Reuters Technology Report: Google ditched autopilot driving feature after test user napped behind wheel

Click to View in Browser Tuesday, October 31, 2017 Google ditched autopilot driving feature after test user napped behind wheel ATWATER, Calif. (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's self-driving car unit stopped developing features that required drivers to take control in dangerous situations, its chief executive said Monday, as autopilot reliance left users prone to distractions and ill-prepared to maneuver. Tech executives head to U.S. Congress under harsh spotlight WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facebook Inc , Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google head before U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday for two days of grueling hearings on how Russia allegedly used their services to try to sway the 2016 U.S. election. Apple could drop Qualcomm components in next year's iPhones, iPads: sources (Reuters) - Apple Inc has designed iPhones and iPads that would drop chips supplied by Qualcomm Inc , according to two people familiar with the matter. Electric cars set world's nickel miners on new course SYDNEY/MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Battery makers are increasingly turning to nickel to help power growing global electric car sales, but only half of the world's producers of the metal are likely to benefit, mining analysts and executives say. Top banks and R3 build blockchain-based payments system LONDON (Reuters) - Fintech firm R3 and 22 of the world's biggest banks have together developed an international payments system that would allow existing central bank currencies and any new digital ones to be transacted via the blockchain, R3 said on Tuesday. Sony raises earnings outlook, expects best-ever annual profit TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sony Corp lifted its full-year operating income forecast on Tuesday, expecting to book its highest-ever profit due to strong sales of image sensors used in smartphones and other devices. Samsung Electronics names new-generation leaders as profit soars SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd named a new generation of top managers on Tuesday and promised to reward shareholders with $26 billion in payouts to 2020, as it reported record third-quarter profit. MTN to defend 'opportunistic' $4.2 billion suit in South African court JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - MTN sees a $4.2 billion claim by Turkcell in a South African court over a disputed Iranian mobile phone license as "opportunistic" and "baseless", the company said on Tuesday after filing a defense plea. SoftBank, Deutsche Telekom hit wall in Sprint, T-Mobile talks: sources (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp and Deutsche Telekom AG have reached an impasse in their talks to merge Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc, sources said, sending shares in the Japanese Internet giant sliding. Exclusive: China's CDH, SenseTime raising about $450 million AI fund - sources HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's CDH Investments and Hong Kong-based start-up SenseTime Group are raising about 3 billion yuan ($453 million) to invest in firms working on artificial intelligence (AI) technology, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Related Video Robotic eel seeks out water pollution Futureproof: E-mobility and the future of aviation Mediafile How about Hightail-ing it? On Twitter, dubious health claims from e-cigarette bots A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today A quick-fix on the day's news delivered when you want it. Register Today » » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2017 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add newsletters@email.reuters.com to your address book. Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook