Mini robotic cars with companion drones that help patrol the streets will be the newest member of Dubai's police force by the end of the year, WashPost reports. The cars are also equipped with face-recognition technology to help identify suspects.
How it works: The cars are powered via machine-learning algorithms, but police officers can also control them through a computer in their patrol car dashboards. They don't move quickly (WashPost notes not "beyond a stroll's pace"), but the aerial drone, which sits atop the car, can detach and surveil surrounding areas that the car cannot reach.
Why it matters: This robo-car-drone-duo is the first of its kind and it's a clear example of Dubai's efforts to restructure its police force for the future. And there's one stat to consider: Dubai is planning to have robots account for 25% of its police force by 2030, according to WashPost.
The gig economy's question of whether workers should be classified as employees has a new chance at getting an answer. On Thursday, a San Francisco magistrate judge ruled to let a former driver's lawsuit against food ordering company GrubHub to move forward, as Ars Technica reported. It's now scheduled for a trial in the fall.
Why this matters: Companies that provide on-demand services have long been criticized for classifying their workers as independent contractors instead of employees as a way to avoid providing them with benefits, which are costly, despite many of them working full-time hours. But as more workers shift to freelance work and new business models (and mobile apps) make it possible for industries to rethink labor, we'll need to figure out how companies should interact with their workers.
President Trump, along with Donald Jr. and Sarah Sanders, launched another series of attacks on the media this past week, with Trump railing at CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post on Twitter. Trump is known for his nicknames for both political competitors (Lyin' Ted Cruz, Little Marco) and his nemesis news companies.
Why it matters: As long as there has been the press, there has been tension between the White House and the media companies, but Trump's unreserved, childish attacks on specific news companies and reporters via Twitter is something new.
Here's a list of 11 media nicknames bestowed by Donald Trump.
