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Report: Apple Trims Autonomous-Car Project Staff
Apple Inc. has shelved parts of its secret “Titan” autonomous vehicle project and laid off “dozens” of employees assigned to it, sources tell The New York Times.
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Apple Inc. has shelved parts of its secret “Titan” autonomous vehicle project and laid off “dozens” of employees assigned to it, sources tell The New York Times.
The newspaper says Apple told employees the layoffs are part of a “reboot” of the project. It isn’t clear what part of the program has been dropped. But rumors suggest Apple has moved away from plans to build a self-driving electric car and is focusing instead on technologies that enable autonomous driving and perhaps connectivity-related services.
The project initially was led by Steven Zadesky, a former Ford Motor Co. engineer, under whom the company was expected to finalize a vehicle design by 2020. But he left in January and was succeeded by Bob Mansfield, a longtime Apple executive who helped develop the iPad tablet and MacBook Air laptop computer.
Bloomberg News reported in July that Mansfield had hired Dan Dodge, former CEO of QNX, the in-car operating system owned by BlackBerry. Dodge’s arrival was seen as part of a shift in priority from an automatic vehicle to the systems required to operate it.
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Mustang Changes for 2018
On Tuesday Ford unveiled—using the social media channels of actor Dwayne Johnson (this has got to unnerve some of the auto buff book editors)—the 2018 Mustang, which has undergone some modifications: under the hood (the 3.7-liter V6 is giving way to a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four, and a 10-speed automatic is available), on the dash (a 12-inch, all-digital LCD screen is available for the dashboard), at the tires (12 wheel choices), on the chassis (MagneRide damper technology is being offered with the Mustang Performance Package), and on the exterior (three new paint colors). And while on the subject of the exterior, there are some notable changes—a lower, remodeled hood, repositioned hood vents, new upper and lower front grilles, LED front lights, revised LED taillamps, new rear bumper and fascia.
