A self-driving car company created by Google is pulling the human backup driver from behind the steering wheel and will test vehicles on public roads with only an employee in the back seat. The move by Waymo, which started Oct. 19 with an automated Chrysler Pacifica minivan in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona, is a major step toward vehicles driving themselves without human backups on public roads. Waymo, which is owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, is in a race with other companies such as Delphi, General Motors, Intel, Uber, Apple and Lyft to bring autonomous vehicles to the public. The companies say the robot cars are safer than human drivers because they don't get drowsy, distracted or drunk. Google has long stated its intent to skip driver-assist systems and go directly to fully autonomous driving. The Waymo employee in the back seat won't be able to steer the minivan, but like all passengers, will be able to press a button to bring the van safely to a stop … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo Waymo: Phoenix begins testing self-driving vans on public roads
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Waymo, Uber trade secrets case dismissed after settlement
Last Updated Feb 9, 2018 12:04 PM EST Alphabet's (GOOGL) Waymo self-driving vehicle unit and the ride-hailing company Uber have reached a deal to end a legal dispute over allegedly stolen trade secrets.Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, confirmed the settlement in a statement in which he expressed regret over Uber's actions, saying the situation "should have been handled differently.""To be clear, while we do not believe that any trade secrets made their way from Waymo to Uber, nor do we believe that Uber has used any of Waymo's proprietary information in its self-driving technology, we are taking steps with Waymo to ensure our Lidar and software represents just our good work," he said.The trial to decide the case, which began in San Francisco earlier this week, came to an abrupt end Friday morning when it was dismissed by a judge, CNET reported. While Uber did not reveal details of the settlement, The Wall Street Journal and BuzzFeed report that Waymo would get .34 percent of … [Read more...] about Waymo, Uber trade secrets case dismissed after settlement
CBS News Logo Uber, Waymo trial opens with accusations of sinister plots
SAN FRANCISCO -- An epic court battle between Uber and a (GOOG) spinoff, centered on the alleged theft of self-driving car technology, began with accusations of sinister plots and other devious behavior lobbed in both directions. In opening arguments Monday, lawyers for Google's former autonomous car unit Waymo likened Uber to Rosie Ruiz, one of the most notorious cheaters in sports history. Waymo is seeking to prove that Uber bolstered its self-driving car program using technology stolen by Anthony Levandowski, a former star engineer at Google. "Losing was not an option," Waymo attorney Charles Verhoeven said of Uber in his opening statement. "They would do anything they needed to do, no matter what." In turn, Uber's lawyer William Carmody charged that Waymo filed a bogus suit filled with trumped-up claims just to thwart its rival. Carmody said there's no evidence that Uber relied on any of Waymo's technology, although he acknowledged that Levandowski may have acted improperly before … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo Uber, Waymo trial opens with accusations of sinister plots
Travis Kalanick’s wish list included a “pound of flesh”: Waymo trial
Uber's former CEO Travis Kalanick took the stand Tuesday in the second day of the Waymo-Uber trial that centers on the alleged theft of self-driving car technology. During his testimony, Waymo attorney's showed Kalanick notes from a meeting held late 2015 with members of Uber's self-driving project. Those notes included a wish list that read: "source, all of their data, Tagging, road map, pound of flesh, IP." "Did you tell the group that what you wanted was a pound of flesh?" the attorney asked. "I don't know specifically," Kalanick responded. "It's a term I use from time to time." Kalanick is one of the most high-profile executives to speak at what is already one of the most-watched tech lawsuits in years. Alphabet's self-driving division, Waymo, sued Uber last year, accusing the ride-hailing company of stealing trade secrets to use for its own self-driving car program. Waymo wants Uber to pay more than $2 billion in damages. It also is asking the court to halt Uber's … [Read more...] about Travis Kalanick’s wish list included a “pound of flesh”: Waymo trial
Uber accused of stealing trade secrets from Waymo in groundbreaking trial
SAN FRANCISCO -- A technology tug of war is playing out in a San Francisco courtroom. The ride-sharing company Uber is accused of stealing trade secrets from Google's self-driving car company, Waymo. A chauffeur-driven SUV that delivered Uber's co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick to federal court. Kalanick resigned as Uber CEO amid controversy last June, and is the star witness in a trial that could shape the self-driving car industry. "This is Google against Uber for our futures," said David Franklin, a trade secret attorney. "This is a case about domination of the future, [a] hugely important area of technology." Google, which has been developing self-driving vehicles since 2009, is claiming Uber stole trade secrets to advance driverless cars -- secrets so sensitive they have been revealed only to the jury. Kalanick built Uber into the dominant ride-sharing company while building his own reputation as a fierce and volatile competitor, even fighting with one of his own … [Read more...] about Uber accused of stealing trade secrets from Waymo in groundbreaking trial