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Lyft tests a new fixed-route 'Shuttle' service for commuters
Now that shared rides represent a sizable portion of Uber and Lyft's business, both companies have been looking for new ways to expand their offerings while making the whole system more efficient and affordable at the same time. According to TechCrunch, Lyft is currently testing a new version of its shared Line rides called "Lyft Shuttle" aimed directly at commuters and riders who regularly take busy routes.
FCC stops federal approval of low-income broadband subsidies
When FCC Chairman Ajit Pai froze the plan to include nine broadband companies in the commission's Lifeline program in February, the future of low-cost, government subsidized internet access suddenly seemed uncertain. Now, nearly two months later, Chairman Pai has released a new statement saying that the commission supports including broadband in the Lifeline program, but will put a stop to the federal approvals process for new providers. Instead, it will let individual states decide which service providers should be included.
The Morning After: Wednesday, March 29th 2017
Welcome to mid-week. We've got sub-$1,000 4K TVs in decent sizes, the US government voted on whether ISPs can sell your browser history, and IKEA is getting into the smart lighting game. You might have heard -- the device has been leaked enough -- that Samsung's Galaxy S8 will get its official unveiling later today. We'll be live from the event, which kicks off at 11AM ET in New York.
Google's Duo chat app expands beyond video calls
Google loves to put out messaging apps, and until now, Duo was the one for making video calls. That changes today, according to a tweet from Google exec Amit Fulay. Duo users can also use the app to make voice calls. The feature, which debuted in Brazil earlier this month, is now available worldwide, although Google hopes it'll be especially popular in areas where high-bandwidth internet access isn't always available.
US House votes to let ISPs sell your browser history
With a slim majority of 215 to 205, the US House of Representatives just passed a resolution rolling back FCC privacy regulations. Approved last year, the rules required that ISPs get your explicit permission before selling "sensitive data" like your browsing history. The resolution already passed the Senate last week, and now will go before the President, who has said he plans to sign it.
Immigration chat bot can help you with the H-1B visa
When Visabot went live last November, the Facebook Messenger-based artificial intelligence attempted to simplify the US visa application process and help many people skip the fees associated with a visit to an immigration lawyer. At the time, however, Visabot's conversational approach only supported two types of visas for travel or "exceptional individuals." Now, as promised, Visabot support is adding support for the H-1B visa transfers and applications that many Silicon Valley companies rely on for attracting talent.
PGA will test shot distance trackers on three tours
Not surprisingly, the PGA has been hesitant to let golfers use distance trackers on the course. In theory, they take all the challenge out of picking the right club. The association isn't stuck in its ways, however. Officials have announced that they'll let players test distance measuring devices at certain tournaments on the Web.com Tour, the Mackenzie Tour in Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica. Competitors won't be allowed to gauge elevation, slope or wind, but this could still help them take more informed swings.
Uber plans to ditch Denmark over new taxi laws
Uber likes to think of itself as an enabler of small business, a connector of independent contractors with people who need a ride. Unfortunately for the San Francisco-based company, many places around the world disagree. The company's latest setback is in Denmark, where a new set of laws will require taxi cabs to have seat occupancy sensors and fare meters. Uber confirmed with The Guardian that it will not be able to operate unless the regulations are changed.
Democrats demand the FCC tackle cybersecurity
Two Democrats in Congress are imploring FCC head Ajit Pai to address cybersecurity issues in the United States, arguing vulnerabilities in cellular networks infringe on citizens' liberties and pose a "serious threat" to national security. Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Ted Lieu penned a letter to Pai laying out known issues in modern communications systems and asking the FCC to step in. However, that's unlikely to happen.
Trump rolls back Obama-era climate change policies
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that rolls back policies designed to combat climate change implemented by former President Barack Obama. The order is a broad stroke, touching everything from federal policy-making to Energy Star regulations on home appliances. However, today's move specifically targets the Clean Power Plan, allowing the Trump administration to rewrite carbon emission rules for new and existing power plants. It also restarts the federal coal leasing program, enabling energy companies to once again buy the rights to mine on federal lands.
Uber is just as white and male as every other tech company
Uber is aware that its culture needs to change, and that means understanding what its culture is. To that end, the ridesharing giant has posted its first-ever diversity report... and it's clear that the company suffers from the same homogeneity problems as its tech industry peers. Women represent 36.1 percent of its global workforce, and that number plunges to 15.4 percent when you look at technical roles. And not surprisingly, there's not a lot of cultural variety. In the US, just under half (49.8 percent) of Uber employees are white, while 30.9 percent are Asian. And those figures are exaggerated at the top -- 22 percent of executives are women, and 76.7 percent of them are white.
