A federal judge has decided that Waymo will only be able to use Uber's internal projections of its self-driving car business, not its own, in the upcoming trial over alleged theft of trade secrets.
Why it matters: Financial damages have been a contentious topic in this year-long case as there's no real self-driving car market yet, so it's hard to put a number on it. The restriction should keep Waymo from influencing jurors into ascribing unreasonably large damages, according to the judge.
The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission will probe Apple over whether the company "violated securities laws concerning its disclosures about a software update that slowed older iPhone models," Bloomberg reports. Apple has faced backlash in recent months after admitting to slowing down phones.
Be smart:Axios’ Ina Fried notes that Apple only slows down phones in a specific condition: when an older battery can’t deliver the power required to run faster.
Andrew Ng has yet another AI-related effort on his plate: a new $175 million fund. Ng, who formerly led Baidu's artificial intelligence group, is today announcing the AI Fund.
What he's saying: Though billed as an investment vehicle, Ng told Axios it is more about providing funding for ideas his team is incubating than it is looking for outside startups to invest in.
Three of the wealthiest and most powerful companies in the U.S. — Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase — are starting a new health care company. Details are thin, but the new entity will be “free from profit-making incentives” and focus on employer-based health benefits, the companies said in a statement.
Why it matters: The health care industry was already beside itself over the prospect that Amazon, on its own, might enter the pharmacy business. Amazon along with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan can bring to bear resources that few existing companies have the power to match.
Apple has shaken up its iOS software plans for 2018, delaying some features to next year in an effort to put more focus on addressing performance and quality issues, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Apple has been criticized of late, both for security issues and for a number of quality issues, as well as for how it handles battery issues on older devices.
Anthony Foxx, who served as secretary of the Transportation Department in the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017, has joined venture capital firm Autotech Ventures' advisory board, the company announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: The firm's portfolio companies will surely benefit from access to Foxx's expertise in transportation policy, especially for those working on highly-regulated technologies like autonomous driving.
As it prepares to make its fully driverless cars (without a safety driver in the front seat) available for rides to the public this year, Waymo says it has ordered thousands of additional Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans.
Why it matters: The self-driving car race continues at full speed. General Motors' Cruise recently said it will deploy its cars to the public in 2019, while ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft have been testing rides with passengers on smaller scales.
In a new post Monday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg writes that the company is making a series of updates to show more high quality, trusted content, including exposing users to more local news.
Why it matters: One of Zuckerberg's stated goals for 2018 is to make sure Facebook stays true to its mission of helping connect people to stay civically engaged, and this move follows a series of blog posts discussing the role Facebook plays in democracy and civic engagement.
A proposal for the U.S. government to build its own 5G network — produced by a staffer for President Trump's National Security Council and first reported by Axios on Sunday — is generating blowback from a number of corners.
What we're hearing: Those sounding alarm bells range from those who fear it could lead to greater surveillance to those who see it as an unwarranted encroachment on free enterprise. Still others worry that government control of key communications networks could be a threat to free speech.
Axios Chief Technology Correspondent Ina Fried and Business Editor Dan Primack discuss the moves Apple could make this year to transform and move beyond the iPhone.
