RIDEGURU
Chris Hawes (chawes)
Ride Guru from Boston, MA
CTO of RideGuru, tech expert & enthusiast
756 Rider GuruChris has been involved with the Taxi industry since co-founding TaxiFareFinder.com in 2007, and has been an avid follower of the rideshare industry since its inception. An expert in full-stack web design and development, Chris oversees all the technical aspects of Unleashed's innovative products.
Activity
Posts by chawes
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How to keep your car safe during COVID
Check it out, some smart people figured out how to make airflow in your car safest for avoiding getting germs … -
Due To New California Law, Uber Allows Some Drivers To Set Their Own Rates
Whoahttps://www.npr.org/2020/01/28/800437791/due-to-new-california-law-uber-allows-some-drivers-to-set-their-own-rates?utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR25AV1xVIyT5ykvB3lF6EcC8thYJ4pf4BX2pBKCOZmGCZV8isrR5a_-KOU -
Uber: The ride-hailing app that says it has ‘zero’ drivers
Reality distortion field...Uber contract drivers helped bring in more than three-quarters of the company’s revenue in this year’s first … -
Bird raises new funding at a $2.5 billion valuation, thanks to longer-lasting scooters
Lot of cash for a company that can't turn a profit......That may have something to do with grim reports … -
Inside the new Uber: Weak coffee, vanishing perks and fast-deflating morale [Washington Post]
It's official. Uber has gone from hip startup to boring big company.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/09/30/inside-new-uber-weak-coffee-vanishing-perks-fast-deflating-morale/Sounds like morale is pretty low among … -
Inside Uber’s plan to take over city life with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi
https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/26/20885185/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-interview-exclusiveIt’s an ambitious play to become the de facto transportation and delivery service in every major city. But the … -
New York City’s first self-driving shuttle service is now open for business
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20755163/new-york-city-self-driving-shuttle-serviceMuch like other autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle services that have cropped up in recent years across the country, it … -
Woman gives birth in back of taxi. Driver is cool.
Warning: graphic. Can anyone top this??? -
The Uber for helicopters is now Uber
This pricing doesn't seem that bad. Getting from Manhattan to JFK can be a nightmare. Helicopter in 8 minutes? Where … -
As was predicted, Uber’s IPO means you’ll be paying higher fares for your rides
This article nicely sums up what I think a lot of us were already thinking.As we’ve reported before, Uber's … -
The future of the gig economy...
Is this it? LOL -
Uber rang in its IPO with champagne and mimosas. Then the hangover began.
You just can't teach an old dog new tricks, can you.SAN FRANCISCO — Uber shut down a party at … -
Beijing Taxi Trajectories
Check out this cool visualization of a day of taxi trips in Beijing. Talk about busy huh! Click on the … -
Four reasons Uber’s IPO stalled on Friday
So the Uber IPO is a huge dud, surprising exactly no one (especially after Lyft's weak performance since it's IPO). … -
Uber and Lyft stop hiring new drivers in New York City
NYC's new regulation around rideshares is officially doing its job now, for better or for worse. Uber and Lyft have … -
Electric scooters may not be around for long [The Verge]
The article is light, but watch the video for more detail.The fundamental numbers don’t really add up because scooters … -
Lyft becomes the first ride-hail company to go public, beating Uber
Welp, here it is folks.https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/1/18246328/lyft-ipo-ride-share-bikes-scooters-uber-public-secI am surprised to see how much Lyft's market share has increased in the … -
Uber and Lyft reportedly giving some drivers cash bonuses to use towards buying IPO stock
So, would you buy the IPO, or just pocket the cash? I know what I'd do...The two programs are … -
Uber Exploring Autonomous Bikes and Scooters [TechCrunch]
Pretty wild. Scooters that can drive themselves to their charging stations, and redistribute themselves to wherever they are needed. So … -
Uber Is Headed for a Crash [nymag]
Interesting read. How long can Uber survive hemorrhaging money?Uber’s investors have been buying your satisfaction in the form of …
Featured Answers by chawes
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Ok since a few people have wondered about this:
How much does it cost to charge a scooter? Less than you might think. Just to run some rough numbers:
The scooter batteries' capacities are reported to be about 8800mAh at 36V. We can convert this to watt hours: 8800 * 36 / 1000 = 316.8Wh
Electricity costs on average of 12 cents per kilowatt hour (ie. 1000 watt hours) in the US. So, the cost of charging one of these scooters from empty is going to be something like:
(316.8 / 1000) * 12 = 4 cents
It's probably a bit more than that since chargers are not 100% efficient. And, the cost of electricity varies between different locations, so take this with a grain of salt. But it's safe to say the electricity cost of charging these things is not something to worry much about.
