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AIG has an insurance policy for your drone
Owning a drone is sometimes a harrowing experience all by itself, but it can be downright agonizing if your robotic pride and joy gets into an accident. It's not like you're likely to replace an expensive 4K drone on a whim, after all. However, AIG thinks it can set your mind at ease. The company recently trotted out insurance for unmanned aircraft that covers damage to your drone and anyone involved in operating it, whether or not they're pilots. How much you pay depends on what you're looking for, but policies can tackle everything from liability (good for drone racing) through to "war, hijacking and terrorism."
California OKs insurance plans made specifically for Lyft
According to California law, the rules governing legal liability for ride-sharing services can get pretty tricky, depending on whether the passenger is waiting to be picked up, is getting into the cab or is currently en route to their destination. What's more, the law doesn't currently really specify which insurance -- either the company's or the driver's -- is to be used, only that a driver must be "fully insured" at all times. But thanks to a recent ruling by California's insurance commissioner, Lyft drivers themselves (and their Ubering counterparts) will now be covered from the time their patrons request a pickup through dropoff.
Healthcare.gov users get privacy controls as enrollment nears
Following an Associated Press report in January, the government-run Healthcare.org website scaled back its sharing of user data with third parties. Now, the site will let users opt out entirely as the next round of enrollment opens November 1st. Thanks to a new "privacy manager" feature, the Obamacare online portal allows folks to ensure details like age, income and ZIP code are kept away from advertisers and out of analytics use. It'll also disconnect from the site's social media tools. The website will also allow users to employ their browser's Do Not Track options to keep pesky advertisers at bay while accessing healthcare info on the site. "The internet is constantly changing, and we have an obligation to keep evolving alongside it," Healthcare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan wrote in a blog post. "We'll keep reevaluating our own privacy notice, the tools we use, and how they intersect with the evolving landscape of privacy on the web." [Image credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images]
Your Google Wallet funds are now insured
The money in your bank account is typically covered by federal insurance, but your internet payment services typically aren't. If PayPal or Venmo went belly-up, you'd probably lose your existing balance. That won't be a problem if you're using Google Wallet, though. Google is now holding your Wallet funds in banks with FDIC insurance, so your digital credit is now that much safer. This isn't to say that rivals leave you completely vulnerable -- PayPal has fraud protection, for instance. However, the Wallet move means that you won't have to go to court to get your cash back if Google goes bankrupt, no matter how unlikely that is.
Here's how much you'll pay to protect that Apple Watch
Scores of you - an obscene number, maybe - have already pre-ordered your Apple Watch. Perhaps you even sauntered into a well-appointed Apple Store-within-a-store for some valuable shopping advice before you took the plunge. Regardless, after you've made up your mind about which fancy wrist-computer will be yours in several weeks, you might want to take a look at how much Apple wants to protect it for you.
FAA allows AIG to use drones for insurance inspections
The Federal Aviation Administration has been rather stingy when it comes to giving companies the OK to test, let alone employ, drones. After getting permission this week, AIG joins State Farm and USAA as insurance providers with exemptions that allow them to use the UAVs to perform tasks that are risky to regular folks -- things like roof inspections after a major storm. In addition to keeping its inspectors safe, the company says drones will speed up the claims process, which means its customers will, in theory, get paid faster. "UAVs can help accelerate surveys of disaster areas with high resolution images for faster claims handling, risk assessment, and payments," the news release explains. "They can also quickly and safely reach areas that could be dangerous or inaccessible for manual inspection, and they provide richer information about properties, structures, and claim events."
Health insurance data breach exposes 11 million people
Unfortunately, the days of massive health care data breaches are far from over. Premera Blue Cross has revealed that hackers breached its insurance customer data starting in May 2014, potentially exposing both the financial and medical records of 11 million people -- the largest such attack to date. There's no evidence yet that the data has been "used inappropriately," the company says, and it notes that both the FBI and security firm FireEye are already on the case.
Google helps you compare car insurance in the US
Let's face it: Google's internet knowledge is handy for a number of tasks. As of today, though, the folks in Mountain View want to help you sort out car insurance. That's right, Google now offers a Compare tool that'll allow you to enter your Zip code, vehicle info and coverage details before scrolling through a collection of quotes from providers in the area. Right now, 14 insurance companies will tally up rates for the tool -- including MetLife and Mercury Insurance. If you happen to find a plan you're happy with, a handy link will allow you buy online, or if you'd rather, a contact number and reference code are provided as well. As TechCrunch notes, a similar tool has been live in the UK for quite some time, in addition to the ability to gather mortgage quotes.
