Bloomberg Aston Martin has confirmed plans to build a hybrid supercar code-named “003.†It’s the third high-performance, mid-engine car the private equity- and Kuwaiti-owned company will have built in recent years, following the $2.6 million Aston Martin Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro (called “001†and “002,†respectively) that debuted in 2017. The announcement comes as the brand plans to go ...
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VW, Ford to get competition in autonomous push from ZF
Bloomberg Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. are set for more competition in the race to roll out self-driving vehicles as parts supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG develops its own offering in the latest sign of how technology shifts are upending traditional roles in the auto industry. ZF plans to invest $14 billion over the next five years on electric and ...
Read More »Toyota agrees to add android auto in its cars
Bloomberg Toyota Motor Corp. agreed to add Android Auto to its vehicles, according to a person familiar with the matter, ending years of resistance to the Google infotainment software due to safety and security concerns. For the first time, Toyota will allow Android Auto devices to connect directly to its cars, after announcing compatibility with Apple Inc.’s CarPlay in January. ...
Read More »In a world of robots, carmakers hiring more humans
Bloomberg Car-industry employees concerned that robots will put them out of work needn’t worry — at least for now. Of the 13 publicly traded automakers with at least 100,000 workers at the end of their most-recent fiscal year, 11 had more staff compared with year-end 2013, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Combined, they had 3.1 million employees, or 11 ...
Read More »New iPhone: largest screens, cheaper models
Bloomberg Apple Inc. debuted a trio of iPhones, holding fast to what’s now a familiar strategy: getting new buyers to pay higher prices and gobble up more services, like storage and entertainment, as smartphone market growth slows. The iPhone Xs, starting at $999, succeeds last year’s flagship model with a faster A12 processor and updated cameras. The iPhone Xs Max ...
Read More »Uber to invest over $150mn in Toronto driverless car hub
Bloomberg Uber Technologies Inc. said it will spend more than $150 million in Toronto to support driverless car research. The five-year investment includes opening an engineering hub in Canada’s biggest city in early 2019 and an expansion of its Advanced Technologies Group, the unit that’s developing much of the company’s autonomous vehicle technology. Last year, Uber began building an artificial ...
Read More »Toyota ready to share hybrid-car secrets with China
Bloomberg Toyota Motor Corp. is preparing to divulge details of the hybrid-car engine technology it pioneered with the Prius to China in an attempt to catch up with rivals in the world’s biggest auto market. Chinese officials asked Toyota to share its gasoline-electric technology to help local companies meet stricter emissions targets, people familiar with the matter said, asking not ...
Read More »Canon joins Sony, Nikon in mirror-less camera battle
Bloomberg Canon Inc. is finally entering the full-frame mirrorless camera market, joining Sony Corp. and Nikon Corp. in a new battleground for professional-grade camera equipment. The Japanese electronics giant will begin selling in late October the EOS R for 237,500 yen ($2,130), a price tag targeted at professionals and enthusiasts. It aims to move 20,000 units a month. Canon is ...
Read More »Lockheed’s $2 million drone race pits human versus machine
Bloomberg In a modern-day version of John Henry taking on a steam drill, Lockheed Martin Corp. is pitting human pilots against artificial intelligence in a $2 million drone race. The catch is that the computer-driven drones can’t be pre-programmed for the route or rely on human intervention. They must depend only on artificial intelligence and self-learning to navigate obstacle-filled racecourses ...
Read More »Facebook makes content deals for ‘watch’ product
Bloomberg Facebook Inc. is launching Watch, its video rival to YouTube, internationally and expanding the financial incentives that encourage people to share their content there. Video makers in five countries will be eligible to take a percentage of the ad revenue that comes from their content around the world as long as their videos on Watch are popular enough and ...
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