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Airbnb takes down its experimental Trips app for Android
Airbnb has pulled down an unreleased app it was testing from Google Play shortly after people caught wind of its existence and what it can do. The experimental application represents the future of the company, you see, one that goes beyond vacation home rentals. While the test wasn't open to the public, a Bloomberg report revealed that travelers will be able to use the app called Airbnb Trips to book restaurant reservations and even city tours. If it can truly offer everything you'll need when you go on a trip, then it has the potential to become an essential companion for jetsetters and frequent travelers.
Airbnb tests an app that plans your trips
Airbnb's efforts to plan your whole trip, not just your stay, just got a little more concrete. The home rental outfit is testing an Airbnb Trips app for Android (an iOS version should also be in the works) that shows you what to do once you've unpacked your bags. You can flip through a guidebook of local attractions, not just the tourist traps, and set an itinerary to keep you moving during your vacation. The test is closed to the public, but it's just as well. A Bloomberg source says that the features and even the name could change between now and launch, so what you see now may not be representative.
Airbnb hopes to redesign small towns
For Airbnb, it's not enough to try to shape city policies on home sharing -- it wants to shape the cities themselves. The service tells FastCo Design that it has created an innovation lab, Samara, whose aims include rethinking architecture and urban planning. If Airbnb can spark new life in small towns, the reasoning goes, it can create "new types of commerce" and attract more rentals to areas that might be on the decline. Samara's initial effort is a communal housing project for the small Japanese town of Yoshino (due to open soon after its October arrival), but there's talk of similar work for other small towns as well as new product designs, software and "economic models."
Airbnb files suit against San Francisco over rental laws
Airbnb's long-running tussles with home-city San Francisco have escalated even further. The rental outfit recently sued the city, claiming that a new law requiring hosts to register their living spaces with local government before listing them via Airbnb violates federal law. Which law? The Communications Decency Act, which, in part, ensures a website isn't on the hook for any damages that arise from what users might post on said website.
Chicago allows Airbnb to operate under restrictions
Alternate housing fans touring the Windy City, rejoice. Chicago's city council passed two measures yesterday to allow short-term rentals, permitting users to post their spaces on Airbnb so long as they play by new rules. Only so many living areas can be listed at one time in multi-unit residences, so get ready to ask your neighbors who's scheduled to rent out their apartment on which days.
Cities are collaborating on rules for Uber and Airbnb
The sharing economy,and the companies that embody it, have often waded into a fight wherever they set up shop. That's because local governments aren't nimble enough to cope with such radically new ideas, and the companies themselves often struggle with compromise. In order to smooth things over, a coalition of 10 cities across the globe are collaborating on a framework that'll provide these companies with ground rules to abide by. Bloomberg quotes New York official Wiley Norvell, who says that providing common rules will help both protect users and ensure that political voices are heard by famously regulation-averse startups.
New York votes to ban ads for whole apartments on Airbnb
New York already makes it illegal to offer your whole apartment for short-term rentals through services like Airbnb, but it's giving that legislation some added bite. As part of a flurry of end-of-term approvals, the state's assembly and senate have voted for a bill that would make it illegal just to advertise your entire place for a short (under 30 days) rental. You'll face a $1,000 fine the first time you're caught, $5,000 the second time and $7,500 the third. Governor Cuomo still has to sign the bill into law, but that's likely to be a mere formality.
Airbnb makes it easier to find a place to stay with your friends
Airbnb addressed the problem of racist hosts at the beginning of its OpenAir conference today, but the event is primarily focused on new technology and products. As such, VP of technology Mike Curtis quickly took the stage to announce three new products: group collaborative wish lists, an improved booking process for business travelers and multi-party reviews for when a group of guests stay at a property.
Airbnb CEO addresses issues with racist hosts
Airbnb is hosting its annual OpenAir conference today, and CEO Brian Chesky kicked off the conference by addressing recent reports surrounding the phenomenon of racist hosts cancelling travelers' trips. "First, let me make it clear that we have zero tolerance for any amount of racism or discrimination on our platform," Chesky said."Over the next couple months, we're revisiting the design of our platform end to end and look at how we can revisit decisions we've made."
EU advises members to be more friendly with Uber and Airbnb
A yet-to-be-released European Union proposal advises member countries to be a bit more open to sharing companies like Uber and Airbnb. According to the guidelines Reuters and The Financial Times got their hands on, the commission wants its members to resort to only ban sharing companies as a last resort. Part of the proposal reads: "Total bans of an activity constitute a measure of last resort that should be applied only if and where no less restrictive requirements to attain a public interest can be used."
