tech

Rani Molla12/3/25

Uber beats Google’s Waymo to Dallas

Uber jumped more than 2% premarket after announcing that users in Dallas could be matched with its Avride robotaxis beginning today. The coverage area is small to start with — 9 square miles of Dallas, including downtown — though the company plans to expand that operating territory in the future. Uber didn’t disclose how many robotaxis would be operating in that area.

The move makes Uber the first company to offer an autonomous car service in the city.

Google’s Waymo said last month that it would begin operations in Dallas and a number of other markets in 2026. Lyft also plans to launch there next year. Uber now has autonomous vehicles on its platform in four cities, including Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, which are all in partnership with Waymo.

Uber has had its autonomous eyes set on Dallas since at least 2019 and announced its partnership with Nebius-owned autonomous car company Avride in October 2024.

Uber and Avride Launch Robotaxi Rides in Dallas

The move makes Uber the first company to offer an autonomous car service in the city.

Google’s Waymo said last month that it would begin operations in Dallas and a number of other markets in 2026. Lyft also plans to launch there next year. Uber now has autonomous vehicles on its platform in four cities, including Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, which are all in partnership with Waymo.

Uber has had its autonomous eyes set on Dallas since at least 2019 and announced its partnership with Nebius-owned autonomous car company Avride in October 2024.

More Tech

tech

Report: Amodei told staff that Anthropic was targeted for lack of “dictator-style praise” for Trump

More details are leaking out from Anthropic about how CEO Dario Amodei explained the company’s dramatic schism with the Pentagon over its AI terms of use.

The Information shared details from a leaked 1,600-word memo to employees that Amodei reportedly sent on Friday after the Trump administration attacked the startup.

Per the report, Amodei told his staff that the reason the company was on the outs with the Trump administration was the fact that it had not given “dictator-style praise” to President Trump, “(while Sam has),” referring to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Amodei also noted that OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to the MAGA Inc super PAC, which likely put their competitor in the good graces of Trump and co.

Anthropic CEO Memo: Trump Disliked Company For Not Giving ‘Dictator-Style Praise’

Anthropic CEO Memo: Trump Disliked Company For Not Giving ‘Dictator-Style Praise’

Per the report, Amodei told his staff that the reason the company was on the outs with the Trump administration was the fact that it had not given “dictator-style praise” to President Trump, “(while Sam has),” referring to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Amodei also noted that OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to the MAGA Inc super PAC, which likely put their competitor in the good graces of Trump and co.

tech

Rani Molla3/4/26

“Fortnite” returning to the Play Store worldwide after Google lowers fees and opens Android

After years of fighting with “Fortnite” maker Epic Games, Google is hitting reset on Android — cutting Play Store fees, loosening its grip on billing, and making it easier for rival app stores to set up shop on millions of devices.

The move could also dent one of Google’s lucrative businesses: Play Store commissions.

In a blog post Tuesday, Google said it will let developers use their own billing systems alongside Google Play’s, link out to external purchase pages, and distribute apps through third-party app stores that meet Google’s safety standards. The company is also lowering Play Store fees in key markets, with billing fees around 5% for developers that use Google’s system, service fees roughly 20% on new installs, and subscription fees around 10%. The changes will roll out on a staggered schedule, beginning mid-2026.

In a corresponding post, Epic said “Fortnite” would expand worldwide on Google Play. “These changes will evolve Android into a true open platform,” the company wrote. “Fortnite” returned to the Play Store in the US in December after the two companies reached a settlement following years of antitrust battles.

Google’s Changes Will Open Android Devices to Competition

Google’s Changes Will Open Android Devices to Competition

In a blog post Tuesday, Google said it will let developers use their own billing systems alongside Google Play’s, link out to external purchase pages, and distribute apps through third-party app stores that meet Google’s safety standards. The company is also lowering Play Store fees in key markets, with billing fees around 5% for developers that use Google’s system, service fees roughly 20% on new installs, and subscription fees around 10%. The changes will roll out on a staggered schedule, beginning mid-2026.

In a corresponding post, Epic said “Fortnite” would expand worldwide on Google Play. “These changes will evolve Android into a true open platform,” the company wrote. “Fortnite” returned to the Play Store in the US in December after the two companies reached a settlement following years of antitrust battles.

tech

Rani Molla3/4/26

Apple debuts $599 Google Chromebook competitor

Apple’s latest product announcement this week is an opening salvo against Google’s ubiquitous Chromebook. On Wednesday, the iPhone maker unveiled the MacBook Neo, which starts at $599 — or $499 for students — the lowest price ever for a MacBook. Apple typically skews to the high end of the market.

The Neo is still more expensive than typical Chromebooks, which are hugely popular in schools, but it’s less stripped down, with a sharper display, aluminum case, and a more powerful processor than many Chromebook models.

Say hello to MacBook Neo

Say hello to MacBook Neo

Musk says Tesla will be one of first companies to reach AGI

He also said we’d reach artificial general intelligence within two years... about two years ago.

Elon Musk Speaks During A town Hall Event In Green Bay, Wisconsin

tech

Rani Molla3/4/26

Bank of America upgrades Tesla, expecting it to “quickly become a leader in robotaxi services”

Tesla jumped in premarket trading after Bank of America reinstated coverage of the EV maker and upgraded it to “buy” from “hold,” with a price target of $460.

“We expect TSLA to quickly become a leader in robotaxi services, given its ability to scale more profitably than competitors,” analyst Alexander Perry wrote, noting that Tesla’s approach eschews more expensive (but more robust) technology like lidar.

BofA says Tesla’s Robotaxi service could amount to $844 billion in equity value and more than half Tesla’s valuation.

Currently, Robotaxi operates in two markets with heavy human oversight. In Austin, most of the rides involve a safety monitor sitting in the front seat, and in the Bay Area, all rides are driven by a human using supervised Full Self-Driving tech.

Alphabet subsidiary Waymo, meanwhile, is currently operating its driverless ride-hailing service in 10 US markets.

Currently, Robotaxi operates in two markets with heavy human oversight. In Austin, most of the rides involve a safety monitor sitting in the front seat, and in the Bay Area, all rides are driven by a human using supervised Full Self-Driving tech.

Alphabet subsidiary Waymo, meanwhile, is currently operating its driverless ride-hailing service in 10 US markets.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC.

©2026 Sherwood Media, LLC