'Uber Files' leak reveals company's aggressive expansion tactics

It's Monday, July 11, 2022.

A trove of leaked documents has shed an unfavorable light on the early days of Uber. Dubbed the Uber Files, the leak covers 2013 to 2017 and includes roughly 124,000 internal company documents and 83,000 emails.

In 2016, Kalanick reportedly ordered French employees to encourage local Uber drivers to counter-protest the taxi strikes in Paris at the time. When one executive warned Kalanick that “extreme right thugs” were part of the protest, the former CEO pushed back. He said: “Violence guarantee[s] success. And these guys must be resisted, no?”

In a statement published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Travis Kalanick’s spokesperson said any suggestion that the former executive “directed, engaged in, or was involved” in “illegal or improper conduct” is “completely false.”

There’s an awful lot more coming to the surface, expect even more bad headlines for Uber.

— Mat Smith

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Elon Musk is officially trying to kill his Twitter takeover

Twitter's board said it was prepared to take Musk to court to keep the deal in place.

Elon Musk is officially trying to pull the plug on the $44 billion deal to buy Twitter. In an SEC filing, Musk’s lawyers said the Tesla CEO wishes to terminate the agreement because of “false and misleading representations” made by Twitter. It's not clear what happens next, but it seems Musk and Twitter are likely heading toward a lengthy legal battle.

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Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones review

A lot of upgrades at no extra cost.

Engadget

Bowers & Wilkins might be a name many associate with high-end home audio gear, but the company has been steadily chugging along with headphones, too. Its latest model, the Px7 S2 ($399), is a completely overhauled version of the PX that debuted in 2019. Bowers & Wilkins tweaked the design while enhancing the active noise cancellation (ANC). There are a few gripes, but on ANC performance and sound quality, the Px7 S2 rivals the best headphones you can buy right now.

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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx landed on an asteroid with a surface like a ‘pit of plastic balls’

The spacecraft left a 26-foot-wide crater.

NASA

Nearly two years ago, NASA made history when its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly tagged the asteroid known as 101955 Bennu to collect a regolith sample. While the mission won’t return to Earth until late next year, NASA shared new information about the celestial body.

"It turns out that the particles making up Bennu’s exterior are so loosely packed and lightly bound to each other that if a person were to step on to Bennu they would feel very little resistance, as if stepping into a pit of plastic balls that are popular play areas for kids," NASA said.

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New York law requires gun permit applicants to submit social media accounts for review

To show they have the 'character and conduct' to be trusted with a firearm.

As of September 1st, New York residents who want to carry concealed handguns will need to submit their social media accounts as part of their permit application. They'll need to provide details of active and inactive accounts from the previous three years, along with at least four references. Critics have taken issue with the social media provision of the legislation. It's unclear how the state will address concerns over privacy and free speech.

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EU will require all new cars to include anti-speeding tech by 2024

This will cover every new car sold.

The EU regulation (part of the broader General Vehicle Safety Regulation) goes into effect today and states that all new models and types of cars introduced to the European market must include an ISA (intelligent speed assistance) system.

The European Commission said in a press release: “The roll out of ISA is a huge step forward for road safety and has the potential to dramatically reduce road traffic injuries and fatalities.” According to a projection by the EU-funded PROSPER, if ISA became mandated, it could reduce fatalities by between 26 and 50 percent.

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