800,000 people get bad tax info in latest Healthcare.gov snafu
Healthcare.gov just can't catch a break -- it's been targeted by hackers and shared personal information with marketing companies in the past six months, and now it's trying to clean up a mess for the nearly 800,000 people it just sent incorrect tax information to. The Obama administration confirmed the issue earlier this morning, and officials promised on the Healthcare.gov blog to contact affected households via phone call and email over the next few days. Needless to say, don't file your taxes yet if you signed up for health insurance using the site this past year. Better safe than sorry, right?
Uber works out how to insure its drivers between fares
Uber has inked a deal with insurer Metromile that addresses a huge question mark: whether its drivers are sufficiently insured between fares. Until now, the ridesharing firm has been giving US drivers $1 million in commercial liability coverage when they actually had a passenger in the car. But when they were heading to pick up the next ride or driving for personal use, the situation was dicier. Uber only requires that drivers use private insurance between fares, but many companies, including Allstate, Geico and State Farm, often flat-out refuse to cover ridesharing vehicles. Uber does insure drivers between fares if private companies won't pay, but limits injury liability to a paltry $50,000 for victims outside the car.
Ridesharing insurance leaves many drivers in the lurch
Ridesharing companies like Uber insure drivers when they're picking up fares, and personal policies are supposed to cover moments when those drivers are waiting for customers. However, BuzzFeed News has learned that it doesn't work that way in practice -- and that's potentially a very expensive problem if you've signed up. While Uber says that "many" personal insurance plans safeguard its drivers in between rides, some of the largest US insurers (Allstate, Geico, Progressive and State Farm) say that these options won't cover ridesharing at any point. They may even cancel your policy if they find out that you're taking paying passengers. Moreover, both Lyft and Uber limit their liability for victims outside the car to $50,000. You could still rack up a huge medical bill if one of these drivers hits you while you're crossing the street.
Indiegogo's crowdfunding insurance pays you back if projects go bust
If you've poured a lot of money into crowdfunding, you've probably backed a project that either missed its release date or was an out-and-out fraud -- and since there are rarely recourses in these cases, that often means that you've wasted your money. For Indiegogo, this is enough of a concern that it's now testing crowdfunding insurance that compensates you if a campaign goes belly-up. All you do is pay extra on top of your pledge; if the promised goods arrive more than three months late or don't show up at all, you get your money back. Indiegogo is only trialing insurance with one campaign, Olive's anti-stress wristband, but it might expand the offering if the dry run proves successful.
Leaving Las Vegas: Uber suspends operations in Nevada
The home of Las Vegas is meant to be a paradise of unhinged abandon, where consequences don't matter and everyone has a great time. Unfortunately, no one at the Washoe County District Court got that memo, since it's just slammed Uber with a preliminary injunction preventing it from operating in the state. It was the usual roll of objections that have stopped the service, since Uber vehicles aren't subject to the same safety, insurance and licensing rules that taxis are. The company, for its part, has pledged not to abandon the state, saying that it'll work with Nevada's leadership to come to a useful solution. Maybe at the same time it'll try to clean up its reputation after a series of blunders, gaffes and PR disasters.
Airbnb will cover guests' accidental injury costs
Accidents happen, and for Airbnb guests, it could take place while navigating an unfamiliar home. It would come as no surprise if people ended up arguing on who should foot the bill, so Airbnb has decided to make it easier on all its customers by launching a $1 million Host Protection Program. It's a completely different entity from the $1 million Host Guarantee, which promises to reimburse home owners for any damage to their properties. This program covers not only Airbnb hosts, but also their landlords, in case a guest gets injured inside their house or building during a stay and makes a claim against them. As you'd expect, though, there are exceptions, including injuries caused by defects in the property, or (gulp) those that were intentionally inflicted by the hosts themselves.
Updated GEICO Mobile app brings you gas, lets you report glass damage
GEICO has released a new update for its handy iOS app which introduces a few new features and brings back an old one. Making its triumphant return is the "bring gas" feature for roadside assistance. It's embarrassing enough to run out of gas on the side of the road, and it's really nice to be able to request a refill without having to talk to someone (like that pesky gecko) until the gas arrives. The update also introduces the ability to report glass damage to the company directly from your iPhone without having to call it in. When you select glass damage, the app provides you with a number of options where you can specify exactly which pane of glass needs replacing. From there you can even set up a glass repair request. These new features come in addition to the app's pre-existing services, like access to a digital copy of your insurance card, bill paying and management services, roadside assistance, and claim submission. The app is free to all GEICO customers and can be downloaded from the iTunes store.
