Sunday's technology stories
Uber halts Arizona self-driving car testing following accident
Uber has grounded its self-driving cars in Arizona while it continues to investigate an accident that happened on Friday evening in Tempe. The company also confirmed that the car was in self-driving mode when another car hit it.
While it had a safety driver in the driver's seat (as all its self-driving cars do), there were no passengers in the back, and no serious injuries to anyone in either car, according to Uber.
What to watch: The results of the investigation could raise questions about Uber's self-driving car software if its car was at fault or should have avoided the collision.
Netflix is eating Hollywood
Wall Street Journal front page, "THE NEW HOLLYWOOD VILLAIN: Netflix is hogging talent and pushing up prices to create shows, spurring pushback," by Joe Flint and Shalini Rakmachandran:
- "Netflix's spending on original and acquired programming this year is expected to be more than $6 billion, up from $5 billion last year, more than double what Time Warner Inc.'s HBO spends and five times as much as 21st Century Fox's FX or CBS Corp.'s Showtime."
- Why it matters: "Its shock-and-awe spending — combined with that of Amazon and other new players — is driving up costs industrywide and creating a scarcity of people and equipment."
Uber self-driving car involved in crash in Arizona
One of Uber's self-driving cars was hit by another car and rolled onto its side in Tempe, Arizona, according to local news reports. While there was a safety driver in Uber's self-driving car, it's unclear whether the vehicle was driving itself in that moment. There were no injuries according to authorities.
And Uber spokesperson told Axios that the company is aware of the accident and will provide updates when it has more information.
Why it matters: While it appears the accident was caused by the other driver, the accident will raise questions if it is found that the software was controlling the car at the time, including why it couldn't avoid the collision. Uber has been working to avoid regulation for its self-driving cars, though in Arizona, it had a heavy hand in shaping the state's legislation on self-driving car testing.