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California police pull over a self-driving Waymo for an illegal U-turn, but they can’t ticket

California police pull over a self-driving Waymo for an illegal U-turn, but they can’t ticket

By JANIE HAR

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Police in Northern California were understandably perplexed when they pulled over a Waymo taxi after it made an illegal U-turn, only to find no driver behind the wheel and therefore, no one to ticket.

The San Bruno Police Department wrote in now viral weekend social media posts that officers were conducting a DUI operation early Saturday morning when a self-driving Waymo made the illegal turn in front of them.

Officers stopped the vehicle, but declined to write a ticket as their “citation books don’t have a box for ‘robot’.”

“That’s right … no driver, no hands, no clue,” read the post, which was accompanied by photos of an officer peering into the car.

Officers contacted Waymo to report what they called a “glitch,” and in the post, they said they hope reprogramming will deter more illegal moves.

The department’s Facebook post has generated more than 500 comments, with many people outraged that police didn’t ticket the company. People also wanted to know how police got the car to pull over. read more

‘Holidays’ back, ‘Christmas’ out in Winter Park fest as 4 leaders exit business group that changed name

‘Holidays’ back, ‘Christmas’ out in Winter Park fest as 4 leaders exit business group that changed name

Winter Park’s year-end festivities will be called “Holidays on Park,” dropping last year’s Christmas branding, as the executive director and three board members of the business group overseeing holiday decorations for the city exit in the wake of a controversy over what to call the celebration.

Carina Sexton announced Monday she was leaving the executive director’s post she’s had since April 2023, according to Alan Chambers, president of the Park Avenue District board. Exiting the board are Vice President Tracy Brand-Liffey, owner of New General Café; Tracy Klingler, who owns lifestyle boutique Frank; and Ginny Enstad of Ginny’s Orchids.

Chambers said none of the departures were connected to the festivity-naming brouhaha, which blew up several weeks ago when city officials at the urging of some residents asked the group to drop the name “Christmas on Park,” which it had just adopted in 2024.

Alan Chambers of Winter Park is president of the board of directors of the Park Avenue District and vice president of operations at John Craig Clothier, which has two stores in the city and others throughout Florida. (Provided photo)
Alan Chambers of Winter Park is president of the board of directors of the Park Avenue District and vice president of operations at John Craig Clothier, which has two stores in the city and others throughout Florida. (Provided photo)

City officials reasoned that events begin in mid-November, run through New Year’s Day and acknowledge other holidays such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. read more

Amazon unveils new generation of AI-powered Kindle and other devices

Amazon unveils new generation of AI-powered Kindle and other devices

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Online juggernaut Amazon Inc. unveiled its next generation of Kindle, Ring and Echo devices, among other gadgets, that are all powered by artificial intelligence and connected to Alexa+, its AI-infused personal assistant, which made its debut in February.

The lineup, announced at a presentation and showcase in New York, includes new cameras for its Ring video monitoring device with a new AI facial recognition feature that allows users to register friends and family and notify them who is at the front door.

Amazon unveiled four new Echo devices revamped with Alexa+ that serve up personalized insights like whether the user left the front door unlocked after midnight. The Seattle-based company also announced a series of Alexa+-infused Fire TVs that offer more personalized searches like finding a specific scene in a movie or getting commentary about last night’s football game.

Panos Panay, senior vice president of devices and services at... Panos Panay, senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon, speaks during an Amazon event in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Panos Panay, senior vice president of devices and services at... Panos Panay, senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon, speaks during an Amazon event in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The presentation Tuesday was the first big product event for Panos Panay, who joined Amazon in 2023 to head up the company’s devices and services teams after a 19-year career at Microsoft where he served as chief product officer. read more

DoorDash is expanding into restaurant reservations and robot deliveries

DoorDash is expanding into restaurant reservations and robot deliveries

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Business Writers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — DoorDash is expanding its offerings, adding restaurant reservations and robot deliveries in some U.S. markets.

The San Francisco-based company, already the largest U.S. delivery provider, announced its expansion plans Tuesday, saying it wants to bring even more business to the merchants it works with and stay ahead of ever-increasing customer demand. DoorDash’s total orders jumped 20% to 761 million in the second quarter of this year.

DoorDash’s robots will bring new challenges to the company as it takes on the responsibility for storing and maintaining the devices. But DoorDash Co-Founder Stanley Tang said the company needs more delivery options to help fuel its future growth.

“The shift to autonomy is happening right now, and DoorDash is uniquely positioned to do something like this,” Tang said Monday during an interview at the company’s San Francisco headquarters. “We need to find ways to keep up with the demand. The complexity of the deliveries being made on our platform is increasing too.” read more

Spotify founder steps down from CEO role

Spotify founder steps down from CEO role

LONDON (AP) — Spotify said Tuesday that founder Daniel Ek is stepping down as CEO to become the executive chairman, in an announcement that sent its shares sliding in premarket trading.

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The Stockholm-based streaming giant said Ek will be replaced by two lieutenants who will become co-CEOs: Chief Product and Technology Officer Gustav Söderström and Chief Business Officer Alex Norström. The pair, who are also currently copresidents, will transition into their new jobs on Jan. 1 and will report to Ek. read more