Lime splashes $3 million on a campaign to encourage safer electric scooter rides
Keen to boost its image and keep local communities onside, scootersharing outfit Lime is spending $3 million on a campaign to teach its users how to ride more safely and responsibly. If you sign up to its pledge online, you could bag yourself a free helmet for your future scooter rides!
Aussie teen bags $24,000 top prize at World Drone Racing Championships
A 15-year-old Australian lad has been crowned the world's best drone racer after finishing top among 127 other competitors from 34 countries. Rudi Browning also picked up a $24,000 cash prize for his victory at last weekend's FAI World Drone Racing Championships in Shenzhen, China.
No, Amazon Day isn’t yet another shopping event, but you may find it useful
Don't worry, Amazon Day isn't yet another online shopping holiday aimed at wrecking your monthly budget. Instead, it's a feature being tested for Prime Members that lets you select a single delivery day for multiple orders — ideal for those wary of porch pirates or who simply want to be kinder to the environment.
GM is getting into ebikes, and it wants you to help name them
General Motors has just unveiled its first-ever electric bikes as part of its efforts to broaden its business and pivot to an all-electric future. To find the best name for the two new ebikes, the automaker has launched a $10,000 public contest. Tip: It's probably not worth suggesting "Bikey McBikeface."
Elon Musk shows off Boring Company’s ‘disturbingly long’ tunnel beneath LA
Elon Musk has tweeted a trance-inducing video of a ride through the Boring Company's test tunnel that's set to be officially unveiled in December 2018. Musk described the two-mile tunnel as "disturbingly long," though members of the public can soon find out for themselves when they're offered free rides through it.
Shazam hooks up with Instagram Stories for another way to share songs
The latest update for Shazam lets iPhone users share songs to Instagram Stories in a few quick taps. To enable it, make sure you have the latest version of Shazam on your handset. The new feature just landed and comes shortly after Apple completed its acquisition of the popular song-recognition app.
WhatsApp finally gives in to the lure of cash-generating ads
WhatsApp's co-founders said their messaging app would never show ads, but once the pair quit the company, it seemed inevitable that its owner, Facebook, would find a way to get them in. And this week, WhatsApp VP Chris Daniels has confirmed that ads are on their way to the app's Status feature.
Amazon goes a mile high for its second brick-and-mortar ‘4-star’ store
Following the opening of its first "4-star" in New York in September, Amazon has just opened a second location in Denver, Colorado. Amazon 4-star sells items that have been rated highly by customers who use its online store. Top sellers, as well as new and trending items, also feature.
Snapchat’s PR firm is suing an influencer for failing to influence
Snapchat's PR company is suing a social media influencer for his alleged failure to promote the latest version of Spectacles on Instagram. Actor Luka Sabbat was paid $45,000 upfront to post a certain number of posts, but the lawsuit claims he fell well short of the terms of the deal.
Lime gearing up to add cars to its fleet of bikes and scooters
It's already operating bike and scootersharing schemes in multiple cities around the world, and now Lime is gearing up to add electric cars to its range of short-trip transportation options. Seattle, Washington, is expected to be its first market, with details expected in the next few weeks about vehicles and costs.
Twitter tests home screen button that offers more control of your timeline
Twitter recently relaunched its reverse-chronological timeline, but accessing it means diving into settings. Now it's testing a button on the main screen that lets you switch between the two styles of timeline more easily. The design is intended to give users even more control over their timeline.
GoPro’s video stabilization technology is so good, an eagle can use it
GoPro's Hero7 Black action camera comes with an all-new electronic stabilization technology for silky smooth footage. To show it off, it recently attached the camera to the belly of an eagle and sent it flying around a stadium in Mexico. The results, we're sure you'll agree, are pretty impressive.
Uber now offers a $15 monthly plan for access to cheaper fares
Uber riders in five cities across the U.S. can now pay a monthly fee of $15 ($25 in Los Angeles) for access to cheaper fares. Ride Pass is available for UberX and UberPool, with fares unaffected by surge pricing or other factors that can sometimes surprise Uber customers when they request a ride.
Waze’s new audio player aims to make your commute more bearable
Waze is launching a new Audio Player as part of its navigation app, offering easy access to streaming services that include Pandora, Deezer, iHeartRadio, NPR One, Scribd, Stitcher, and TuneIn, as well as Spotify, which is already integrated. Currently in beta, it'll be landing for all Waze users in the coming weeks.
DJI adds a bunch of extras to Mavic 2 for a new search-and-rescue drone
DJI has added extra kit to its compact Mavic 2 drone to create a new flying machine that's ideal for search-and-rescue missions, as well as industrial inspections. The Mavic 2 Enterprise offers spotlights, speakers, a powerful camera, and a self-heating battery, together with enhanced security and safety software.
Robot uprising a step closer with plan for factory where they build themselves
A factory where robots make robots is surely the stuff of nightmares for those living in fear of the dreaded uprising. But putting apocalyptic horrors aside for a moment, ABB's new facility could be one of the most advanced of its kind when it opens in 2020 with plans to make 100,000 robots a year.
