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Category: RideShareRevolution

RideSharingRevolution

  • Ultimate Solution For Uber and Lyft Is Autonomy

    Ultimate Solution For Uber and Lyft Is Autonomy

    “The ultimate solution for Uber and Lyft is autonomy,” says Loup Ventures Managing Partner Gene Munster. “If this employee model simply doesn’t work you are going to see these companies push even harder into autonomous systems simply eliminating the drivers. However, this will attract more competition. I think the two best companies positioned within that would be Google and their Waymo initiatives and also Tesla and how they are going to vector into the ridesharing market.”

    Gene Munster, Managing Partner at Loup Ventures, discusses how California in forcing drivers to be employees may ultimately speed up the efforts of Uber and Lyft to go fully self-driving and thereby simply eliminate all human drivers:

    What Would The Drivers Want?

    Both Uber and Lyft are in a tight spot. There was reprieve today. But this topic is not over with this vote coming November 3rd and California’s influence that they can have with other states. If you put all of this together and think about if these changes to employees across the country, it could be a 15 percent increase (in costs). This is effectively their profit margins.

    I do want to caution the voters of California and also some of the lawmakers on one aspect. What would the drivers want? Most of these drivers use both apps, both Lyft and Uber. If they are employees they likely will be restricted from jumping from app to app. That would cut down some of their rides and cut down what they will be paid on an hourly basis. I don’t think that the right path here is as clear for the drivers in simply becoming an employee.

    Ultimate Solution For Uber and Lyft Is Autonomy

    The ultimate solution for Uber and Lyft is autonomy. If this employee model simply doesn’t work you are going to see these companies push even harder into autonomous systems simply eliminating the drivers. One of the unique things about Lyft and Uber is it is a two-sided marketplace. They have drivers and riders. In an autonomous world you don’t need drivers. Essentially, that would leave Lyft and Uber with their key asset, their brands around movement. I think that is an asset but I don’t know if it is worth $55 billion.

    What I really take away from this is that over the next few years there are going to be ups and downs related to this regulation. Longer term, we know where this is going. Cars should be autonomous for safety reasons and productivity reasons. Ultimately, ridesharing with Uber and Lyft is going to be fully self-driving. This topic we are discussing today is going to be largely irrelevant.

    Lyft is already testing self-driving rides in Las Vegas

    Google and Tesla Will Compete With Uber and Lyft

    There are some key nuances to an autonomous ridesharing business model. As I mentioned, there is a two-sided marketplace. That’s really what makes Lyft and Uber special today. One of the sides of the marketplace, the drivers side of this, is under some pressure right now. But if we eliminate the drivers side then you don’t even have a marketplace. You are just trying to get consumers to ride. That opens up new competitors. There are about six of them that are trying to get there.

    The autonomy option is a better option for Lyft and Uber than what they currently have with humans driving. For an investor it’s a more profitable option. However, ultimately it will attract more competition. I think the two best companies positioned within that would be Google and their Waymo initiatives and also Tesla and how they are going to vector into the ridesharing market.

    I Would Put My Money On Lyft

    Assuming their ballot initiative wins in November, I’m in the Lyft camp. This is partly because I like their focus just on the US and on ridesharing. I think that the Uber Eats business, while its had a tremendous tailwind, it will get progressively more competitive and it’s tougher to make money in that business.

    Ultimately, if I had my choice I would put my money on Lyft. There is another X factor here. There is something subtle about Lyft’s culture. It is a more investor friendly culture and that influences my view.

    Ultimate Solution For Uber and Lyft Is Autonomy, Says Loup Ventures Managing Partner Gene Munster
  • What Not to Do: Former Uber CSO Charged For Covering Up Data Breach

    What Not to Do: Former Uber CSO Charged For Covering Up Data Breach

    The Department of Justice has announced it is charing Uber’s former Chief Security Officer (CSO) Joseph Sullivan for obstruction of justice.

    The charges stem from a data breach Uber suffered in 2016, just days after Sullivan testified before the FTC about a 2014 data breach. In the 2016 data breach, hackers “accessed and downloaded an Uber database containing personally identifying information, or PII, associated with approximately 57 million Uber users and drivers. The database included the drivers’ license numbers for approximately 600,000 people who drove for Uber.”

    Rather than report the new breach, Sullivan orchestrated an attempt to pay off the hackers to prevent the FTC from finding out. To cover his tracks, Sullivan funneled the money through a bug bounty program and tried to get the hackers to sign NDAs. To matters worse, the NDAs includes statements falsely indicating that no data had been taken, statements Sullivan insisted remain in the agreements.

    “Uber’s new management ultimately discovered the truth and disclosed the breach publicly, and to the FTC, in November 2017,” writes the DOJ. “Since that time, Uber has responded to additional government inquiries.

