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Hailo matches Uber by letting other apps use its cab-hailing features
Uber and Hailo are forever playing catch-up with each other, and this week is no exception. Just hours after Uber announced it's now allowing developers to bake Uber features into their apps, Hailo's following suit by opening up its own platform. Information on ride availability, the time a car will take to get to you and, of course, the ability to hail one are among the first features third-party developers can make use of. Hailo first showed off these capabilities after it teamed up with travel app CityMapper, but is now opening them up to everyone. Given that Hailo only operates in a small number of cities across the US, Europe and Asia, these features will likely be added to just a limited number of apps for now. As Hailo expands its taxi and private car service further afield, however, there's a chance big name hotels, airlines and travel sites could get on board, too.
Uber embeds itself in United, OpenTable and other major apps
Uber, the on-demand car startup that's apparently twice as valuable as SpaceX, apparently isn't satisfied with just one paltry mobile app. That's why it finally did what many Silicon Valley prognosticators thought it would: it launched a free API (application programming interface, if you were curious) to coax developers into baking Uber features into their apps. The company's ultimate goal? To quietly invade the rest of your mobile world so you can't help but flag down a black town car with your smartphone someday.
Uber's Corner Store delivery service takes aim at Amazon in Washington, DC
Uber leveraged couriers in NYC to deliver goods a few months back, and now it's offering drop-offs of convenience items to folks in certain areas of Washington, DC. The company's Corner Store "experiment" uses its drivers to take over 100 items -- like toothpaste, vitamins, allergy medicine and others -- to folks in need who make a request through the smartphone app. Along the bottom of the UI, there's now an appropriately-named option that allows you to set/confirm your location, and if a driver is free for a delivery, you'll get a list of what's available before they call to take your order. The system is already in place in cities across the US for its car service, so leveraging idle Uber drivers for a diaper run takes aim at Amazon's (and others) same-day delivery. Right now, the service is available during the week from 9 AM to 9 PM and the outfit says the program is only slated to run for a limited time. Unless, of course, it's super popular.
Uber's back on the road in Berlin
Last week, regulators in the city of Berlin parked Uber's ride-sharing service, citing the risk to passenger safety and the need to protect taxi operators. However, today a judge in the Berlin Administrative Court suspended the ban imposed by State Department of Civil and Regulatory Affairs just a few days ago. This means that the UberPOP and UberBlack are back in action until another decision says otherwise, because as you might expect, the local taxi industry won't be too pleased with the decision.
Engadget Daily: NVIDIA Shield review, HTC's Zoe app and more!
Today, we review the NVIDIA Shield tablet, take a ride in a Manchester United-themed Mini Cooper, get productive with a tablet keyboard case and more! Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Berlin bans Uber to protect passengers and its taxis
It's safe to say that Uber has become a victim of its own success, provoking the ire of the global taxi industry and also its fellow ridesharing competitors. While it's enjoyed some leniency in the US, European regulators have put the boot into the app, with Berlin becoming the latest city to ban Uber cars from its roads. In a statement, Berlin's State Department of Civil and Regulatory Affairs said that Uber puts passenger safety at risk by using "unverified drivers in unlicensed vehicles," and threatened to levy a €25,000 ($33,400) fine each time it violates the ban. Drivers won't escape action either, receiving €20,000 ($26,750) fine if they're caught pursuing passengers.
Hurry, your next Uber in NYC could be all about Manchester United
Look, there aren't many things which can truly impress New Yorkers. Yet, somehow, the Mini Countryman pictured above managed to make quite a few heads turn during a drive across Manhattan. Whatever it may have been, it's safe to bet those bright red colors draping the car had something to do with it -- and the not-so-subtle branding didn't hurt its chances to impress, either. Regardless, this Manchester United-themed vehicle is part of a full fleet of 20 vehicles, one for each Premier League team, that NBC Sports and Uber will have cruising around Manhattan through this Sunday. The free rides (up to a 30-minute drive) are obviously being used as a way to promote the start of the EPL season on NBC Sports Network here in the US, which kicks off on Saturday, August 16th. Uber, for its part, isn't new to having bizarre rides hit the streets, like the time-traveling DeLorean and, of course, those beloved Ice Cream trucks. Now we can add this one to the list.
