Cyanogen, once famous for Android ROMs, has switched gear and will now focus on the next big thing — self-driving cars.
If you’re tech-savvy (and you’re a reader of ours, so you obviously are…) then you’ve likely heard of Cyanogen. The company started its journey building custom Android ROMs for the many tinkerers on the Android platform.
A year ago, Cyanogen changed its name to Cyngn and discontinued building Android ROMs to focus on a “modular” OS which is easier for manufacturers to integrate (after all, the company has first-hand experience of what Android OEMs have to go through…)
Nothing ever seemed to come of the project, and it seems the company — like most of us — has come to concede that smartphones will remain dominated by iOS and Android. Like Microsoft, it seems that Cyngn is giving up on smartphone operating systems and looking to what’s next.
Axios found references and job listings on Cyngn’s website that point towards its new interest in developing self-driving technology. The job adverts reveal the company wants people able to create and run autonomous system software, as well as mapping and perception systems across facilities in Singapore and Palo Alto.
Unlike the smartphone market, there is no definitive leader in self-driving technology and it’s a ripe opportunity. Cyngn is certainly not alone, however, and will face some fierce competition from automotive titans and tech giants including Apple, Waymo, Comma.ai, NVIDIA, Drive.ai, and Nutonomy.
Nevertheless, we look forward to seeing what Cyngn can offer, and we’ll be sure to follow the company as they embark on their next journey. We’ll keep you updated.
What are your thoughts on the company's shift into self-driving technology? Let us know in the comments.
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