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The Verge’s Sean Hollister picking up his new passport at the post office. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

If you read my colleague Sean Hollister’s positive experience renewing his US passport online through a beta website from the State Department — without needing to ship his old passport — I have good news for you: that experience is now available for everyone. You can access it right here.
“Instead of printing a paper application and mailing it with a check, Americans can now renew their passports through a secure process that will save time and effort,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken writes in an announcement about the program.

Right now, the renewal website is showing a six- to eight-week estimate for processing times, and the State Department notes that mailing times aren’t included in that estimate. That all means you may not get your renewed passport back in just a single week, like Sean did. (You’ll also have to meet certain requirements to be able to renew your passport online.)
However, Blinken notes that the average routine passport is being processed at “well under” the advertised window, so if you do renew your passport through this website, you might still see a relatively quick turnaround.

The Verge’s Sean Hollister picking up his new passport at the post office. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

If you read my colleague Sean Hollister’s positive experience renewing his US passport online through a beta website from the State Department — without needing to ship his old passport — I have good news for you: that experience is now available for everyone. You can access it right here.

“Instead of printing a paper application and mailing it with a check, Americans can now renew their passports through a secure process that will save time and effort,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken writes in an announcement about the program.

Right now, the renewal website is showing a six- to eight-week estimate for processing times, and the State Department notes that mailing times aren’t included in that estimate. That all means you may not get your renewed passport back in just a single week, like Sean did. (You’ll also have to meet certain requirements to be able to renew your passport online.)

However, Blinken notes that the average routine passport is being processed at “well under” the advertised window, so if you do renew your passport through this website, you might still see a relatively quick turnaround.

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Image: Sony

Concord game director Ryan Ellis has stepped down following the decision to take the game offline, according to Kotaku. Developers at Concord developer Firewalk Studios are also uncertain of the future of the studio.
Ellis, whose resume also includes more than seven years at Bungie, informed staff of the change in role last week, Kotaku reports. (His LinkedIn still lists his title as “Game Director.”) Ellis also authored the PlayStation Blog post announcing Concord’s shutdown.
That post said the Firewalk team would be exploring options for what to do next with Concord, but Kotaku reports that some developers have “been asked to explore pitches for something completely different.” Some Firewalk developers are apparently refreshing their portfolios in anticipation of potential layoffs, and a few have left already, Kotaku says.
Sony didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
The company has had some struggles with its live service efforts. Destiny 2 developer Bungie announced in July that it would be laying off 220 Bungie employees and moving others to PlayStation. Late last year, Naughty Dog canceled its planned multiplayer game based on The Last of Us.

Image: Sony

Concord game director Ryan Ellis has stepped down following the decision to take the game offline, according to Kotaku. Developers at Concord developer Firewalk Studios are also uncertain of the future of the studio.

Ellis, whose resume also includes more than seven years at Bungie, informed staff of the change in role last week, Kotaku reports. (His LinkedIn still lists his title as “Game Director.”) Ellis also authored the PlayStation Blog post announcing Concord’s shutdown.

That post said the Firewalk team would be exploring options for what to do next with Concord, but Kotaku reports that some developers have “been asked to explore pitches for something completely different.” Some Firewalk developers are apparently refreshing their portfolios in anticipation of potential layoffs, and a few have left already, Kotaku says.

Sony didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

The company has had some struggles with its live service efforts. Destiny 2 developer Bungie announced in July that it would be laying off 220 Bungie employees and moving others to PlayStation. Late last year, Naughty Dog canceled its planned multiplayer game based on The Last of Us.

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Californians can now add their driver’s licenses or state IDs to their Apple Wallets. | Image: Apple

Apple announced that starting today, California residents can add their driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet on their iPhones and Apple Watches as part of the state’s mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program.
As announced last month, up to 1.5 million pilot participants can add the documents to Apple Wallet by scanning their driver’s license or state ID card using their iPhone and then providing a scan of their face using a “series of facial and head movements” as an added security measure. The scans will need to be verified by the state before the documents are made available in Wallet.
However, as it’s still only authorized for limited usage, the state DMV advises users to continue carrying their physical IDs, too.
Starting today, the digital IDs can be used at “select TSA checkpoints” at San Francisco International, Los Angeles International, and San Jose Mineta International airports without users having to hand over physical copies of their licenses, IDs, or their iPhones. They can also be presented to participating businesses and venues as proof of identity and age.
According to Apple, IDs stored in Apple Wallet are encrypted (including the history of when it’s been presented) on a device, and that data is not accessible by Apple or the state issuing the ID. The information can not be accessed until authorized using Face ID or Touch ID, and displaying it doesn’t require the device to be fully unlocked, Apple says.
California joins six other states that already support Apple Wallet IDs, including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Hawaii, and Ohio. Montana, New Mexico, and West Virginia will eventually join them.

