That self-driving bus Olli is still on its way

By the end of 2017, it’s possible you‘ll get around downtown, the Strip and/or the university area via an autonomous self-driving bus-type of vehicle — named Olli.

Jay Rogers, CEO of Phoenix-based Local Motors, made the announcement Tuesday at a transportation-oriented economic development summit at Mandalay Bay.

“As a cognitive self driving shuttle, it basically has the ability to speak to you and it also has the ability to be self driving and take you around where you want to go,” Rogers told the Review-Journal.

Rogers unveiled a prototype of Olli in Washington, D.C., last summer, when the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Local Motors began planning for rolling out Olli in Las Vegas.

Rogers said talks are still underway as to where and how many Olli — Roger says Olli doesn’t have a plural version, like “fish,” — will be rolled out.

Currently the company has six Olli that are “in some form of being used or operating,” mostly in Germany and Washington, D.C., he said.

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Uber Technologies is partnering with with Maverick Helicopters during CES 2017 in Las Vegas to help attendees experience the Strip.

The offer allows CES attendees to request an UberCHOPPER on their smart phone right from Strip for $99 per person (normally $124 per person) from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday.

Once the ride has been initiated, an Uber vehicle will pick up the rider from their location on the Strip and take them to the UberCHOPPER lounge at Maverick Helicopters’ Las Vegas terminal where they will board an Airbus EC130/H130 ECO-Star helicopter and fly above the Strip.

In addition, Sprint will sponsor free UberCHOPPER flights for riders who enter the promo code “SPRINTCHOPPER.” This promotion will only be offered Thursday to Sunday with limited seats available.

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Neither the holiday season nor New Year’s fitness resolutions seem to be helping wearable gadgets break into the mainstream.

Research firm eMarketer has lowered its outlook for smartwatches and fitness trackers such as the Apple Watch and Fitbits. It’s not that the craze has died down — it’s more like there never was one to begin with.

The research comes as gadget makers large and small prepare to unveil new wearable devices at the CES tech show in Las Vegas this week.

In October 2015, eMarketer expected wearable gadget to grow more than 60 percent among U.S. adults in 2016. That’s now down to less than 25 percent. While fitness trackers are relatively cheap and straightforward to use, eMarketer says smartwatches haven’t caught on because they are expensive and lack a well-defined purpose.

But multinational corporations — no, really — could save the day. Gartner predicts that by 2019, nearly all big employers will encourage the use of fitness trackers to “improve corporate performance.” Big Brother, apparently, won’t just be watching, but tracking your steps.

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Technology may soon change the way you shop in brick-and-mortar stores, not just online.

Last month, Amazon unveiled a test store that lets shoppers fill their bags and walk out without seeing a cashier or scanning any items.

Many other stores have been experimenting with digital enhancements aimed at luring shoppers back from online sites. Many of these technologies will be unveiled or demonstrated at CES, which began Tuesday with media previews.

Robots, for instance, could help guide shoppers to the right aisle, while augmented reality apps could help you see how a particular shade of paint will look in the living room — or how you might look in a pair of jeans.

But plenty of retailers have learned through trial — and error — that technology can’t get too far ahead of shoppers. It has to be easy to use and beneficial to shoppers in some way.

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TVs, drones, robots and a slew of other gadgets will showcase CES.

CES is one of the world’s largest trade shows and is the forum for many tech companies and startups to unveil their plans for the year. Its influence has waned over the years, given that many leading companies including Apple, Google and Microsoft hold their own events. But the CES show still draws a lot of attention.

The event starts Tuesday with two days of company announcements on new products and services. The show floor itself opens on Thursday.

Gadgets expected include TVs with new capabilities and better picture quality, as well as all sorts of household products with internet connections, including refrigerators, doors and security cameras.