    “The criminal complaint also alleges Sullivan deceived Uber’s new management team about the 2016 breach. Specifically, Sullivan failed to provide the new management team with critical details about the breach. In August of 2017, Uber named a new Chief Executive Officer. In September 2017, Sullivan briefed Uber’s new CEO about the 2016 incident by email. Sullivan asked his team to prepare a summary of the incident, but after he received their draft summary, he edited it. His edits removed details about the data that the hackers had taken and falsely stated that payment had been made only after the hackers had been identified.”

    The entire incident is a case study in how not to handle a data breach. At the same time, Uber’s new CEO and management team are to be commended for doing the right thing as soon as they discovered the truth.

  • California Law Kills Uber and Lyft And The Entire Gig Economy

    California Law Kills Uber and Lyft And The Entire Gig Economy

    California Assembly Bill 5, which has been upheld in a recent court ruling, literally bans the right of an individual to work for themself according to California Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R). The law will ban hundreds of different professions and especially the hundreds of thousands of jobs created by the gig economy over the last decade.

    Here is how California Assemblyman Kevin Kiley describes the laws impact:

    This law, California Assembly Bill 5, has made it impractical for Uber and Lyft to operate here. Everyone saw this coming. We’ve known this whole year that this law has been devastating for people. It’s actually devastating not just for Uber and Lyft but for hundreds of professions in California.

    This law, AB-5, has basically banned being an independent contractor or an independent worker. It says you have to be in the employ of someone else. They are shutting down Uber and Lyft and that will leave 100,000 of their drivers out of work. We have millions of Californians who also rely on their services. It’s going to be yet another blow to our economy which is already doing about as bad as any state in the country.

    California Law Kills Uber and Lyft And The Entire Gig Economy
  • Lyft May Shutdown In California

    Lyft May Shutdown In California

    Lyft is warning it may join Uber in shuttering operations in California following a preliminary injunction classifying its drivers as employees.

    Uber, Lyft and the state of California have been locked in a battle over how to classify the two companies’ drivers. Under the Assembly Bill 5, gig workers are considered employees if they are critical to a company’s business. The law has profound implications for companies like Uber and Lyft, whose entire model is geared around independent contractors.

    In his ruling, the judge granted a preliminary injunction preventing Uber and Lyft from classifying their drivers as independent contractors, effectively making them employees. While both companies plan to appeal the ruling, according to The Verge, Lyft President John Zimmer made it clear that losing the appeal would result in Lyft leaving the state. In a call with investors, he said: “If our efforts here are not successful it would force us to suspend operations in California.”

    Uber and Lyft’s case will have far-reaching consequences for the gig economy in California and beyond.

  • Uber CEO: Will Shut Down In California Until Voters Decide

    Uber CEO: Will Shut Down In California Until Voters Decide

    • We will have to essentially shut down Uber until the voters decide.
    • Reclassifying drivers from contractors to employees is unfortunate.
    • You would just get a much smaller service at much higher prices.
    • The vast majority of our drivers don’t want to be full-time workers.
    • Really unfortunate at a historical time of unemployment in California.
    • It would put vast swaths of our drivers out of work.
    • It would take away transportation from hundreds of thousands of Californians.
    • Our labor laws are hopelessly outdated.
    • It’s essentially how Uber started, kind of a black car service with few cars. 
    • We can’t go out and hire ten of thousands of people directly overnight.
    • We would focus on the center of cities versus smaller cities or suburbs.

    “We think the ruling by a California judge was unfortunate on reclassifying drivers from contractors to employees,” says Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “We think we (already) comply with the laws. But if the judge and a court finds that we are not and they don’t give us a stay to get to November then we will have to essentially shut down Uber until the voters decide.” 

    Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, discusses a court ruling requiring Uber to classify Uber drivers as full-time workers. Khosrowshahi says that this will force Uber to become a much small black car service focused on city centers and with much higher prices for rides. Essentially the service would no longer exist in California suburbs and rural areas:

    Vast Majority of Uber Drivers Want To Remain As Contractors

    We think the ruling (in California) was unfortunate (on reclassifying drivers from contractors to employees). We obviously respect the law and the judge. We do have about eight days now where there is a stay. We are going to go back to the court and appeal the ruling and hope that the court reconsiders. If the court doesn’t reconsider then in California, it’s hard to believe we will be able to switch our model to full-time employment quickly, so I think Uber will shut down for a while. Really, the big question is in November with Prop. 22, we have a proposition out there that puts forward what we believe is the best of both worlds. 

    The vast majority of our drivers, a 4-1 ratio, want flexibility, and don’t want to be full-time workers. With Prop. 22 drivers can continue to have the flexibility that they have but they can enjoy the protections, benefit fund, an earning standard so that they have the protections that many people associate with full-time work. We are hoping that in November the California voters can speak. We are confident that this better way which is kind of the best of both worlds will be the way going forward for California.

