Self-driving Uber car kills pedestrian; Tinder to sue Bumble; and SpaceX in expansion talks with Port of Los Angeles.
Self-Driving Uber Car Kills Pedestrian
A woman in Tempe, Ariz., has died after being hit by a self-driving car operated by Uber, in what appears to be the first known death of a pedestrian struck by an autonomous vehicle on a public road, the New York Times reports. Uber said it had suspended testing of its self-driving cars in Tempe, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto. This month, California said that it would start allowing companies to test autonomous vehicles without anyone behind the wheel starting in April.
Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid and PlentyOfFish, announced it filed a lawsuit against Bumble for infringing on a pair of patents held by Tinder, the Verge reports. Last November, TechCrunch reported that Bumble had turned down a $450 million offer from Match Group to buy the company, but that talks were still ongoing. The report says the lawsuit could be leverage for Match to encourage Bumble to join its portfolio: accept the buyout, and hope the lawsuit goes away.
SpaceX in Expansion Talks with Port of Los Angeles
SpaceX has entered into preliminary negotiations with the Port of Los Angeles for a lease that would expand the Hawthorne space company’s manufacturing facilities, the Los Angeles Times reports. Port and company officials would not comment on what exactly would be built on the 18-acre site on Terminal Island, but public documents suggest that it will involve rockets or spacecraft.
Technology reporter Eli Horowitz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachhorowitz13 for the latest in L.A. tech news.
