Autonomous vehicle technology and electrification startups were once the darlings of the VC and corporate world. The two technologies promised billions of dollars in revenue — and a new pathway for automakers to make money beyond building and selling cars.  Those VC-money-printing days have been over for AVs for a while now, with a few […]

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The former CIA counterterrorism officer John Kiriakou looks at counterterrorism scenes in movies and TV and breaks them down for realism.

Kiriakou explains the counterterrorism efforts done to directly address the September 11 attacks — commonly known as 9/11 — such as the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, which ultimately led to his killing, in "Zero Dark Thirty," featuring Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, and Chris Pratt; and the CIA's interrogation techniques — such as waterboarding and sleep deprivation — to detainees, such as the Al-Qaeda members Abu Zubaydah and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, in "The Report," starring Adam Driver. He breaks down the plausibility of weapons used by terrorists, such as the use of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nerve agents, in "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation," with Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg; and the cyberterrorism attack in "Skyfall," featuring Daniel Craig and Judi Dench. Kiriakou looks at more counterterrorism strategies, such as the drone attack in "Homeland" S4E1 (2014), starring Claire Danes; and the collaboration of intelligence agencies in "Body of Lies," featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crow, and Oscar Isaac. He also reacts to the depiction of other real-life terrorist attacks, such as the 2008 Mumbai attacks in "Hotel Mumbai," starring Dev Patel; the Munich Massacre, which involved the Palestinian militant organization Black September, in "Munich," with Daniel Craig and Eric Bana; and the depiction of the hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight 814, which landed in Kandahar International Airport in Afghanistan — then a stronghold of the Taliban — in "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack" E5 + E6 (2024).

Before 9/11, Kiriakou served as a counterterrorism operations officer in Athens, Greece; and after the 9/11 attacks, Kiriakou was appointed chief of counterterrorist operations in Pakistan, where he oversaw a series of military raids on Al-Qaeda safe houses, resulting in the capture of numerous Al-Qaeda members, including leading the raid that captured Abu Zubaydah — who was then believed to be Al-Qaeda's third-highest-ranking member. He left the CIA in 2004, and in 2007, he went public with his information about the CIA's "enhanced interrogation techniques," a program of systematic torture of detainees. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of revealing information that identified a covert agent. He went on to become a senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a terrorism consultant for ABC News. He has written various books and teaches and speaks around the country, focusing on the CIA, terrorism, torture, and ethics in intelligence operations.

You can follow Kiriakou on LinkedIn:

Here is a link to Kiriakou's books.

• I spent three nights on Royal Caribbean's new Utopia of the Seas in mid-November.
• The world's second-largest cruise ship is operating short voyages to appeal to first-time cruisers.
• It's overwhelming, overstimulating, and great for cruise-curious travelers who might like action-packed ships.

Utopia of the Seas' list of amenities sounds like a holiday carol: 27 eateries, 18 bars, eight hot tubs, five pools, three waterslides (and a partridge in a pear tree?).

The new 5,668-guest ship's activities are the gifts that keep giving — maybe overwhelmingly so.

Royal Caribbean launched its 28th cruise ship, the world's second-largest, in July. Despite its gargantuan stature and equally sized list of amenities, Utopia is only operating three- and four-night cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida.

If you've traveled on Royal Caribbean's giant Oasis-class vessels, the new ship should feel familiar. If it's your first time on a cruise, Utopia will have succeeded in luring new guests — and you'll likely be overwhelmed.

This was my third Royal Caribbean cruise. Yet, even I was engulfed by its semi-controlled chaos.

The sprawling pool deck has three pools, a children's water playground, and three waterslides.

The music was loud, the unclaimed lounge chairs were sparse, and the waterslide lines were long.

I was especially partial to the two racing slides.

The third option, a toilet bowl-shaped slide, closed for maintenance halfway through my four-day voyage before I could attempt it.

