Page 8A
BUSINESS
East Oregonian
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Tech companies face rocky road on way to making cars
dealerships and experience.
“We have enormous respect
for the expertise of the automotive
industry and how big and complex
NEW YORK — Silicon Valley
a job it is to manufacture a vehicle,”
may think it can build a better car.
company spokeswoman Courtney
But should it?
Hohne said. “We’ll partner with
As tech giants like Google and
many different companies to bring
Apple look to automobiles as the
this technology into the world
next frontier for innovation, they
safely.”
face a looming reality: Cars are a lot
The strategy is consistent with
harder to manufacture and sell than
AP Photo/Richard Drew, File
smartphones.
In this April 30, 2015 file photo, how Google currently operates.
Industry veterans and critics Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at It relies on other companies to
warn that the auto business is a IBM Watson headquarters, in produce the devices powered by
different animal. It’s fraught with New York. Cook avoided com- its software. Most smartphones,
massive costs to erect auto plants, menting on reports that Apple for example, operate on its Android
software. But the company doesn’t
complexities in developing new may be building its own car.
sales and service systems, and Valley techies, that they believe make any of the devices.
If its self-driving system makes it
daunting liabilities involved when they are smarter than the world’s
human lives are at stake.
automobile business, and that they to market, the company could license
Automakers recalled a record 64 will do it better,” said Bob Lutz, the software for a fee or, perhaps,
million vehicles in 2014, shattering a retired General Motors vice making it free to use like Android.
That’s because it makes most
the old record of 30.8 million set in chairman. “No way.”
2004.
GOOGLE: Mountain View, of its money from ads within their
General Motors Co. has had California-based Alphabet, the new popular online services. If they no
WR SD\ ELOOLRQ WR FRYHU ¿QHV holding company for Google and longer need to drive, people might
victim compensation and the recall LWV DI¿OLDWHG EXVLQHVVHV KDV VSHQW spend time in their cars watching
of millions of vehicles for faulty six years working on cars that can videos on Google-owned YouTube
ignition switches. Toyota Motor drive without human assistance. or seeking information on Google’s
&RUS SDLG D ELOOLRQ ¿QH IRU But the company says it doesn’t search engine — both of which
failing to report safety defects, and want the responsibility of building show ads.
APPLE: Apple CEO Tim Cook
Volkswagen Group has set aside the robotic vehicles.
$7.3 billion for the potential costs
Instead, it plans to make the self- told an audience this week that
of its emissions scandal.
driving system available to auto- the automotive industry is ripe
“I think, like so many Silicon makers that already have factories, for “massive change,” with new
By BREE FOWLER
AP Technology Writer
software, electric motors and self-
driving capability becoming “much
more important, in a huge way.”
But Cook avoided commenting
on reports that Apple may be
building its own car, according to
a video recording of his remarks
Monday at a technology confer-
ence sponsored by The Wall Street
Journal.
“What we really want, hopefully
in the short term, is we’d like people
as they enter their car to be able to
have an iPhone experience in their
car,” he said.
Apple has developed software
for automakers called CarPlay,
which lets drivers use an iPhone
and its voice-activated assistant Siri
to operate some electronic controls
and entertainment systems.
In a research note, UBS analyst
Steven Milunovich cites the $2 tril-
lion auto industry as a potential new
opportunity at a time when sales of
smartphones, tablets and PCs are
seeing slower growth globally.
Milunovich noted, however, that
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margins than iPhones.
Apple, which makes most of
its money from iPhones, reported
$39.5 billion in net income for its
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$182.8 billion. GM reported only
BRIEFLY
Good Shepherd hires new
communication director
HERMISTON — To help meet the
demands of the changes in health care and to
increase community awareness about Good
Shepherd Health Care System services, the
organization recently hired Nick Bejarano
as its new marketing and communication
director.
Bejarano comes to Good Shepherd
with more than 12 years of experience
in marketing. Most
recently he worked
as senior marketing
and communications
manager for a
two-hospital and
22-clinic system in
California.
“Eastern Oregon is
a beautiful place and
Hermiston is a great
small community
Bejarano
to raise a family,”
Bejarano said. “Good Shepherd Health Care
System also has a reputation as being a great
place to work and has a renowned legacy of
caring for the community.”
Bejarano said some of the services Good
Shepherd offers including the state-of-
the-art robotic surgery is something most
communities the same size would never
have an opportunity to take advantage of.
He also said he is impressed with the robust
education department, advanced imaging
services, primary care and specialty doctors.
He looks forward to sharing about services
available with the community.
He characterizes himself as a family man
and wannabe endurance athlete. In his spare
time, Bejarano plans to explore Oregon with
his wife, Karene, and two children Abigail,
9, and Zachary, 8.
Bejarano can be reached at 541-667-
3460 or nbejarano@gshealth.org.
EOU offers free biz class
LA GRANDE — Learn about self-
evaluation, available resources, choosing
a legal structure, building a business plan,
preparing for a lender and marketing during
a free seminar at Eastern Oregon University.
Business Basics, held in conjunction
with the Small Business Administration, is
Friday, Oct. 30 from noon to 2 p.m. in the
University’s Community Room in Hoke
Union Building, La Grande. Lunch is
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billion.
