BMW and Amazon partner to let BMW use Alexa’s technology to build its own voice assistant, coming to cars launching within the next two years (Kirsten Korosec/TechCrunch)

Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge:
BMW plans to use AWS tools to manage data from its Neue Klasse platform for connected vehicles; the company says it has roughly 20M connected vehicles in use  —  BMW will be the first automaker to use Amazon Web Services’ cloud software to manage data from its connected vehicles, the companies announced Thursday.

Kirsten Korosec / TechCrunch:
Lyft faces 17 lawsuits across 11 states from drivers and passengers accusing the company of failing to protect its users from sexual and physical assault  —  Lyft is facing a fresh batch of lawsuits from drivers and passengers who say they were sexually and physically assaulted during rides …

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Amazon updates its Fire TV lineup with a new $140 Fire TV Cube media player, Fire TV Omni QLED Series starting at $800, and a new $35 Alexa Voice Remote Pro  —  Amazon today introduced two new Fire TV devices designed to cater to customers seeking a more premium experience.

Kirsten Korosec / TechCrunch:
Sources: autonomous vehicle startup Argo AI, which raised billions in VC funding, is shutting down; top backers Ford and VW will absorb its parts and some staff  —  Argo AI, an autonomous vehicle startup that burst on the scene in 2017 stacked with a $1 billion investment, is shutting down …

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Amazon Alexa gains smart home features like a multi-camera view; Amazon says Alexa triggers 30%+ of users’ smart home interactions without users saying anything  —  Amazon today announced a number of new smart features designed to allow Alexa device owners to better control their smart home …

Kirsten Korosec / TechCrunch:
Internal email: autonomous delivery startup Nuro is laying off 300 people, or 20% of its workforce, to preserve cash, and says it has $1B on its balance sheet  —  Nuro, the autonomous vehicle delivery startup backed by Softbank, Google and Tiger Global Management, is laying off about 300 people …