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Didi halts carpooling across China after passenger's murder
Didi Chuxing has suspended its Hitch carpooling service across all of China in the wake of a driver raping and killing a passenger on August 24th. The ridesharing company wanted time to address the "many deficiencies" with its customer service approach that appear to have cost the victim her life, including the "cumbersome and rigid" process of sharing information with police. A customer had complained to Didi about the the driver's sexually threatening behavior a day before, but the company didn't follow through with an investigation that might have banned the driver in time to prevent the tragedy.
China’s Didi restricts some rides to same-sex drivers
Last month, a passenger using Didi Chuxing's carpooling service Hitch was allegedly killed by a driver using his father's account. Since then, the company has been rolling out new safety measures for its ridesharing platforms including updates to its emergency help feature and making driver facial recognition verification mandatory for each Hitch trip. Didi also stopped allowing Hitch trips between the hours of 10PM and 6AM as it considered additional measures. Now, Reuters reports, the company is extending its hours but will only allow late-night and early-morning rides between drivers and passengers of the same sex.
Didi sets new ridesharing safety measures following murder
China's Didi Chuxing is rolling out new safety measures for its Hitch carpooling service after a driver allegedly killed a passenger last week. Drivers will need to verify their identities through facial recognition before each trip -- the alleged murderer, who was also found dead over the weekend, was using his father's Hitch account when he picked up the victim. Drivers using Didi's other ridesharing programs must pass a facial recognition test before each shift as well.
Lyft snaps up company that makes carpooling with strangers more efficient
Lyft, it seems, is going to be getting a bit bigger and, perhaps, a touch better. The not-a-cab outfit has recently acquired a stranger-based carpooling company by the name of Hitch. The service itself will shut down, but TechCrunch says that the startup's founders will be putting "some of what" they had built for their own company into Lyft Line's brand of ride-sharing. So long as the tech (a proprietary rider-matching engine, from the sounds of it) means that Line can be a viable alternative to Uber's surge pricing, it should work out pretty well for everyone involved. Just remember: the Golden Rule applies to strangers regardless of venue -- no matter how, ahem, unique they might be. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Samsung Galaxy S Gingerbread update pulled 'by Google,' needs a little more work
Come on, this is Samsung we're talking about here -- you didn't think a software update from Korea's leading smartphone maker would go without a hitch, did you? The Gingerbread build that made its way out to European Galaxy S handsets over the weekend has now been halted, on account of an unspecified issue that has been identified after release. Vodafone reports that it's Google who's actually responsible for temporarily suspending the Android 2.3 delivery over Kies, although the problem is apparently not universal -- Voda's Galaxy S devices are said to be unaffected, which is why the carrier's working hard to get things rolling again as soon as possible. Oh Samsung, when will it end? [Thanks, Jake]
Hitch iPod2iPod USB Transfer Device
The Hitch iPod2iPod USB Transfer Device is an interesting little device for copying songs between two iPods without a computer in between. You just plug both iPods into the Hitch and you can "select and transfer songs, albums and videos between the two iPods" directly. The Hitch has a little LCD for selecting songs, and even runs a version of Linux, presumably opening up many cool hacking possibilities. In fact, the Hitch works with any two USB Mass Storage devices, like USB external hard drives or USB thumbdrives. Now for the bad news: any FairPlay music will not play until after a sync (though unprotected files will play immediately), and worst of all "Hitch will only work between two iPods that have been initially configured under Windows OS," which is to say only on iPods that are formatted with FAT32 and not OS X's default HFS+.[Via Digg]
Hitch Blu-ray review...sans Blu-ray player
In a review that is probably relevant to most of us who haven't yet committed $1000 to buying the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player, Big Picture Big Sound has taken the somewhat unusual approach of reviewing Sony Pictures Blu-ray release of Hitch without actually watching it. We're sure that many HD DVD supporters find the pictured use of the disc as the best way to take advantage of MPEG-2 25GB SL Blu-ray movies, and even some Blu-ray backers may decide that it's better to wait for all the PQ glitches to be worked out before giving a final review. This is best served as a reminder that not only is the format war not over yet, it has barely begun...and that we can always use the loser for coasters.
Sima Products "Hitch" USB transfer device reviewed
The intriguing Sima Products Hitch (USB-101) perked a lot of ears when it debuted at this year's CES, and this USB middleman has now been tested by iLounge, and certified to tackle all your USB On-The-Go needs. The most obvious attraction here is the unadulterated ability to transfer files (music, pictures, whatever) from iPod to iPod, a not-so-straightforward process usually requires at least a computer and a semi-technical guru to run the show. iLounge asserted that the no-nonsense approach to copying files from any USB device -- be it a hard drive, DAP, digital camera, memory card reader, etc. -- to another USB device by using its intuitive on-screen guide was fairly painless. It was deemed an answer to countless requests, but as with most newcomers, it isn't without flaw. Possibly the biggest shortcoming is its inability to work natively with HFS-formatted iPods (sorry Mac users), while it's also relatively slow (6 seconds for a 4MB song), and occasionally had trouble moving entire iPod databases using default settings. You can even power the Hitch with the built-in battery, but don't expect to flip too much data without resorting to the AC adapter. While Sima Products has a potential hit on its hands, the biggest turn-off is probably its price: at $150, only the heaviest of users would likely find value here. If you want to know everything about the Hitch and then some, be sure to hit the Read link for iLounge's in-depth review. [Via TUAW]
iLounge reviews USB transfer device
iLounge has posted a review of Hitch, a sort of USB middle man device that allows transferring files between two USB devices, including iPods. The Hitch is apparently a little slow, taking 6 seconds to transfer a 4MB song, but hey: it beats needing a computer to do it if you're a chronic swapper borrower, or if you're getting into the 'I bought a new iPod and I need help to move over all my music' business.There is one catch with the device specific to the Mac community though: it can't read HFS formatted iPods. Still, I figured this was worth posting, as not all of our readers are 100% Mac users all of the time (and yes, it's ok. We won't hold it against you). Plus, if we can help get the word out on such a handy device, maybe enough Mac users *ahem* could send an email to Sima Products, the Hitch's manufacturer, and make a request for some HFS love.
Hands-on with Sima's Hitch USB transfer device
The iPod-heads over at iLounge have just gotten their hands on that Hitch device from Sima for iPod-to-iPod and other on-the-go USB file transfers. They seemed to like what they see, noting that the interface is about as easy to use as it could be, and the Linux-based kernel seemed plenty stable and capable. According to Sima's own numbers, the USB 2.0 unit can transfer a 4MB song in 6 seconds, which should be fine for most transfers, but could get tiring for major file swapping sessions. The main limitation that iLounge spotted is that the device will only work with PC-formatted iPods, which might pose a problem for some users, especially those with older units, but shouldn't be much of a deal breaker for most. Check the read link for plenty of hot file-transfer action shots.
Sima's Hitch allows USB devices to share files
Transferring digital files between disparate hardware no longer has to be such a chore thanks to a new Mass Storage- and Picture Transfer Protocol-compliant offering from Sima Products called Hitch (model USB-101), which lets you connect nearly any digital camera, DAP, PMP, or flash drive with a USB connection and send single files or entire albums to a like device. Once both products are hooked up, you simply need to choose what you want to send and where you want it to go using Hitch's 2.5-inch backlit black and white screen, and your digital swag starts zipping between devices at USB 2.0 speeds (or USB 1.1, if your gear is a bit pokier). You'll be able to pick one of these up -- DRM-compliance and all -- later this month for about $150.
