Uber buying self-driving truck startup Otto

The US ride-sharing service Uber announced Thursday it had acquired the commercial transport-focused tech startup Otto as the company presses ahead with its pursuit of self-driving technology. The announcement came as the company also announced a $300 million effort with the Sweden-based automaker Volvo Cars to develop driverless cars. "If that sounds like a big deal -- well, it is," Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said in a statement.