    We Will Shut Down Until The Voters Decide In November

    In California, we have changed our model substantially. For example, riders in California pay drivers directly. Drivers can set their own price as an independent contractor would. Drivers have all the flexibility to decide whether or not they want to take a ride or not. We think we (already) comply with the laws. But if the judge and a court finds that we are not and they don’t give us a stay to get to November then we will have to essentially shut down Uber until the voters decide. 

    It would be really unfortunate at a historical time of unemployment in California. It would put vast swaths of our drivers out of work without the opportunity to earn. It would take away transportation from hundreds of thousands of Californians. It would be really really unfortunate. Obviously we would look to comply with the law long-term and we’re hoping the law gives us the best of both worlds. Our labor laws are hopelessly outdated. You’ve got the haves and have-nots and you can have actually a better way.

    Smaller Service, Higher Prices, Only Focused On Big City Centers

    Hopefully, the courts will reconsider. By no means do we want this to happen. If they don’t we are going to have to work to move to a full-time model. It’s essentially how Uber started, kind of a black car service with very few cars on the road and much higher prices. So we will look to flip to a full-time model but this is a model that we built over ten years. We can’t go out and hire ten of thousands of people directly overnight. It would take a significant amount of time to switch over. We have teams thinking about it and working on it. We don’t think it’s the likely outcome by the way and we would look to get back on the road as quickly as possible. 

    You would just get a much smaller service, much higher prices, and probably a service that’s focused on the center of cities versus a bunch of the smaller cities or the suburbs that we operate in right now. That’s the reality. It’s not a game of chicken or one way or the other. It’s really up to the courts and we are going to comply with the law. We will look to get going but it will be a very very different service once we get going.

    Uber CEO: Will Shut Down In California Until Voters Decide
  • Customer Meetings Will Change Forever, Says Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec

    Customer Meetings Will Change Forever, Says Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec

    Some things in the new world will change forever. Customer meetings will change forever. In the past, I never thought that I could do a Zoom call or a Teams call with the CEO of a company I’m trying to sell to. In the future, I don’t think my customers will want me to come and see them. There’s continued opportunity for remote access. Anything that allows you to connect with clients online or build the brand is going to be really valuable. I had an Instagram Live yesterday with Kris Jenner. She’s been selling online for years now. Every business needs to move online, especially small business.

    Robert Herjavec, mega entrepreneur and Shark Tank star, says on CNBC that the coronavirus crisis has caused the word to change forever. Meetings will never be the same and many other post-pandemic changes are in store:

    Customer Meetings Will Change Forever

    When all of this first happened we wanted to use Zoom because all our customers use Zoom. But I have got to tell you, some of the security issues are really pretty bad within Zoom. So we’ve switched over to Microsoft Teams. I think that’s one of the reasons that Microsoft stock is doing so well. The use of Teams at the corporate enterprise level is really taking off. We’re also seeing Webex usage really go up. There was also the acquisition of BlueJeans (by Verizon), another video conferencing platform.

    I have become very optimistic about the return, whenever the return is, and what the world will look like. Some things in the new world will change forever. Customer meetings will change forever. In the past, I never thought that I could do a Zoom call or a Team’s call with the CEO of a company I’m trying to sell to. In the future, I don’t think my customers will want me to come and see them. There’s continued opportunity for remote access. Anything that allows you to connect with clients online or build the brand is going to be really valuable. I had an Instagram Live yesterday with Kris Jenner. She’s been selling online for years now. Every business needs to move online, especially small business.

    We’re Into This For The Long Haul

    I used to think that we were in a light switch moment where miraculously President Trump will get on the news and say we’re all back on this date. But I think what we’re seeing now in California and in New York is that it’s going to be⎯⎯we’re into this for the long haul. Certain parts of the economy will go back quickly. But even the ones that do go back are going to be limited. 

    Restaurants will have to distance half the tables. If I have more space in my restaurant can I charge more along that line? I think it’s going to be challenging but with all those challenges there’s going to be opportunities. The key for me about going back is testing. What that means and how people get tested. There’s a great new saliva test that was approved by the FDA where people can do it at home and I think we just have to be able to do that at scale.

    Nobody Wakes Up And Says “I Want My Life To Suck”

    Shark Tank is a mirror to what’s happening in the American economy. When we started the show twelve years ago it was during the financial crisis. Nobody could get a loan. So people started a lot of businesses that you didn’t need capital for. Then we moved to online selling. This will be the same thing. If I’ve learned anything on twelve years from Shark Tank it is that the human condition is about hope. Nobody wakes up and says I want my life to suck. Every time somebody comes on Shark Tank they are full of hope and they’re full of optimism. 

