Apple

Sources have told CNBC over 200 people have been fired this week from Apple's Project Titan group. A spokesperson for the tech company confirmed the layoffs to the business news channel. The person added "as the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019" some groups have been moved to other areas within the company, such as machine learning.

An Apple self-driving prototype has been rear-ended on a Silicon Valley expressway, revealing the technology company is still working on autonomous vehicles. According to a report by Automotive News, filings in a criminal case have confirmed Apple has at least 5000 employees working on its self-driving project. This latest prang seems to give credence to the idea the iPhone could be sold alongside a car, confirming the company moving forward with real-world tests.

Apple is reportedly working with Volkswagen to design and build a self-driving electric van to transport its employees between its Silicon Valley campuses. According to The New York Times, the self-driving car will be based on the chassis of the Volkswagen Transporter.

Ford and Toyota have created the SmartDeviceLink Consortium to develop and promote an in-car smartphone application connectivity standard that will, the car makers' hope, rival the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay app mirroring technologies. The announcement was made at CES 2017, and other automakers that will join with Ford and Toyota as foundation members of the SmartDeviceLink partnership include Mazda, the PSA Group (Peugeot, Citroen, DS), Subaru and Suzuki.

Welcome to the CarAdvice.com News Desk, a regular video wrap of the latest happenings in the automotive world and Australia's new-car market. Keeping you in the loop, Tegan Lawson presents a weekly video from the CarAdvice Garage,with everything you need to know about the week in news and reviews. What happened in the week ending October 14, 2016? Catch our video above, and links to the full stories below. THE WEEK IN NEWS: