Code & Clarity

Uber and Waymo have ended their robotaxi partnership in Phoenix, raising questions about how long their remaining collaborations in Atlanta and Austin will last. More interesting is what happens next, as subtle jabs between the companies could turn into open competition, especially in policy battles over market access. Adding pressure, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just issued a sharp warning to autonomous vehicle developers. Administrator Jonathan Morrison declared it unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders, calling emergency scenes a core responsibility, not an edge case. While the directive didn’t name names, it follows reports of Waymo’s repeated run-ins with emergency crews, including a July 4 incident in San Francisco where its robotaxis contributed to gridlock and some ran out of power. The federal agency has given AV companies until the end of the month to present solutions. Meanwhile, the 2026 Regulatory Plan include...

Get ready for a fascinating twist in the world of self-driving cars and ride-sharing. Uber recently revealed a bold long-term plan: it wants to turn its millions of human drivers’ cars into a vast network of data-gathering sensors. This data would then be fed to companies developing autonomous vehicles and other artificial intelligence models that need to understand the real world. Praveen Neppalli Naga, Uber’s chief technology officer, shared this vision at a tech event in San Francisco. He described it as a natural evolution of a program Uber introduced earlier this year called AV Labs. Currently, AV Labs uses a small fleet of Uber-operated cars specially equipped with sensors. However, the ambition is much bigger. Naga confirmed that the company eventually aims to equip its massive global network of drivers with these sensor kits. Imagine the sheer scale of data collection if even a fraction of Uber's millions of drivers worldwide were contributing. This move aims ...

Uber has just announced that its customers in the United States can now book hotels directly through the app. This new feature is part of a series of updates that push the company beyond its original ride-hailing purpose. At launch, users will have access to over 700,000 hotels worldwide thanks to a partnership with Expedia Group, a company led by Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi for 12 years. Vacation rental inventory from startup Vrbo will also be added to the app later this year. The hotel booking feature is not the only new update from Uber. The company has also introduced a travel mode that provides users with guides to tourist hotspots, local favorites, and other helpful information for their trips. Additionally, Uber has launched a feature called "Eats for the Way," which allows customers to order a drink or snack that will be waiting for them in their Uber Black vehicle. These updates are part of Uber's efforts to become a one-stop-shop for all its users...