    This is a challenging time but entrepreneurs will figure it out. The key though is you’ve got to have a growth plan. The stimulus plan, the protection plan, all these relief funds, are simply survival funds. They are not growth funds. If you don’t have a plan to grow, if you don’t have a plan to gain market share, getting a stimulus today is just keeping you in business. It’s not helping you to grow. You’ve got to have a game plan for that.

    I want to know what people’s plan is for survival. It makes me want to invest in two types of companies, either a company that has a very strong balance sheet or companies like an Uber or a small business that can scale back its costs. I want to invest in a company that can quickly scale its expenses to meet a decline in revenue or vice versa. So fluidity and the ability to adapt in a small business is really going to be the key. I don’t want to invest in a business with a large infrastructure, buildings, equipment, and all that kind of stuff. That stuff is very difficult to scale down.

    Customer Meetings Will Change Forever, Says Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec
  • Uber CEO: We Are Working On Dashcam Technology

    Uber CEO: We Are Working On Dashcam Technology

    “There’s a lot of crazies out here in Arizona,” said Uber driver Randy Clarke in a very interesting online chat with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “I just wish you guys had some sort of way for us to put our rules of our vehicle on the app so the passengers know what to expect beforehand.”

    “For example, in January this guy came into my car trying to get into the front seat. I don’t like to allow people in the front seat when I’m driving alone at 11 o’clock at night. He gets mad after I cancel the ride he jumps in the back and argues with me, calls me the N-word, slams the door and leaves. What that guy did was bad and disgusting, definitely not good.” 

    https://youtu.be/kRpbHp8UbaQ

    “But if there was a way for him to know that I don’t allow people in the front seat when I’m driving with them alone I’m sure he would have just canceled there and then.”

    Then Uber driver Randy Clarke gave Uber’s CEO a suggestion.  “I just wish there was a way for us to upload dashcam footage directly to you guys. Sometimes I get to run around and they transfer me to safety and support. There needs to also be some sort of way for Uber to somehow encourage the footage in case something was to happen.” 

    Randy added, “I think a lot of drivers are afraid of the dashcam policy you guys have in where we can’t put the footage out or we get deactivated. In my situation, I was like whatever happens happens. I showed people the footage and lo and behold he was a guy who owned a business in my community and he got a lot of crap for that.” 

    “Dashcams Is Technology That We’re Working On,” Says Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi

    “Well he sounds like he deserves a lot of crap for that,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “Dashcams and in general taping rides, etc.  is actually technology that we’re working on. There’s this fine balance with privacy concerns. You guys know with TikTok and all that stuff, privacy is rightfully a huge thing.” 

    “Most drivers are like you, good people that are totally open to dashcams,” says Khosrowshahi. “Hey take the footage, I have nothing to hide, this is part of my profession, I act well and I treat my riders well so they don’t have a problem. I think a lot of riders when they’re in the car they do expect privacy and they’re nervous about the balance of safety and privacy. Safety’s super important as well. They’re both important. So we’re trying to work on technologies that balance the two.”

    Khosrowshahi added, “Every single state statute, by the way, is different. So you can’t have one solution. You’ve got to have a state-by-state solution that works for everybody. I really would like to get something that bridges that and balances safety and privacy, but it’s a lot of work to do so. The tech teams are totally working on it. So one day Randy we’re gonna get you that magic!”

    “There are solutions you can imagine where we don’t take the dashcam footage but we only take it if you tell us that there’s an issue It’s in the cloud someplace and no one has access to it. We want to do it the right way because we should not be inappropriately watching someone if we don’t have to. It’s only for those exceptional circumstances.”

    “Exactly,” says driver Randy. Some people do it for clout while others just want to do it just to make sure it doesn’t happen again. So I totally understand that.”

  • Slack Files Complaint Against Microsoft With EU

    Slack Files Complaint Against Microsoft With EU

    Slack has filed a complaint against Microsoft with the EU, claiming the company is engaging in anti-competitive practices with Teams.

    Slack and Teams have been locked in a bitter battle over the corporate messaging market. While Microsoft’s app has far surpassed Slack, in terms of users, Slack has continued to rack up some impressive contracts. In particular, Slack has become a popular choice among companies that compete with Microsoft and don’t want to rely on one of their competitors for their communication.

    Now Slack has upped the ante even more, filing a complaint with the EU. In particular, Slack is claiming that Microsoft is unfairly tying Teams to Office.

    “We’re confident that we win on the merits of our product, but we can’t ignore illegal behavior that deprives customers of access to the tools and solutions they want,” said Jonathan Prince, Vice President of Communications and Policy at Slack. “Slack threatens Microsoft’s hold on business email, the cornerstone of Office, which means Slack threatens Microsoft’s lock on enterprise software.”

