Ads have unfortunately become an inescapable part of digital life, but, thankfully, there has been some pushback on the aggressive and invasive nature of ads. Given the nature of its business, it’s no surprise that Google has become the poster child for often questionable advertising strategies. That came under the spotlight again this week when Google not only put video … Continue reading
Amazon’s contract Flex delivery driver fleet already has to deal with various indignities, and you can now add the fact that they can be hired — and fired — by algorithms, according to a Bloomberg report.
To ensure same-day and other deliveries arrive on time, Amazon uses millions of subcontracted drivers for its Flex delivery program, started in 2015. Drivers sign up via a smartphone app via which they can choose shifts, coordinate deliveries and report problems. The reliance on technology doesn’t end there, though, as they’re also monitored for performance and fired by algorithms with little human intervention.
However, the system can often fire workers seemingly without good cause, according to the report. One worker said her rating (ranging from Fantastic, Great, Fair, or At Risk) fell after she was forced to halt deliveries due to a nail in her tire. She succeeded in boosting it to Great over the next several weeks, but her account was eventually terminated for violating Amazon’s terms of service. She contested the firing, but the company wouldn’t reinstate her.
Whenever there’s an issue, there’s no support. It’s you against the machine, so you don’t even try.
Another driver was unable to deliver packages to an apartment complex because it was closed with the gate locked, and the residents wouldn’t answer their phones. In another building, an Amazon locker failed to open. His rating also dropped and he spent six weeks trying to raise it, only to be fired for falling below a prescribed level.
If a driver feels they’re wrongly terminated, many feel there’s not much recourse, either. Drivers must pay $200 to dispute any termination, and many have said it’s not worth the effort. “Whenever there’s an issue, there’s no support,” said Cope, who is 29. “It’s you against the machine, so you don’t even try.”
Inside Amazon, however, the program has been chalked up as a success, a former engineer who worked on the program told Amazon. And that bears out in the numbers. Around 4 million drivers have downloaded the app worldwide including 2.9 million in the US, according to the report. More than 660,000 people in the US have downloaded the app in the last five months alone.
Amazon said drivers’ claims of poor treatment and unfair termination were anecdotal and don’t represent the experience of the vast majority of Flex drivers. “We have invested heavily in technology and resources to provide drivers visibility into their standing and eligibility to continue delivering, and investigate all driver appeals,” Spokesperson Kate Kudrna told Bloomberg.
The Texas Republican describes hammer thrower Gwen Berry’s silent protest against racism as a “pathology.”
The “Late Show” host even broke out his lighter for the event.
The recommendation comes regardless of vaccination status, public health officials said.
There have been quite a number of notable Android phones launched in the past few months but, for some Android purists, nothing still beats a Google Pixel. The company’s direction has admittedly been a bit perplexing in the past year or two, and nothing exemplifies that more than the Pixel 5a. Google may actually still launch the phone just as … Continue reading
We may have to say farewell to SoftBank’s adorable humanoid robot Pepper. According to Reuters, the Japanese conglomerate has stopped the robot’s production last year and is slashing jobs across robotics-related businesses in several countries. Apparently, there wasn’t much demand for Pepper, and SoftBank only ever produced 27,000 units manufactured by Foxconn.
Nikkei has also reported that Pepper’s production was halted due to weak demand, but the SoftBank rep it talked to denied that the company is killing the robot entirely. “We plan to resume production if demand recovers,” the spokesperson said.
While Pepper sold out in under a minute when it was released in Japan in 2015, the company only produced 1,000 machines for its consumer launch. Pepper was built as a social robot that can recognize faces and basic human emotions, so it can interact with people. Most of the units SoftBank produced are leased to corporate clients, and the company also placed the robot in its mobile phone stores in Japan.
With a price of over $1,600, though, Pepper a bit too expensive for most developers and small businesses. Reuters‘ sources said its sales suffered from limited functionality and unreliability. Further, SoftBank wasn’t able to give the robot more features, because culture clashes between its French business in charge of robotics projects and its Tokyo management reportedly affected Pepper’s development.
After SoftBank shifted its focus to the cleaning robot Whiz, Pepper was sidelined. The company plans to cut about half of its 330 staff positions in France in September, Reuters said, and half of the sales staff positions in the US and Britain had already been cut.
Former attorney general gets caught trying to rewrite his own history when it comes to Trump’s election lies.
Michelle Bachelet’s landmark report offers a look at the centuries of mistreatment faced by Black people worldwide.
OLED displays have been praised for their power-efficiency and deeper blacks, but LCD technology used to have one important advantage, at least for a short while. Until recently, only LCD screens could boast of refresh rates that went higher than 60Hz, let alone 120Hz or more. OLEDs, however, are catching up and it’s not unusual nowadays to hear of phones … Continue reading
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