1.5.2016
Good to Know: This year, expect a lot of chat about driverless cars, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, etc in the world of tech. But, increasing opportunities to buy Girl Scout cookies online is definitely something we are looking forward to in 2016.
THE SKINNY
The Future Is Here …
General Motors (GM) is getting serious about the future of transportation. The company’s pumped US $500 millie into ride-hailing service Lyft.
It’s Not All About the Benjamins …
GM isn’t just ponying up a ton of cash to help out Lyft. It’s also teaming up with the company on developing an “on-demand network of self-driving cars.” GM is betting on driverless cars as other companies like Google, Tesla, and Uber are looking into possibilities.
It Doesn’t End There …
No word yet on when to expect a functional autonomous car rental. But, GM-Lyft short-term car rentals for potential Lyft drivers could be happening in the near future. The way people navigate urban cities are a-changing.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
The Champ is Here …
Or, not! Lyft’s rival Uber has been killing it in the U.S. market. But, that’s not the case in other countries like Germany. Uber has run into some major roadblocks due to Germany’s tough transport rules. And btw, local German taxi lobbies aren’t making things better.
Better Now Than Later…
Yahoo’s stakeholders are worried about their pockets. They are increasingly warming up to the idea of Yahoo selling its core Web business (think Yahoo Mail and other services) to the highest bidder. Why the rush? They’re worried that if they wait to do it later, Yahoo’s stock value may fall below what they’d like to see. They’re even willing to pay almost a billion dollars in taxes for the sale to happen. Oh, we should also mention that word on the street is that U.S. telecom Verizon may be interested if Yahoo’s Internet biz is in fact up for sale.
New Year, New Me…
Netflix wants to bank some serious dolla dolla bills this year. The company and its investors have been ok with small profits as the company’s been working on its original content and expanding its global operations. Speaking of content, programs like the Making of a Murderer have been a hit, and the company’s getting ready to go Bollywood.
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
Twitter wants a piece of Muzik, a “connected headphone” company. Starting in May, Muzik will be selling its wireless headsets for $299.
Running about a mile a day and researching artificial intelligence to build a robot to help around the house. That’s on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s agenda for 2016. What are your New Year resolutions?
New York City is turning its pay phones into wireless hotspots. And, that’s what we call making something old, new again!