    Microsoft should be concerned by this complaint, as it is similar to the complaint that was successfully used in Microsoft’s antitrust case in 2001. To make matters worse for the company, the EU is currently scrutinizing numerous US companies for anti-competitive practices. All of this means that Microsoft may find itself in an unfavorable climate should Slack’s complaint move forward.

  • Google Reneges On Promise, Angers Open Source Community

    Google Reneges On Promise, Angers Open Source Community

    Google has found itself in hot water with the open source community by reneging on a promise it made regarding Istio.

    Istio is a “mesh service,” a critical piece of cloud architecture that ensures all the various microservices that comprise a cloud platform work together. Google developed Istio, and it quickly became one of the most popular mesh services available, supported by a wide array of companies. Part of this popularity came from the boost IBM gave Istio, when they merged their own Amalgam8 mesh service into Google’s project and joined forces with search giant to promote Istio.

    The controversy is surrounding Google’s 2017 promise to turn Istio over to the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). Instead, the company has decided to turn over control to the Open Usage Commons (OUC), a brand-new, open source organization Google created, and then announced on July 8. Needless to say, this bait-and-switch has not sat well with the open source community.

    “Today’s announcement by Google of the creation of the Open Usage Commons (OUC) is disappointing because it doesn’t live up to the community’s expectation for open governance,” writes IBM’s Jason McGee. “An open governance process is the underpinning of many successful projects. Without this vendor-neutral approach to project governance, there will be friction within the community of Kubernetes-related projects.

    “At the project’s inception, there was an agreement that the project would be contributed to the CNCF when it was mature. IBM continues to believe that the best way to manage key open source projects such as Istio is with true open governance, under the auspices of a reputable organization with a level playing field for all contributors, transparency for users, and vendor-neutral management of the license and trademarks. Google should reconsider their original commitment and bring Istio to the CNCF.”

    These are strong words from Google’s Istio partner and should cause the company to reconsider its position. Google has spent years earning the goodwill of the open source community, something this debacle is quickly undoing.

  • Lyft Begins Testing Autonomous Cars On Public Roads Again

    Lyft Begins Testing Autonomous Cars On Public Roads Again

    Lyft has begun testing its autonomous vehicles on California roads again.

    When the pandemic caused people to stay at home, Lyft’s public testing program was suspended. As California has eased restrictions, however, the company has resumed its testing program.

    “We’re excited to announce that our autonomous vehicles (AVs) are back on the road — and that during the shelter in place we continued to make progress by doubling down on simulation,” reads the company’s blog post. “Simulation is an important part of our testing program, enabling us to test beyond road miles.”

    At the same time, the company downplayed any impact the temporary hiatus had.

    “While road testing remains a critical aspect of our program, simulation allows us to leverage existing on-road data in many more ways, and multiple times over, to help improve and validate our software,” continues the blog. “With Lyft’s unique data and Level 5’s advancements in simulation, we believe we’re reducing the road miles needed by several orders of magnitude. Our focus on simulation over the last few months allowed us to maintain Level 5’s momentum toward our goal to improve access to safe and reliable transportation for millions of Lyft riders everywhere.”

    This is good news for Lyft and the autonomous vehicle industry in general. Especially in view of the pandemic and social distancing, the demand for autonomous, driverless vehicles may see an increase for reasons few would ever have expected.

  • Investors Betting On Teams Over Slack

    Investors Betting On Teams Over Slack

    As the battle for corporate messaging clients heats up, investors and traders are beginning to choose whom they believe will be the winner.

    Slack helped revolutionize the corporate messaging market and is still considered the market leader, in terms of features and maturity. In recent years, however, Microsoft Teams has gained ground, even surpassing Slack in overall users.

    Despite Teams’ gains, Slack continues to be heavily used and has racked up contract after contract with some of the biggest names in tech. In spite of that, investors are worried about Slack’s long-term ability to successfully compete with Microsoft.

    According to TheStreet, Goldman Sachs analyst Heather Bellini downgraded Slack from neutral to sell based on these concerns.

    “While we continue to view Slack as a best-in-class team messaging offering that is favored by the technical community, we expect Microsoft Teams to continue to try and leverage its packaging within Office 365 to drive increased adoption, thus creating the potential for a more competitive environment,” wrote Bellini.

    Another factor in the equation is Slack’s existing customer base. Because it appeals to small and medium-sized companies, Bellini believes it is more vulnerable to coronavirus-related economic issues. Despite downgrading Slack, she maintains her target price of $30.

    Microsoft has a long history of entering a market with what is widely considered to be an inferior product, when compared with the market leader. Leveraging the power of their operating system and business-class software, however, Microsoft is usually able to make significant headway while improving their initial offering.

    Only time will tell if Slack is able to succeed where so many other companies have fallen to the juggernaut from Redmond. If not, it may lend weight to Amazon’s rumored interest in buying the company.

