China is BMW’s largest market, and the German automaker knows in order to capture the country’s demanding consumers, its future models must support robust autonomous driving capability. But to build it itself in China is hardly possible. The success of autonomous driving relies in part on high-definition mapping, a process that requires an expansive collection … Continue reading After Baidu tie-up, BMW taps Tencent for autonomous driving in China
Entrepreneurship
WeWork CEO Adam Neumann has reportedly cashed out of over $700 million ahead of its IPO
Adam Neumann, the co-founder and chief executive of the international real estate co-working startup WeWork has reportedly cashed out of more than $700 million from his company ahead of its initial public offering. The size and timing of the payouts, made through a mix of stock sales and loans secured by his equity in the company, … Continue reading WeWork CEO Adam Neumann has reportedly cashed out of over $700 million ahead of its IPO
Bankrupt Maker Faire revives, reduced to Make Community
Maker Faire and Maker Media are getting a second chance after suddenly going bankrupt, but they’ll return in a weakened capacity. Sadly, their flagship crafting festivals remain in jeopardy, and it’s unclear how long the reformed company can survive. Maker Media suddenly laid off all 22 employees and shut down last month, as first reported … Continue reading Bankrupt Maker Faire revives, reduced to Make Community
Uber Air picks Melbourne as its first international launch city
When Uber first announced Uber Air, it intended for Dubai to be its first international city. That changed last year when Uber put out an open call to interested cities to describe the clear need for aerial transit, the environmental conditions of the city and local government commitment. Today at Uber Elevate, Uber announced Melbourne, … Continue reading Uber Air picks Melbourne as its first international launch city
Twitter Developer Labs opens to all with release of first APIs
In May, Twitter announced plans to launch its Twitter Developer Labs program, a way for app developers to sign up to experiment with pre-released beta APIs. The idea, the company explained at the time, is to allow developers to test new API products early and offer feedback. Today, Twitter says it’s introducing its first Twitter … Continue reading Twitter Developer Labs opens to all with release of first APIs
Google to acquire analytics startup Looker for $2.6 billion
Google made a big splash this morning when it announced it’s going to acquire Looker, a hot analytics startup that’s raised more than $280 million. It’s paying $2.6 billion for the privilege and adding the company to Google Cloud. Thomas Kurian, the man who was handed the reins to Google Cloud at the end of … Continue reading Google to acquire analytics startup Looker for $2.6 billion
‘Gato Roboto’ and ‘Dig Dog’ put pixelated pets to work in gleeful gaming homages
Drawing inspiration from games of yore but with dog and cat protagonists that signal light adventures rather than grim, dark ones, Gato Roboto and Dig Dog are easy to recommend to anyone looking to waste a couple hours this weekend. Not only that, but the latter was developed in a fascinating and inspiring way. Both … Continue reading ‘Gato Roboto’ and ‘Dig Dog’ put pixelated pets to work in gleeful gaming homages
Uber Eats, micromobility services are growing faster than Uber’s core ride-hailing business
Uber’s ride-hailing business is growing more slowly than its newer bets. In Uber’s Q1 2019 earnings, the company reported gross bookings growth of 230% for its other bets, while ridesharing grew just 22% compared to the same quarter last year. Gross bookings are the revenue earned minus things like taxes, tolls, fees, wages paid to … Continue reading Uber Eats, micromobility services are growing faster than Uber’s core ride-hailing business
Muro is a retro-style cylinder music box you control with an app
The light twinkle of an old-fashioned cylinder music box evokes many things: nostalgia, childhood memories, sometimes even horror (they are a trope in scary movie soundtracks). Most music boxes play one tune, but with the Muro Box, which exhibited at Computex this week, you can use an app to pick different songs or even compose … Continue reading Muro is a retro-style cylinder music box you control with an app
Once poised to kill the mouse and keyboard, Leap Motion plays its final hand
The company sought to completely change how we interacted with computers, but now Leap Motion is selling itself off. Apple reportedly tried to get their hands on the hand-tracking tech which Leap Motion rebuffed, but now the hyped nine-year-old consumer startup is being absorbed into the younger, enterprise-focused UltraHaptics. The Wall Street Journal first reported … Continue reading Once poised to kill the mouse and keyboard, Leap Motion plays its final hand
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