Tag: Uber
Tech Digest daily roundup: Uber prices could rise by 20%
Uber has said it may soon have to start charging its UK customers VAT at 20%, after a High Court judgement, pushing up the cost of rides. It comes after a judge ruled that UK private hire taxi operators must make contracts with their customers. It could have far-reaching consequences for the industry and other…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Instagram to require birthday confirmation
Instagram will begin requiring users to confirm their birthdays as part of an effort to create new safety features for young people, the Facebook Inc-owned (FB.O) social media app said Monday. Instagram has explored building a version of its app for kids under the age of 13, prompting lawmakers to urge Facebook to drop the plans,…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Uber rival Didi scraps European launch
The Chinese taxi-hailing app Didi has suspended plans to launch in Britain and continental Europe amid concerns about how it handles sensitive passenger data, The Telegraph can reveal. Didi had secured licences to operate in several British cities as part of a push to challenge Uber, but is now understood to have pulled the plans for at…
Tech Digest daily round up: Microsoft President warns of AI threat on Panorama
Life as depicted in George Orwell’s 1984 “could come to pass in 2024” if lawmakers don’t protect the public against artificial intelligence, Microsoft’s president has warned. Speaking to BBC's Panorama, Brad Smith said it will be "difficult to catch up” with the rapidly advancing technology. The programme explores China’s increasing use of AI to monitor…
Tech Digest daily round up: Scientists invent flat pasta that morphs into 3D shapes
An interdisciplinary team of scientists specialising in material science, mechanical engineering, and computer-aided fabrication are making a new type of pasta dough that remains flat during storage, but can morph into tubes, spirals, twists, and waves when cooked. The scientists, including those from the Morphing Matter Lab at the Carnegie Mellon University in the US, believe…
Tech Digest daily round up: AI wins its first crossword competition
Matt Ginsberg is good at a lot of things - he is an AI scientist, author, playwright, magician and stunt plane pilot. But he isn't very good at crosswords. In fact, despite writing them for the New York Times, he says that when they are published, he often cannot solve his own. So when he…
Hyundai confirms EV partnership with Uber
Hyundai has confirmed its strategic partnership with Uber to provide its drivers with discounted access to thousands of Kona Electrics and IONIQ Electrics in the UK, France and Netherlands. The agreement comes as Uber announces that it plans to become a zero-emission mobility platform by 2030. By 2025, 50 per cent of the total aggregated…
Tech Digest daily round up: Bumble founder joins Forbes Super-Rich list
Image via Wikipedia. Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch You may never have heard of her - but the founder of dating app Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, has joined Forbes list of the super-rich. And while others, such as fellow billionaire Kim Kardashian, are grabbing the headlines, there is an…
Uber drivers are workers, Supreme Court rules
Uber drivers are workers and entitled to holiday pay and minimum wage, the UK's Supreme Court has ruled in a decision that could have far-reaching implications for the gig economy. The Supreme Court decision, which was unanimous among the six judges, brings to and a six year battle by Uber drivers to get employment rights. …
VW and Uber partner for ‘Uber Green’ in Berlin
Volkswagen has partnered with Uber in Berlin for the pilot launch of a new ride hailing service called Uber Green. In September, Uber announced that it intends to evolve into a zero-emission mobility platform by 2040, with 100 percent of the rides offered using zero-emission vehicles, public transport or micro-mobility offerings. The objective of the…