  • Apple Beefing Up Cloud Division With Spate of Hires

    Apple Beefing Up Cloud Division With Spate of Hires

    Apple has been on a hiring spree, bringing in some of the best cloud engineers money can buy.

    While cloud computing may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of the iPhone maker, the company has a large cloud presence. The App Store, Apple Music, iCloud Drive and file storage, as well as Apple TV+ are all part of the company’s cloud presence.

    As Protocol reports, it’s unclear what the new hires are being brought on to tackle, although the sheer number and quality of the hires is impressive. According to Protocol, the list includes:

    • Michael Crosby, one of a handful of ex-Docker engineers to join Apple this year. “Michael is who we can thank for containers as they exist today. He was the powerhouse engineer behind all of it,” said a former colleague who asked to remain anonymous.
    • Arun Gupta, who joined Apple in February from AWS and is now leading Apple’s open-source efforts.
    • Maksym Pavlenko, another former AWS employee who worked on its managed container services such as AWS Fargate.
    • Francesc Campoy, an ex-Googler who will be working on Kubernetes for Apple.

    It will be interesting to see what Apple has planned, and whether it is simply beefing up its existing services, or more directly going after mainstream cloud providers.

  • Germany May Make Working From Home a Legal Right

    Germany May Make Working From Home a Legal Right

    German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil plans to put forth legislation that will make working from home a legal right, long after the coronavirus pandemic.

    As the pandemic has swept the globe, it has had a profound impact on businesses and organizations of all sizes. One of the biggest changes has been how employees work, with many working from home. Industry leaders have predicted at least some of these changes, including more flexible work-from-home policies, could be a permanent legacy of the pandemic, and it seems Minister Heil wants to help that happen.

    According to The Associated Press, Heil is going to unveil legislation that will require companies to gives workers whose jobs allow it the option to work from home if they want.

    “Everyone who wants to and whose job allows it should be able to work in a home office, even when the corona pandemic is over,” said Heil. “We are learning in the pandemic how much work can be done from home these days.”

    As Heil points out, the pandemic has forced companies to accommodate telecommuting and, in the process, they have learned just how productive employees can be. In addition, having fewer people in the office can translate to lower rent and utilities, as well as less commuting costs for employees. Reports have even show pollution has decreased as a result of more people working from home, making the environment another beneficiary of the trend.

    Here’s to hoping more governments pass similar legislation as that proposed by Minister Heil, and make working from home a legal right.

  • The Science Behind Face Masks

    The Science Behind Face Masks

    Seeing people wear a mask in stores, on the street, public transportation, and more is becoming more prominent than ever. Originally, the WHO and the CDC both repeatedly were against many wearing face masks, but on April 3, 2020, the CDC reversed its decision and announced that healthy people should wear masks to help slow the spread and reduce risk of exposure.

    In China, an estimated amount of more than 80% of infections with COVID-19 went undocumented and unnoticed. These undocumented cases, while none of the transmitters showed symptoms, still spread COVID-19 everywhere they went. These undocumented cases accounted for over 75% of total transmissions in China.

    How Masks Slow the Spread of COVID-19

    Masks are utilized to slow the spread of COVID-19 because they can trap contagious particles from an infected individual from spreading. In lab testing, it was found that wearing a face mask could prevent particles from getting through – confirming that a mask can protect others from the wearer.

    The reason this works is that a large number of transmissions are passed through asymptomatic carriers. These masks, according to one study, combined with frequently using hand sanitizer, can reduce flu transmissions by up to 50% or more. COVID-19, being estimated at nearly 3 times more contagious, even a small decrease in infection rates could mean a huge difference. Since the creation of the N95 respirator, which proved to be very good at stopping the spread of tuberculosis and other viruses, very little research has been done on cloth masks.

    Masks Are Not Worn For Social Reason In the U.S.

    Wearing a mask, while becoming more common is still not worn by many for social reasons. “We need to change our perception that masks are only for sick people and that it’s weird or shameful to wear one… If more people donned masks it would become a social norm as well as a public health good” says Robert Hecht, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology in the Yale School of Medicine.

    In countries where wearing a face mask is common, like China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, experts noticed that the oncoming spread of COVID-19 was much more controlled because face masks in those countries are more than recommended, they are culturally expected. In the U.S., people of color are afraid of wearing a face mask in public for fear of being mistaken as a robber. On March 18, 2020, a police officer kicked 2 black men out of a Walmart for wearing face coverings.

    90% of U.S. Cities Report a Shortage of Face Masks

    Nearly 90% of U.S. cities are reporting a shortage of face masks that are needed to protect emergency responders and healthcare workers. Making a face mask at home is a good way to not cut into that already dwindling supply. A study looking at the effectiveness of homemade masks showed that masks made with higher thread count fabrics, finer mesh gauze, and more layers were more effective at filtering particles in the air.