"DimSumUng" LOL
Yeah... Uber's not gonna stand for that.
The answer is congenstion charges. London does this to great effect. Traffic was waaay cut down when the started congestion charges.
Quick, we need swarms of RoboTaxis that can coordinate as one hive mind and stop the traffic madness.
Wow this is crazy. I thought this was one of Juno's big differentiators. I can't believe they killed the program.
Possible your banks are denying it due to it being an international company? Maybe try calling your bank first to let them know to authorize it.
Do you ever get the feeling silicon valley is just one huge parody of itself? I mean, seriously, you can't make this stuff up.
"So during this jam session, you discussed the fact that laser is the sauce; correct?"
Yes folks, that sentence was uttered in the courtroom.
Waymo is an Alphabet (Google) company which is developing self driving cars. So, think of it as Google's autonomous vehicle (AV) division.
In 2016, one of the top engineers at Waymo left the company to form his own company, which was quickly bought by Uber to start their own AV division. For $600M in stocks I might add.
But it turns out this engineer took proprietary stuff from Waymo with him to form his new company. That's illegal on its own. But it is also alleged that he colluded with Uber in doing so.
In other words, Uber knowingly and deliberately came up with a plan to steal software from Waymo. And succeeded.
Allegedly.
Seems to be back up now
Down for me...
Elon Musk is like a real life Willy Wonka
I'm not seeing that. This is the stated principle in question:
10. WE SUPPORT THAT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES (AVS) IN DENSE URBAN AREAS SHOULD BE OPERATED ONLY IN SHARED FLEETS.
Due to the transformational potential of autonomous vehicle technology, it is critical that all AVs are part of shared fleets, well-regulated, and zero emission. Shared fleets can provide more affordable access to all, maximize public safety and emissions benefits, ensure that maintenance and software upgrades are managed by professionals, and actualize the promise of reductions in vehicles, parking, and congestion, in line with broader policy trends to reduce the use of personal cars in dense urban areas.
If they pay their drivers more (yes, that means raising fares), drivers will love them again. It's that simple.
Get rid of the tipping feature, and pay your drivers 20% more. Both drivers AND passengers will love you.
I liked Uber better when they paid drivers better, and we didn't have to feel guilty not tipping. It was wonderful. Just get in the car, and get out again when you get there. Now I feel like I'm expected to tip.
They're not saying no one else can use the road. AVs don't require any special infrastructure, that's not the issue here.
Well, I mean, Uber pays taxes too. All companies make money using public resources to varying extents.
But that said, this idea of theirs is stupid.
I should say, the drivers are losing out too. Driving for rideshares is not lucrative like it was 4-5 years ago.
Yeah, I agree, there is no question there is a huge price war going on in this industry. Big time. Predatory pricing. Uber is losing money but they have a long runway and are betting they can hold on longer.
Maybe the only losers are the investors in all of these companies... they are plowing through cash like drunken sailors.
I don't live in NYC and haven't tried Juno. One advantage uber usually has everywhere is more drivers on the road. More availability, less waiting. Does Juno have a lot of drivers? Comparable to Uber?