In today’s Bulldog wrapup of tech and life science news:

  • Chapel Hill joins AT&T Smart City initiative
  • Analyst’s upgrade sends Cree shares up
  • Chimerix shares plunge on bad clinical trial news
  • Uber says one of its drivers was involved in the Michigan shootings
  • Facebook updates Messenger

The details:

  • Chapel Hill embraces Smart City IoT

AT&T (NYSE: T) and the Town of Chapel Hill are going to be working together on an Internet of Things project as part of AT&T’s Smart City program.

“Particular emphasis will be on the downtown corridor of Chapel Hill called Franklin Street, a mix of retail, public transit and parking, college student activities, and entertainment venues,” AT&T said.

“The street gives AT&T and the Town of Chapel Hill the opportunity to explore and implement many of the service offerings AT&T and its alliance members can provide today around public safety, as well as smart lighting solutions, parking sensors, public venue options and transit.”

For more details, see:

Smart Cities: http://www.att.com/iot

  • Chimerix shares plunge

Some bad clinical trial news today triggered a massive sell-off of Chimerix (Nasdaq: CMRX) shares.

Shares dropped nearly 40 percent to a new 52-week low before rallying.

See more at:

Chimerix Stumbles Over Late Stage Results

  • Cree shares rally

Shares in Durham-based Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) are rallying some 5 percent today after an anlyst upgraded the stock.

“We believe that the restructuring of the LED products segment has positioned the business to post resilient mid-30% gross margins, while the trough-like Q4 profits for component producers could hasten curtailment of higher-cost capacity in Asia,” analyst Mike Ritzenthaler said.

See more at:

Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/16/02/6494320/piper-jaffray-flips-switch-on-cree-upgrades-on-multiple-#ixzz40uYMIq44

  • Facebook updates Messenger

Facebook has redesigned its popular Messenger app so several people can use it on the same smartphone or tablet without relinquishing their privacy.

The update announced Friday initially will only be available on devices running on Android, the world’s most popular mobile operating system. Facebook didn’t set a timetable for making similar changes to its Messenger app for Apple Inc.’s iPhone and iPad.

The new feature will accommodate multiple accounts without allowing people sharing the more versatile app to get into each other’s queue of messages.

Facebook added the ability to switch accounts within the Messenger app after getting requests from people who share their smartphones and tablets with family and friends.

More than 800 million people currently use Messenger.

  • Uber driver involved in shootings

As authorities look for the reasons why a Michigan man allegedly embarked on a mass shooting spree over the weekend, the ride-hailing service Uber is addressing his record as a driver with the company.

Critics say the episode could bring more attention to concerns about the fast-growing service, which has been dogged by controversy on the road to becoming one of the most valuable privately funded companies in the world.

Jason Dalton, the man arrested in connection with the Kalamazoo rampage that left six people dead, is a former insurance adjuster who had been working as a driver for Uber’s ride-hailing service. Authorities were investigating unconfirmed reports he may have picked up passengers in the hours before and after the rampage on Saturday.

San Francisco-based Uber has been one of the most successful tech industry startups in recent years, as millions of customers have flocked to use its smartphone app for hailing rides in 380 cities around the globe. The company says its drivers are independent contractors who use the app to help find customers and schedule trips.

Private backers have poured more than $10 billion into the company, under terms that value the business at more than $50 billion — making it the biggest in a recent wave of tech firms that have grown to enormous size without taking the traditional step of selling stock to the public.

But since its launch in 2009, Uber has faced criticism for a pricing formula that can send rates skyrocketing at times of high demand, and for side-stepping regulators and licensing requirements in some cities where it’s opened for business. And after several reported assaults by drivers, critics have also complained the company should do more to screen drivers and guard passengers’ safety.