    Taking on and off your mask safely is also important. Use hand sanitizer before putting your mask on and after you take it off and while wearing it, avoid touching it or adjusting it.

    Learn more about how face masks might be helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19 here.

    Covid 19 - Everything You Need To Know To Flatten The Curve

    This article originally appeared on Kivo Daily

  • Coronavirus: Uber Business Taking Hit, Has Enough Funds

    Coronavirus: Uber Business Taking Hit, Has Enough Funds

    In a call to investors, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said the company is losing significant business because of the coronavirus, but has enough funds on hand.

    According to Business Insider, Khosrowshahi told investors the hardest hit areas have seen a 60-70% decline in rides, and that could go as high as 80% for the year. In spite of that, the CEO said the company has $10 billion in unrestricted cash.

    “We have plenty of liquidity on the books which positions us to come out of this crisis strong and capable,” Khosrowshahi said.

    Another bright spot is Uber Eats, the company’s food delivery service. As people forgo restaurants, Uber Eats is seeing growth in even the worst hit areas. Between the news that Uber has enough cash to survive the crisis, and news its food delivery service is growing, the company’s stock was up as much as 43% Thursday.

    Uber should serve as an example for other companies. Between having enough cash to weather a storm, and diversifying into a disruptive business, the company seems well-positioned to survive any temporary hit to its core business.

  • Uber Taking LADOT to Federal Court

    Uber Taking LADOT to Federal Court

    Uber is taking its battle against the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) over customer data to federal court.

    While Uber already shares location data for its electric bike and scooter ride-sharing services with many cities it operates in, the LADOT has required that Uber share real-time, or near real-time, data with the agency. The data would include start and end points, as well as the route taken. Uber has fought the ruling and ultimately had its license for its scooter business pulled.

    The company appealed the ruling, which was heard by David B. Shapiro, a lawyer who has handled multiple city departments appeals. Shapiro sided with LADOT, but noted that neither side had made very compelling arguments. Uber had not given evidence that real-time data was being abused, or that customers’ privacy was negatively impacted. At the same time, LADOT did not adequately show why it was so important to receive real-time data.

    Now Uber is taking the next step, suing the LADOT in federal court. According to CNET, the company is continuing to claim that customer privacy will be negatively impacted.

    “Real-time in-trip geolocation data is not good for planning bike lanes, or figuring out deployment patterns in different neighborhoods, or dealing with complaints about devices that are parked in the wrong place, or monitoring compliance with permit requirements,” states the lawsuit. “What it is good for is surveillance.”

    The outcome of this lawsuit will likely have far-reaching repercussions for a variety of industries, and determine the degree to which local governments do or don’t have the right to require real-time location data.

  • Google Cloud Focusing on Telecom Industry

    Google Cloud Focusing on Telecom Industry

    In its ongoing efforts to gain cloud market share, Google Cloud has launched a version of its platform specifically aimed at the telecom industry.

    Google Cloud is currently a distant third in the U.S. cloud industry, with a mere 4% of the market. CEO Thomas Kurian has set the goal of becoming at least the second largest U.S. cloud vendor within five years. One way the company is working to grow its market share is by appealing to specific industries. The company had previously released Google Cloud Anthos for Retail in an attempt to capitalize on retailers’ aversion to using a cloud solution from Amazon, one of their biggest competitors.

    Now Google has launched Anthos for Telecom, “an open hybrid and multi-cloud application platform offering telecommunications companies the flexibility to modernize existing applications, build new ones, and securely run them on-premises and across multiple clouds.”

    Anthos is based on open source technology and includes “Kubernetes, Istio, and Knative,” enabling “consistency between on-premises and cloud environments and helps accelerate application development.”

    With Google’s latest addition to its cloud offerings, its obviously working to close the gap with its bigger competitors. Whether it will help the company meet Kurian’s goal remains to be seen.

  • Google Cloud and AT&T Partner For Network Edge 5G Computing

    Google Cloud and AT&T Partner For Network Edge 5G Computing

    Google Cloud and AT&T have announced a partnership between the two companies to help enterprises take advantage of 5G and edge computing.

    Edge computing moves processes closer to where data is being collected and used, rather than sending it to a data center for processing. Thanks to 5G, edge computing stands to usher in a whole new era of on or near-premise computing, significantly speeding up the speed and latency of critical and intensive operations.

    The partnership will allow Google Cloud to deliver technologies and capabilities to companies using AT&T’s 5G network. These technologies include artificial intelligence, machine learning, data and analytics, Kubernetes and more.

