THE NEWS WRAP: Google X founder Sebastian Thrun leaves Google to focus on Udacity

Google X founder Sebastian Thrun has left his role as VP and fellow at the company.

Thrun launched Google’s driverless car project and was the project lead on Google Glass.

He is currently running an online education startup Udacity, which he also co-founded.

Google confirmed the news to TechCrunch.

“As the co-founder of Google [x] and our self-driving car project, Sebastian made huge advances in computer science and robotics that have paved the way for autonomous driving technology,” a spokesperson said.

“In his role as an advisor to Google [x] over the past couple years, he has provided invaluable inspiration and perspective to a variety of projects. In Udacity, Sebastian has his own-more-than-a-full-time-job moonshot to take, and we wish him well.”

Radius raises $54.7 million

Marketing automation software startup Radius Intelligence Inc has raised $US54.7 million ($A61.8m) from the Founders Fund and several other new and current investors, taking the startup’s total funding to about $80.1 million, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The company’s valuation last year was “less than $100 million” and while the valuation for this latest round was not disclosed, founder Darian Shirazi says it has more than tripled.

Some iPhone 6 Plus owners accidently bending their iPhones in pockets

A small but growing number of iPhone 6 Plus owners have reportedly bent their phones after carrying the devices in their pockets just days after launch, MacRumors reports.

As smartphones get larger and thinner, the riskier storing one in a pocket becomes. Unlike smaller phones that can slide out of the way, pressure points from sitting or bending now have greater potential to cause the longer iPhone to flex in a way that will damage the device.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 116.81 to 17,055.87. The Australian dollar is currently trading at US88 cents.