Californians can now add their driver’s licenses or state IDs to their Apple Wallets. | Image: Apple

Apple announced that starting today, California residents can add their driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet on their iPhones and Apple Watches as part of the state’s mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program.

As announced last month, up to 1.5 million pilot participants can add the documents to Apple Wallet by scanning their driver’s license or state ID card using their iPhone and then providing a scan of their face using a “series of facial and head movements” as an added security measure. The scans will need to be verified by the state before the documents are made available in Wallet.

However, as it’s still only authorized for limited usage, the state DMV advises users to continue carrying their physical IDs, too.

Starting today, the digital IDs can be used at “select TSA checkpoints” at San Francisco International, Los Angeles International, and San Jose Mineta International airports without users having to hand over physical copies of their licenses, IDs, or their iPhones. They can also be presented to participating businesses and venues as proof of identity and age.

According to Apple, IDs stored in Apple Wallet are encrypted (including the history of when it’s been presented) on a device, and that data is not accessible by Apple or the state issuing the ID. The information can not be accessed until authorized using Face ID or Touch ID, and displaying it doesn’t require the device to be fully unlocked, Apple says.

California joins six other states that already support Apple Wallet IDs, including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Hawaii, and Ohio. Montana, New Mexico, and West Virginia will eventually join them.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Federal Trade Commission published a new report about the data collection policies of social media platforms and video streaming services, and the results are damning, if not unexpected. The report, which was released on September 19th, found that these platforms not only surveil consumers but often retain vast troves of data indefinitely about users and non-users alike — and suggests they can’t be trusted to regulate themselves.
Given the billions of dollars companies stand to earn from collecting and monetizing user data, “self-regulation has been a failure,” the report says. “Predicting, shaping, and monetizing human behavior through commercial surveillance is extremely profitable — it’s made these companies some of the most valuable on the planet — and putting industry in charge has had predictable results.”
The problem, the report finds, lies not with one particular company’s business model but with industrywide incentive structures that reward harvesting, collecting, and monetizing user data. “While lucrative for the companies, these surveillance practices can endanger people’s privacy, threaten their freedoms, and expose them to a host of harms” like identity theft and stalking,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said. “Several firms’ failure to adequately protect kids and teens online is especially troubling.”
The report is based on questions the FTC sent to nine companies in December 2020 under section 6(b) of the FTC Act, which lets the commission conduct studies without a specific law enforcement purpose. The orders were sent to Amazon (which owns Twitch), Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, X, Snap, ByteDance (owner of TikTok), Discord, Reddit, and WhatsApp and focused on these companies’ data collection and retention practices as well as how these practices affect children and teenagers.
Among the findings in the 129-page report is the fact that even people who don’t use these platforms had their data collected. The companies acquired consumer data from a variety of sources, including advertisers and data brokers, advertising tracking technology, and inferences from algorithms, data analytics, or artificial intelligence. Companies can retain this data indefinitely, the report found — and some didn’t delete users’ data in response to deletion requests. Instead, some companies deidentified data rather than deleting it, while others would only delete some data.
The report ends with recommendations to curb these practices, which the document says are incentivized by the companies’ business models. The FTC encourages Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation to limit surveillance. In the interim, the commission suggests that companies limit their own data collection policies, stop using “privacy-intensive ad tracking technologies,” and implement greater privacy protections for teenagers.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Federal Trade Commission published a new report about the data collection policies of social media platforms and video streaming services, and the results are damning, if not unexpected. The report, which was released on September 19th, found that these platforms not only surveil consumers but often retain vast troves of data indefinitely about users and non-users alike — and suggests they can’t be trusted to regulate themselves.

Given the billions of dollars companies stand to earn from collecting and monetizing user data, “self-regulation has been a failure,” the report says. “Predicting, shaping, and monetizing human behavior through commercial surveillance is extremely profitable — it’s made these companies some of the most valuable on the planet — and putting industry in charge has had predictable results.”