Study claims kill switch for stolen cellphones could save $2.5 billion per year
It's easy to understand the personal benefits of a potential kill switch requirement for cellphones; thieves would have less incentive to swipe your handset if they knew that it would become a brick. However, Creighton University professor William Duckworth has conducted a study suggesting that a remote shutdown feature could also save phone users a lot of money. Based on a 1,200-person survey, he estimates that consumers could avoid spending a total of $2.5 billion per year -- $500 million in buying replacement phones, and $2 billion in insurance that covers theft. The savings would be good news for customers, though not the carriers and insurers that earn revenue from the status quo.
Uber now insures drivers (and passengers) whenever its ridesharing app is turned on (update)
Surge pricing and conflict over its presence (in some cities) aren't the only issues facing Uber and other ridesharing services these days. Unanswered questions abound about who pays when an UberX driver gets into an accident. Rather than wait for insurance companies to figure things out -- and continue leaving its drivers and customers in a potential coverage no man's land -- Uber's extending its insurance policy to offer contingent coverage when a driver has the Uber app on, but isn't on a trip. Prior to this change, drivers' personal policies were the only insurance available, and it's unclear whether personal insurance will always apply in such instances. So, that's why Uber's now offering coverage up to $100,000 for bodily injuries (at a max $50,000 per person) and up to $25,000 for property damage if an accident happens and the driver's personal policy won't pay out. The coverage the company's offering is certainly better than nothing, but it's far from the $1 million policy that kicks in when drivers are actually on a trip, and provides a lot less than most personal policies, too. That said, it's also important to mention that the move is really a stopgap measure. According to Uber, it wants to help out drivers "while the insurance industry and state governments update policies and regulations for the new world of ridesharing transportation." Makes sense to us, but might we recommend joining the Peer-to-Peer Rideshare Insurance Coalition to help them along? Update: Uber contacted us to let us know that they are already a part of the coalition -- glad they took our advice before we gave it. Oh, and so did Uber competitor Lyft, which contacted us to say that it'll "provide backstop coverage to drivers when they are in match mode and are not providing rides. We will be rolling this out state-by-state in the days to come."
Esurance video appraisal lets a rep use your smartphone's camera to assess damage remotely
This is one cool tool we hope to never use. Esurance's new video appraisal feature for the insurer's Android and iOS apps helps speed up the post-accident process significantly. Typically, you're required to get a vehicle inspection after an accident before the insurance company can send out an estimate for repairs. With the refreshed app, however, an appraiser can use your smartphone's camera to assess the damage while also communicating with customers and the repair shop. You'll still need to set up an appointment (through the Esurance app), but since the agent won't need to travel, you'll be on your way much more quickly. Video appraisal requires a smartphone running Android 4.0+ or iOS 7, a front and rear camera with autofocus and a WiFi or LTE connection. Tablet compatibility is in the works. It's available today in the latest version of the Esurance app.
Lyft joins new alliance seeking to clean up ridesharing's insurance mess
Although there's now some legal groundwork in place for ridesharing companies, insurance remains a gray area -- witness the Uber driver who was involved in a fatal accident while off work. How do you cover a car that's both personal transportation and a source of income? We may soon have a clearer picture thanks to the newly created Peer-to-Peer Rideshare Insurance Coalition. The alliance between government, insurance firms and transporters will set guidelines for insuring ridesharing services. Only Lyft and the California Public Utlities Commission have announced their membership so far, but a full roster should be coming later in the week. A first meeting, meanwhile, is due later in February. Not that Lyft is waiting to take action; it's adding coverage beyond drivers' personal insurance while they're on duty.
MMO Mechanics: Balancing game economies
Most players won't need an economics degree to play an MMO, but strong mechanical forces under the bonnet still guide our actions in our favourite titles. Virtually every financial exchange can be broken down into an effort equals economic gain equation: We put in our hours, and the game economy churns out new gear or money. Since so many in-game actions financially reward players, MMOs have developed mechanics that attempt to curtail the inflation game economies usually see. Charging your character for goods and services, bind-on-pickup gear, regular destruction of valuable goods, and player-controlled auction house and farming systems all combine to keep the spiralling amount of coppers falling into player hands in check. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I'm going to look at some ways both sandbox and themepark MMOs automatically rebalance weighted economies by exploring the systems that restrict the free trade of goods and curb players' constant accrual of money. I'll look at how each system functions and how player manipulation adds a new layer of realism to game economies.
