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.
Facebook has suspended analytics firm Crimson Hexagon for allegedly mishandling user data. The Boston-based company has also been banned from the site for possible ties to a Kremlin-based nonprofit and the U.S. government. Deputy Tech editor at [Mashable Michael Nuñez explains why users should be concerned.](https://mashable.com/2018/07/20/facebook-suspends-crimson-hexagon/)
The electric carmaker reportedly wrote to suppliers for refunds for purchases dating back to 2016, an unusual move for the auto industry. Tesla has been struggling to ramp up production of its mass-market Model 3 car, which is crucial to helping the company turn cash flow positive. Cheddar's Tim Stenovec and Kristen Scholer break down the details.
Market research firm SuperData estimates the uber-popular game has brought in $1 billion in revenue from in-app purchases, with gamers buying add-ons purely for cosmetics. "It does not make you have a better gun, it does not give you any advantage in terms of where you land on the map, it doesn't give you any special powers," says Eli Blumenthal, digital editor at USA Today.
The superhero franchise will launch its first virtual reality video game on July 26. The game, says Bill Rosemann, executive creative director at Marvel Games, will be a fully-immersive experience. "It unleashes that fantasy, that ultimate fantasy of being the Marvel character," he tells Cheddar. "You don't just look like Captain Marvel or Captain America. You have their powers."
Dan Neil, Automotive Critic at the Wall Street Journal, got the first test drive of the high-performance version of Tesla's Model 3. He says the company has at least a five-year head start on competitors in metrics like software, batteries, and packaging.
The gaming industry is known to be skewed towards boys and men. Laila Shabir, CEO and founder of Girls Make Games, is trying to change that through three-week summer camps for young girls. "Being represented in a medium like games...is extremely important," says Shabir.
The actor, comedian, and activist created an augmented reality app called "House of Cats," which features an animated, satirical version of the president called "Trump-y Cat." A portion of the proceeds will go to support refugees. "We are going to counter his hostility with support," Takei tells Cheddar.
The San Francisco-based company, which uses artificial intelligence to generate training materials for large companies, just received an investment from JPMorgan Chase. "When you go to work, that's where A.I.'s going to have the greatest impact. It's less artificial intelligence and more augmented intelligence," says Carson Kahn, Volley's CTO.
Sonny Singh, Bitpay’s chief commercial officer, believes digital currencies will have real transactional value by next year. “Last year was a little bit about hype,” he tells Cheddar. “I think next year is going to be the year of mass adoption.”
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