The problem, the report finds, lies not with one particular company’s business model but with industrywide incentive structures that reward harvesting, collecting, and monetizing user data. “While lucrative for the companies, these surveillance practices can endanger people’s privacy, threaten their freedoms, and expose them to a host of harms” like identity theft and stalking,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said. “Several firms’ failure to adequately protect kids and teens online is especially troubling.”

The report is based on questions the FTC sent to nine companies in December 2020 under section 6(b) of the FTC Act, which lets the commission conduct studies without a specific law enforcement purpose. The orders were sent to Amazon (which owns Twitch), Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, X, Snap, ByteDance (owner of TikTok), Discord, Reddit, and WhatsApp and focused on these companies’ data collection and retention practices as well as how these practices affect children and teenagers.

Among the findings in the 129-page report is the fact that even people who don’t use these platforms had their data collected. The companies acquired consumer data from a variety of sources, including advertisers and data brokers, advertising tracking technology, and inferences from algorithms, data analytics, or artificial intelligence. Companies can retain this data indefinitely, the report found — and some didn’t delete users’ data in response to deletion requests. Instead, some companies deidentified data rather than deleting it, while others would only delete some data.

The report ends with recommendations to curb these practices, which the document says are incentivized by the companies’ business models. The FTC encourages Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation to limit surveillance. In the interim, the commission suggests that companies limit their own data collection policies, stop using “privacy-intensive ad tracking technologies,” and implement greater privacy protections for teenagers.

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Image: Logitech

Logitech is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its G502 gaming mouse with a limited-edition aluminum version. The G502 X Plus AL Edition has the same functionality as the standard wireless G502 X mouse, plus an aluminum chassis with laser-etched markings, including a serial number from 1 to 502.
Sorry to put my high school chem lab assistant hat on, but that L in “AL Edition” should really be lowercase — though I speculate Logitech wanted to avoid people confusing Al with AI, as in artificial intelligence.

In the 10 years since it launched, the G502 has been a mainstay of Logitech’s gaming lineup. The original was a wired mouse, a version of which you can still buy new today for around $50. In 2019, the G502 X made the jump to wireless with Logitech’s Lightspeed dongle, relegating the original to the “still great on a budget” option. The $160 G502 X Plus, which the limited-edition mouse is based on, features a 25K DPI sensor, more RGB lighting, and wireless charging with Logitech’s Powerplay mousepad.

Image: Logitech

Logitech isn’t selling the G502 X Plus AL Edition. Instead, the company says the aluminum mouse “can only be awarded, earned, or gifted from Logitech G or our partners to community members across the globe.” The company gave away 10 of the mice already on the Logitech G account on X; if you want to nab one, it’s probably worth paying attention to the brand’s social media pages.
This is the kind of “forever mouse” I could get into.

Image: Logitech

Logitech is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its G502 gaming mouse with a limited-edition aluminum version. The G502 X Plus AL Edition has the same functionality as the standard wireless G502 X mouse, plus an aluminum chassis with laser-etched markings, including a serial number from 1 to 502.

Sorry to put my high school chem lab assistant hat on, but that L in “AL Edition” should really be lowercase — though I speculate Logitech wanted to avoid people confusing Al with AI, as in artificial intelligence.

In the 10 years since it launched, the G502 has been a mainstay of Logitech’s gaming lineup. The original was a wired mouse, a version of which you can still buy new today for around $50. In 2019, the G502 X made the jump to wireless with Logitech’s Lightspeed dongle, relegating the original to the “still great on a budget” option. The $160 G502 X Plus, which the limited-edition mouse is based on, features a 25K DPI sensor, more RGB lighting, and wireless charging with Logitech’s Powerplay mousepad.

Image: Logitech

Logitech isn’t selling the G502 X Plus AL Edition. Instead, the company says the aluminum mouse “can only be awarded, earned, or gifted from Logitech G or our partners to community members across the globe.” The company gave away 10 of the mice already on the Logitech G account on X; if you want to nab one, it’s probably worth paying attention to the brand’s social media pages.

This is the kind of “forever mouse” I could get into.

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Image: Apple

Apple has just released public betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and they include upcoming Apple Intelligence features like text re-writing tools, the glowy new Siri design, a “Clean Up” tool to remove objects from your photos, and more.

