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Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

nytimes.com

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Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#271

Post by jboggan »

keeptrying wrote: post #77

Waymo will have the first self driving cars on the road. They are so ahead of everyone. I think everyone including regular car companies buy the tech from Waymo in the short term.

Waymo is going to win because of (1) better sensors and (2) better onboard computing power. Other companies can potentially compete in the former domain but literally no one in the world can go toe-to-toe with Waymo and siblings in the latter department. The ML powering Level 4 driving decisions is not cheap in dollars or power consumption and Google is already way ahead of the curve when it comes to custom fabrication of those type of systems.

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#272

Post by bgun »

Kiro wrote: post #270
CPLX wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Literally. Usage #2: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

That makes no sense. It's like saying that "yes" means "yes", but it could also mean "no".

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=yeah+right

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#273

Post by nicwolff »

CPLX wrote: post #218
quonn wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> literally lighting billions of dollars in funds on fire Figuratively. But even that's not true, since customers have saved real money and spent it elsewhere.

Literally. Usage #2: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

Merrian-Webster is garbage. https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=literally

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#274

Post by mi100hael »

mstade wrote: post #196
dalbasal wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in no position to guess which way winds are blowing but... I don't think uber (or lyft) will ever be totally dominant purely because of network effects. Passengers and (especially) drivers are mobile, and can switch services back and forward between apps. All you need to compete is a regional network. The global network is helpful on the margins, but an uber for Lisbon should work fine.

Anecdata to support your point: in Stockholm the taxi companies have caught up in terms of convenience vis-à-vis apps, registering payment methods etc., to the point where I just use them rather than Uber. To me, Uber never competed on price, it was the convenience, and the competition has caught up to the point where Uber now seems clunky almost.

Uber definitely competes on price. Their fares are almost always the lowest of any competitor, especially compared to traditional cabs. That's essentially their only strategy other than allowing mobile hailing & payment (which is not particularly hard to replicate). The reason Uber is blowing through so much venture capital is because they are bleeding cash in all directions on fare subsidies.

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#275

Post by _jal »

ysavir wrote: post #241
CPLX wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Literally. Usage #2: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

Well that's.... Sad. I think I will take what little authority I (don't) have and veto that definition, seeing as it literally defeats the purpose of definition #1. And I was invoking definition #1 there, in case that wasn't clear.

I'll just leave this right here.

http://www.polysyllabic.com/?q=navigating/intro/prescriptive

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#276

Post by tptacek »

pocketstar wrote: post #24
tptacek wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Lyft had a black car option, I'd use them constantly; I wonder what keeps them from rolling that out.

Try Lyft Premier: https://blog.lyft.com/posts/introducing-lyft-premier Or do you explicitly want a black car...?

I explicitly want a commercially-licensed driver, which is what you get with Uber Black.

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#277

Post by rtx »

pawadu wrote: post #193
Semaphor wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> what prevents the now uber driver to switch to become lyft drivers ? The (non)availability of Lyft all over the world except one country. According to some quick googling, Uber exists in 80 countries without Lyft.

I think the point OP is making is that Uber doesn't really own anything outside mindshare. The drivers are after all free agents. Once the VC money used to subsidize rides dries out basically any company can challenge Uber. Which is why Uber wants to cut their dependence on drivers by using self driving cars. Then they will actually own something (the technology) in addition to the mindshare.

They own the process knowledge to operate a Taxi company in 80 countries. Atleast what I have see in India they are beating OLA another competitor like Lyft.

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#278

Post by rtx »

justinzollars wrote: post #49
spike021 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Odd. I'm in the Bay Area and have taken many Lyft's lately both in the south bay and also the peninsula. Usually the drivers I get drive for both even up to this point. Could just be regional, not really sure? I feel like even with Uber's issues many drivers who do ride-sharing as a "job" won't want to just drop Uber as it may mean losing out on income (not sure if they can make up the loss with driving more for Lyft…

Also odd. I'm in San Francisco and I've found most drivers that only drive for Lyft too. When I talk to drivers (now I talk with every driver out of curiosity), they genuinely hate Uber. Maybe they were once Uber, but they've moved networks.

Maybe they are confirming to leading questions.

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#279

Post by reallydontask »

CPLX wrote: post #165
nodesocket wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say this assessment is clouded by your own judgements of Uber. Uber is vastly larger than Lyft. I've taken Uber's all over the world (Europe, South America), Lyft barely has market penetration in rural areas of the United States. I recently bet my friend who is supremely confident that United Airlines business will be significantly impacted due to the passenger incident. Thus far, it appears United is doing just…

But the finance fundamentals of Uber are truly horrible. Their only explanation for literally lighting billions of dollars in funds on fire to subsidize rides is supposedly to consolidate market share. If they don't have a defensible position and they lose money on every transaction what exactly do they have to show for it?

I guess Uber loses money on each sale but makes it up on volume? :)

Re: Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

#280

Post by colmvp »

yjgyhj wrote: post #140
TulliusCicero wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tipping culture has historically trended towards an expectation of ever higher and more commonplace tips to not look like an asshole. Tipping culture also introduces uncertainty into pricing, and means that nicer people pay more and jerks get to pay less, for the same service.

>Tipping culture also introduces uncertainty into pricing, and means that nicer people pay more and jerks get to pay less, for the same service. Why is someone a jerk for not tipping? I pay for service provided - give me a receipt with the amount and I'll pay it, no problem. Let's end tipping, folks...

It's a social expectation. You can expect not to get great service at a restaurant or even have the staff ask if there was a problem if you didn't leave a tip.

I don't like it, but it is what it is.

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