Otherwise, I didn't spend much time at the pool deck. It was too chaotic, and I hated simmering shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers in the overloaded hot tubs.

The mega ship clocks in at 1,188 feet long. Plenty. of room for fun and games.

Lots of those activities are near the pools.

There, you'll find a mini golf course and playground, both great for kids. Or, head to the sports court for events like pickleball and basketball. (The ping pong tables are separate, wind-proofed behind glass walls.)

The surf simulator has viewing platforms for those who want a show.

Be wary of the zipline — you could spend more time in line than on the slow-moving ride. And if you don't look up upon landing, you might break your glasses (as my sister did).

At least the racing dry slides are foolproof (sorry, Ashley).

The slide's twists and turns spit riders out onto the wood-planked Boardwalk.

The neighborhood offers family-friendly activities reminiscent of a beachside pier: a carousel, a kid's netted climbing wall, arcade games, a Johnny Rockets, and a sports bar.

Splurge on sweets from the candy store. Then, sweat out the sugar high at the two rock climbing walls.

Revisit the Boardwalk in the evening for 'Aqua80too.'

The ship's Boardwalk area is anchored by the water-based Aquatheater, home of the swim, dance, dive, slackline, and tightrope-walking "Aqua80too" show.

The unforgettable performance, named after its nostalgic 1980s soundtrack, is as chaotic as the pool deck at 1 p.m., especially if you sit in the splash zone.

Make time for it — you'll regret missing the thrilling performance.

There's also a figure skating show, 'Youtopia.'

Expect impressive twirls, jumps, and calisthenics.

It was an exceptional step up from the ice show on Utopia's predecessor, Wonder of the Seas, which I left early out of boredom.

Depending on the day, the rink also opens for free skating or transforms into a laser tag arena.

For a more traditional song-and-dance show, book 'All In.'

I rarely enjoy these staple cruise shows. However, "All In"'s unexpected acrobatics and detailed high-tech sets wooed me.

Was it as unique as the other two shows? No — but it was an inspired and feverish take on a tired formula.

That said, I'm tired of hearing covers of Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance" on every ship.

Good luck finding a quiet reprieve from Utopia's frenzied energy.

So, you've sent the youngsters to the children's club. Now what?

Well, you're never far from the ship's 16 bars, six of which are in the mall-like Royal Promenade.

The tiki-themed Pesky Parrot is great for frozen drinks and conversing with the animatronic parrot. Or, grab a drink at Rising Tide, a platform that levitates between the Royal Promenade to Central Park throughout the day.

Boardwalk is for excitable children as Central Park is for overwhelmed parents.

Its plant-engulfed benches and restaurants are cocooned from the rest of Utopia, save for the looming echoes from the overhead pools.

It's Utopia's calmest section and a great place to play chess, listen to live jazz, or indulge in a glass of bubbles.

(Most cocktails are about $14. Wines and beers start at about $8 each.)

If the bars aren't enough, the ship also hosts themed parties.

Relive your young 20s with a silent toga and "Royal Kappa Chi."

For a less collegiate affair, lace up your dancing shoes for the cover band-directed Music Hall or the Latin band-led Boleros.

Otherwise, your only option for an adult-only reprieve will be the Solarium.

Utopia has almost no adult-only zones, save for the Solarium lounge's pools and hot tubs.

It's indoors, tucked under a glass-paneled dome. So, if you want to relax without the kids, you'll have to contend with the ever-present smell of chlorine and the lack of unfettered sunlight.

It's located near the Solarium Bistro, a contemporary Mediterranean-Californian restaurant with a breakfast buffet.

Its morning crowds are typically less chaotic than Windjammer, the primary all-day buffet, and El Loco Fresh, the Mexican-inspired buffet with long lunch lines.

The former serves relatively diverse options, such as an Indian-themed night.

You'll have some great meals on Utopia.

I ate most of my evening meals in the main dining room.

The menu rotates daily. Order the prime rib when available — it's one of the best I've had.

Other complimentary venues include the Boardwalk's hot dog stand (pass) and the two cafés (smash, especially the soup at Central Park's café).

Grab a drunk slice of pizza from Royal Promenade's Sorrento's or a mid-swim snack from the poolside Spare Tire.

17 of the ship's 27 dining options cost extra.

They're as small as $6 shave ice and as hefty as $155 per person omakase at Izumi.

Or, splurge on the Japanese restaurant's other options: teppanyaki, sushi, and bento box takeout.

Sit down for a bowl of pasta and glass of wine at the two-deck Giovanni's Italian Kitchen.

The terrace has a great view of the Boardwalk, where you can similarly pay for a burger from Johnny Rockets or wings from the adjacent sports bar.

For American fare, the ship has returning favorites like 150 Central Park (upscale and modern) and Chops Grille (a steakhouse).

Head to The Mason Jar for Southern comfort and Hooked Seafood for coastal classics.

Or, opt for the cruise line's first Royal Railway, an interactive train-themed restaurant that's as hard to book as it is pricey, starting at $120 per person.

You could try a new restaurant and bar every day without hitting any repeats.

The options to pass the time on Utopia are seemingly endless, from the four slides to arcade games to bar-hosted karaoke and trivia.

Not once did I sit still, wondering if I'd run out of things to do.

Instead the opposite — I intermittently retreated to my cabin, overwhelmed with decision paralysis.

If you're a hyperactive child, Utopia will be perfect. If you're seeking a quiet cruise, Utopia could be your worst nightmare.

If your family includes both active children and activity-reluctant parents, the floating summer state fair might still be a great option.

You won't be aboard Utopia longer than four days, enough time for kids to stay engaged with its amenities. It's a great trial run for cruise-curious travelers, especially those who might enjoy giant activity-packed ships.

A four-night Utopia voyage in 2025 currently starts at about $650 per person.

Firearms expert Patrick McNamara rates gun technique in movies.

McNamara talks about recovering ammo on the battlefield in "John Wick: Chapter 2," starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Common. He explains how to handle different types of machine guns in "Rambo: First Blood Part II," starring Sylvester Stallone; and "Pulp Fiction," starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bruce Willis. He critiques James Bond's shooting form in "Die Another Day," starring Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry and Judi Dench; and "No Time to Die," starring Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, and Ana de Armas. He breaks down how to fire at a moving target in "Deadpool," starring Ryan Reynolds. He discusses firing two guns at once in "The Bourne Identity," starring Matt Damon and Clive Owen. He describes shooting range exercises in "S.W.A.T.," starring Colin Farrell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jeremy Renner; and "Lethal Weapon," starring Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. He looks at shooting in dark environments in "Sicario," starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio del Toro. He analyzes the reload techniques displayed in "Scarface," starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer. He walks us through different sniper positions in "Mad Max: Fury Road," starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, and Nicholas Hoult. Finally, he deconstructs Tom Cruise's shooting stance in "Collateral," also starring Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Patrick McNamara served for 22 years in Army special operations forces. He is president of TMACS, where he trains people in tactical marksmanship.

You can learn more about safe gun-handling techniques from Patrick here:

https://www.youtube.com/@patmcnamara

https://www.tmacsinc.com/

Welcome back to Week in Review. This week, we’re looking at GM’s decision to pull out of the robotaxi business, Google alluding to the existence of multiple universes, and how you can make some serious cash by getting an AI bot to fall in love with you. Let’s get into it. General Motors will no […]

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The Trump transition team wants to end a federal rule requiring automakers to report crashes when advanced driver-assistance or autonomous driving technology is engaged, Reuters reports. Federal safety agencies would lose the ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems should the rule — which went into effect in 2021 — […]

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• Disney Cruise Line plans to double its cruise ship fleet over the next seven years.
• Its newest ship, Disney Treasure, is scheduled to launch in late December.
• These are Disney Treasure's 11 coolest amenities.

