Seven & i Signs Confidentiality Pact With Canada's Couche-Tard
Seven & i Holdings Co. signed a confidentiality pact with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., allowing the two companies to advance discussions on addressing antitrust concerns arising from the Canandian retailer's takeover approach.
The non-disclosure agreement will pave the way for discussions around antitrust issues in the US, Seven & i said Wednesday, referring to the key point of contention that has held up takeover negotiations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
How Waymo got the edge on the competition and Tesla's robotaxi (so far)
'We are being super paranoid about safety." That's what Tesla CEO Elon Musk said after revealing the company's robotaxi test would start on June 22, later than expected, adding that the date could 'shift' beyond that. Meanwhile, betting site Polymarket lists only a 30% chance that Tesla (TSLA) launches the service before July, highlighting Musk's rosy predictions on self-driving that have been constantly pushed back. While Tesla is on the verge of starting a new chapter for the company, Alphabet's (GOOG) Waymo has been quietly racking up mile after mile, trip after trip, providing actual paid robotaxi rides to customers in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin — where Tesla's test will begin. At stake is a huge opportunity for companies like Waymo, Tesla, and others. Goldman analyst Mark Delaney estimates the market for traditional ride-hailing in the US is worth approximately $58 billion currently, but could be worth more than $330 billion by 2030, with robotaxi-type services pushing the industry forward and reducing costs by — among other factors —not requiring a human driver. Waymo has an early lead, and it seems a big one. Rivals like Argo AI and GM-backed Cruise are gone, leaving only smaller players like Zoox (backed by Amazon), China's Pony AI (PONY), and WeRide (WRD), and of course Tesla. Waymo (before it was even called that) started off as an in-house startup as part of Google's X initiative way back in 2009. After some testing and securing of permits, the project officially became Waymo in 2016, and it started testing its Pacifica hybrid vans kitted out with cameras, LIDAR laser sensors, and radar. In 2018 Waymo and Jaguar paired up, using the British automaker's I-Pace EV for its testing; these are the vehicles most users are accustomed to seeing. Waymo's combination of vision, radar, and LIDAR, which the company calls its 'multimodal' approach, has the company claiming it has the best and safest robotaxi solution. Since 2020, anyone in a service area can download the Waymo app and hail a fully autonomous car. Waymo says it has the most robotaxi miles driven and that the company performs around 250,000 trips a week. A Waymo spokesperson said that the company has not yet seen a vision-only system that can achieve the levels of safety its current system has achieved, asserting that multiple sensors with overlapping fields of view are the best solution. Experts tend to agree. 'Waymo is undoubtedly the leader in autonomous driving technology, with their self-driving software (SDS) being widely regarded as best in class,' said University of San Francisco engineering professor William Riggs, an expert in autonomous technology. 'They have been around the longest, had patient capital, and have the most miles on the road proving that self-driving tech works.' Riggs believes Waymo's software strategy combined with its diversified sensor suite, along with its manufacturer partnerships such as Chrysler, Hyundai, Zeekr, and Toyota, allowed Waymo to maintain a strong presence in the market and adapt to different vehicle platforms. Autonomous expert Katie Driggs-Campbell of the University of Illinois' Grainger College of Engineering agrees. 'Initially, I believe their strength came from the computer vision/learning and compute expertise from Google,' Driggs-Campbell said, noting that Waymo has now 'blended real-world experience, recorded data, and simulation [generated] data to form a reliable system.' Waymo also touts its safety record, as well as how open it's been with data. 'We have an incredibly rigorous safety framework in place, and our safety record speaks for itself,' Waymo's spokesperson said, adding that the company has been voluntarily sharing safety performance data with the public, which goes beyond regulatory requirements. Waymo's approach could not be more different from Tesla's, and that has contributed to the dominant lead it sees currently. Tesla did not immediately respond to Yahoo Finance when seeking comment. But per Musk biographer Walter Isaacson, Musk was enamored with Tesla's vision-only, neural network-powered self-driving system when it was presented to him. He deemed it superior to Tesla's prior system, which ran on millions of lines of code using a rules-based system fed by data coming from radar and LIDAR sensors. Tesla's current FSD (full self-driving) and robotaxi software use only a vision-based system powered by a neural network 'brain' that is constantly training itself using videos collected by millions of Tesla vehicles. (And as opposed to Waymo, Tesla has reportedly asked the city of Austin to block release of safety records related to its robotaxi launch.) While Waymo holds a big early lead, what could stop the pioneer from growing more could be its operations and manufacturing ability. Riggs believes building vehicles at scale remains a significant hurdle for Waymo. 'Currently, they operate between 700 and 1,000 vehicles in their major markets and are producing roughly 1,500 vehicles annually. This relatively modest production volume could become a bottleneck for scaling their operations further,' he said. The other challenge for startups like Waymo in general versus Tesla is that their costs per vehicle are higher. Waymo's self-driving tech and sensors reportedly cost $100,000 plus the cost of the vehicle itself (for example, the Jaguar I-Pace retails for $73,875 in the US). While some of those costs have come down, scaling to new cities and providing enough vehicles to take on Uber, for example, will require more than the 1,500 vehicles currently produced a year. Tesla, meanwhile, has the ability to produce 2 million or more EVs a year, which include the hardware necessary for its FSD and robotaxi software. Tesla also has millions of vehicles on the road that could be converted for robotaxi use, though that would require the company's Hardware 4 autopilot software, which only started rolling out in early 2023. 