-
Tech NewsGM Just Bet Half a Billion Dollars on Building Self-Driving Cars With Lyft
Detroit is more than a little worried about the tech-centric future of automobiles, namely the ones that drive themselves. So it’s no surprise that GM is investing $500 million in Lyft to build a network of autonomous cars. Why not just buy the whole company?! Well, that’s not a crazy idea. GM’s massive new investment … Continued
-
Tech News
California Taxi Industry Finally Has Its Own App, Only Four Years Too Late
The task of competing with logistics giants Uber and Lyft seems more soul-crushing than ever. Uber’s valued at something like $70 billion. Lyft has those pink mustaches. How’s the everyman cab supposed to compete? Government support, of course. A recent ruling from the California Division of Measurement Standards will let a small startup called FlyWheel … Continued
-
Tech News
Uber and Lyft Drivers Can Now Unionize in Seattle
Seattle City Council has unanimously passed a bill allowing drivers for Uber, Lyft, and other ride-hailing services to form unions. Seattle is the first US city to allow these drivers a way to collectively bargain. This means drivers will be able negotiate their salaries and working conditions as a unit. It does not mean, however, … Continued
By Kate Knibbs -
Tech News
Report: Uber Thinks Lyft’s CTO Helped Hack Its Driver Database
Uber still doesn’t know who hacked iteight months ago, exposing the personal data of 50,000 drivers. But the hunt is increasing tension between rival ride-hailing apps. According to a Reuters report, Uber is closing in on Lyft CTO Chris Lambert as a possible accomplice to its hacker. Sources told Reuters that a suspicious Comcast IP … Continued
By Kate Knibbs -
Tech News
Long Beach Is Rethinking Its Taxis to Be More Like Ubers
Cities are doing a lot of hemming and hawing when it comes to the rideshare apps that are devouring their taxi businesses. In one of the more progressive moves, the Southern California city of Long Beach is revamping its taxi fleet with a big design and tech upgrade so they can tackle these startups head … Continued
-
Tech News
The FTC Wants Your Opinion On Airbnb, Uber and Lyft
Should cities treat Airbnb rentals like any other hotel room? What kind of insurance should Uber drivers carry to protect passengers? These are just some of the questions that the Federal Trade Commission will (probably) be discussing in an upcoming workshop exploring the so-called “sharing economy.” And it wants to hear from you. Despite fears … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech News
How Much Do You Spend on Uber?
I need to make a confession. Uber has terrible business practices, but makes up for it by being almost disturbingly less expensive than cabs. And I keep getting “inexpensive” mixed up with “free.” I spent the past year convincing myself that the only reason I use Uber is because it’s so cheap. When I actually … Continued
By Kate Knibbs -
Tech News
6 Uber Alternatives Because Uber Is Run By Dirtbags
Have you had it with Uber yet? The company price-gouges customers, screws over its drivers, and now, an Uber exec just publicly outlined a cavalier plan to spy on journalists in retaliation for critical coverage. Good news! You don’t have to use it anymore. You can use these alternatives instead. Buzzfeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith reports … Continued
-
Tech News
Uber Is Currently Fighting the Battle That Jitneys Lost 100 Years Ago
The mid-1910s saw an explosion of people driving unlicensed cabs. They were called jitneys (slang for a nickel, which was also what they typically cost) and cities across the U.S. scrambled to regulate them. Today, cities around the world are struggling to regulate modern-day jitney coordination companies—ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft. But unlike the … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech News
Flytenow Is The Airplane Rideshare Service You Can Actually Afford
Admit it: You’ve always wanted to ride in a private plane. Imagine stretching out your legs and listening to music without headphones. What luxury! Too bad, you probably can’t afford it. But, with Flytenow, you just might. Think of it as a Lyft for airplanes. Flytenow aims to connect pilots looking to rack up hours … Continued
-
Tech News
UberX in LA: It’s Illegal. It’s Great. It Needs to Stop.
Despite the fact that it’s currently banned in Los Angeles, UberX is defiantly still up and running. I used it for the first time this weekend. This so-called ride-sharing service from San Francisco-based Uber Technologies is supposedly the future of cabs. Much like similar services Lyft and Sidecar, UberX seeks to “disrupt” the taxi industry … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech News
Sorry Uber, Los Angeles Has Been Banning Ride-Shares For a Century
This week the city of Los Angeles sent a cease-and-desist letter to ride-sharing app companies Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. The city and Los Angeles Yellow Cab claim that these services are “rogue taxis” that are “bypassing all safety regulations created to protect riders and drivers.” But this isn’t the first time that this town has … Continued
By Matt Novak
