Mar 26
Mar 26
Ford is exploring new methods of selling you cars and for the past couple of years, it has been toying with the idea of setting up giant structures which are essentially vending machines for cars. Ford has set up its first vending machine with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, it’s the execution of a partnership that the two companies entered into about two years ago.
The giant multi-story building located in Guangzhou, China is called the Super Test-Drive Center and in it are dozens of Ford cars. Users can simply select the car they want from Alibaba’s Tmall app and then take it for a three-day test drive.
They will thus have plenty of time to get used to the new car and decide whether or not they want to purchase it. The program leverages Alibaba’s services and gives potential customers discounts and incentives depending upon their usage on Alibaba’s ecosystem.
The concept of storing cars in mechanical facilities isn’t new, in fact, its roots date back to the early 1900s but this system has rarely been used to sell cars. That’s why Ford and Alibaba joined forces to come together and provide customers with a new way of purchasing cars. Whether or not this machine makes its way to other markets across the globe remains to be seen.
Ford Has Made A Car Vending Machine With Alibaba , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Mar 26
After weeks of speculation, Uber finally confirmed today that it’s going to merge its Southeast Asia business with local rival Grab in exchange for a significant stake in the company. This is the third such deal that Uber has inked after struggling to compete in some key markets so many have understandably been concerned whether the company is going to make this a habit. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said that this is the last such deal.
Uber’s first such deal was with Didi in China. After failing to compete with the local rival, it decided to sell its business to the competitor in exchange for a stake back in 2016. Uber then signed a similar deal with Yandex in Russia just last year.
Earlier today, Uber confirmed that it’s bowing out of the Southeast Asian market and that it has sold its ride-hailing business as well as the Uber Eats division to Grab. However, this will be the last deal of its kind. Khosrowshahi has promised employees that consolidation isn’t going to become the company’s strategy going forward.
“One of the potential dangers of our global strategy is that we take on too many battles across too many fronts and with too many competitors. This transaction now puts us in a position to compete with real focus and weight in the core markets where we operate, while giving us valuable and growing equity stakes in a number of big and important markets where we don’t,” he added.
However, some might struggle to take Khosrowshahi’s words at face value, particularly given the fact that he said just a few weeks ago that Uber was going to invest heavily in Southeast Asia to better compete against Grab even though reports at that time suggested that it was in talks for a deal.
Uber CEO Says Company Won’t Exit Any More Markets , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Mar 26
With Samsung’s first flagship smartphone launch of the year out of the way, the rumor mill has turned its attention toward the Galaxy Note 9 which is due in the second half of this year. According to a new rumor out of China, the Galaxy Note 9 battery capacity might be increased significantly to 3,850mAh.
Customers almost always appreciate bigger batteries particularly if smartphone manufacturers are able to put one in without significantly increasing the thickness or the weight of the device. So if the Galaxy Note 9 does indeed come with a 3,850mAh battery, Samsung will certainly be making its fans’ wishes come true. For the sake of comparison, the Galaxy Note 8 features a 3,300mAh battery.
However, the company will have to move some things around inside to make space for the larger battery. Multiple reports have suggested that the Galaxy Note 9 is going to feature a display-based fingerprint sensor. The latest rumor also reiterates that possibility, which if accurate would make the Galaxy Note 9 Samsung’s first smartphone to feature a fingerprint sensor in the display itself.
None of this has been officially confirmed by Samsung as yet, though, so take the information with a grain of salt until we have more to go on. Samsung isn’t expected to launch the Galaxy Note 9 before the second half of this year.
Galaxy Note 9 Battery Could Be Bumped Up To 3,850mAh , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Mar 26
HMD Global, the Finnish company that’s making Nokia-branded smartphones now, is expected to launch a new flagship smartphone later this year. Earlier reports have suggested that the device is going to have a display notch much like many other Android flagships this year to maximize the screen real estate. However, a new report suggests that the company is also testing a prototype without the display notch which means that it hasn’t decided the final design of this device as yet.
Apple popularized the display notch with the iPhone X last year. It’s where the front camera and 3D sensors are housed while the display is stretched to the very top. Some Android OEMs have already replicated the design and Nokia was expected to do the same for its new flagship.
A new report claims that there’s a prototype being tested by the company that’s more like the Nokia 8 Sirocco in terms of design and doesn’t feature a display notch. Other than that, the device is believed to tout flagship-level specifications.
HMD Global hasn’t really commented on the reports concerning its new flagship smartphones so it’s unclear right now how much truth there is to these reports out of China. The company hasn’t even said when we can expect its new flagships to arrive but it’s likely going to be a couple of months before HMD Global makes an announcement.
Nokia’s New Flagship Might Not Feature A Notch , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Mar 26
The words “NEVER AGAIN” were written on the “Stranger Things” star’s Calvin Klein button-down.
Mar 26
“My mother has to see that,” an ashamed Drew Chatman said
Mar 26
Back in January, Facebook announced that it was prioritizing local news sources in the US. Today, in a blog post, the company’s Head of News Product, Alex Hardiman, and Head of News Partnerships, Campbell Brown, announced that these changes are being…
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