The Daily Crunch 09/20/16

Road rules rolled out and Google's time to shine. All that and more in The Daily Crunch for September 20, 2016. And if you're buying a car online, will they do 'okay to leave at front door' requests?

1. New federal rules of the road for self-driving cars

The U.S. Government is setting out guidelines for companies building self-driving cars, which are not quite laws but could inform how laws are interpreted and how future laws are made. President Obama himself also penned an op-ed to stress that these are meant only to make sure we progress safely, while at the same time mostly staying out of the way of innovators. We'll see if that's borne out in practice.

2. Google's new Nexus (Pixel?) phones are coming

Google has an event coming up on October 4, and it's likely we'll see new Nexus-style phones with stock Android, albeit rebranded 'Pixel.' Don't expect these to be inexpensive, either; we've heard they'll carry premium prices unlocked, but if the Pixel lineage is any indication, they'll also be premium devices through and through. Google is also expected to show off its first Daydream VR headset at this event, which could make consumer VR more accessible for everyone.

3. Uber's Southeast Asia rival scoops up more funding

A new $750 million round led by SoftBank puts the value of Uber rival Grab at $3 billion, or tricorn as they say in the parlance. The company is looking to branch out into payments as well as expand its ride hailing offering, so really if you're listing Uber competitors Grab should probably come before Lyft now.

4. Twitter trimming

Twitter is tightening the waist belt in order to minimize its losses as it struggles with growth, and its development staff in Bangalore, India is among the first significant offices to suffer. The entire facility will be shut down, which in the end is only 20 jobs, but still. Bird's gotta be light to take flight, after all.

5. Cars for sale, Amazon-style

Buying a car online sounded pretty crazy pre-Tesla, but people are clearly becoming more comfortable with the idea, and Vroom's new $50 million raise suggests people think it might be the way of the future. On the other hand, this is a Series E round, and it's only been two years, so maybe there isn't as much confidence in the model as you might think.

6. Google picks up a better bot builder

Talking to robo service bots is usually pretty annoying, mainly because they aren't people. But the company Google just picked up should help developers make smarter, more naturally conversational bots more easily, which could be a boon for ecosystems for upcoming products like Allo.

7. While Facebook grabs an Ara-like co.

While Google's buying bot tech, Facebook's buying hardware expertise, and specifically a startup that builds modular robotics systems aimed at consumer-level expertise, which can help in rapid prototyping and gadget design. It's a cool buy for FB, which adds to the tantalizing promise of its Building 8 hardware works. Let's just hope it doesn't get Ara'd.