Monday, January 9, 2017

Contra Uber, "California Welcomes NVIDIA Corporation to the Self-Driving Big Leagues" (NVDA)

The contrast between NVIDIA and Uber is stark. One company is the best of what technology is all about, one is not.
As we say in our standard intro to NVDA:
We are fans.
Before we go any further, our NVIDIA boilerplate: we make very few calls on individual names on the blog but this one is special.

They are positioned to be the brains in autonomous vehicles, they will drive virtual reality should it ever catch on, the current businesses include gaming graphics, deep learning/artificial intelligence, and supercharging the world's fastest supercomputers including what will be the world's fastest at Oak Ridge next year.
Not just another pretty face.

Or food delivery app....
From The Motley Fool:

This latest development in California validates the company's move into the world of autonomous vehicles.
Last month, NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) joined the big leagues in the development of driverless vehicles. The California Department of Motor Vehicles granted NVIDIA an autonomous vehicle testing permit, which means the company can now take its self-driving vehicle off of private roads and onto public ones.

So why is this news a big deal?
https://g.foolcdn.com/editorial/images/422905/driverless-car-view-from-driver-seat-looking-out-the-windshield_large.jpg
NVIDIA gains automotive validation 
NVIDIA will now be counted alongside big-name automakers, including Tesla Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, technology giants Baidu and Alphabet, and components makers like Bosch and Delphi Automotive who are allowed to test autonomous vehicles in the state. This is an important development for the company since it is one of the few names on that list whose primary business is not selling cars and related components. Its automotive business is still in the nascent stage as automotive revenue in the third quarter was just over 6% of the top line  -- gaming brought in the bulk of sales. The DMV approval in California is a vote of confidence for NVIDIA that will allow it to accelerate the development of its self-driving technology with real-world data.

According to The Verge, NVIDIA has wasted no time unleashing its self-driving car on public roads, incorporating the readings from its test vehicles into its DRIVE PX2 supercomputers for deep learning and artificial intelligence....
...MORE 

Compare with this nonsense last month:
Dec. 13
"Uber to put self-driving cars on the road in SF 'very soon'"
 
Uber Rolls Out S.F. Self-Driving Cars, California Says Uber Needs A Permit For Autonomous, Uber Says No, It Doesn't, California Says...

Uber Tells California It Won't Be Applying For An Autonomous Driving Permit, California Tells Uber The State's Attorney General Will Be In Touch
  
Uber Throws Tesla Under the Autonomous Bus

More On "Uber Throws Tesla Under the Autonomous Bus"

As Uber Pulls Autonomous Vehicles Off San Francisco Streets, A Meta-Analysis Of Uber's Bargaining Stance In California
Dec. 29
Uber Picked Up Its Toys and Went To Arizona