'AI runs off of data. Waymo is trying to close that data gap with more sensors per vehicle; Tesla is looking to win with more vehicles with targeted data specific to their vision-only approach,' said Ken Johnston, vice president of data and analytics at tech consulting firm Envorso and former exec at Ford and Microsoft. 'Companies like BYD and Tesla also cannot be ruled out, as they continue to innovate and expand their capabilities in this space,' Riggs added. Xiaomi is also testing autonomous driving in China, but the company has suffered from safety issues in early trials. Johnson is bullish on Tesla's robotaxi offering, but the company faces a big challenge in surviving its safety test. Uber's self-driving unit and GM's Cruise could not overcome high-profile accidents. Testing the service without any accidents in a semi-urban environment is not easy. And unlike Waymo, Tesla is under federal investigation for its autonomous software. It also still needs to provide NHTSA with answers to how it plans to roll out its robotaxi program. Meanwhile, Waymo is plugging along, adding more cities to its list of current operations, with Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C., coming online in 2026. Being backed by Alphabet helps too, giving Waymo capital runway for growth, investment, and long-term community outreach. Waymo's technological lead and strong backing from Alphabet clearly have the service in pole position. But this race is far from over. Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Google Expands Buyouts In Search And Ads Division As AI Reshapes Priorities
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Alphabet, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google on Tuesday offered buyouts to U.S.-based employees in multiple departments, including the search ads unit. The Details: The company extended the voluntary exit program to workers in several divisions, according to CNBC. Impacted teams include knowledge and information (K&I), central engineering, marketing, research and communications. K&I, which oversees Google's search, ads and commerce operations, has roughly 20,000 staff. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — In its most recent quarterly report, Alphabet disclosed that Google Search and related services generated $50.7 billion of the company's total revenue of $90.23 billion. When including all advertising streams—such as Search, YouTube ads and Google Network—the total advertising revenue reached $66.89 billion for the quarter, underscoring how central these business lines remain to Google's overall financial performance. The latest buyouts follow previous headcount reductions dating back to 2023. CNBC reported that finance chief Anat Ashkenazi previously cited cost-cutting as a key priority amid rising AI infrastructure spending. Google has also implemented return-to-office requirements for some remote employees living within 50 miles of a company location. A memo from K&I chief Nick Fox encouraged employees who are disengaged or underperforming to consider the exit package. However, he urged those excited by their roles and aligned with the company's goals to stay. Earlier this year, similar buyouts were offered in the "Platforms and Devices" and "People Operations" units. Google is also shifting internal training resources toward practical AI tools and away from less essential programs, CNBC It Matters: Ongoing cost-cutting efforts at Google underscore the company's broader strategy to reallocate resources toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. In February, Google planned voluntary buyouts in its People Operations division beginning in March. Some mid to senior-level staff were offered 14 weeks of severance plus an additional week for each year of service. The company also laid off operations support employees in its cloud unit, with some roles relocated to India and Mexico City. Despite this shift, the memo stated the U.S. would remain the cloud team's largest hub. These cuts came after Ashkenazi said cost discipline would be key as AI-related demand outpaced infrastructure capacity. She noted the company ended 2024 with "more demand than we had available capacity" for its AI products. Google's cloud division grew revenue by 30% year over year in Q4. Google continues to position cloud and AI initiatives as central to its 2025 investment priorities. Read Next: In terms of getting money back, these bank accounts put traditional checking and savings accounts to shame. Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. Image: Shutterstock This article Google Expands Buyouts In Search And Ads Division As AI Reshapes Priorities originally appeared on Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Robotaxi wars: How Waymo got the edge on the competition, and Tesla (so far)
'We are being super paranoid about safety." That's what Tesla CEO Elon Musk said after revealing the company's robotaxi test would start on June 22, later than expected, adding that the date could 'shift' beyond that. Meanwhile, betting site Polymarket lists only a 30% chance that Tesla (TSLA) launches the service before July, highlighting Musk's rosy predictions on self-driving that have been constantly pushed back. While Tesla is on the verge of starting a new chapter for the company, Alphabet's (GOOG) Waymo has been quietly racking up mile after mile, trip after trip, providing actual paid robotaxi rides to customers in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin — where Tesla's test will begin. At stake is a huge opportunity for companies like Waymo, Tesla, and others. Goldman analyst Mark Delaney estimates the market for traditional ride-hailing in the US is worth approximately $58 billion currently, but could be worth more than $330 billion by 2030, with robotaxi-type services pushing the industry forward and reducing costs by — among other factors —not requiring a human driver. Waymo has an early lead, and it seems a big one. Rivals like Argo AI