runway starting high-speed taxi tests the very next day.
From the sound of it, we could all be living our Back to the Future fantasy not to far down the road. Which would be EPIC. People have already started lining up for Switchblades, with 1,670 individuals making their no-cost reservation. However, those that make a reservation will have to make a $2,000 deposit within 45 days of the first public flight. So if you’re one of those 1,670, get ready to cough it up.
I can’t imagine these things being affordable anytime in the near future. I also have so many unanswered questions. Are more airports going to have to be built once aircraft automobiles hit the market? How do you ensure one of these? I’m sure I’ll get my answers in due time, because I think the Switchblade, as well as the many other flying cars in the works, are here to stay. Hello future!
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Living Single In Las Vegas Might Not Be For You
#5 SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
We know this city is famous for the Alamo, the River Walk and even the Spurs of the NBA, but it also offers enough to singles to place it #5 on the list of best places to live if your single!
[traveler1116] /via Getty Images
#4 DENVER, COLORADO
Besides the great outdoors, the Rocky Mountains, this Mile City clearly offers much more to those on their own when looking to make the big move…so much so, Denver ranks #4 on the list of best places to live for singles!
[dk_photos] / via Getty Images
#3 MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
The home of “Happy Days” and of course, “Laverne & Shirley”, this Midwest city pops up as one of the best cities to live in not just because of the beer and cheese…there is so much more to Milwaukee than we realized! With everything considered, it comes in at #3 on the best cities to live in if your single!
[LewisTsePuiLung] / via Getty Images
#2 AUSTIN, TEXAS
Texas has a couple of cities in the Top 5 when it comes to living single! Austin is right in the heart of Texas, home of the University of Texas and a great city for live music! With all that it has to offer, no wonder this city came in at #2 on the list of the best cities to live in if you’re single!
[dk_photos] / via Getty Images
#1 WICHITA, KANSAS
Clearly there is something about this Great Plains city that no one else knows about when it comes to living single! Well, if you are single, maybe you should do the “deep dive” and find out what makes this city #1 on the list! And there ya go!
[s-c-s] / via Getty Images