Airbnb allows neighbors to tattle on noisy guests
Airbnb says most of its users are "respectful travelers," but just in case an issue does come up, it's giving those who live near a rental a place to voice concerns. The company's new initiative, Airbnb Neighbors, gives folks a tool for voicing concerns about noise, parking, use of a common space, suspicious/criminal activity and general concerns. Once a complaint is received, it gets a case number and Airbnb reviews the issue. If necessary, the company says it will follow up with the listing's host.
Arizona governor sticks up for Airbnb in new law
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed SB 1350 today, which will prevent cities in the state from banning short-term rental services like Airbnb or HoweAway. According to an earlier report from Forbes, Governor Ducey's end goal is to turn Arizona into The Sharing Economy State, which is a little different from the state's current motto of "God enriches."
Viacom Labs' first projects focus on boosting fan interaction
Lots of brands have R&D labs these days to try out concepts and strategies, like Sony's Future Lab that gets user input on product prototypes. Programming titan Viacom is no exception, with a new experimental department that focuses specifically on boosting fan interaction. Today it announced that Viacom Labs' first set of partners will includeAirBnB and GIPHY, along with a creators-in-residence program for artists to "explore ideas" with Viacom content.
Berlin bans renting whole apartments through Airbnb
One of the biggest concerns with Airbnb is its effect on housing prices -- when people turn entire apartments into makeshift hotels, it tends to drive up apartment rental rates and punish locals searching for homes. Berlin isn't having any of it, though. After a two-year transition period, the German city has enacted a new law (the oh-so-catchy "Zweckenfremdungsverbot") that bans short-term rentals of whole apartments through Airbnb and similar online services. You're now restricted to renting individual rooms unless you get a special permit.
Airbnb's new iOS and Android apps promise to help you live like a local
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky just took the stage at a lavish event held in the company's San Francisco headquarters to introduce new apps for iOS and Android that he says are a reflection of the company's philosophy to let its users "live" in the places the visit, not just view them as tourists do. "We asked people what the number one reason they travel on Airbnb, 86 percent said they want to live like a local," Chesky said. The new apps are meant to further that goal and keep people from cookie-cutter "drive-by tourism" -- what Chesky said you get when you just follow a guidebook or TripAdvisor recommendations.
Airbnb cracks down on illegal hotels in its home town
San Francisco regulates short-term rental services like Airbnb, but there's still plenty of abuse. Locals can still point to property owners illegally offering short-term stays in homes they don't live in, making an already dire housing situation even worse. However, Airbnb is now promising to do something about it. It's investigating hosts in its home town with multiple listings, and promises to kick out "unwelcome commercial operators" that are running illegal hotels. The company reckons that 671 whole-home listings (from just 288 hosts), or about 7 percent of all San Francisco listings, are suspicious enough to warrant a closer look.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Tesla's Model 3, and more!
After years of anticipation, Tesla just unveiled its most affordable electric car to date. The Model 3 is a svelte EV for the masses that starts at $35,000, and it can drive 215 miles on a single charge. Meanwhile, Hyundai set a world record by driving a hydrogen-powered car for 6,096 continuous miles. In other transportation news, India announced ambitious plans to become a 100 percent electric vehicle nation by the year 2030. A Colorado startup unveiled a supersonic jet that can travel from New York to London in three hours flat. And we rounded up nine of the best cargo bikes for carting around kids and goods in style.
Twitter, Reddit and more file brief to support Apple vs the FBI (update)
Several tech companies have voiced support for Apple in its battle with the FBI over iPhone encryption. Today, lawyers for a group of 16 companies, including Twitter, filed a brief formally backing Cupertino in regards to the case. The group also includes Airbnb, eBay, GitHub, Kickstarter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Square and Squarespace, among others. In the brief, the group explains that its members "regularly assist in law-enforcement investigations" and look to make sure "government requests for user data are made within the bounds of applicable laws."
The thing you'd worry about happening in an Airbnb happened
Airbnb has been slapped with a lawsuit by a woman who alleges that the apartment that she rented was equipped with a spy camera. Yvonne Schumacher says that her and her partner spotted a light peeping from behind a bookshelf in the living room only after a few days of staying on the property. They found a wide-angle lens camera that was being controlled remotely and was capable of picking up audio and recording at night. By this point, however, the pair had already done what normal people do when they think they're in the private space.
Racial discrimination skews Airbnb rentals, study claims
Renting a room at a hotel is a fairly blind process: if you can pay the rate and the hotel has vacancy, you've got a place to rest your head. Airbnb is a little different -- allowing hosts to accept or deny guests at their leisure. The system is designed to create familiarity for hosts renting rooms out of their home. According to a new study, however, it also opens the door for racial discrimination.
