Some of the world's leading automakers are all turning to the same company to help bring past the self-driving finish line. Aurora CEO and Co-Founder Chris Urmson joins Cheddar at CES to discuss his firm's newly-announced partnership with Volkswagen Group. He describes his company's goal as providing the "drivers," by way of software, for autonomous vehicles.
The partnership is focused on developing "mobility as a service" initiative in major cities. Urmson describes how Aurora will help Volkswagen Group's fleet of self-driving cars, known as Sedric, connect people in urban communities. He explains how the service initiative will help people with mobility issues of their own, as well as making transportation easier for commuters.
Urmson reveals how his company spent the past year working with Volkswagen Group to integrate its system into the automaker's fleet. He breaks down Aurora's high-pedigree founding team, including himself, a veteran of Google's self-driving initiative, and Sterling Anderson, one of the minds behind the launch of Tesla's Model X.
StreetCred, launching in New York, crowdsources location data and incentivizes users to submit information with Bitcoin. The location data that Google, Apple, and others own is prohibitively expensive for entrepreneurs to buy, said StreetCred CEO Randy Meech, who hopes his company can change that.
The GM brand is concerned with the long-term effects of tariffs, said president Steve Carlisle. As Caddy launches a new crossover, the XT4, the Chinese market will play a pivotal role in whether the iconic American nameplate can take market share from BMW and Lexus.
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Imran Khan, one of the highest paid executives at Snap, is leaving, reportedly to start a tech investment firm. Khan was deeply involved in bringing the company public last year.
The co-founder of the Chinese e-commerce giant on Monday laid out plans for after his retirement, saying current CEO Daniel Zhang would take over as Executive Chairman. Ma meanwhile will focus on education charities once he steps down.
MasterClass just raised $80 million in funding, which CEO David Rogier said he will use to get more high-profile instructors into its stable. The company already counts offerings from instructors like Judd Apatow, Gordon Ramsey, Steph Curry, among others.
Jed McCaleb, the co-founder of the Stellar Development Foundation, told Cheddar how blockchain technology can revolutionize how digital payments are tracked and secured.
Tesla's worries are no longer limited to the erratic behavior of Elon Musk. Stanphyl Capital's Mark Spiegel, a vocal short seller of the stock, said that Tesla is about to be overcome with competition from Mercedes, Jaguar, and Audi.
Christopher Mims, technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal, said that Apple is staking a "third act" on its wearables and accessories business, which includes the Apple Watch and AirPods.
Tesla shares dropped Friday after a slew of bad headlines. Elon Musk smoked a joint and drank whiskey in an interview with Joe Rogan, Tesla's chief accounting officer Dave Morton resigned after just a month on the job, and Tesla HR boss Gaby Toledano decided to not return to the company after taking a leave of absence last month. Plus, we're joined by Daymond John, entrepreneur and 'Shark Tank' star, to hear about his keys to building a successful career.