Uber makes it easier for riders, drivers to get to their destination
Even though Uber is in the middle of a ridesharing battle against competitor Lyft, that's not stopping the company from focusing to make its product better. With this in mind, Uber just announced a couple of new features that will improve the experience for riders and drivers alike, both on iOS and Android. For starters, the app now allows you to enter your destination as you're booking a ride, allowing the driver to easily see where you're going as soon as you step in the car. Drivers (who only use iPhones, by the way), on the other hand, can now see the destination you entered and use turn-by-turn navigation to get to it -- this is important to simplify the process, as it keeps every driver from having to manually input an address. More importantly, Uber says these updates bring it one step closer to its vision of "a day when there is no coordination necessary" to take a ride.
Lyft claims Uber employees ordered at least 5,000 fake rides (update)
Ridesharing company Uber is worthy $18 billion thanks to its rider-friendly practices, but rival Lyft says it hasn't been so nice to competitors. The company supplied CNNMoney with data showing that 177 Uber employees in the US booked and then cancelled some 5,560 rides since October of last year. While not technically illegal, such a scheme can make Lyft drivers head to non-existent ride pickups, letting Uber cars swoop into the vacated areas. Lyft added that Uber recruiters are sometimes ordering legit, but low-paying short rides in order to pitch its drivers on switching to Uber. As proof, the company matched phone numbers to known Uber employees or contractors -- for instance, one known recruiter has used 21 different Lyft accounts to order 1,500 cancelled rides.
Engadget Daily: Uber's legal battle, Foursquare's new identity and more!
Today, we take a few selfies, investigate Uber's legal struggles, learn about home automation with the Ninja Sphere, go hands-on with Foursquare's new app and more. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Uber introduces Uber for Business: Have your company pay for your ride
Uber has updated its iOS app to support its Uber for Business service. With Uber for Business, employees who are traveling for work can request a ride from Uber and have the costs of the trip quickly billed to their company. For business people who travel to large cities regularly, this will save a lot of time on filing expense reports for taxis and travel. The service also allows riders to attach expense codes and memos to their trip information, giving businesses a way to keep easy records of travel. All a business has to do is start a Uber for Business account, input a credit card, and add employees via their name and email address. Pre-existing Uber users can use Uber for Business from their current account. Once the accounts are linked, your company option will show up as a payment option when you ride. If you use the Concur service, you can also link your accounts to have your e-receipts sent directly to your Concur expense reports. The Uber for Business update is available right now in the iTunes Store.
Why Uber's ridesharing revolution could be undone by archaic laws and aging industry
Like electric cars, the decentralization of broadcast television, renewable energy and other burgeoning technologies, the world of "ridesharing" -- largely embraced by consumers -- is facing tremendous pushback from entrenched players around the world. These entrenched players take archaic laws and employ them to keep new competition out. This concept isn't new to business, or even transportation business. The fight over Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing programs is the same fight that's played out across human history time after time: A new technology threatens to upend an existing technology, and the industry supported by the existing technology stands together to push back against the inevitable. Remember buying CDs at your local music store? Exactly.
Uber's latest service has you splitting your ride fare with strangers
Uber likes to undercut conventional taxi pricing, but it can get expensive if you're by your lonesome -- just ask anyone who has had to pay surge pricing to get to the airport. You may not have to cough up the full amount the next time you're going solo, though. The company has just launched the beta for UberPool, a service that has you sharing a car with strangers. If you're a tester, Uber will try to match you up with another person who's taking a similar route; whether or not there's another rider, your fare gets cut in half. The mobile app will also tell you who's being picked up first and the name of your buddy, so you'll have a decent excuse to start a conversation.
Uber for Business bills companies directly for employee's rides
Airbnb has realized the next step is to start heavily targeting business users. Uber has clearly come to the same conclusion, and just like the subletting startup, it's bringing direct billing to business customers. The centralized system would not only cover payments, but would eliminate the need to track receipts. Companies would automatically receive all the necessary trip details after their employee finished a ride. Even if your company doesn't choose to do direct billing, you can still connect your Uber and Concur accounts to have e-receipts automatically filed on your behalf. We won't lie and say Uber for Business is the most exciting development in the world, but it certainly makes managing your expenses a lot easier.