Apple outsources manufacturing
to contractors in Asia. That may be
PRUHGLI¿FXOWWRGRZLWKFDUVVDLG
Jack Nerad, an analyst at Kelley
Blue Book’s KBB.com.
While an iPhone is complex,
with about 1,700 components in an
iPhone 6 Plus, it pales in compar-
ison to a vehicle, which has some
10,000 parts.
UBER: Self-driving technology
has also piqued the interest of Uber,
the fast-growing Silicon Valley
startup that operates a ride-hailing
service in cities around the world.
Uber said earlier this year that it was
partnering with Carnegie Mellon
University to research and develop
new technologies for mapping,
vehicle safety and autonomous
driving.
The company hasn’t said
whether it hopes to use autonomous
technology to replace its thousands
of drivers, who work as contractors
driving their own cars.
But CEO Travis Kalanick has
suggested Uber could someday
expand with the help of self-driving
vehicles, and touted the technolo-
gy’s promise for improving safety
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HEPPNER
available for purchase at the Mountie Café
before the seminar starts.
The class is appropriate for current and
future business owners. Those attending are
asked to register at www.eousbdc.com.
For more information contact 541-962-
1532 or eousbdc@gmail.com.
Free treats at Chuckwagon
HERMISTON — The public is invited
to enjoy free Halloween treats at the
Chuckwagon Café.
Costumed children and their chaperones
can enjoy free hot chocolate or any other
bottomless beverages, including soda, coffee
or tea.
Drop in and say “trick-or-treat” Saturday,
Oct. 31 from 2-8:30 p.m. at 81027 Highway
395 N., Hermiston.
Wildhorse receives
Toastmasters award
PENDLETON — Wildhorse Resort &
Casino recently received the Toastmasters
Corporate Recognition Award.
The award was presented in recognition
of Wildhorse’s continuous support of
the Cay-Uma-Wa Toastmasters Club in
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September 2007.
7RDVWPDVWHUV,QWHUQDWLRQDOLVDQRQSUR¿W
educational organization that teaches
public speaking and leadership skills. For
LQIRUPDWLRQLQFOXGLQJKRZWR¿QGDJURXS
visit www.toastmasters.org.
Earnings increase in 2015
at Bank of Eastern Oregon
release.
The growth in deposits, loans and assets,
Bank of Eastern Oregon netted earnings Bailey said, are primarily attributed to the
of $761,000, or 62 cents per share, during acquisition of Bank Reale in Pasco and adding
the third quarter of 2015 and the bank’s DORDQRI¿FHLQ0DGUDVHDUOLHUWKLV\HDU
“We continue to see impressive growth
board voted this week to pay out a 70 cent
in shareholders’ equity, which has increased
dividend to shareholders for the year.
Both the quarter and year were more by 10.3 percent year over year,” added
SUR¿WDEOHWKDQZKHQWKHEDQNHDUQHG &KLHI )LQDQFLDO 2I¿FHU 0DUN /HPPRQ
$679,000 in the third quarter and paid a “We are well capitalized by all regulatory
and industry measures.”
dividend of 60 cents.
As an agricultural-based bank, Bailey
At the end of the third quarter, year-to-date
earnings are up 0.6 percent at $1,955,000. said the continued drought conditions took
Also, total assets were $341.1 million, up 10 a toll on small grain harvest and commodity
percent. Net loans of $282.1 million were up prices are down for wheat, hay and cattle.
“While these factors are concerning, we
11.3 percent from the same period in 2014,
while deposits were at $301.3 million, up 9.2 do not expect severe problems in the loan
portfolio,” Bailey added.
percent.
Dividends will be paid to shareholders of
“Earnings for the quarter are strong
when compared to last year and year-to-date record on Dec. 1.
For more information about Bank of
numbers are slightly better than 2014,” said
President and CEO Jeff Bailey in a press Eastern Oregon, visit www.beobank.com.
East Oregonian
Twitter CEO gives up $200M
in stock for employees
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After laying
off more than 300 workers, Twitter CEO
Jack Dorsey is trying to lift the spirits of the
remaining employees by giving them 6.8
million shares of the stock he owns in the
online messaging service.
Dorsey is giving up the stock, currently
worth more than $200 million, so Twitter can
award the shares to its employees, according
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and Exchange Commission.
The gesture comes a week after Dorsey
laid off 8 percent of Twitter’s workforce in
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gift represents nearly one-third of the stock
Dorsey owns in the San Francisco company.
If you call a contractor yourself,
that still counts as DIY.
Fre e Adult
Flu Shots
Pendleton Convention Center
Parking Lot
Drive Through Clinic
Monday, October 26, 7 AM – 2 PM
Tuesday, October 27, 11 AM – 6 PM
For convenience, please
wear a short sleeve shirt.
For more information, contact Tracy
541-278-3262
2801 St. Anthony Way
Pendleton, OR 97801
www.sahpendleton.org
Look to a U.S. Bank Home Equity Line of Credit for your next
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U.S. Bank Package Checking accounts. Member FDIC ©2015 U.S. Bank. All rights reserved. 150859 9/15