Tag Archives: Las Vegas

Las Vegas is expanding its self-driving shuttle experiment (Including update)

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Three stops on a 0.6-mile loop downtown
Three stops on a 0.6-mile loop downtown
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www.forbes.com
Jim Gorzelany, CONTRIBUTOR

Updated: Las Vegas’ Self-Driving Shuttle Service Crashes In First Hour Of Service

Update: In only its first hour of service, Las Vegas’ driverless shuttle got into a minor collision with a delivery truck that was backing up.

None of the shuttle’s eight riders were injured, nor was the truck driver; the shuttle’s front bumper reportedly bore the brunt of the damage. A representative of AAA on Twitter attributed the accident to “human error.” According to an official statement posted by Las Vegas City, “the autonomous shuttle was testing today when it was grazed by a delivery truck downtown. The shuttle did what it was supposed to do, in that its sensors registered the truck and the shuttle stopped to avoid the accident. Unfortunately, the delivery truck did not stop and grazed the front fender of the shuttle.” Read entire article…
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Original post from:
theverge.com
by Andrew J. Hawkins@andyjayhawk Nov 6, 2017, 3:40pm EST

The city of Las Vegas is expanding its experiment with autonomous technology, offering members of the public free rides on a self-driving shuttle bus making stops in the city’s congested downtown. The shuttle will only make three stops on its 0.6-mile loop, but its operators are calling it “the largest self-driving pilot project in the US.”

The shuttle, which is designed by a French startup called Navya, can seat up to eight passengers, including a safety driver. So while the vehicle’s hardware and software will be handling all the driving operations, it won’t literally be a “driverless” experience.

IT WON’T LITERALLY BE A “DRIVERLESS” EXPERIENCE
The shuttle is outfitted with LIDAR, GPS, and cameras, in addition to V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) technology that will allow it to communicate with sensors embedded in Las Vegas’ traffic signals to better manage the flow of traffic. (The Verge’s Casey Newton recently got the chance to test out an Audi equipped with V2I technology in Las Vegas, and he found the experience to be much less stressful than usual.)
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Starting November 8th, the shuttle will begin accepting passengers at any of the limited route’s three stops located on Fremont Street and Carson Street between Las Vegas Boulevard and 8th Street. The service is operated by Keolis, the largest private transport company in France, and will also be sponsored by AAA, which plans to use the year-long project to survey rider attitudes toward autonomous vehicles.

The shuttle project is an expansion of a two-week experiment conducted by Navya and Keolis in Las Vegas last January. At the time, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said she hoped to have a fleet of autonomous vehicles operating in the city by the end of 2017 Read more…
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Full Buck Moon July 8 at 9:08 P.M. Las Vegas Time

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JULY FULL BUCK MOON
JULY FULL BUCK MOON

This information is from The Old Farmer’s Almanac

“Native Americans’ Full Moon names were created to help different tribes track the seasons. Think of it as a “nickname” for the Moon! See our list of other full Moon names for each month of the year and their meanings.”

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JULY FULL MOON NAMES
July is the month of the Full Buck Moon. At this time, a buck’s antlers are in full growth mode. This Full Moon was also known as the Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.

How did the Full Moons get their names? The Full Moons have descriptive names that come from Native American tribes who used the Full Moons as a sort of calendar to keep track of the seasons. The Almanac tends to use the names of the Algonquins who were prominent along the Atlantic Coast and into the interior along the St. Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes.

See all Full Moon names and their meanings.
JULY’S FULL BUCK MOON VIDEO

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Almanac.Com/
LasVegasBuffetClub.Com/

The Most American City Isn’t New York, L.A., Or Chicago

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FastCoDesign.com
BY STEFAN AL 04.11.17 | 9:00 AM

Sands Hotel Las Vegas, NV [Photo: courtesy MIT Press]
Sands Hotel Las Vegas, NV [Photo: courtesy MIT Press]

The Most American City Isn’t New York, L.A., Or Chicago
Long dismissed, this one city’s design gets the credit it’s due in a new book from MIT Press.

“Editors’ Note: In The Strip, a new book from MIT Press, Stefan Al–an architect, urban designer, and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania–compares the evolution of Las Vegas to the cultural metamorphosis of the American dream. The following chapter is excerpted, with permission.”
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“The Strip began as an exception. But increasingly it has become a rule—in its holistically designed and multisensory environments, in being technologically wired and “smart,” in patterns of urban development, in financial practices, and in aesthetic tastes. For decades, Vegas marketed itself as an over-the-top series of urban stunts. But this seemingly outrageous behavior took advantage of fundamental changes in American society. The urbanistic role of Vegas has also taken a turn. The Strip began as essentially anti-urban, with inwardly oriented resorts located outside of the incorporated city of Las Vegas. Today, the Strip is a major pedestrian space with casinos that contribute to a larger urban experience. Vegas has now even become a model for 21st-century urbanism that other cities are seeking to emulate. Not only that, the city provides lessons for anyone called upon to create landmarks, attention-getters, fantasy environments, spectacular images, or memorable experiences. I personally witnessed the city’s impact as an architect when Chinese clients for the world’s largest tower, after a visit to the Strip, wanted the Bellagio’s musical fountains. They wanted Vegas.”