This Red Sox fan had his $650 World Series ticket stolen via Instagram
If you bag a ticket for a big event, then be careful about posting a photo of it on Instagram or another social media site. Boston Red Sox fan Robbie Johnson found out why the hard way after a scammer copied his ticket and used it to gain entry to a World Series game, invalidating the original ticket in the process.
Google Maps will now tell you about special offers from your favorite places
Google Maps for Android now lets you follow your favorite store, restaurant, or other business so you can hear about offers, events, or updates that it thinks you might like to know about. It'll also start highlighting the locations of new businesses so you can keep tabs on your changing neighborhood.
Check out these ‘cool’ photos taken with a lens made from sea ice
Earlier this year, photographer Mathieu Stern set himself the offbeat challenge of making a lens using nothing more than a piece of sea ice. After months of work that involved building a lens body and modifying an ice-ball maker, Stern achieved some rather, ahem, "cool" results with his unique lens.
Another recall! 1.5M Ford Focus cars may have stalling problems
Ford's latest vehicle recall covers 1.5M Ford Focus cars, most of them on the road in the U.S. The issue concerns a problem with the fuel tank that could lead to an engine stall. The company says it will notify affected owners, but says that in the meantime, affected cars should be run with at least half a tank of gas.
Yahoo agrees to pay $50M in damages for biggest-ever data breach
Yahoo has agreed to pay $50 million in damages for a huge security breach in 2013 that hit all three billion of its user accounts globally. If the settlement is approved by a court next month, U.S.-based users affected by the biggest-ever data hack will be able to claim a portion of the funds.
How a comic turn by David Schwimmer may help British cops nab a suspect
When cops in the United Kingdom posted a photograph of a suspect they wanted to speak to in relation to an alleged theft, many people hit social media to point out how the man bore a striking resemblance to actor David Schwimmer. No one could've expected what happened next.
Hackers target major airline in data breach affecting nearly 10M customers
A major international airline has been targeted by hackers, with personal data belonging to nearly 10 million of its customers stolen. Cathay Pacific, which operates out of Hong Kong, says that it so far has no evidence that the data has been misused, and is now in the process of contacting those affected.
Fujifilm says it will ‘never’ launch a full-frame mirrorless camera
Many Fujifilm fans have been hoping that the company might one day introduce a full-frame mirrorless camera to join its popular crop-sensor models. But in a recent interview, an executive at the company appeared to dash those hopes when he said that Fujifilm would "never" produce such a camera.
Amazon opens its sixth cashier-free Go store, this time in San Francisco
Amazon has just opened its sixth checkout-free grocery store, this time in San Francisco. Amazon Go lets you grab your items and leave, with technology around the store ensuring that everything you take is tracked and charged to your account. Reports suggest the company is planning to open 3,000 more by 2021.
Apple’s iCloud is experiencing issues across more than a third of its services
Users around the world are experiencing serious issues with multiple iCloud tools. Apple's cloud-based service includes features such as iCloud Drive, Photos, iCloud Mail, iCloud Calendar, and Find My iPhone. The company's System Status page shows that more than a third of iCloud services are hit.
World’s first drone-equipped motorcycle features a special space for the Spark
If your sidecar is missing a drone or your drone a sidecar, then check out how the two machines have been brought together in this unique design from Ural Motorcycles. Only 40 of the combos have been made, though that may well turn out to be enough. The Ural Air goes on sale in November.
Watch the moment NASA releases 450,000 gallons of water onto a launch pad
NASA's next-generation rocket — part of its eagerly anticipated Space Launch System — will be one of the most powerful ever made and at launch will generate a colossal amount of heat and energy. To keep it under control, the space agency has developed a system that releases a huge amount of water in just one minute.
NYPD pulls thousands of body cams after one explodes
The NYPD has recalled thousands of body cameras after one of them exploded. No one was injured in the incident, which is thought to have been caused by the battery. The NYPD said an officer picked up the camera on Sunday, but noticed smoke coming from it. After putting it down, "the device exploded."
Flying food: Uber has set a target date to use drones for meal delivery
Uber is better known for taking people around town, but it also has a growing meal-delivery business called UberEats. It currently uses cars and bikes to deliver the food, but now has plans to use drones, too. Indeed, a job ad spotted over the weekend reveals the company even has a date in mind to launch the service.
When tech goes wrong: Banksy’s shredder was meant to totally destroy his artwork
Banksy recently set up one of his most famous pieces of work to self-shred just seconds after it auctioned for more than $1 million earlier this month. But a fault with the shredder built into the frame has left the buyer with something almost certainly worth far more than the $1 million winning bid.
Softly spoken interactions with Alexa now possible with new Whisper Mode
From Thursday, October 18, Alexa's Whisper Mode started to roll out to U.S. owners of Amazon's digital assistant, though for now it only understands whispers in English. To make use of the new mode, you first need to turn it on. This can be done simply by saying, 'Alexa, turn on Whisper Mode.'