San Francisco is fed up with Waymo’s driverless cars causing chaos, and they’re planning to expand to cities nationwide. Don’t think it’s just their problem — your town could be next.
Bye-bye fireworks? The drones are here
They’re mesmerizing, a little magical and … pretty dangerous. That’s why a handful of cities are going high-tech this year, replacing their Fourth of July fireworks with drone shows.
Look to the sky
In California, Lake Tahoe, La Jolla and Ocean Beach are going the drone route this year. The same goes for Salt Lake City, Utah, and Boulder, Colorado. That is not surprising, given how dry those states are. Utah is one of the states most prone to wildfires, with 800 to 1,000 yearly.
It’s not just fire
In 2022, about 10,200 people went to the ER with fireworks-related injuries; 11 died. So sad.
- 38% of injuries were burns, and 29% of those were to the hands and fingers. Legs and the head/face/ears accounted for another 19% each.
Then there’s the matter of where fireworks come from
Surprise, surprise: The vast majority of bottle rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, sparklers and all the rest come from China. In 2020, Americans spent $370 million on Chinese fireworks. The next biggest source? Spain, which we spent a collective $3.61 million on.
With drones, there are no huge booms! No debris or smoke to deal with, either.
Once you get past the tradition of it all, drone shows make a lot of sense. Have you ever seen one in person? They’re beautiful, too!
Study: These cities are targeted most by identity theft
Identity theft is no joke. The FTC reports 441,482 cases of credit card fraud in the U.S. last year alone.
All told, the Commission received 1.1 million total identity theft complaints.
San Francisco and Palo Alto used to be the nation’s top destinations for tech talent seeking big checks. But other U.S. cities are catching up. Which has the fastest-growing salaries in tech today? Is it … A.) Baltimore, B.) Austin, C.) Columbus or D.) San Antonio?
$1 million
For a starter home. That’s the new norm in 237 U.S. cities, up from 84 cities just five years ago. Metros in Wyoming, Colorado and Connecticut are new on the list.
Where does your ISP fall among the fastest and slowest in the country?
Do you work from home? Is someone in your house a hardcore gamer? Do you stream high-definition content from multiple devices simultaneously? All these factors will help determine if you’re paying too much for internet speed. Here’s what you need to know.
Here are the cities with the highest Airbnb fees
Here’s one major problem with the rental platform Airbnb. You go online, find a property with a price that works for you and book it — only for the total cost to skyrocket. What gives? Here’s a trick to avoid getting hit with those hidden fees.
Check this site to see how much time your city wastes commuting
Workers in the U.S. spend an average of 52.2 minutes per day driving to and from work. This figure can vary widely from region to region, though. Tap or click here for our favorite ways to maximize gas mileage.
TomTom, an industry leader in location data and studies, has released a tool that can show you exactly how long your city’s residents sit in traffic at the beginning and end of the day. These figures are weighted by travel time per 10 kilometers, and the results are kind of surprising.
Here are the cities and states with the worst drivers
You can keep your car on the road for years or even decades with routine maintenance. Tap or click here for five monthly checks to do on your vehicle.
A well-maintained car is safe, but what about your driving habits? Do you ever feel that you’re the only good driver out there? It’s a common enough belief.
Ever broken a phone? These are the 5 clumsiest cities in the US
Smartphones are expensive, no matter which brand or operating system you have. While cases and protective layers are available, some users still manage to drop and break their devices.
Since smartphones are crucial in everyday life, you don’t want to be without yours for too long. When it breaks, or the screen shatters, it could mean a few days or a week in the repair shop.
Want a change of scenery? 10 cities that will pay you to move there
If you are feeling restless and dreaming about moving to an exciting new city, there’s a website you’ll want to hear about.
Makemymove.com will show all the cities around the country that will pay you to move if you are a digital worker. Since many non-essential workers became fully remote during the pandemic, your home location might not matter.
This Google Maps alternative might be your new favorite travel app
Many of us have never even considered switching our navigation app from the default pick, Google Maps. Or if you’re on an Apple device, Apple Maps. However, this is a change worth considering because another popular navigation app just got a huge update, making it better and more competitive than ever.
Quick, simple way to listen to radio around the world
When I was a kid, I would listen to the radio whenever we were flying across the country from New Jersey to California. I loved hearing all the different dialects and music. That’s why I totally love this site and I just know you will too.
Apple will now come to your house to fix your broken iPhone
Got an iPhone or Mac that isn’t working? You’re in luck! Unlike many of the other gadget manufacturers out there, Apple gives its users several ways to get the support they need. Just follow the company’s instructions and you’ll have your device up and running again in no time.
Watch local TV for free on your smartphone or computer -- in 9 major cities
Cable became a mainstay of most households just a few decades ago, but with the rise of streaming, it appears to be on the way out. Still, there are shows and events you can catch only on live TV, and there are ways to get those channels for free if you don’t have cable or an antenna. Don’t get too excited yet: The non-profit service is available in only nine cities — New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Dallas and Denver.