STEFAN AL continues:
From its inception in 1941, the Strip has mutated beyond even its own wildest dreams. In the 1940s, Strip developers dressed like cowboys, some packing real guns, built hacienda-style casinos that broke ground with moving neon displays as big as windmills. By the 1950s, casino builders replaced the wagon wheels with Cadillac tailfin forms, and pumped underwater Muzak into exotically shaped pools. The 1960s neon signs, as tall as 20-story buildings and as long as two football fields, were ripped down in the 1970s when the emphasis shifted to the buildings themselves, and chandeliers the size of trucks. By the next decade, the chandeliers had been replaced by a 10-story, laser-eyed sphinx and a fiery volcano spewing piña colada scent. Charmed by the world’s famous cities in the late 1990s, Las Vegas built replicas, including the Eiffel Tower, New York skyscrapers, and Venetian canals. But in the new millennium, a mere decade later, replicas were out and serious architectural originals, which housed museum-quality collections of authentic art, were in.

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If any city deserves the “Makeover Award” for the most drastic changes to its image, it is Las Vegas More…

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Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has officially set a grand opening date of Saturday, December 3, 2016.

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Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino
300 W Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89102

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Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino 300 W Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV 89102
Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino

“Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has officially set a grand opening date of Saturday, December 3, 2016. The property will commemorate the opening with an extravagant series of Asian demonstrations. Among the planned festivities are a firecracker show, which typically accompanies many Asian holidays and celebrations, driving away evil spirits; a lion and dragon dance, bringing good luck and good fortune to all; and the world’s largest traditional Kung Fu tea service will run throughout the hotel & casino. “It’s a great feeling, given the work our entire team has put into bringing Lucky Dragon to Las Vegas, to be able to announce its grand opening,” said David Jacoby” read more…

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LVBCs Lucky Dragon Page
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Full Harvest Moon For September, 2016: Friday, September 16, at 9:45 AM PDT

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Harvest Moon
Harvest Moon

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac
For Moon fans, September, 2016 will provide plenty of Moon action! The month begins and ends with a New Moon, with the Full Moon precisely sandwiched in between, on the 16th day.

The Full Moon nearest the autumn equinox is named the Harvest Moon since, during this month, the Moon helps the harvest by providing more light at the right time than other Full Moons do.

Witness the Full Harvest Moon Eclipse Friday! Watch as the Moon Moves into Earth’s Shadow.

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In years when the Harvest Moon falls in October, the September full Moon is usually known as the Full Corn Moon because it traditionally corresponds with the time of harvesting corn. It is also called the Barley Moon because this is the time to harvest and thresh the ripened barley.

September’s Full Moon Video featuring Amy Nieskens

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LIVE HARVEST MOON SHOW!
On Friday, September 16, at 9:45 AM PDT | 12:45 PM EDT | 16:45 UTC, The Old Farmer’s Almanac is partnering with Slooh to host a broadcast of the Harvest Moon. Watch the live feed below!

Slooh will be teaming up with global feed partners in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Western Australia, where the eclipse is will be visible, to bring viewers the live lunar show from start to finish.

Learn what causes a Lunar Eclipse and the differences between a Total Lunar Eclipse and this week’s Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. Bob Berman, Slooh Astronomer and Astronomy Editor for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, will also be on hand to discuss the odd ways the Moon moves around our home planet, leading to these different eclipses throughout the year. He and Paul will also explore recent headlines that suggest our nearest neighbor’s origins were more violent than previously thought.

Janice Stillman, Editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, will offer insights into the history and folklore surrounding the Harvest Moon. They’ll discuss the different names the September Moon has been given by different cultures, and delve into some of the cultural stories and traditions surrounding the Harvest Moon, and the annual harvests associated with it.

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Watch the live stream [ CLICK HERE ] on FRIDAY, September 16, 12:45 PM (EDT)
Live Stream starts: 9:45 AM PDT ¦ 12:45 PM EDT ¦ 16:45UTC
Live Stream ends: 2:00 PM PDT ¦ 5:00 PM EDT ¦ 21:00UTC

Almanac.com Official Website
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The Full Sturgeon Moon rises on Thursday, August 18

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The Full Sturgeon Moon will be 100% full on Thursday, August 18 at 2:29 A.M. Pacific Time.

