CarPlay support in Uber’s Driver app should promote safer driving as drivers can view and accept trips without using their phones.
Uber is rolling out CarPlay support for its driver app
Ride sharing
How to view ratings and stars you received as an Uber rider
Uber now lets you see how many stars drivers have rated you. Here's more about this rating system and how you can view the average rating and stars you have received from Uber drivers for your completed rides.
Waymo self-driving ridesharing service releases iOS app
If you're in the Phoenix, AZ area and you'd like to take a ride in a self-driving car, Alphabet-owned Waymo now offers an iOS app. Waymo One serves Phoenix's East Valley area presently, though the company hopes to expand over time.
Would you wait longer for a less expensive Uber ride?
Uber is testing a new service that offers customers a less expensive fare if they agree to wait a little bit longer for a ride. The feature is currently being tested by Uber employees, according to Quartz, which has received confirmation from Uber.Â
Uber brings back Siri and Maps integration [u]
Uber for iPhone was updated on App Store yesterday and it brings back seamless integration with Apple Maps and the ability to hail a ride using the Siri smart assistant, the two features that were removed without explanation from the previous update issued in January.
Uber update drops compatibility with Apple Maps extensions and Siri integration
An update to Uber for iPhone, dated January 22, has nixed integration with Siri and Apple Maps.
Apple-backed Didi Chuxing raises $5.5+ billion from investors for international expansion
Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chixung has successfully raised more than $5.5 billion from investors to bankroll an expansion beyond China and into driver-less technology.
Bloomberg reported Friday that Didi, which counts Apple as one of its backers, disclosed the latest round of financing in an emailed statement.
Chinese ride-hailing service Didi to receive $5B in funding for automated driving expansion
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is near an agreement to raise $5 billion to $6 billion for automated driving expansion, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The financing round will lift Didi’s valuation to a cool $50 billion, up from a previous $34 billion after its acquisition of Uber’s China business. It would make the Beijing-based company the country's top startup by market valuation, even surpassing handset maker Xiaomi, and the most valuable startup in the world after Uber.
NYT: Lyft unsuccessfully attempts to sell itself to Apple, Google, Uber and others
Despite not being in danger of closing down thanks to its cash cushion of $1.4 billion, the popular ride-sharing service Lyft has in recent months attempted to sell itself to Apple and a few other Silicon Valley giants like Google, Amazon and Uber, The New York Times reported yesterday. None of the mentioned companies commented on the story.
The nation's second-largest ride-hailing firm also attempted a sale to China's leading ride-sharing service, Didi Chuxing, into which Apple invested $1 billion, and to General Motors, one of its largest investors that refused to make a written offer to buy it.
Apple-backed Didi Chuxing buys rival Uber China
Now we (probably) know why Apple poured a cool $1 billion into China's leading ride-sharing service Didi Chuxing as that company's just invested—you guessed right—$1 billion into its biggest rival, Uber China. The transaction, subject to closing conditions, will also give a 20 percent stake in the combined firm for Uber and its shareholders, said Bloomberg.