Google Spins Out Waymo, A Self-Driving Car Company | Crunch Report

TL;DR

Google is creating a separate company called The Waymo for its self-driving car unit, Snapchat now has group chats, Oculus leader Brendan Iribe steps down as CEO, Slack integrates video calling and emoji features, and Apple's wireless earbuds are now available for sale.

Transcript

Google spins out a self-driving car company group chat now available in snapchat Apple earpods now up for sale and more it's Tuesday December 13 and this is crunch report it's Tuesday welcome to the crunch report you guys ready to rage let's rage big news from Google today in the world of autonomous vehicles Google is spinning out at self driving c... Read More

Key Insights

• 😨 Google is focusing on technology rather than building its own cars for its self-driving car unit.
• 👶 Snapchat is continuously adding new features to enhance user experience and engagement on its platform.
• 🛄 Oculus' leadership change aims to improve the management of engineering and product development.
• 👤 Slack is investing in video calling and emoji features to retain users on its platform.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the new company that Google is spinning out for its self-driving car unit?

Google is creating a separate company called The Waymo for its self-driving car unit, focusing on technology rather than building its own cars.

Q: What new features did Snapchat introduce?

Snapchat introduced group chats, which allow up to 16 friends to share conversations and media. Group chats self-delete after 24 hours and snaps sent within a group can be opened and replayed only once by each member of the group.

Q: Why did Brendan Iribe step down as CEO of Oculus?

Brendan Iribe stepped down as CEO of Oculus to take over Oculus' PC/VR group, where he can manage engineering and product development more closely. The company is searching for a replacement comfortable operating under the Facebook umbrella.

Q: Why did Slack integrate video calling and emoji features?

Slack integrated video calling and emoji features to improve user retention on its $3.8 billion platform. Video calling enhances communication capabilities, and emojis allow co-workers to react to conversations without muting themselves.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Google is spinning out its self-driving car unit as a separate company called The Waymo, focusing on technology rather than building its own cars.

• Snapchat has added new features, including group chats which allow up to 16 friends to share conversations and media.

• Oculus leader Brendan Iribe steps down as CEO and will be taking over Oculus' PC/VR group to manage engineering and product development closely.

• Slack integrates video calling and emoji features to improve user retention on its $3.8 billion platform.

• Apple's wireless earbuds, priced at $159, are now officially available for sale through Apple's site.