Don’t expect to see many Waymo-powered autonomous big rigs in the near future. Waymo now plans to “push back” its driverless trucking efforts and shift its attention toward its One ride-hailing service. The move will help the company concentrate on making these self-driving taxis a “commercial success,” according to co-CEOs Dmitri Dolgov and Tekedra Mawakana.

Waymo justified the decision by pointing to “significant” growth in demand for its robotaxis in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. It also noted rapid upgrades to Driver, the AI system that handles its autonomous cars. There’s “tremendous momentum” in One, the co-chiefs say, and the new strategy will help make the most of this trend.

The Alphabet-owned brand still intends to work with Daimler on self-driving semi trucks. It’s shifting most of its technical development toward Waymo One, but believes work on Driver (particularly for highway driving) will indirectly benefit trucking. There’s no updated timeline for when trucks may reach the roads, but TechCrunchunderstands only a handful of workers will lose jobs as a result of the transition. Most have taken other positions at Waymo.

Waymo started testing autonomous big rig trucks in 2017, with rapid expansions in 2019 and 2020 that included the launch of its Via cargo transportation division. The firm won the attention of major partners, including UPS and former rival Uber Freight. However, there’s no doubt that Waymo One was the star and won the most interest. Uber even expects to offer Waymo rides and deliveries in Phoenix later this year.

The change isn’t guaranteed to pan out. While Waymo is closer to offering paid rides in multiple markets, it’s still facing opposition from officials who are concerned about safety issues. Driverless cars have blocked traffic, interfered with first responder vehicles and otherwise caused problems, and there’s a call for regulators to limit just where and when robotaxis can operate.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/waymo-pushes-back-its-self-driving-truck-efforts-to-focus-on-ride-hailing-211355559.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Waymo pushes back its self-driving truck efforts to focus on ride hailing

Amid its rebranding to X, Twitter is reportedly hardballing advertisers in an effort to increase its bottom line. Reports earlier this month suggested that Twitter’s revenue had dropped by a staggering 50 percent. The company’s latest strategy to increase revenue, according to The Wall Street Journal, is asking brands to spend at least $1,000 per month on ads in order to maintain their verified status on the platform.

Responding to a tweet about The Wall Street Journal’s report, Musk says that the “moderately high” cost is a preventative measure to help reduce the number of scammers creating “millions of accounts” on the platform. Musk added that brands could instead choose to pay $1,000 per month for the company’s verified organization badge.

It’s clear that Twitter is looking for ways to reduce its losses, and the company’s main source of revenue is advertising. The Wall Street Journal also reports that Twitter is slashing prices on some of its advertising slots. For example, Twitter is giving all new bookings a 50 percent discount through July 31st. The company claims that the point of these discounts is to allow advertisers to “gain reach during crucial moments” such as sporting events.

While the $1,000 monthly rate is unlikely to be an issue for larger brands, the new change could hurt smaller businesses that don’t want to or don’t have the extra budget to commit. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-tells-advertisers-to-spend-1000-per-month-or-risk-losing-verification-status-201528621.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – X tells advertisers to spend ,000 per month or risk losing verification status