{"id":338443,"date":"2017-04-15T04:41:16","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T20:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1477066"},"modified":"2017-04-15T04:41:16","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T20:41:16","slug":"weekly-roundup-ubers-hell-ish-week-teslas-plans-for-trucking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/weekly-roundup-ubers-hell-ish-week-teslas-plans-for-trucking\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Roundup: Uber\u2019s Hell-ish week, Tesla\u2019s plans for trucking"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Just as Uber is under fire once again, Lyft confirms a huge new funding round, Elon Musk reveals plans for\u00a0electric trucks and Apple is diving\u00a0into secret special projects. These are the top tech stories of the week. You can also get this post as the Weekly Roundup newsletter delivered to your inbox on Saturdays, if that\u2019s more your style.\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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1. Uber\u2019s \u201cHell-ish\u201d week<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A report surfaced claiming that Uber secretly tracked Lyft drivers using an internal software program called \u201cHell.\u201d Hell not only let Uber see how many Lyft drivers were available for rides and what their prices were, but also figure out which of its drivers were also driving for Lyft. Once Uber knew when and where they tended to log onto Lyft, the company was able to offer drivers financial incentives convincing them to use only Uber. Some lawyers are saying Uber could face civil legal claims related to its use of the software. It was also announced this week that Rachel Whetstone, Uber\u2019s head of communications and policy, is leaving the company<\/a>. We know that her reason for leaving is complex, but\u00a0there was some tension between Whetstone and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick over bad press.<\/p>\n

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2. Apple may have hired biomedical researchers to work on a secret project\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Apple seems to be on a special projects hiring spree. A new report is claiming that\u00a0Apple\u00a0has hired a group of biomedical researchers to work on a secret project to monitor diabetic patients using sensors.\u00a0Normally, patients monitor their glucose by pricking themselves to get a blood sample, so not having to do that any more would be a real game-changer for people\u00a0affected by diabetes. It was reported that Apple is also putting together a team to design its own battery management chip for the iPhone<\/a>. By designing its own chips, Apple could go a bit further than the standard power management chip, making the iPhone slightly more efficient in\u00a0power usage. This way, the company could get a leg up on\u00a0Android makers when it comes to battery life.<\/p>\n

In other Apple news, the California DMV released a list of companies allowed to test autonomous vehicles on the roads of California. The last name of the long list is Apple.<\/a>\u00a0It doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that you\u2019re going to see an Apple car on the road tomorrow\u2026 but it means that the company has the green light to\u00a0start real-world tests at some point in the future.<\/p>\n

3. Tesla\u2019s plan for trucks\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed on Twitter that Tesla plans to show off an electric pickup truck<\/a> sometime within the next two years. Musk also announced that Tesla will reveal its electric semi truck<\/a>, the Tesla Semi, in September of this year.<\/p>\n

4. Lyft confirms major $600\u00a0million raise, bringing total funding to $2.61 billion<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lyft confirmed\u00a0on its blog that it has raised a total of $600 million in new funding, with a post-money valuation of $7.5 billion. The funding brings Lyft\u2019s total funding to $2.61 billion, which is a gigantic amount unless you consider the incredibly competitive space within which they operate, which includes Uber, with $8.8 billion invested across 13 rounds.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0Instagram Stories is now bigger than Snapchat<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Instagram Stories hit 200 million daily active users, surpassing Snapchat Stories\u2019 161 million users it reported in March when the parent company, Snap, went public. Instagram is also getting faster at copying Snapchat features; it also added Instagram Direct<\/a> and an AR Stories feature this week.<\/p>\n

6. Yext sees successful IPO on the NYSE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This week saw another tech IPO as Yext, the company that helps businesses power their location data, went public on the New York Stock Exchange. After pricing shares above the expected range at $11, the price rose 21 percent to $13.29 by the end of the first day of trading.<\/p>\n

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7. Nintendo\u2019s NES Classic shipments come to a close<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

All good things must come to an end. This week Nintendo said\u00a0that it will be sunsetting the short-lived but beloved NES Classic Edition \u2014 the $60 console that gave us 30 classic Nintendo games. However, the language was not so clear, indicating room for a\u00a0potential release in the future: \u201cThroughout April, [Nintendo of America] territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year.\u201d So if you don\u2019t have one yet, there\u2019s still hope. But get\u00a0ready to pay big bucks in the meantime.<\/p>\n

8. Flipkart has a fresh\u00a0$1.4 billion raise<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Amazon and Alibaba had better watch out. Following months of rumors, Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart has confirmed that it has raised $1.4 billion in new funding at a post-money valuation of\u00a0$11.6 billion. The deal includes some big-name strategic investors: China\u2019s Tencent, eBay and Microsoft, which\u00a0join existing Flipkart backers that include Tiger Global, Naspers, Accel and DST Global.<\/p>\n

9. Hulu\u2019s live TV to cost $39.99 per month<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

More details emerged on Hulu\u2019s play to kill the cable box. The pricing for Hulu\u2019s live TV service, a competitor with cable television \u2014 as well as a host of other streaming TV services like Sling TV, DirecTV NOW and YouTube TV \u2014 will likely be $39.99 per month, with ads and access to Hulu\u2019s\u00a0on-demand library.<\/p>\n

10. Andre Iguodala spills Magic Leap secrets<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Magic Leap had some of its secrets spilled by Golden State Warriors small forward\u00a0Andre Iguodala.\u00a0In an interview, Iguodala talked about\u00a0augmented reality and undoubtedly skated the lines of violating his Magic Leap NDA as he described his demo with the product, which he called a \u201cdisruption of life.\u201d Iguodala gave some interesting insight into what a Magic Leap interface might look like, saying that in one demonstration he stuck his hand out and a character appeared in his hand that acted as a digital assistant for the device, something Iguodala compared to Apple\u2019s Siri. He referenced the character\u2019s ability to control smart-home devices, as well as other aspects of the operating system.<\/p>\n

11. Qualtrics is holding on IPO\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Utah-based SaaS company Qualtrics\u2019 IPO many have been\u00a0expecting is on hold for now. The online market research platform has just raised its third round for $180 million at a whopping $2.5 billion valuation.<\/p>\n

Weekend reads<\/h2>\n

Why do airlines overbook their flights?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

You may have seen an airline offer someone $500 to voluntarily give up their seat on a flight because they are overbooked. If you are going to a funeral, to an important meeting or if you\u2019re a doctor on your way to see a patient<\/a>, that may not work. If you\u2019re on vacation, however, and you figure that $500 to spend on another flight later in the year means a free trip to visit the family, you may be willing to let yourself be bumped off the flight. But why do airlines overbook flights? Here\u2019s a detailed explanation.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

How I made my own VPN server in 15 minutes<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

People are (rightfully) freaking out about their privacy as the Senate voted<\/a> to let internet providers share your private data with advertisers. While it\u2019s important to protect your privacy, it doesn\u2019t mean that you should sign up to a VPN service and tunnel all your internet traffic through VPN servers. Here\u2019s how one writer made their own VPN server in 15 minutes.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Featured Image: Ringo H.W. Chiu\/AP<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" Just as Uber is under fire once again, Lyft confirms a huge new funding round, Elon Musk reveals plans for electric trucks and Apple is diving into secret special projects. These are the top tech stories of the week. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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