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Postmates' first food deliveries outside the US start in Mexico City
Lyft isn't the only major American online service dipping its toes in foreign waters this week: Postmates is starting its first food deliveries outside of the US with a launch in Mexico City. Hungry people in several districts of Mexico's capital can order from 1,000-plus restaurants with a 35-peso ($1.80) delivery fee and typical delivery times around 35 minutes. To make itself part of the community, it's both donating 10 percent of sales to earthquake recovery through the rest of 2017 and is giving customers 1,000 pesos (about $52) in delivery credit until December 15th.
Mexico City's new hybrid taxis have a 'panic' button
While President Trump continues to claim Mexico will pay for his big, beautiful wall, our neighbors south of the border are busy spending money on making their largest city safer and less polluted. The Mayor of Mexico City, Miguel Ángel Mancera, has revealed new hybrid-electric taxis that feature WiFi and a "panic" button for passengers. When activated, officials will be alerted of your location and help could be sent immediately in case of an emergency. It's similar to what Uber started offering a couple of years ago in India, with the main difference being that the ridesharing service's panic button is built into its app.
Uber narrowly evades a ban in Canada's largest city
Uber might be facing its worst nightmare in Europe, but it just got a big break in Canada. A Toronto judge has tossed out the city's attempt to ban Uber (and by extension, other ridesharing services) on the grounds that it's operating without a taxi license. It's all about how Uber takes customers, according to the court. Local laws require that drivers accept communication from passengers looking for a lift, but Uber doesn't do that -- you're simply sending a request that automatically pairs you up with a nearby driver. It's arguably a technicality (the city contends that Uber still dispatches drivers like other cab services), but the decision is enough to keep app-hailed cars moving in Canada's largest metropolis. The Toronto City Council now has to change bylaws if it wants to take Uber off the streets.
Mexico City looking into citywide WiFi
Mexico has already dipped its feet into the wide world of expansive internet access before, but now Mayor Marcelo Ebrard is looking into hooking the 8.7 million residents of Mexico City up with citywide WiFi. The plan seems to focus on connecting "schools, government offices, and the city's thousands of surveillance cameras," but wide open wireless internet would certainly elicit smiles from anyone actually able to take advantage of it. Interestingly, it was said that the city government is "giving this project the highest priority," which presumably means that the backlog of free Xbox consoles must be runnin' thin. No word just yet on when the city can look forward to unlimited WiFi, but considering that Mr. Ebrard just signed an agreement with China's ZTE to get things moving, we'd say things are well on their way.
Gangs get games for guns
Apparently figuring that drug runners would rather shoot a virtual gun than a real one, Mexico City authorities have started a program allowing gun owners in the crime-riddled Tepito area to trade in their firearms for game systems. Reuters reports that a high-powered machine gun will net a $756 computer, while turning in a smaller gun earns an Xbox (presumably a 360, though the article is unclear) or cash.Organizers reportedly took in 17 guns on the first day -- a relative blip in a region afflicted with 2,000 drug-related killing last year, but still a good start. Here's hoping these criminals find the idea of virtual violence much more engrossing than real world carnage.Previously: GRAW 2 to be seized by Mexican state gov't
Mexico and Colombia welcome the 360
The Xbox 360 launch was delayed in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, which prompted us to wonder whether or not the early February launch in both Mexico and Colombia was still on schedule. The photoset on Flickr confirms that things indeed went down last Thursday. Held at a lounge in Mexico City, decorated with Xbox 360 images, game kiosks, and, uh, launch party booth babes. Hopefully the consoles will prove successful in Mexico and Colombia; Asia Pacific gamers will be none too happy to hear about 360s sitting on store shelves.[Via Gamerscore Blog]
