Google to make driverless cars act more like humans after complaints they are too polite
When trying to fit technology into the human world, one of the biggest issues is making the technology “act human.” That’s what the next challenge will be for Google. Little things like cutting corners, like humans; or not stopping just as someone puts their foot in the street, like humans; and crossing double lines to avoid parked vehicles, like humans.
Google’s cars are known for being exceptionally cautious — waiting for a person on the other side of the road to walk past a pedestrian crossing just in case they were planning to use it, for example — which has annoyed some drivers around Palo Alto, where most of the tests have been conducted.
They also tend to take a wide berth around corners in a way that humans don’t, which feels unnatural to passengers.
Google says it will study human driving patterns more closely to try and improve the way its cars drive. However, finding a balance is crucial — as well as freeing up time, driverless cars are expected to be safer and more efficient than human drivers, so imitating humans too much may not be the desired outcome.
Virgin Hotels erase outrageous minibar charges
Amazing. One of the biggest irritations of hotels has been sky-high minibar prices. Virgin has done away with them, among other innovations.
Virgin’s new hotel, its first, in Chicago has an exceptional minibar. All of the items — from the Peanut M&M’s to the red wine to the little packets of Emergen-C — are priced at street prices. Yes, street prices. What does that mean? It means those Peanut M&M’s are just $1 and the bottle of red wine is $24. It means you can have a Kind bar for breakfast for the price of a Kind bar ($2.25), not the price of a filet mignon.
The eradication of minibar inflation is just one of the things the new hotel property has done to eliminate the dozens of little indignities the modern hotel system imposes on the traveler. While having to sign in to a Wi-Fi system won’t ruin anyone’s business trip or vacation, it is often just one of a thousand paper cuts inflicted on the traveler that make time away from home more stressful than it has to be.
The Virgin hotel has free and open Wi-Fi throughout the property. “Bandwidth is a right, not a revenue stream,” the hotel’s website boasts. Praise the Internet gods, someone has finally gotten it right.
If it sounds like I drank the Kool-Aid, it’s because I did. I’m a sucker for convenience, and that is what this property gave me.
Citi Cards: How do you quantify and justify annual fees?
Frugal travelers tend to shy away from credit cards with high annual fees, especially when it comes to keeping them long-term. Paying an annual fee of $49 or $95 can be an emotional challenge; a $450 fee could incite a full-on breakdown. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ll never pay a fee on a credit card. How ridiculous, paying to use a card! Why would someone ever be so stupid to do such a thing?” I’ve heard something to that effect so many times I’ve lost count. If you look at an annual fee without looking at the associated benefits that come with that fee, that point of view could very easily be understood.
Looking at the benefits of the Citi Prestige, here is my cost-benefit analysis and why I’ve decided to keep it and pay the annual fee:
1. $250 Airfare Credit
2. Fourth night free benefit
3. Lounge Access
4. Higher thank you point redemption
5. Global Entry fee credit
6. Golf benefit
Photo: Google/EPA
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.