    “We are delighted to work with AT&T, a 5G leader, to help enterprises and the industry harness the potential of 5G,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. “Our co-innovation with AT&T aims to bring a multitude of 5G and Edge Computing solutions to address a diversity of use cases, driving real business value in industries like retail, manufacturing, gaming and more. We are deeply committed to helping drive positive business outcomes for enterprises by working with AT&T on 5G.”

    “We’re working with Google Cloud to deliver the next generation of cloud services,” said Mo Katibeh, EVP and CMO, AT&T Business. “Combining AT&T’s network edge, including 5G, with Google Cloud’s edge compute technologies can unlock the cloud’s true potential. This work is bringing us closer to a reality where cloud and edge technologies give businesses the tools to create a whole new world of experiences for their customers.”

    The announcement is another in a string of wins for Google Cloud as it works to take on AWS and Microsoft.

  • Microsoft Teams Gets Outlook Integration and More

    Microsoft Teams Gets Outlook Integration and More

    Microsoft just announced a bevy of new features for Microsoft Teams, bringing Outlook integration, targeted communication, new files experience and more.

    Microsoft is currently battling Slack for dominance in the corporate messaging space. Slack has recently netted some high-profile customers, driven in part by companies who compete with Microsoft not wanting to be dependent on their software. On the other hand, Microsoft has at least double Slack’s user base and touts Teams’ deep integration with the rest of their software as a key advantage.

    With this latest round of updates, that integration is front-and-center, starting with Outlook.

    “Teams is the hub for getting work done with your team—but we know that that is not the only way people communicate,” writes Marissa Salazar. “We have built this new integration between Outlook and Teams to make it easy to collaborate no matter where the conversation is taking place. The user can move an email conversation from Outlook, including attachments, into a Teams chat or channel conversation by clicking on the ‘Share to Teams’ in Outlook. They can also share a conversation from Teams to an Outlook email by clicking on the more options (‘…’) icon in a conversation.”

    The update also brings targeted communication, allowing team members to use @mentions to send communication to everyone assigned to a particular tag. The update also rolls out the new SharePoint-based file experience to all users. Another interesting feature is live captions in Teams meetings, which should help “those who are deaf or hard of hearing, have different levels of language proficiency, or are connecting from loud locations.”

    All-in-all, the February update includes a number of significant improvements that are sure to help Microsoft continue gaining new users.

     

    Image Credit: Microsoft

  • SiriusXM and Uber Deploy Slack To Their Employees

    SiriusXM and Uber Deploy Slack To Their Employees

    In its ongoing battle with Microsoft Teams, Slack has scored two major wins as SiriusXM and Uber have both deployed the messaging app to their employees.

    Microsoft Teams recently doubled Slack’s user base, helped by the app’s deep integration with the rest of Office. Slack has maintained, however, that its users are more engaged and shot down concerns that it couldn’t effectively compete with Microsoft. Underscoring Slack’s claims, it has been scoring a number of significant wins, including IBM and now SiriusXM and Uber.

    “Collaboration is key to our success, which is why we decided to use Slack as part of our efforts to bring our employees together,” said Bill Pratt, SVP and CIO at SiriusXM. “We see Slack as an important day-to-day productivity tool for our organization.”

    Similarly, according to tweets by Uber employees, it seems the ride-hailing company made the switch to Slack yesterday.

    Given the size of the messaging market, there’s no reason Teams and Slack can’t both exist with a healthy user base. With Slack’s recent gains, the company obviously is doing well convincing users it is not only viable, but competitive.

  • Bad News For Uber: L.A. Wins Data-Sharing Appeal

    Bad News For Uber: L.A. Wins Data-Sharing Appeal

    Uber and Los Angeles have been fighting over a rule ordering scooter rental companies to share ride data with the city—a rule that was just upheld on appeal, according to the Los Angeles Times.

    The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) passed a rule requiring scooter and electric bike sharing services to provide real-time data on riders’ trips, including start and end points, as well as the full route traveled.

    Uber has argued that providing that degree of data would unnecessarily risk riders’ privacy and make it all too easy to personally identify individual riders, and “reveal personal information about riders, including where they live, work, socialize or worship,” according the LA Times. After six months of arguing, the city suspended Uber’s operating license.

    Uber filed an appealed, which was heard “by David B. Shapiro, a lawyer who has handled appeals for multiple city departments, including the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Department of Cannabis Regulation.”

    Although Shapiro sided with the city in saying it was within its rights to terminate Uber’s operating permit, he said both sides had made weak arguments. Uber failed to provide examples of data being used improperly, while Shapiro did acknowledge Uber’s concerns. At the same time, LADOT failed to make a compelling case as to how it could use real-time data to solve the problems it says are the reason for the rule. Uber has already said it is willing to provide near-real-time, aggregated data that would protect privacy.

    Shapiro’s decision is a loss for privacy advocates and concerned citizens, but Uber has already promised to appeal.