Get your walking shoes on. Uber kicks low-rated riders to the curb
Falling in line with Uber drivers, poorly rated passengers now face the risk of being booted off the ridesharing service, too. The company says it's going to send out messages to passengers reminding them how to play nice when taking an Uber ride. Y’know, be polite, hold on to your trash ... that kind of thing.
Waymo’s huge autonomous trucks return to the roads of Arizona
Waymo is ramping up testing of its autonomous trucks with the relaunch this week of tests on freeways in Arizona. The company last tested there in 2017 before starting trials in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2018. Waymo is already familiar with Arizona as it carries out testing of its autonomous cars in Phoenix.
Twitter lets you turn your livestreamed monologues into chats with guests
Livestreaming on Twitter just became more interactive as the feature now lets you add up to three people to a broadcast, though the guests can only be heard, and not seen. Up to now, livestreamers could only interact with viewers via their chat messages, which appear in real time on the screen.
Parrot to build small surveillance drones for U.S. soldiers on the battlefield
Quadcopters are set to play an increasing role on the battlefield after French drone maker Parrot and five other firms were selected by U.S. officials to develop compact aircraft for soldiers' reconnaissance missions. Ongoing issues between the U.S. government and China likely led to drone giant DJI being overlooked.
Honda E compact electric car will feature side camera mirrors as standard
The Honda E will feature side camera mirrors as standard when it lands in showrooms in 2020. But local regulations mean U.S.-sold Honda E cars can only have physical mirrors. The cameras stream video onto two displays in the car and offer better safety and efficiency, and a quieter drive at high speeds.
Flipboard hack prompts password reset for millions of users
Flipboard says it has been hit by hackers, resulting in the theft of personal data of some of its 145 million users. The company is still investigating the incident to find out precisely how many people are affected, but as a precautionary measure it’s prompting its community to create new passwords.
Ikea finally gets around to adding shopping to its smartphone app
Ikea is planning to revamp its mobile app so that you'll finally be able to shop from it. The new app, due out later this year, will also include other new features designed to enhance the shopping experience at its newer, smaller brick-and-mortar stores, which stock fewer products.
Intelligent pedestrian crossing system banishes the button
Pressing the button at a signalized crosswalk is no great hardship, but Austrian researchers are adamant there's a better way. By replacing the button with smart technology, they’ve created a system to improve both safety and traffic flow. The technology will be tested in Vienna before being rolled out more widely.
Starlink: String of satellites captured in cool video a day after launch
A day after launch, a Dutch sky-watcher recorded a remarkable video of SpaceX's Starlink satellites orbiting Earth. In the clip, the 60 internet satellites appear as a string of bright dots several hundred miles above the planet. Marco Langbroek used a powerful camera and satellite-tracking tools to grab the footage.
Lyft’s wallet-friendly Shared Saver option arrives in six more U.S. cities
Lyft is expanding its wallet-friendly Shared Saver option to Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle after launching it earlier this year in Denver, New York City, and San Jose. With Shared Saver, riders can reduce trip costs by walking short distances and sharing the ride with strangers.
SpaceX joins internet-from-space race with launch of 60 Starlink satellites
SpaceX has launched a rocket carrying its first batch of Starlink satellites for its ambitious internet-from-space project. The payload successfully deployed an hour after liftoff. The $10 billion project aims to deploy 12,000 satellites in the coming years to create a global, low-cost broadband network.
Watch Cruise Automation’s driverless car perform one of the trickiest maneuvers
With so much to watch for, unprotected left turns in urban environments are one of the trickiest maneuvers a driver has to perform — and the same goes for self-driving cars. A video released by autonomous-vehicle company Cruise Automation reveals that the GM-backed team appears close to nailing it.
Amazon boosts productivity by gamifying warehouse workers’ tedium
Amazon is letting its warehouse staff play video games while they work. But they aren’t just any old games. They’ve been specially designed to inject some fun into the daily grind and, of course, to encourage them to work more quickly. Incentives such as points and prizes are offered for the best players.
Airbus shows off the futuristic interior of its autonomous flying taxi
Airbus has been working for several years on its Vahana electric-powered flying taxi, and it’s just given us the first look at its futuristic interior. The absence of controls in the single-seat aircraft is down to its autonomous capabilities, so you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Las Vegas officials bet big on Elon Musk’s Boring Company
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has been awarded a $48.6 million contract by Las Vegas to build a high-speed transportation system beneath the city’s enormous convention center, and it could be ready by early 2020. The mile-long system may not be as big as the city-wide tunnel network Musk has talked of, but it’s a start!