To be able to access the betas, you’ll need to register on Apple’s beta software program site. Once you’ve done that, you should be able to see the beta update available in settings for you to download and install. Note that a only few iPhones can access the Apple Intelligence features: last year’s iPhone 15 Pro phones as well as the nearly-here iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. iPads and Macs with M1 chips or newer can try Apple Intelligence as well.
Previously, these Apple Intelligence features were only available as part of developer betas, and colleague Allison Johnson wrote about her experience testing the tools on iOS in July. But you should know that what’s included in these betas isn’t everything Apple has announced for Apple Intelligence; there’s more coming down the line.
Apple plans to release the final versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 in October.

Image: Apple

Apple has just released public betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and they include upcoming Apple Intelligence features like text re-writing tools, the glowy new Siri design, a “Clean Up” tool to remove objects from your photos, and more.

To be able to access the betas, you’ll need to register on Apple’s beta software program site. Once you’ve done that, you should be able to see the beta update available in settings for you to download and install. Note that a only few iPhones can access the Apple Intelligence features: last year’s iPhone 15 Pro phones as well as the nearly-here iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. iPads and Macs with M1 chips or newer can try Apple Intelligence as well.

Previously, these Apple Intelligence features were only available as part of developer betas, and colleague Allison Johnson wrote about her experience testing the tools on iOS in July. But you should know that what’s included in these betas isn’t everything Apple has announced for Apple Intelligence; there’s more coming down the line.

Apple plans to release the final versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 in October.

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The Hipstamatic Party! Disposable Camera app saves event organizers from having to chase down guests to get their photos. | Screenshot: Apple App Store

Hipstamatic’s new Party! Disposable Camera app is designed to digitally replicate the experience of guests snapping candid photos at a wedding or other event using a disposable film camera. There are no film development fees afterward, but it’s only free if your guest list is no larger than five people.
At its core, the app is yet another attempt to streamline the process of collecting all the smartphone photos that guests take during a special event. Using a custom QR code generated by a host, guests are directed to download the Party! Disposable Camera app and join the specific event. All the photos taken through the app will be collected into a single private gallery the host and guests can view and comment on.
There are similar solutions to this problem already available, including many that let guests upload pics from any device — unlike Hipstamatic’s app (and its original app), which is only available for the iPhone. The potential appeal of the Party! app is that it goes the extra mile to simulate the disposable camera experience. The host gets to choose a specific visual style (or skip filters altogether), and all of the photos uploaded can only be viewed the day after the event, simulating the experience of waiting for film to be developed.
Anyone can download the Hipstamatic Party! app, but the host who sets up an event will have to pay for larger groups, with options for 15, 25, or 35 users costing $2, $5, and $10, respectively. Additional users can be added, but they’ll have to pay $1 to join, according to PetaPixel. Hipstamatic also offers a $99 “Event” option for up to 99 guests and a $200 “Wedding” option that allows for an unlimited number of users and photos to be uploaded at a higher resolution.

The Hipstamatic Party! Disposable Camera app saves event organizers from having to chase down guests to get their photos. | Screenshot: Apple App Store

Hipstamatic’s new Party! Disposable Camera app is designed to digitally replicate the experience of guests snapping candid photos at a wedding or other event using a disposable film camera. There are no film development fees afterward, but it’s only free if your guest list is no larger than five people.

At its core, the app is yet another attempt to streamline the process of collecting all the smartphone photos that guests take during a special event. Using a custom QR code generated by a host, guests are directed to download the Party! Disposable Camera app and join the specific event. All the photos taken through the app will be collected into a single private gallery the host and guests can view and comment on.

There are similar solutions to this problem already available, including many that let guests upload pics from any device — unlike Hipstamatic’s app (and its original app), which is only available for the iPhone. The potential appeal of the Party! app is that it goes the extra mile to simulate the disposable camera experience. The host gets to choose a specific visual style (or skip filters altogether), and all of the photos uploaded can only be viewed the day after the event, simulating the experience of waiting for film to be developed.

Anyone can download the Hipstamatic Party! app, but the host who sets up an event will have to pay for larger groups, with options for 15, 25, or 35 users costing $2, $5, and $10, respectively. Additional users can be added, but they’ll have to pay $1 to join, according to PetaPixel. Hipstamatic also offers a $99 “Event” option for up to 99 guests and a $200 “Wedding” option that allows for an unlimited number of users and photos to be uploaded at a higher resolution.

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“Sorry about that…” | Image: Starship Technologies

One of Starship Technologies’ autonomous food delivery robots tripped up a school employee at Arizona State University last September. As 404 Media reports, when contacted by the police, an employee asked for the person’s info to share insurance info and to offer a few promo codes.
A police report said video footage confirmed the person’s description of the incident. They waited for a delivery robot to pass. Once they continued, the robot suddenly reversed and knocked them over before driving a short distance away and reversing to hit them again while they were on the ground. They reported lower back pain and a 4-inch cut on their arm that was treated by the local fire department.
A company spokesperson told 404 Media that the robot hit the pedestrian “at extremely low speed after detecting an oncoming vehicle.”

404 Media also noted another incident where Starship Technologies initially declined to press charges against two students who stole a robot before reversing course and pressing charges, and the outlet previously reported on problems the bots had driving into construction sites or off campus.
Starship Technologies began its first robot delivery trials in Europe in 2016, and by 2021, the company had completed 1.5 million deliveries and operated on 20 campuses. That number grew to 50 by late 2023, and earlier this year, it said it had completed more than 6 million autonomous deliveries.
All in all, insurance info and promo codes might not be a bad offer — one woman couldn’t get video from Starship Technologies in 2020 when one of the robots ran into her car, causing $2,600 in damage.

“Sorry about that…” | Image: Starship Technologies

One of Starship Technologies’ autonomous food delivery robots tripped up a school employee at Arizona State University last September. As 404 Media reports, when contacted by the police, an employee asked for the person’s info to share insurance info and to offer a few promo codes.

A police report said video footage confirmed the person’s description of the incident. They waited for a delivery robot to pass. Once they continued, the robot suddenly reversed and knocked them over before driving a short distance away and reversing to hit them again while they were on the ground. They reported lower back pain and a 4-inch cut on their arm that was treated by the local fire department.

A company spokesperson told 404 Media that the robot hit the pedestrian “at extremely low speed after detecting an oncoming vehicle.”

404 Media also noted another incident where Starship Technologies initially declined to press charges against two students who stole a robot before reversing course and pressing charges, and the outlet previously reported on problems the bots had driving into construction sites or off campus.

Starship Technologies began its first robot delivery trials in Europe in 2016, and by 2021, the company had completed 1.5 million deliveries and operated on 20 campuses. That number grew to 50 by late 2023, and earlier this year, it said it had completed more than 6 million autonomous deliveries.

All in all, insurance info and promo codes might not be a bad offer — one woman couldn’t get video from Starship Technologies in 2020 when one of the robots ran into her car, causing $2,600 in damage.

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watchOS 11 makes the Apple Watch an even better remote for the Apple TV. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Previous versions of watchOS allowed the Apple Watch to be used as a remote control for the Apple TV with limited functionality. With watchOS 11, the smartwatch can potentially completely replace the Siri Remote that now ships with Apple’s streaming box, with new capabilities spotted by 9to5Mac.
Before watchOS 11, the Apple Watch’s Remote app could only be used to play and pause videos, or navigate tvOS using swipe gestures to move through menus and screen taps to make selections. It was useful if you couldn’t reach the Apple TV’s remote, but couldn’t replace its features entirely.
The company has updated the Apple Watch User Guide on its website to include the new Remote app functionality introduced with watchOS 11. Turning the smartwatch’s digital crown now adjusts the volume, while pressing and holding the crown will activate Siri through the Apple TV. A button with three dots can also be tapped to mute and unmute audio, activate captions, and power the Apple TV on and off.
The latest Apple Watch update also expands the wearable’s health features with the ability to detect signs of sleep apnea, which can increase the risk of more serious conditions like Type 2 diabetes if left untreated. So while using the Apple Watch to replace a lost remote or to find your misplaced iPhone are useful, there are more compelling reasons to buy one.

watchOS 11 makes the Apple Watch an even better remote for the Apple TV. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Previous versions of watchOS allowed the Apple Watch to be used as a remote control for the Apple TV with limited functionality. With watchOS 11, the smartwatch can potentially completely replace the Siri Remote that now ships with Apple’s streaming box, with new capabilities spotted by 9to5Mac.

Before watchOS 11, the Apple Watch’s Remote app could only be used to play and pause videos, or navigate tvOS using swipe gestures to move through menus and screen taps to make selections. It was useful if you couldn’t reach the Apple TV’s remote, but couldn’t replace its features entirely.

