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Paul Stenhouse: Voting from your smart phone

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Sat, 25 Jan 2020, 3:32PM
Photo / File

Paul Stenhouse: Voting from your smart phone

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Sat, 25 Jan 2020, 3:32PM

In Seattle, you'll be able to do democracy on your phone

You won't be able to vote for the President.. but you will be able to vote for what's effectively Seattle's city council. It's being done to try and combat crazy low voter numbers. Less than 1% of registered voters bothered to vote in past years so hopefully if it's easier, more people will do it? That will be an interesting hypothesis to see play out! 

Google has developed a way to have a digital detox

This is bonkers. Google has created what they're calling 'Envelope' for one of their Pixel phones. You use paper to create an envelope then activate an app. The app severely limits the function of the phone. Through the paper of your envelope you'll only be able to make calls, take calls and see the time. Otherwise, you phone is a paper brick.

Microsoft has found a way to get Chrome users to use Bing

This won't take much guesswork, but it's not voluntarily. Chrome - made by Google - usually uses Google as its default search. Microsoft has Bing Search and it wants people to use it. So.. it's bundling a Chrome extension with a version of the "Office Installer" which IT admins use to make Bing the default. It seems a bit sneaky..

Uber is trialing letting drivers change the price for a ride

It's turning it into a bidding war now.. Uber will suggest its usual price for a fixed trip, then will let the drivers increase the price in 10% increments. Users will be connected to the cheapest ride. 

There are other changes too - drivers will get more information about a ride and will be able to more freely decline rides. It's to give drivers more independence over how they work - which helps them comply with California's new gig economy law.

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