It's time to grab your Mickey-printed swimsuit: Disney Cruise Line is bringing back the magic of its movies and theme parks to the high sea with its sixth cruise ship, the coming 4,000-guest Disney Treasure.

Treasure might look familiar if you've been aboard its sister ship, Disney Wish. To stand out from its predecessor, the new 1,119-foot-long vessel has several newly designed amenities, including a new water ride and a sweets shop inspired by the one in Zootopia.

Business Insider toured the ship ahead of its maiden voyage in late December. These are its 11 coolest features, including several adults-only experiences.

1. The new 'Coco'-themed restaurant makes dining as fun as going on a Disney ride.

Plaza de Coco's dining tables surround a stage, creating a dinner-and-a-show experience.

The venue hosts two different performances depending on the day, so there is no need to fear repeating a show if you go twice.

(BI previewed one of the shows and can confirm it's pretty entertaining for kids and adults.)

2. 'Zootopia' comes to life with a new sweets store.

If you've seen "Zootopia," you might remember store owner Jerry Jumbeaux Jr. and his Jumbeaux Cafe.

On Disney Treasure, the talking elephant's ice cream parlor comes to life with Jumbeaux's Sweets, a dessert shop with various treats and more than 31 ice cream and gelato flavors.

3. Treasure has several adult-only venues.

Disney is best known for being a family-friendly brand. That doesn't mean adults must be surrounded by children throughout their vacation.

For example, "The Lion King"-inspired Sarabi lounge has a variety of family activities during the day. At night, it becomes an adult-only venue with live shows.

2 restaurants are grown-up-only, too.

Palo Steakhouse, also available on Disney Wish, features Italian fare and a design inspired by "Beauty and the Beast"'s Cogsworth.

Disney bills the Enchanté, a "Beauty and the Beast"-inspired French restaurant, as the most luxurious dining experience on board. Its menu was created by Arnaud Lallement, the chef and owner of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant L'Assiette Champenoise in Paris.

The two restaurants meet at The Rose, another adult-only lounge.

4. The Skipper Society lounge brings Disney's beloved Jungle Cruise ride to sea.

The thematic lounge serves light snacks and beverages. Foliage hangs from the ceiling, and themed drinks (like the non-alcoholic Jungle Juice or the boozy Piranha Punch) can be enjoyed at the bar or private booths.

5. Treasure has a new steampunk and submarine-inspired Periscope Pub for a true 'at sea' experience.

The watering hole is a first for the cruise line, inspired by the 1954 Disney flick "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and the Disney Parks ride that shut down in 1994.

Here, guests can again eat, drink, and catch up on the news and sports.

The full menu includes burgers and wings, specialty cocktails, and several beers on tap.

6. The ship's 1,256 accommodations are decorated with subtle references to "Up" and "The Lion King."

Interior staterooms make up more than 120 of these accommodations.

For a more luxurious option, pick one of the 76 premium concierge cabins, which includes access to an exclusive sun deck.

7. One of the largest cabins is a two-story, about 2,000-square-foot suite with a private elevator.

The ultra-luxe Tomorrow Tower Suite sleeps up to eight people across its four bedrooms, one of which has a specialty bunk bed designed for children.

8. Two informal cafés themed on beloved Disney heroines flank the atrium.

The atrium has its own stage. For a mid-show pick-me-up, head to the Heihei or Jade Cricket cafés.

The former is inspired by "Moana's" fictional island of Montuni, named after the title character's rooster sidekick, while the latter is a callback to "Mulan."

9. Yes, the ship has a Disney ride.

The two-person AquaMouse: Curse of the Golden Egg water ride brings travelers through 760 feet of tubes on a quest to follow Mickey and Minnie Mouse into an "ancient temple."

10. 2 Disney Wish fan favorites are available on its sister ship.

Both vessels offer Worlds of Marvel, an interactive Marvel-themed restaurant, and Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas, a luxurious theater where guests can watch recently released movies.

11. 'Moana' comes to life with a new live production.

