The Daily Crunch 10/14/2016 Consumer drones used to wage war, Uber's latest labor issues and VR's potential savior. All that and more in The Daily Crunch for October 14, 2016. And if you can't convince top-tier Hollywood talent to voice your personal AI assistant, you really need to be trying harder. 1. Unintended consequences of the consumer drone revolution Drones are regularly used in modern warfare, but consumer drones are now finding their way into conflicts and delivering deadly attacks, by way of ISIS. This week saw the first confirmed use of a consumer drone in a deadly capacity by ISIS, which is troubling for many reasons. It was suggested that a DJI Phantom might've been used for the attack, which is why DJI's perspective on the matter as related to Kate is such a must-read. 
2. Uber's latest setback Uber continues to try to promote the view that it's a platform linking service providers with demand, but a new ruling by the New York State Department of Labor contends that regardless of how Uber wants to position it, at least two of its drivers are now classified as employees of the company rather than contractors. It's only the two who filed the complaint to begin with, but the state labor agency is now looking to do a "comprehensive audit" of Uber which could change the game dramatically. Looks like those self-driving Ubers can't come fast enough for the company's business model. 3. GM's Maven expands to the Bay area Meanwhile, GM's in-house Zipcar alternative is growing steadily, with a fresh launch in Uber's home turf of the San Francisco Bay Area. The car-sharing service definitely isn't a direct competitor to Uber, but its growth could eventually form part of a multi-part strategy that includes Lyft, GM's partner (and potential acquisition target). 4. PlayStation's entry into the VR market makes a splash PlayStation's PSVR made its official debut yesterday, and the PlayStation 4 add-on is hands-down the easiest, best all-around VR experience a consumer can have in their home today. That's because of a number of factors, including ease of use, convenience of setup, and content library. And it might not actually be the best VR system for you specifically – it's just the one that stands the best chance of reaching the largest number of people and convincing them the tech has potential. 5. Verizon's serious about this Yahoo breach The Yahoo security breach might end up nixing the whole Yahoo deal, and Verizon's not making any secret of its displeasure. The telco giant (which is TechCrunch's parent company) said via general counsel that Yahoo's big screw-up does appear to have material impact on Yahoo's value to VZ, and it's on Yahoo to convince them otherwise. Show your work, Yahoo. 6. Spotify's CEO is now also its board chair Spotify has a leadership shift that puts CEO Daniel Ek at the head of the board, replacing co-founder Martin Lorentzon who will step into the vice-chairman role instead. Why? A future U.S. IPO might be the culprit. 7. If you're Zuckerberg, Iron Man is your Jarvis Mark Zuckerberg is building an AI to help him run his home and life, and he's at the point where he needs a voice for his virtual assistant. The CEO issued an open call for suggestions, and one came from Iron Man himself; Robert Downey Jr. volunteered his services in exchange for a charitable donation made in the name of Paul Bettany, the voice behind Jarvis in the movies. It's all too real. | 
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