How Apple Scaled Back its Titanic Plan to Take on Detroit

[brooklynite]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by In_The_Wind (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Bloomberg

Apple Inc. has drastically scaled back its automotive ambitions, leading to hundreds of job cuts and a new direction that, for now, no longer includes building its own car, according to people familiar with the project.

Hundreds of members of the car team, which comprises about 1,000 people, have been reassigned, let go, or have left of their own volition in recent months, the people said, asking not to be identified because the moves aren’t public.

New leadership of the initiative, known internally as Project Titan, has re-focused on developing an autonomous driving system that gives Apple flexibility to either partner with existing carmakers, or return to designing its own vehicle in the future, the people also said. Apple has kept staff numbers in the team steady by hiring people to help with the new focus, according to another person.

Apple executives have given the car team a deadline of late next year to prove the feasibility of the self-driving system and decide on a final direction, two of the people said. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-17/how-apple-scaled-back-its-titanic-plan-to-take-on-detroit?utm_content=tech&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-tech

[NWCorona]

1. The writing was on the wall with this one.

People were acting like apple was going to knock tesla off its pedestal. Now there's too much competition coming into the EV market and apple missed its window.

[INdemo]

2. I just wish before they try any new adventures they would find a fix

for ios 10.3..it is terrible

[thesquanderer]

3. The iTunes interface on the Mac began as an abomination and has only gotten worse.

For that matter, in many ways, "classic" (Mac OS 9) is still better than OS X.

Apple's "improvements" go both directions.

And I don't understand how they can go with a non-replaceable battery that they say should last 5 years, yet only warranty it for one...

[Frutuoso]

4. iOs 10.3 doesn't exist

Maybe you should wait until iOs 10.3 comes out to ask for a fix.

[LisaM]

5. Why would Apple (or Google, for that matter) want to build cars in the first place?

Why can't companies just stick to what they do well?

[Frutuoso]

6. If they'd done that there wouldn't be any iPhone (and therefore Android) to play with

Because if they had just "stuck to doing what they did well" you wouldn't be on your touch phone, or tablet.

[In_The_Wind]

7. Locking. However this OP is perfect for GD. Please re-post it there.

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