This $2m report just killed calls for a limit on Uber driver numbers January 18, 2016 Uber has been delivered a boost in London after a new report concluded the taxi-hailing service has little effect on city congestion. The report, quietly published on a Friday before a public holiday, ended previous attempts by New York mayor Bill de Blasio and City Hall to cap for-hire vehicle numbers in the city. It comes amid similar calls by the London [...]
Action for Cabbies turns to crowdfunding to launch a judicial review challenging Transport for London’s licensing of Uber January 17, 2016 A company founded by the wife of a black cab driver will today launch a crowdfunding campaign to try to force Transport for London (TfL) to curb Uber in the capital. Action for Cabbies will use crowdfunder.co.uk to try and raise £600,000 to fund the first phase of a judicial review, arguing that in 2012 TfL [...]
Airbus and Uber are partnering for helicopters on-demand January 17, 2016 Aircraft maker Airbus and taxi upstart Uber will partner to provide people with a helicopter on-demand service, it has been revealed. Airbus boss Tom Enders told the Wall Street Journal of the plans at the DLD conference in Germany, saying it is a pilot project due to launch in several weeks. Read more: Uber just had its billionth [...]
Davos 2016: Who’s who at the World Economic Forum (and who’s notably absent) – from Leonardo DiCaprio to Travis Kalanick and George Osborne January 17, 2016 If it seems like Davos reads like a who’s who of the world elite, you wouldn’t be wrong. On the Swiss slopes, the annual gathering of the World Economic Forum which kicks off this Wednesday, brings together the world’s biggest politicians, business leaders and a sprinkling of celebrities to liven things up too Leonardo DiCaprio is the [...]
Lexus GS F review: the fast and furious GS F is an altogether different kind of Lexus January 14, 2016 If you think Lexus is all about holier-than-thou hybrids… you’re almost right. But, like the accountant who swaps his suit for suspenders at weekends, the Japanese carmaker has a naughty side. Meet the new GS F: a V8-engined super saloon that laughs in the face of rainforests. The ‘F’, in case you were wondering, stands [...]
Facebook Messenger app passes 800m users and David Marcus predicts decline of SMS and text messaging January 7, 2016 Facebook is predicting the decline of SMS in 2016 as it revealed its Messenger app has passed the 800m user milestone. David Marcus, the vice president of Facebook messaging products said there is still "much more opportunity ahead" and the app, which launched in March 2014, was still in its early days. The figures mean Messenger [...]
Car industry revival turbo charged in US – GM, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, and Nissan all pull in record sales for December and 2015 January 5, 2016 Oil prices at an 11 year low, an easy line of credit, pent up customer demand, and a rebound in the jobs market all contributed to a record breaking 2015 for the US car industry, crowned with one of the best December trading periods ever. The picture is looking similar in UK, with many of [...]
CES 2016: General Motors is investing $500m in Uber rival Lyft and is making driverless car plans January 4, 2016 The US carmaker General Motors has revealed it is investing $500m (£339m) in Lyft, a cab-hailing app which rivals Uber, with plans to work on the development of driverless cars together. That investment also comes with a seat on the board. “We see the future of personal mobility as connected, seamless and autonomous. With GM and Lyft working [...]
Uber just had its billionth ride.. and it was in London December 30, 2015 Uber has passed another milestone in its short history. Not only is it the most highly valued startup in the world, but its one billionth ride was taken on Christmas Eve – and it happened right here in London. That one billionth ride was a £5 UberX from London Fields to Hoxton and comes just five [...]