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.
The CEO of video app Cameo, Steve Galanis, said he created his platform because "selfies are the new autographs." For the right price, users can get a video shout-out from celebrities – actress Bella Thorne and NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, to name a couple.
Facebook said Friday that it won’t partner with the crypto firm Stellar, despite a report that the two companies recently held talks. Just before the report, Facebook vice president of blockchain David Marcus stepped down from the board of Coinbase, citing a conflict of interest.
How Tesla CEO Elon Musk's plan to take the company private unfolds will depend on his financial backer ー or backers ー says Christian Prenzler, vice president of business development at Teslarati."Traditionally, Musk has had no problem selling these things to investors," Prenzler says.
Tesla's board of directors will reportedly hold a meeting next week with investors to discuss the possibility of taking the company private. The board may urge CEO Elon Musk to recuse himself from the talks.
Samsung showed off its new Galaxy Note 9 smartphone at its Samsung Unpacked event in New York Thursday. The Note 9 comes equipped with double the storage of any other smartphone on the market and a camera that automatically tells you if the picture is blurry.
And we're joined by actor Luke Evans, who is lending his voice to a new audio experience from Stella Artois. He talks about how he stays in the moment and cherishes his 'me time.'
Samsung's most powerful smartphone to date, the Galaxy Note 9, has a day-long battery life and a Bluetooth-enabled stylus that works like a remote control. Cheddar's Hope King demos the new phone and discusses its other features.
Crypto-bandits are imitating celebrities and CEOs on social media, trying to steal Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Vinny Lingham, co-founder and CEO of Civic, and Charlie Shrem, a founder of the Bitcoin Foundation, told Cheddar about their experiences with scammers.
These are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, Aug. 10.
The gamer communications hub, with 150 million users, will sell indie titles curated by its staff in a new online storefront. "We have a lot of people here that love playing games and have really great taste, and so we're gonna pick out stuff we think is worth your time," says CEO Jason Citron.
Tinder’s business is exploding. The dating app is on track to generate $800 million in revenue this year, its parent company Match Group said this week.
Roku is offering online and OTT viewers of its own channel fewer ads than linear TV, says Rob Holmes, the vice president of programming and engagement. The platform will also have "Featured Free" content from partners including ABC, Fox, and the CW.
