Maybe you chat up the driver when you get in an Uber, or perhaps you stare out the window. More likely you’re perusing through a few apps on your smartphone. Well, Uber wants to be your in-ride infotainment service, not entirely unlike what you’d find on a flight.
The ride-sharing service just launched a developer tool called Uber Trip Experiences, which lets third-party apps provide notifications, music playlists, news content, or ads to passengers during their trips. Uber says this content will be customized to the length of the ride, and will require permission from the user.
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Some examples include smart home appliance apps popping up notifications that will remind you to turn up the heat in your home before you arrive; receiving a five-minute news update for a five-minute ride; music apps providing playlists for you to listen to during the ride; and ads with points of interests and offers cropping up as you make your way to your destination. Of course, as more third-party apps choose to make use of this feature, there will be more choices and varied options of what exactly will be offered to you during your ride.
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If none of that appeals to you and you just want to drive in peace, Uber says users will be able to turn the feature off on an app-by-app basis. We’ll have to wait until developers start using this new feature to see if it will really be a welcome addition to Uber drives, or if it will be an ad-ridden nuisance.
The company says the update is its biggest since it released the Ride Request API in March of 2015, which allowed third-party apps to implement a Ride Request Button so that users could save a few clicks by not having to open the Uber app.
If you’re a developer, you can check out the Getting Started page for Uber Trip Experiences here.
iPhone SE 4: news, rumored price, release date, and more
While the spotlight always seems to be on Apple’s mainline iPhones, the iPhone SE is a great pick for those who are on a budget. If you want an iPhone that doesn't break the bank, the SE is the way to go.
The original iPhone SE came out in 2016, and then Apple revamped it in 2020 and 2022 by giving it some more modern hardware. The iPhone SE tends to get updated every two or so years rather than annually like the traditional iPhone. This means that we should see a new iPhone SE 4 this year, but it’s not so cut-and-dried with this particular model.
Hurry! This Apple Watch just had its price slashed to $189
For great smartwatch deals, head to Amazon immediately. Today, it has the Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) for $60 off bringing it down to just $189 from $249. A fantastic price for an exceptionally well-made smartwatch, this tops our list of the best Apple deals right now. If you’re keen to buy a watch that will motivate you to move more while also looking good, check it out by tapping the button below. Alternatively, read on while we explain all.
Why you should buy the Apple Watch SE (2nd gen)
One of the best smartwatches around, the Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) is best described as “simple, cheap, and brilliant”. It’s designed to help you exercise more effectively, while keeping connected with your digital life, and also staying safe.
Android 15 might add a new way to charge your gadgets
Wireless charging has been a fringe feature for over a decade, despite Apple's push into the ecosystem with the iPhone X and its later adoption of MagSafe. It has been limited to flagship phones, save for a few exceptions, mostly due to the painfully slow charging speeds. But with Android 15, Google now seems to offer phone makers additional reasons to adopt wireless charging even without dedicated hardware.
Instead of relying on a dedicated charging coil, Android 15 could enable wireless charging on phones with Near Field Communications (or NFC) tech. Android Authority dug up instances from the source code of Android 15's first user beta, which arrived last week, that suggests the implementation.
Not new, but definitely noteworthy
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Tushar Mehta / Digital Trends