‘Upfront’ Uber pricing replaces estimates with guarantees

Soon, when you open up Uber and request a ride you'll see the pricing in a different way. Instead of its current method of displaying the rate (and multiplier, if surge pricing is in effect), with a fare estimate in a second screen, it will just disp...

Tesla gives Uber a Model S boost at SXSW, so come on and take a free ride

Tesla gives Uber a Model S boost at SXSW, so come on and take a free ride video

The number of cabs per capita in Austin is probably quite reasonable for a city of under a million, but during SXSW, taxis can be difficult to come by, plagued by ridiculous traffic and a surge of carless visitors. So, to make our way from last night's Engadget+gdgt event to our hotel -- a roughly 15-mile drive north of the city center -- we turned to Uber's Android app. Selecting the UberX option, we were told, would net us a free ride, but we were expecting a clunky cab to pull up; instead, we got a brand new Tesla Model S, with a tie-clad chauffeur to match. The driver, we learned, was on loan from Dallas, while the gorgeous all-electric car was likely to quietly roll its way to distant roads following this week's Central Texas geek fest. But we weren't leaving Austin without our ride.

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Uber recruiting San Franciscan drivers, no (official taxi) license needed

Uber recruiting San Franciscan drivers, no (official taxi) license needed

Taxi-hailing apps like Uber and its competitors have been hitting stop sign after speed bump in their journey to actually, you know, being able to operate. Uber even had to shut down a beta in the Big Apple before the authorities gave such services the green light (with various caveats), and earlier this month, a similar win was scored in California when officials lifted local restrictions. As a result of the Golden State's leniency, Uber has started its UBERx program in San Francisco to recruit drivers who don't possess a specific taxi or limo license. That means everyone and your neighbor Bob can potentially start exchanging rides for cash, and are being promised decent compensation, completely flexible working hours, and access to a large number of clients. Luckily for fare-payers, those that wish to repurpose their whip will have to pass several tests before ferrying passengers, including a "city knowledge exam," so hopefully you won't end up on Alcatraz when you just asked Bob for a lift to Chinatown.

[Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Uber