Sep 30, 2019 - Technology

Uber testing feature that lets "uncomfortable" passengers tape ride

Photo: Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Uber is testing out a feature that will let uncomfortable riders audio record their trips and send it to the company, according to Jane Manchun Wong, a developer known for reverse engineering apps to find unreleased features.

Why it matters: The rideshare company has been criticized for the safety of its app and for its handling of violence, sexual harassment and assault during rides.

  • Earlier this year, a University of South Carolina student was killed after entering a car she mistook for an Uber.
  • In 2018, an Uber driver shot and killed a passenger in Denver.
  • Also that year, two women filed suit against the company over allegations that lax vetting practices had led riders to a number of dangerous situations.

The big picture: The company has recently rolled out a number new safety features in an effort to quell concerns. These include a feature that allow users to send text messages to 911 dispatchers from within the app and an option for riders to verify their driver's identity with a unique pin.

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 2 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Politics: The swing states where the pandemic is raging — Pence no longer expected to attend Barrett confirmation vote after COVID exposure.
  2. Health: 13 states set single-day case records last week
  3. Business: Where stimulus is needed most.
  4. Education: The dangerous instability of school re-openings.
  5. States: Nearly two dozen Minnesota COVID cases traced to 3 Trump campaign events
  6. World: Restrictions grow across Europe.
  7. Media: Fox News president and several hosts advised to quarantine.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
32 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Republicans and Dems react to Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation

President Trump stands with Judge Amy Coney Barrett after she took the constitutional oath to serve as a Supreme Court justice during a White House ceremony Monday night .Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

President Trump said Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court and her subsequent taking of the constitutional oath Monday was a "momentous day," as she she vowed to serve "without any fear or favour."

  • But as Republicans applauded the third conservative justice in four years, many Democrats including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) warned of consequences to the rush to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ahead of the Nov. 3 election, with progressives leading calls to expand the court.
Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Ina Fried, author of Login
44 mins ago - Science

CRISPR pioneer: "Science is on the ballot" in 2020

Photo: "Axios on HBO"

In her three decades in science, Jennifer Doudna said she has seen a gradual erosion of trust in the profession, but the recent Nobel Prize winner told "Axios on HBO" that the institution itself has been under assault from the current administration.

  • "I think science is on the ballot," Doudna said in the interview.

Why it matters: That has manifested itself in everything from how the federal government approaches climate change to the pandemic.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow