Forget the Saudis: Apple or Google should acquire Tesla

Forget the Saudis: Apple or Google should acquire Tesla
by Vivek Wadhwa on 09-02-2018 at 7:00 am

Steve Jobs wanted to build an electric car as far back as 2008. In 2014, Tim Cook reportedly funded the project. To date, though, Apple has had little to show for it, and the rumors are that its electric vehicle will launch as late as 2025— long after such things become common commodities. Google has already had self-driving electricRead More


What Mary Meeker Missed

What Mary Meeker Missed
by Roger C. Lanctot on 06-01-2018 at 12:00 pm

It must be a measure of the dim view taken of the automotive industry by Silicon Valley types that of the 294 slides in Mary Meeker’s annual Trends presentation delivered at this year’s Code Conference less than 10 of those slides refer to transportation. The Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner even managed to avoid… Read More


The Good the Bad and Tesla and Uber

The Good the Bad and Tesla and Uber
by Roger C. Lanctot on 04-08-2018 at 7:00 am

In “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” circa 1971, Gene Wilder plays a vaguely misanthropic Willy Wonka who leads the young winners of his golden wrapper contest on a tour of the seven deadly sins within his candy factory and labs. (Who can forget Augustus Gloop?) At one point, Mike Teavee, a television-obsessed… Read More


Blackberry Reboot Nears Completion

Blackberry Reboot Nears Completion
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-18-2018 at 12:00 pm

Jalopnik’s report that car maker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) had experienced a failed software update that had thrown the infotainment systems in some MY 2017-18 vehicles into a never-ending cycle of rebooting was a reminder that cars are indeed becoming smartphones on wheels. Blackberry CEO John Chen has no doubtsRead More


Why I remain optimistic about Tesla

Why I remain optimistic about Tesla
by Vivek Wadhwa on 08-18-2017 at 7:00 am

Tesla’s stock price recently took a hit because of concerns about its delivery capabilities and about increasing competition from carmakers who are switching their product lines to electric. With a market cap still exceeding $50 billion, it can be easy to argue that Tesla’s price remains severely inflated, especially when youRead More


Does Elon Musk Hate Artificial Intelligence?

Does Elon Musk Hate Artificial Intelligence?
by Matthew Rosenquist on 07-22-2017 at 7:00 am

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and CEO of Tesla, was quoted as saying Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the “Greatest Risk We Face as a Civilization”. He recently met with the National Governor’s Association and advocated for government involvement and regulations. This seems to be a far cry from the government-should-leave-the-market-aloneRead More


Nvidia Handles Data, Senate with Care

Nvidia Handles Data, Senate with Care
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-04-2017 at 7:00 am

When speaking before the U.S. Senate or Congress one has to choose one’s words carefully. The temptation, when one is speaking before legislators and microphones and cameras, is to tell it like it is and speak truth to power. The reality is that the power of the legislators and the microphones and the cameras must be respected and,… Read More


Autonomous Vehicles: Tesla, Uber, Lyft, BMW, Intel and Mentor Graphics

Autonomous Vehicles: Tesla, Uber, Lyft, BMW, Intel and Mentor Graphics
by Daniel Payne on 04-19-2017 at 12:00 pm

I read at least one hour of news every day to keep informed, and I’ve read so many stories about autonomous vehicles that the same, familiar company names continue to dominate the thought leadership. What really caught my attention this month was an announcement about autonomous vehicle technology coming from Mentor GraphicsRead More


Tesla’s Cat in the Bag

Tesla’s Cat in the Bag
by Roger C. Lanctot on 03-18-2017 at 8:00 pm

Some day soon, maybe this year or next, Tesla Motors is going to let the cat out of the bag that its cars are not only connected but are also subject to remote control. Remote control isn’t the sort of feature that consumers look for in their personal transportation, so it isn’t likely to be something Tesla is going to bring… Read More