Waze's 'Order Ahead' is a quicker way to grab food on the go
Waze is a valuable travel buddy because of the many ways it can assist you on the road. The navigation app helps drivers avoid traffic, it integrates with Spotify, and it has a growing ride-sharing platform. In an effort to aid users in all commute-related endeavors, drivers can now place a Dunkin' Donuts order right from the Waze app.
Amazon takes on supermarkets with drive-through grocery pickup
Over the last couple of decades, Amazon has slowly conquered the online retail space. The Seattle-based e-commerce company has made it possible to purchase any thing from books to live ladybugs within seconds. But the site hasn't seen the same success with groceries. With AmazonFresh, a monthly subscription for pantry items, the one-click convenience became available for food but consumers continue to stay skeptical of purchasing fruits and veggies online. Now, the company has launched AmazonFresh Pickup, essentially a drive-through, so shoppers can grab their groceries in-person but they never have to leave their car.
Tinder on the desktop: Looking for love in another wrong place
Tinder has arrived to the desktop with Tinder Online, finally helping you find love (or sex) on the web without a smartphone or tablet. The dating site describes the web app as "your English professor's worst nightmare," letting you seek partners where your mobile phone normally can't go, like work or a classroom. The company also sees it as a way to attract users from developing nations who lack decent wireless connectivity or "don't have enough memory to support Tinder on their mobile phones."
Uber is building its own EV charging network in London
Uber's fleet of electric vehicles in London is set to rise in the coming weeks after the company announced an expansion of its partnership with Nissan. The two companies have committed to deliver an additional 100 Nissan Leaf EVs, trebling the number of green vehicles available via its app. To power them, it'll also build its own charging network in the capital.
Adidas' All Day app aims to help you stay fit and eat healthy
Earlier this month, at SXSW, Adidas teased it was working on new, "open" digital fitness products. And today we're getting a clearer picture of its strategy, thanks to the introduction of All Day, an app for iOS and Android that's designed for "versatile" athletes. What this means, according to Adidas, is that the application will focus on a series of health aspects: movement, nutrition, mindset and rest. This isn't just about hardcore workout sessions, as is the case with most fitness apps.
Amazon's new Prime perk gets you the best seats in the house
With the weather beginning to brighten up, Amazon's introducing a new perk for Prime members that aims to get you to down your Kindle, drag yourself off your comfy sofa and venture out to see some live gigs and events. Starting this Thursday, Amazon Tickets -- the UK-only service (for now) we'd also kinda forgotten about -- will begin offering Prime members early dibs on gig and theatre tickets at least 24 hours before they go on general sale, starting with the upcoming tours of acts including Art Garfunkel and The Darkness. And if you really want to make a night of it, Prime subscribers can also splash their cash to get on the list for Amazon's premium seating and luxury lounges at various London venues.
The Morning After: Tuesday, March 28th 2017
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to Tuesday, and we're letting an AI influence our tweets, see cell division that looks like the intro to an X-Men movie, and hear about Andy Rubin's new smartphone. In case you didn't know, he was the guy behind Android. Not too bad for a Tuesday, unofficially the most average day of the week.
Elon Musk's Neuralink will plug AI into your brain
Somewhere between rolling out new Teslas, launching re-usable rockets and digging a tunnel under Los Angeles, Elon Musk managed to start yet another new company. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Musk's latest project is called Neuralink and its goal is to explore technology that can make direct connections between a human brain and a computer.
Air pollution makes surprisingly good art supplies
Plumes of diesel exhaust contain a mixture of things both nasty and harmless. A lot of it, however, is carbon. Carbon can be useful and (as you might recall from school) is often jet black in color. Start-up Graviky has created an exhaust filter that can pull 95% of the carbon soot from diesel exhausts, and then transform this into useable, purified, black ink or paint. The result is what co-founder Anirudh Sharma calls Air-Ink, and it's already being used in markers and oil-based paints. The process is far more sustainable than typical methods for making black carbon ink, which requires directly burning fossil fuels. The project is turning something we don't want, air pollution, into something we do: art. Oh, and billboard ads.
