Google has quietly launched a service called Google Cloud Functions. It allows developers to set up functions that get triggered in response to certain events. Google claimed that it’s similar to the Lambda service from Amazon Web Services.

According to Cloud Functions documents, “Google Cloud Functions is a lightweight, event-based, asynchronous compute solution that allows you to create small, single-purpose functions that respond to cloud events without the need to manage a server or a runtime environment.” Cloud Functions is also written in JavaScript and executed in a managed Node.js environment on Google Cloud Platform. Events from Google Cloud Storage and Google Cloud Pub/Sub can trigger Cloud Functions asynchronously, or use HTTP invocation for synchronous execution. Pricing information is not available because the service is still in beta. No public tweet, blog, or announcement has been made yet by Google.

The U.S. tells Google computer system can count as a driver
U.S. vehicle safety regulators have said the artificial intelligence system in control of a self-driving Google car could be considered a driver under federal law. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told Google of the decision in a previously unreported Feb. 4 letter to the company that was posted on the agency’s website this week, according to Reuters.

Google’s self-driving car unit submitted a proposed design for a self-driving car that has “no need for a human driver,” the letter (written by NHTSA chief counsel Paul Hemmersbaugh) said, according to Reuters.

Microsoft employees raise US$125 million for nonprofits
Microsoft’s Employee Giving Program has raised $125 million for nonprofits and schools around the world in 2015, including the company’s matching of employee contributions. Microsoft said in a blog post that this is the greatest year-over-year increase in the program’s history.

The results show that Microsoft employees are reaching out to more than 18,000 nonprofits and doing work to strengthen those communities. Some of the work they have done for organizations include providing shelter for those fleeing wildfires, providing mentorship and skills training for at-risk youth, and running civic engagement campaigns. Additionally, Microsoft said the participation rate from the Employee Giving Program increased by 71%.