Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#201

Post by kunaalarya » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 5:23 AM UTC

beamatronic wrote: post #62

DigitalSea wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering Google have invested a fair bit of cash into Uber which might be a tax write-off for Google, I would probably say we are going to see Google try and buy Uber out instead. Cutting off their maps access would probably open up a can of worms for Google as Uber would undoubtedly take legal action (and they have the funds to really go for it), there could be a little bit of conflict of interest happening here…

They are building their own private terminal at San Jose airport [1]. 1. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23041939/san-jose-city-council...

for their private jets

"Signature's project includes seven hangars for corporate jets, with five of those hangars to be used by Blue City Holdings, its primary tenant. That company will manage aircraft for Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, whose private jets are now parked at Moffett Field, where their lease is up next year."

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#202

Post by nostrademons » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 5:26 AM UTC

kunaalarya wrote: post #200

nostrademons wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hard part of Uber isn't the tech, it's building up the network. Two-sided marketplaces are really hard to build from scratch, when there are no competitors. They're virtually impossible once both your customers and your drivers are like "I've already had good experiences with Uber. Why would I take a chance on you?" That's why Google has an advantage over everyone else - for them it's a one -sided marketplace, th…

not necessarily. a lot of Uber's drivers use cars that are financed through Uber and are effectively locked into Uber for 5 years (unless they step out of ridesharing). This is how Uber has been able to maintain a huge supply with great cars (vs. you don't know what you'll get with Lyft).

Interesting - I didn't know that. I don't see how it would affect Google, though. Presumably Google would offer the service with self-driving cars, and get rid of the drivers entirely. They'd have to step out of ridesharing, because there would be no more market for ridesharing drivers.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#203

Post by avodonosov » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 5:31 AM UTC

Shuld Facebook be afraid of Google Plus, and Amazon of Google App Engine?

Google wants to be everywhere, but it looks like it doesn't have enough good developers.

I think Uber has chance to overcome Google, even if Google really decided to compete in this area.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#204

Post by avodonosov » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 5:33 AM UTC

softdev12 wrote: post #85

I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…

Do you think OpenStreetMaps can be a reasonable substitute? IMHO their maps are quite accurate.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#205

Post by nl » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 5:47 AM UTC

wpietri wrote: post #193

recursive wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, you're wrong. I once used non-Popperian logic.

I am honestly crying with laughter here. Future historians may recognize this as the perfect Hacker News comment.

Actually, this is: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#206

Post by fixedd » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 5:49 AM UTC

billsimpson wrote: post #118

thirtyseven wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Passengers in cars are potentially a huge captive advertising audience.

Boston cabs do this now (I assume it's happening all over) by playing a short ad reel that loops over and over. It's pretty horrible. If that's their end game here, I'd be disappointed.

I only take cabs 5-10 times a year anymore, and never in Boston, but I've never been in a cab that pestered me with advertisements. If I found myself in one, it'd be the last ride I took with that company.

On the last flight I took with Delta Airlines they had all the TVs drop down and they played five minutes worth of advertisements on the screens and through the loudspeakers. I just refuse to deal with companies that are hostile to their customers.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#207

Post by aorloff » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 5:51 AM UTC

lpolovets wrote: post #14

k-mcgrady wrote: post #8

If Google competes directly with a company they are invested in via GV they're going to really damage the reputation of GV. Why would you accept investment from them if they're going to get access to your private info and then turn around and screw you.

I don't have insider knowledge, but I believe Google claims that there's a wall between Google and GV, and they act completely independently. This makes sense to me -- otherwise, no one would pitch ideas to GV that Google might one day implement (i.e. basically all ideas that have a software angle). To me, if Google uses insider knowledge to copy Uber, then that would be huge mistake and credibility killer; if they w…

When the wall is made of people, its hardly a wall. Even if Google doesn't use insider knowledge to copy Uber, unless Uber had no other possible investors it would later wish it had an investor who was out to kill the competition rather than an investor who is the competition. Thus the problem with VC arms of major tech companies.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#208

Post by kalleboo » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 5:56 AM UTC

Spooky23 wrote: post #186

bsdpython wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article states 2-5 years for Google's driverless cars

Maybe from a technology point of view. The problem with driverless cars isn't the car, it's the insurance. Google would need to become a large insurance company. Doing business in NYC would kill them.

They're definitely building relationships in that direction... http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/01/08/google-wants-to-sell-...

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#209

Post by kalleboo » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 6:05 AM UTC

joering2 wrote: post #188

Imagine you wake up Monday morning and your Android tells you that it automatically upgraded (beautyness of default settings) the default Google Map app on your phone, you tap it out of curiosity, and it asks you "would you like the cab downstairs in 5 minutes?" Oh well; there goes Uber's 50 billion dollars valuation...

Doesn't it already do that? http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OVYK68BPu6k/U2E6Jdhpp2I/AAAAAAAAC9...

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#210

Post by roskilli » Tue, Feb 03, 2015, 6:07 AM UTC

dojomouse wrote: post #197

So much criticism of Google! My question: Why on earth would Google want to cede any significant chunk of the personal transport value stream to Uber - or acquire them at a $40Bil+ valuation - when the main (only?) semi-uniquely valuable thing Uber have (a large network of drivers) is worth approximately zero dollars in a self-driving vehicle scenario. Uber are valuable and effective in a human-driven vehicle model b…

Surely the riders install base is quite valuable if both were to have as good tech and self driving cars