The company has updated the Apple Watch User Guide on its website to include the new Remote app functionality introduced with watchOS 11. Turning the smartwatch’s digital crown now adjusts the volume, while pressing and holding the crown will activate Siri through the Apple TV. A button with three dots can also be tapped to mute and unmute audio, activate captions, and power the Apple TV on and off.

The latest Apple Watch update also expands the wearable’s health features with the ability to detect signs of sleep apnea, which can increase the risk of more serious conditions like Type 2 diabetes if left untreated. So while using the Apple Watch to replace a lost remote or to find your misplaced iPhone are useful, there are more compelling reasons to buy one.

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Photo: Getty Images

Almost a year since the horrifying crash in which one of its driverless vehicles ran over and dragged a woman 20 feet, Cruise is planning its return to the Bay Area. The company said in a post on X that it is deploying “several” manually driven mapping vehicles in Sunnyvale and Mountain View, with the goal of progressing to “supervised testing” with five autonomous vehicles later this fall.
“Resuming testing in the Bay Area is an important step forward as we continue to work closely with California regulators and local stakeholders,” the post reads. “This will allow our local employees to engage directly with our product as they refine and improve our tech through R&D.”

Starting today we will deploy several manual mapping vehicles in Sunnyvale and Mountain View with the intent to progress to supervised testing with up to 5 AVs later this fall. Resuming testing in the Bay Area is an important step forward as we continue to work closely with… pic.twitter.com/OlDkv74r34— cruise (@Cruise) September 19, 2024

Driverless Cruise vehicles were once a common sight on the streets of San Francisco, but they all vanished after the incident on October 2nd of last year, in which a hit-and-run driver crashed into a woman, sending her flying into the path of one of the company’s robotaxis. The Cruise vehicle also collided with the woman, but rather than remain stationary until emergency services arrived, it pulled over to the side of the road with the victim stuck underneath.
In the immediate aftermath, the California DMV accused Cruise of withholding key information, including the fact that the vehicle was responsible for dragging the victim, and suspended its permit to carry passengers.
Cruise grounded its fleet nationwide and began the long process of reckoning with its mistakes. That included a total reshuffling of the leadership team, including the ouster of CEO Kyle Vogt. Around 20 percent of the company’s employees were laid off, and Cruise was later ordered to pay $112,500 to the California Public Utilities Commission.
Since then, Cruise has restarted testing in a number of cities, including Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas. It also scrapped its plans for a purpose-built autonomous shuttle called the Origin. GM, which is Cruise’s parent company, recommitted to the project by dumping $850 million into Cruise.
In returning to the city where the inciting incident took place, Cruise is taking a big risk. But if it’s going to compete with its main rival Waymo, it needs to be back driving on its own home turf where both companies have a lot at stake.

Photo: Getty Images

Almost a year since the horrifying crash in which one of its driverless vehicles ran over and dragged a woman 20 feet, Cruise is planning its return to the Bay Area. The company said in a post on X that it is deploying “several” manually driven mapping vehicles in Sunnyvale and Mountain View, with the goal of progressing to “supervised testing” with five autonomous vehicles later this fall.

“Resuming testing in the Bay Area is an important step forward as we continue to work closely with California regulators and local stakeholders,” the post reads. “This will allow our local employees to engage directly with our product as they refine and improve our tech through R&D.”

Driverless Cruise vehicles were once a common sight on the streets of San Francisco, but they all vanished after the incident on October 2nd of last year, in which a hit-and-run driver crashed into a woman, sending her flying into the path of one of the company’s robotaxis. The Cruise vehicle also collided with the woman, but rather than remain stationary until emergency services arrived, it pulled over to the side of the road with the victim stuck underneath.

In the immediate aftermath, the California DMV accused Cruise of withholding key information, including the fact that the vehicle was responsible for dragging the victim, and suspended its permit to carry passengers.

Cruise grounded its fleet nationwide and began the long process of reckoning with its mistakes. That included a total reshuffling of the leadership team, including the ouster of CEO Kyle Vogt. Around 20 percent of the company’s employees were laid off, and Cruise was later ordered to pay $112,500 to the California Public Utilities Commission.

Since then, Cruise has restarted testing in a number of cities, including Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas. It also scrapped its plans for a purpose-built autonomous shuttle called the Origin. GM, which is Cruise’s parent company, recommitted to the project by dumping $850 million into Cruise.

In returning to the city where the inciting incident took place, Cruise is taking a big risk. But if it’s going to compete with its main rival Waymo, it needs to be back driving on its own home turf where both companies have a lot at stake.

Read More