GM’s self-driving unit acquires Pasadena tech company, SpaceX launches third set of Iridium Next satellites and Hulu dives into eSports with pact for four shows from ESL.

GM’s Self-Driving Unit Acquires Pasadena Tech Company

General Motors Co. announced on Monday that GM Cruise, its self-driving car subsidiary, had acquired Strobe, a Pasadena startup developing a technology that uses lasers to measure distances to other objects. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, the Business Journal reports. GM Cruise, based in San Francisco, acquired Strobe to gain its low-cost, high-performance laser technology known as Lidar.

SpaceX Launches Third Set of Iridium Next Satellites

Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. carried out the third of eight missions for Iridium Communications early Oct. 9, launching 10 more Iridium Next satellites on a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, SpaceNews reports. SpaceX landed the rocket’s first stage on the drone ship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Pacific Ocean about seven and a half minutes after liftoff, marking the 17th successful landing.

Hulu Dives Into eSports With Pact for Four Shows From ESL

Hulu ordered four original series about the world of competitive video-gaming from ESL, a major eSports content and tournament producer, Variety reports. The shows, which mark Hulu’s first foray into eSports, will premiere exclusively on the U.S. streaming platform later this fall.

Technology reporter Garrett Reim can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @garrettreim for the latest in L.A. tech news.