This week on Tech Pulse, we narrate three articles spanning Waymo's new Chinese-made robotaxi, the hidden risks of trolling scam texts, and the growing backlash against autonomous vehicles spreading across American cities.
Waymo is rolling out a brand-new vehicle called the Ojai — a pale-blue, sensor-studded minivan built from the ground up for driverless operation. The piece details what makes it different from Waymo's previous cars, who actually manufactured it (a Chinese automaker), and why the rides are currently free. It also examines the regulatory and political questions swirling around the vehicle's launch, from national security concerns to a California regulator still deciding whether Waymo can charge fares.
A cybersecurity reporter explores why trolling scam texts — a practice known as "scambaiting" — may backfire on the people who do it. Engaging with a smishing message, even with fake information, signals to criminals that a phone number is active and its owner is willing to respond. Experts explain how even casual replies can expose surprising amounts of personal data, and why the safest move is also the least satisfying one: ignore, block, report.
The robotaxi industry promised 2026 would be its breakout year — and it is, just not in the way companies hoped. A sweeping look at the mounting troubles facing autonomous vehicle operators across the country, from Waymos flooding in Atlanta to Tesla's cars driving in circles. As the technology scales beyond its original testing grounds, cities, lawmakers, and ordinary residents are pushing back, and the gap between the industry's safety statistics and the public's lived experience is widening.
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Chapters:
- (00:23) - Here Comes Ojai, Waymo's New Chinese-Made Robotaxi
- (07:47) - Don't Troll the Scam Texts. You're Only Helping the Scammers
- (14:56) - Robotaxis Are Spreading Across the U.S.—and So Is the Backlash