and GM-backed Cruise are gone, leaving only smaller players like Zoox (backed by Amazon), China's Pony AI (PONY) and WeRide (WRD), and of course Tesla. Waymo (before it was even called that) started off as an in-house startup as part of Google's X initiative way back in 2009. After some testing and securing of permits, the project officially became Waymo in 2016, and it started testing its Pacifica hybrid vans kitted out with cameras, LIDAR laser sensors, and radar. In 2018 Waymo and Jaguar paired up, using the British automaker's I-Pace EV for its testing; these are the vehicles most users are accustomed to seeing. Waymo's combination of vision, radar, and LIDAR, which the company calls its 'multimodal' approach, has the company claiming it has the best, and safest, robotaxi solution. Since 2020, anyone in a service area can download the Waymo app and hail a fully autonomous car. Waymo says it has the most robotaxi miles driven and that the company performs around 250,000 trips a week. A Waymo spokesperson said that the company has not yet seen a vision-only system that can achieve the levels of safety its current system has achieved, asserting that multiple sensors with overlapping fields of view are the best solution. Experts tend to agree. 'Waymo is undoubtedly the leader in autonomous driving technology, with their self-driving software (SDS) being widely regarded as best in class,' said University of San Francisco engineering professor William Riggs, an expert in autonomous technology. 'They have been around the longest, had patient capital and have the most miles on the road proving that self-driving tech works.' Riggs believes Waymo's software strategy combined with its diversified sensor suite, along with its manufacturer partnerships such as Chrysler, Hyundai, Zeekr, and Toyota, allowed Waymo to maintain a strong presence in the market and adapt to different vehicle platforms. Autonomous expert Katie Driggs-Campbell of University of Illinois' Grainger College of Engineering agrees. 'Initially, I believe their strength came from the computer vision/learning and compute expertise from Google,' Driggs-Campbell said, noting that Waymo has now 'blended real-world experience, recorded data, and simulation [generated] data to form a reliable system.' Waymo also touts its safety record, as well as how open it's been with data. 'We have an incredibly rigorous safety framework in place, and our safety record speaks for itself,' Waymo's spokesperson said, adding that the company has been voluntarily sharing safety performance data with the public, which goes beyond regulatory requirements. Waymo's approach could not be more different from Tesla's, and that has contributed to the dominant lead it sees currently. Tesla did not immediately respond to Yahoo Finance when seeking comment. But per Musk biographer Walter Isaacson, Musk was enamored with Tesla's vision-only, neural network-powered self-driving system when it was presented to him. He deemed it superior to Tesla's prior system, which ran on millions of lines of code using a rules-based system fed by data coming from radar and LIDAR sensors. Tesla's current FSD (full self-driving) and robotaxi software use only a vision-based system powered by a neural network 'brain' that is constantly training itself using videos collected by millions of Tesla vehicles. (And as opposed to Waymo, Tesla has reportedly asked the city of Austin to block release of safety records related to its robotaxi launch.) While Waymo holds a big early lead, what could stop the pioneer from growing more could be its operations and manufacturing ability. Riggs believes building vehicles at scale remains a significant hurdle for Waymo. 'Currently, they operate between 700 and 1,000 vehicles in their major markets and are producing roughly 1,500 vehicles annually. This relatively modest production volume could become a bottleneck for scaling their operations further,' he said. The other challenge for startups like Waymo in general versus Tesla is that their costs per vehicle are higher. Waymo's self-driving tech and sensors reportedly cost $100,000 plus the cost of the vehicle itself (for example, the Jaguar I-Pace retails for $73,875 in the US). While some of those costs have come down, scaling to new cities and providing enough vehicles to take on Uber, for example, will require more than the 1,500 vehicles currently produced a year. Tesla, meanwhile, has the ability to produce 2 million or more EVs a year, which include the hardware necessary for its FSD and robotaxi software. Tesla also has millions of vehicles on the road that could be converted for robotaxi use, though that would require the company's Hardware 4 autopilot software, which only started rolling out in early 2023. 'AI runs off of data. Waymo is trying to close that data gap with more sensors per vehicle; Tesla is looking to win with more vehicles with targeted data specific to their vision-only approach,' said Ken Johnston, vice president of data and analytics at tech consulting firm Envorso and former exec at Ford and Microsoft. 'Companies like BYD and Tesla also cannot be ruled out, as they continue to innovate and expand their capabilities in this space,' Riggs added. Xiaomi is also testing autonomous driving in China, but the company has suffered from safety issues in early trials. Johnson is bullish on Tesla's robotaxi offering, but the company faces a big challenge in surviving its safety test. Uber's self-driving unit and GM's Cruise could not overcome high-profile accidents. Testing the service without any accidents in a semi-urban environment is not easy. And unlike Waymo, Tesla is under federal investigation for its autonomous software. It also still needs to provide NHTSA with answers to how it plans to roll out its robotaxi program. Meanwhile, Waymo is plugging along, adding more cities to its list of current operations, with Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C., coming online in 2026. Being backed by Alphabet helps too, giving Waymo capital runway for growth, investment, and long-term community outreach. Waymo's technological lead and strong backing from Alphabet clearly have the service in pole position. But this race is far from over. Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