Like other Disney cruises, travelers on Treasure can see their favorite movies adapted in live theater.

Other Disney ships feature a live production of "Beauty and the Beast" — Treasure's new show is based on "Moana."

If life at sea with Disney is calling out to you, sailings on the Treasure start at $3,931 for its seven-night itineraries in 2025.

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! GM’s decision to no longer fund its self-driving car subsidiary Cruise was a surprise to many — and got me thinking about this startup that I’ve come […]

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GM’s decision to shut down its Cruise robotaxi program continues to ripple through the market, extending to the self-driving car company’s minority investors. Microsoft, which in 2021 made an investment into Cruise, will take $800 million impairment charge as a result of GM’s actions, according to a regulatory filing. Microsoft said the charge will be […]

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Honda Motor Co. will stop funding a joint venture with General Motors and Cruise to launch a robotaxi service in Japan, now that GM has pulled the plug on Cruise and its commercial robotaxi ambitions, reports The Nikkei. GM said Tuesday it would cease funding Cruise and instead absorb the company and combine it with […]

© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

• The Cruise founder Kyle Vogt criticized GM's decision to pull robotaxi funding.
• GM's decision to divest from Cruise comes as other tech giants forge ahead with robotaxi plans.
• Investors have appeared to welcome the news as GM looks to cut costs.

General Motors' decision to pivot away from robotaxis has one big critic: the Cruise founder Kyle Vogt.

Vogt, who resigned from the company in 2023, posted on the social-media platform X following GM's announcement that it would stop funding Cruise and fold it into the company's other driver-assistance efforts: "In case it was unclear before, it is clear now: GM are a bunch of dummies."

Vogt did not immediately respond to an interview request.

GM cited the hefty costs of fleet operation. Since taking control of the startup in 2016, GM has invested more than $10 billion in its development and operation.

The automaker has been trimming costs all year as demand for electric vehicles slows, and the company reckons with a longer road to profitability for these vehicles.

"Cruise was well on its way to a robotaxi business — but when you look at the fact you're deploying a fleet, there's a whole operations piece of doing that," GM CEO Mary Barra said on a conference call, according to CNBC.

Ending investment in Cruise's robotaxi business is the latest blow for the self-driving division. Commercial robotaxi rides have been on pause since October 2023, when one of its cars injured a pedestrian.

Vogt's departure last year came just weeks after the company suspended all autonomous operations. The company has since resumed autonomous-vehicle testing with safety drivers in Arizona and Texas.

The state of the robotaxi business

GM isn't the first legacy car company to scrap autonomous-vehicle funding. In 2022, its rival Ford pulled out of its joint venture with Argo AI.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's Tesla is all in on robotaxis, and the tech giant Alphabet is barreling forward, with driverless Waymo rides open to consumers in many cities.

Still, some investors seemed to welcome GM's decision to pull Cruise's funding in favor of $2 billion in annual savings, sending GM's stock price up more than 3% in after-hours trading Tuesday. Shares fell more than 4% in trading Wednesday.

"While some bulls may have hoped for external funding to give Cruise a life extension, we strongly believe that most investors did not want to see GM commit more capital to Cruise," Joseph Spak, a UBS analyst, wrote in a note to clients.

After spending more than $10 billion to try to develop an autonomous robotaxi, General Motors is now calling time on the endeavor. On Tuesday afternoon, the automaker announced that it is done investing in Cruise's robotaxi development and will instead combine the startup's technical team with its internal efforts at GM.

After several years, GM has accepted the inevitable: Given the costs, there's no way to build a profitable robotaxi business. This year, GM will have spent around $2 billion on Cruise.

"GM is committed to delivering the best driving experiences to our customers in a disciplined and capital efficient manner," said Mary Barra, chair and CEO of GM. "Cruise has been an early innovator in autonomy, and the deeper integration of our teams, paired with GM’s strong brands, scale, and manufacturing strength, will help advance our vision for the future of transportation."