AUGUST FULL MOON NAMES
Some Native American tribes called the August Moon the “Sturgeon Moon” because they knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this Full Moon. They also called August’s Moon the “Full Green Corn Moon.”

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See all Full Moon names and their meanings.

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Visit the main pages of LasVegasBuffetClub.Com

The Full Strawberry Moon will be on Monday – June 20, 2016 at 4:04 A.M. Pacific Time

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June Strawberry Moon
June Strawberry Moon

The Full Strawberry Moon will be on Monday – June 20, 2016 at 4:04 A.M. Pacific Time

From Almanac.com

The month of June’s Full Moon’s name is the Full Strawberry Moon. June’s Full Strawberry Moon got its name because the Algonquin tribes knew it as a signal to gather ripening fruit. It was often known as the Full Rose Moon in Europe (where strawberries aren’t native) and the Honey Moon. See ALL Full Moon names and their meanings.From Almanac.com

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Watch Almanac.Com Video on June’s Full Strawberry Moon
With Amy Nieskens

FULL MOON FOR JUNE RISES ON THE SUMMER SOLSTICE!
“This June, 2016, the solstice and full Moon coincide—a rare event, indeed, that hasn’t happened in nearly 70 years. The event will be broadcast LIVE from Slooh’s observatory in the Canary Islands, and Almanac editors will co-host the event. Click here to see the Full Moon Summer Solstice show for free.”

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Almanac.com

Riviera implosion goes off without a hitch — VIDEO

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ReviewJournal.com
By JAMIE MUNKS and KIMBERLY DE LA CRUZ
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted June 13, 2016 – 8:21pm Updated June 15, 2016 – 8:48pm

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Riviera implosion - June 12 @2:35 a.m.
Riviera implosion – June 12 @2:35 a.m.

Las Vegas bid a bittersweet goodbye to the Riviera early Tuesday, as the historic hotel’s Monaco tower came crashing down to pave the way for expanded convention facilities.

The 24-story tower was imploded around 2:35 a.m., preceded by a fireworks show and a countdown. A rumbling began, and the easternmost part of the tower began to fall first. The entire building ceased to exist in under a minute, and in the minutes that followed, the dust cleared, leaving a void on the northern end of the Strip.

“As we say goodbye to the Riviera, we look forward to our future,” Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter said at a lively viewing party in an adjacent convention center parking lot.

The Riviera on Tuesday joined other resorts such as the Stardust, the Aladdin and the Dunes when it was reduced to rubble by 18 delayed detonations. But those hotels “are the foundation of where we are today,” Ralenkotter said.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority acquired the property for $190 million in February 2015 and plans to expand convention facilities there.

Finish the article and watch several videos

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Say goodbye to free parking at Aria, Bellagio and 10 other Las Vegas hotels

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latimes.com
By Jay Jones

The MGM Grand is one of the dozen MGM Resorts properties along the Strip that, come spring, will begin charging guests to park. (Las Vegas News Bureau)
The MGM Grand is one of the dozen MGM Resorts properties along the Strip that, come spring, will begin charging guests to park. (Las Vegas News Bureau)

The cost for a visit to Sin City is about to climb for guests at MGM Resorts’ 12 properties along the Strip. Within a few months, free parking will disappear — and it’s unclear whether other Las Vegas hotels will follow suit.

Though hefty charges for self parking and valet are commonplace in most big cities, free-wheeling Las Vegas has been the notable exception, with countless millions of motorists having grown accustomed to the freebie.

No more.

MGM Resorts officials announced on Friday that, starting this spring, guests will have to ante up to park. More…

A Total Eclipse of the Full Harvest Supermoon on September, 27 at 7:52 PM Pacific Time

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Old Farmer’s Almanac Video
Featuring Amy Nieskens

Farmers Almanac.com
by Joe Rao | Monday, September 14th, 2015 | From: Astronomy

On Sunday night, September 27th, for the fourth time in the last 17 months, the Moon will once again become completely immersed in the Earth’s shadow, resulting in a total lunar eclipse.

As is the case with all lunar eclipses, the region of visibility will encompass more than half of our planet. Nearly a billion people in the Western Hemisphere, nearly a billion and a half for much of Europe and Africa, and perhaps another half billion in Western Asia, will be able to watch as the full Harvest Moon becomes a shadow of its former self and morphs into a glowing coppery ball.

It will also be the biggest full Moon of 2015, since on the very same day, the Moon will also be at perigee — its closest point to the Earth at 221,753 miles (356,877 km) — making it a so-called “supermoon.” Continue reading