Clubhouse Allows Creator Pay; Cook-Apple AR & Car; Android Auto-More Apps; Softbank Invests in Warehouse Robotics

Buzzy social audio app Clubhouse will let all users pay other creators . Theverge.com says it’s the first monetization tool built right into the app. Clubhouse says it won’t take a cut of payments, meaning that creators get the entirety of what somebody sends them. Not everyone will be able to receive payments just yet, though; that will be rolling out in waves, “starting with a small test group,” according to Clubhouse. Right now, Clubhouse is only available on iOS as an invite-only app, though an Android version is in the works. 

Tim Cook has hinted at Apple’s vision for augmented reality tech, telling Sway’s Kara Swisher that charts and other visual elements could enhance conversation. Cnet.com notes that he wouldn’t confirm reports that the company is working on a mixed reality headset, but he agreed with Swisher’s suggestion that AR is “critically important” to Apple’s future. Also—Cook didn’t rule out the possibility of the long-rumored Apple Car, noting that such a device’s autonomy would be its “core technology.” 

Android Auto users will soon see a greater variety of navigation, parking and charging apps on the Play Store. Google is now allowing third-party developers to push software in those categories to production. According to engadget.com, that means you’ll soon start seeing those apps show up on the Play Store. Up to now, Google allowed third-party developers to release messaging and media apps for Android Auto, but not much else. 

Japanese investment firm The SoftBank Group has announced it will spend $2.8 billion to buy a 40% stake in robotics company AutoStore System, which specializes in robotics for warehouses. Zdnet.com says that company develops a line of robots, including the “R5,” a member of its Red Line series, for moving bins full of goods around a warehouse. Its software offerings, such as AutoStore’s “The Router,” optimize the movement of robotics systems around a warehouse.