1. Uber and Lyft Go on Strike
Early this morning, Uber and Lyft drivers went on a two-hour strike across the world from New York City and Los Angeles to Canada and the UK.
Uber drivers striking outside company HQ in London. Image Source: REUTERS | Henry Nicholls
Uber is expected to go public at a $90B valuation tomorrow and the strike was organized to coincide with the upcoming IPO. According to The Verge, drivers are demanding better working conditions, an end to upfront pricing and increased pay. Uber has readied for some kind of retaliation when they first declared their public announcement, admitting that driver dissatisfaction was likely to increase as they plan to decrease driver income, stop incentives and invest in driverless cars. These ride-hailing companies may say that they are on a “new path forward” but they are cutting corners (and drivers) to get there.
Uber drivers striking at the company’s headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. Image Source: The New York Times | Kristoffer Paulsen
2. FB’s Update Prioritizes Original Content
Despite all the Facebook setbacks, the media giant is rolling out a new update that will benefit video creators. The update will add more weight to videos based on their originality, intent and viewing durations. For example, if a video keeps a user engaged for at least one minute or longer in duration, it will be prioritized. “We want to help media companies — whether large, small, global, or local — continue their invaluable work,” stated Facebook. “And above all, we want to help people on Facebook discover great videos and build relationships with the creators and publishers that matter to them.” Who will be harmed by the update? Those who publish unoriginal content, such as repurposed video footage. Check out the detailed policies in Facebook’s Video Best Practices.
(Source: Facebook Newsroom, Engadget)
3. Game of Thrones Frappes Up
Shame. Shame. Shame. Last week’s Game of Thrones episode accidentally featured what is guessed to be a Starbucks cup in one of the scenes. The disposable cup can be seen on the table in front of Daenerys Targaryen at about 14:44 in the episode. Fans were quick to troll (no pun intended) the internet with a slew of memes:
You're telling me they had TWO YEARS to put together a decent show and they couldn't even spot the goddamn Starbucks cup in Winterfell??!?! #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/8opg7nyydv
— Jenna Guillaume (@JennaGuillaume) May 6, 2019
Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains, and Drinker of Pumpkin Spice pic.twitter.com/BOPdolRhXz
— Ira Madison III (@ira) May 6, 2019
Guys it’s not Starbucks, it’s Winterfell’s own coffee chain “Dire cup” #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/icM6bhXkbx
— ♉️ (@_alexalexalex) May 6, 2019
Game of Thrones retaliated back with a flawsome moment.
News from Winterfell.
The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. #Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea. pic.twitter.com/ypowxGgQRl
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) May 6, 2019
(Source: Mashable)