How well do Uber drivers rate you? (update)
Uber's car service lets you rate your drivers, but it also lets them rate you. The customer might always be right, but some customers are simply jerks -- and the system lets drivers know what they might be in for. Until now, there's been no way to draw out your customer rating from the app, but with a little Javascript magic, courtesy of Aaron Landy, you can cajole Uber's mobile site into spitting out your rating, out of 5. Log into Uber's mobile site, then open the console (for Chrome: View -> Developer -> Javascript Console from the drop-down menu), and paste some javascript code in. The browser will reload, and you'll need to paste the code again. Another reload, and a popup will offer up your user details and your passenger rating. The hack might even the odds a little: drivers have been able to see how passengers have ranked their rides for a while. It's like leaving feedback on eBay all over again. Update: It appears Uber noticed the sudden influx to its mobile site and has now patched the JavaScript 'hack.'
Lyft gets the green light to operate in New York City
Nearly two weeks after New York's Attorney General, Eric T. Schneiderman, made a push to bar Lyft from offering its ridesharing service in New York City, both parties have finally come to an agreement. As a result, Lyft is now free to operate in all five boroughs of The Big Apple, after the company "agreed to operate in New York State in full compliance with existing laws and regulations." In addition, Lyft has also assured state officials it will operate with commercial drivers only. But it wasn't a complete win for the pink mustache company, as this agreement stipulates that Lyft must cease services in Buffalo and Rochester by next week, on August 1st.
New French law could force Uber drivers to return home after every fare
If you're at a party and the host stops offering you drinks, it's a subtle hint that it's probably time to make tracks. Similarly, France is making it very clear that it isn't too keen on ride-sharing apps like Uber, to the point where its senate is proposing a law making it as difficult as humanly possible for the service to operate. In the law, which will be voted on by the National Assembly in the fall, drivers would be required to return to their company headquarters or homes between each and every job. As well as that, those same cars wouldn't be able to publish their location online, meaning that consumers won't be able to hail the cab closest to them from their smartphone.
Uber's back on Windows Phone minus some key features
If you've hailed an Uber ride on a Windows Phone handset, you're aware that the you were beamed to the service's mobile site rather via a full-fledged app. That changed today, as the taxi outfit returns to Microsoft's mobile OS with proper software. This means users can lock in location, call for a ride and sort payments with a properly equipped handset. Uber's app is missing a few key features though, as in-app fare quotes, sharable trip info and fare splitting are on the way soon. While that's a bit of a bummer, the new version is available now for those looking to take advantage.
Google is adding free WiFi to Uber cars in Philadelphia, but only for the summer
We have no scientific data to back this up, but we suspect most of you are not tough enough, not resilient enough, to work on a laptop in a moving vehicle without hurling. If you're that special sort, though -- or if you just like to have your phone on WiFi whenever possible -- then you might appreciate what we're about to tell you. Google just announced that it will provide free WiFi in Uber cabs -- ostensibly so that people can keep working between meetings (preferably using Google Apps, says Google, winkwinknudgenudge). The move is just the latest in what seems to be a budding romance between the two companies -- Uber is already built into Google Maps. In any case, as cool as this latest development may seem, it's also quite limited: The service is restricted to Philadelphia, and it will only last through Labor Day. If you happen to live in the City of Brotherly Love, though, you can take advantage of this starting today. Just make sure you select a WiFi-enabled vehicle when booking the car. Image source: Flickr/Adam Fagan
Seoul plans to ban Uber and introduce its own GPS-based app for taxis
Uber may win some and lose some, but the battles rage on in cities where it operates. Seoul, Korea has now indicated that it would outright ban Uber, calling it illegal and harmful to taxi drivers. Uber operates its UberBLACK service there to connect professional chauffeurs to passengers via its app. That differs from UberX, UberPOP or Lyft -- the services that have faced the most bans and protests -- since those mostly use non-professional drivers. Seoul's city council called Uber an illegal threat to traditional cabs, since its drivers didn't have the usual insurance and safety controls. However, Uber told the WSJ that the city council's comments "show Seoul is in danger of remaining trapped in the past and getting left behind by the global 'sharing economy' movement." Despite that, the city must feel Uber is doing something right -- it said that it would soon launch its own, Uber-like geo-location app to connect regular taxis to passengers.