USPS taps self-driving big rigs to move mail between cities
The United States Postal Service is teaming up with autonomous-truck company TuSimple for a trial using its self-driving big rigs to transport mail between depots in Arizona and Texas. With the American Trucking Association forecasting a shortfall in drivers, more and more firms are exploring solutions like this.
Lyft’s new safety features include an in-app 911 panic button
Lyft is introducing several new safety measures to its ridesharing service, including an in-app panic button so riders can quickly and easily make an emergency call. Pressing the button also brings up the rider’s precise location and the vehicle’s license plate, which can be communicated to the dispatcher.
Millions of Instagram influencers reportedly had private data exposed online
As many as 49 million Instagram influencers have reportedly had their private data exposed in an online database that had no password protection. The database was apparently created by a marketing firm and has now been taken offline. Instagram says it’s currently investigating the security breach.
Some Pixel 3a owners say their new phone is randomly shutting down
Some owners of Google's new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphones are complaining that their device is randomly shutting down. It’s not yet clear what’s causing the issue, or how many phones are affected. The midrange handsets hit the market just two weeks ago and cost $399 and $479, respectively.
GM hits reverse with Maven carsharing as it closes service in eight cities
GM-owned Maven will close its carsharing service in nearly half of the 17 North American cities where it currently operates. Competing with the likes of Zipcar and Car2Go, the company said it wants to concentrate on the markets where it has the "strongest current demand and growth potential."
Help wanted: British royal family seeks social media wiz to run its accounts
The British royal family is looking for a social media expert to help it communicate its role and activities to the masses. Anyone can apply for the position, though you'll need plenty of experience of using social media in a high-profile environment to have any hope of succeeding.
Meatballs and pastries offered by Wing’s first European drone delivery service
Having recently launched a limited service in Canberra, Australia, Alphabet's Wing is getting ready to begin testing its drone delivery technology in Helsinki, Finland. Customers will be able to order a variety of food and drinks, with delivery promised within about 10 minutes.
New York could dish out fines for texting while crossing the street
The New York State Senate last week introduced a bill proposing a ban on texting while crossing the street. If it becomes law, offenders in the state could face fines of between $25 and $50 for a first-time transgression. Repeat the misdemeanor within 18 months and it could increase to as much as $250.
Instagram’s new Explore grid tempts you to open your wallet
Instagram has made some changes to its Explore tab that might tempt you into the occasional shopping spree. A newly designed navigation bar pins a Shop button to the front of the bar and offers access to category filters. It's also planning to add Stories to the grid, alongside photos and videos.
Photographer sues Ariana Grande after she posts his images of her on Instagram
A professional photographer is suing Ariana Grande after she posted photos on Instagram that he'd taken of her. Grande used the post to promote one of her albums, but the photographer says she used the images without permission. He’s now asking for $25,000 for each of the images or the profits generated by the post.
Tesla’s recent Model S fires prompt the company to update its battery software
Following three recent Model S incidents where the vehicles caught fire while parked, Tesla has started pushing out an update for Model S and Model X batteries that alters their settings to make them safer. The electric-car maker says it’s continuing to investigate the exact cause of the fires.
SpaceX calls off Starlink launch just 15 minutes before liftoff
High winds above Cape Canaveral on Wednesday night forced SpaceX to postpone the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket in a mission that would have marked the first major deployment of the company’s Starlink internet satellites. SpaceX said it plans to try again on Thursday evening.
Jeff Bezos breaks ground on $1.5B Amazon cargo hub for 100 Prime Air planes
Amazon has all kinds of plans to speed up delivery times, but none come bigger than the $1.5 billion air cargo hub that it's building in Kentucky for up to 100 Prime Air cargo planes. At a ground-breaking ceremony for the hub on Tuesday, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos dropped in to do the deed.
Quiet please! Uber offers a silent mode so you don’t have to chat
Whether you need to get some work done or you simply want some peace and quiet, it’s not always easy to tell your Uber driver you’d rather not talk. Well, there’s good news for those using Uber’s premium service, as the app now lets you inform the driver ahead of arrival that you'd prefer not to chat.
Google Pixel and Pixel XL owners may receive up to $500 over faulty phones
Owners of Google’s original Pixel or Pixel XL smartphones could receive a payout of up to $500 after the company agreed to settle a class action lawsuit linked to a fault with the handsets. The agreement, which is subject to final approval by the courts, affects Pixel phones sold before January 4, 2017.
Amazon encourages its workers to quit and start their own delivery companies
Amazon is always looking for ways to improve its shipping network. Its latest idea is to offer $10,000 and three-months pay to any of its workers who quit their job and set up their own business delivering packages for the company. Assistance, training, and other perks will also be provided.