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Comments

• General Motors just pulled the plug on Cruise's robotaxi dreams.
• The self-driving venture has been in doubt since a pedestrian was seriously injured last year.
• GM's decision shows that time and money may not be enough when it comes to robotaxis.

General Motors' decision to pull the plug on Cruise shows that building a robotaxi business is hard, really expensive — and fraught with risk.

The automaker invested more than $10 billion in Cruise since taking control of the self-driving startup in 2016.

Along with Google-backed rival Waymo, Cruise moved quickly to get its fleet of driverless Chevrolet Bolt robotaxis on the road.

Both companies got the green light from regulators to operate their robotaxis as a ride-hailing service in San Francisco in August 2023. Just months later Cruise was banned from operating in California after one of its driverless cars seriously injured a pedestrian.

The incident prompted Cruise to recall its entire fleet of robotaxis. An investigation by California's justice department subsequently found Cruise had failed to disclose key details about the crash to regulators.

The company struggled to recover, while rival Waymo raced ahead. CEO Kyle Vogt resigned in November 2023, and Cruise laid off nearly a quarter of its staff a month later.

Cruise restarted testing its self-driving technology earlier this year, and even announced a partnership with Uber to offer robotaxi rides on the Uber app in August, but that wasn't enough to stop GM from pulling the plug.

CEO Mary Barra cited "the considerable time and expense required to scale a robotaxi business in an increasingly competitive market" on a call with analysts.

John McDermid, professor of software engineering at the University of York in the UK, said: "I think it's a recognition of how challenging it is and how hard it is to make money in the robotaxi business. Even if you can solve the technical problems, it's a tough place to be."

Saber Fallah, professor of safe AI and autonomy and director of the Connected Autonomous Vehicle Research Lab at the UK's Surrey University, told Business Insider that Cruise had moved too quickly in deploying its driverless robotaxis at scale in San Francisco.

He said the AI technology underlying robotaxis such as Cruise's and the regulatory processes for certifying driverless cars were not advanced enough to ensure they could handle the kind of complex scenarios often found in urban environments.

Rivals may have 'better tech'

Analysts at Bank of America said in a Wednesday note: "We believe GM's move also potentially implies that other companies (Tesla & Waymo) have better tech and/or that the market may not be appealing for later entrants. Waymo is already offering a robotaxi service across several US cities and Tesla plans to launch its service in 2025."

Waymo has been by far the most successful, with the robotaxi startup now offering 150,000 paid rides a week and planning to expand into a host of cities next year.

Waymo has also faced regulatory scrutiny. It issued two recalls this year after incidents in which its robotaxis collided with a towed pickup truck and a telephone pole.

Amazon-backed Zoox, which has begun rolling out its toaster-shaped robotaxis in San Francisco and Las Vegas, is also facing regulatory investigations over two crashes involving its self-driving tech and whether its steering wheel-less robotaxis comply with federal safety rules.

Tesla's Cybercab is on the horizon

Tesla, meanwhile, has perhaps the most ambitious plans of all. In October Elon Musk unveiled the "Cybercab," an autonomous robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, in October.

Musk said the $30,000 vehicle would enter production in 2027, and that Tesla owners would be able to operate a fleet of Cybercabs as their own ride-hailing business.

Tesla also plans to have unsupervised fully-autonomous Model 3 and Y vehicles on the road in California and Texas next year.

Experts previously told BI Musk's plan would face huge regulatory challenges, with the EV maker also facing a federal probe into its Full-Self Driving assisted driving system after a number of crashes.

Fallah said companies such as Tesla and Waymo looking to build robotaxi fleets were likely to face similar problems to Cruise.

"The idea of robotaxis that can be driven anywhere, anytime without human involvement is really more hype than reality," he said. "We need much more advanced AI in order to solve this problem."

Some industry players may be starting to agree. GM said it would switch its focus from robotaxis to advanced driver assistance systems that require driver supervision.

General Motors declined to comment.