Weekly Tech Highlights: Tesla's Self-Driving Car, Nintendo's Smartphone Games And More

After weeks of dominating the headlines, Apple Inc. AAPL finally sat back and took a breather. Don't worry, it won't last long -- the Cupertino, California-based tech giant is sure to be back in the news very soon. Until then, there are plenty of other tech giants ready to take the spotlight.

Tesla Promised More Autonomous Features In The Near Future

Tesla Motors Inc TSLA will use a future software update to bring a number of autonomous features to the Model S. "If you're standing outside, you can press the button on your smartphone and the car will back up and come right in front of you," Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry told Benzinga. "Or you can automatically send the car back to its parking spot in the garage. It will automatically open the garage door itself and close the garage."

Related Link: Benzinga Fintech Awards Aim To Create Wealth In Capital Markets

Nintendo Made 180-Degree Turn, Announced Smartphone Development…

Nintendo Co., Ltd (ADR) NTDOY surprised investors this week when it announced that it will develop games for mobile devices. "It's exciting," Asif Khan, CFO of Virtue LLC and CEO of Shacknews.com, told Benzinga. "It's good news for Nintendo. First they were not willing to do this. I think they saw the writing on the wall with Wii U and even the waning success of the 3DS. The original DS sold over 100m units, while the 3DS is struggling to sell 60m. They have all the evidence in front of them, they have all this great IP -- it was kind of obvious for them to do something on mobile."

...Could An Apple Partnership Be Around The Corner?

After the smartphone announcement was made, an investor told Benzinga about the time he told Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to partner with Nintendo. "…He did say a strategic partnership -- if profitable -- makes a lot of sense," said Khan.

Amazon Set To Fly - With The FAA's Approval

Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN can start legally testing its drone delivery system. The company has been cleared for takeoff, but there are a number of restrictions in place. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, "Under the provisions of the certificate, all flight operations must be conducted at 400 feet or below during daylight hours in visual meteorological conditions. The UAS must always remain within visual line-of-sight of the pilot and observer. The pilot actually flying the aircraft must have at least a private pilot's certificate and current medical certification."

Google-Funded Startup Released First Augmented Reality Video

Google Inc GOOG led a Series B in Magic Leap worth $542 million. The mysterious augmented reality company has yet to reveal any official products, but it did post a teaser video that hints at what the firm is developing. Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.