Google Takes on Uber With New Ride-Share Service

Google is working towards expanding its ride sharing services in San Francisco with the aid of its Waze app. This ride sharing service could result in the shutdown of competitors and market leaders such as Uber and Lyft. Waze is an app which updates the situation of the traffic as well as provides directions for drivers in real time.

Since May this year, google has been conducting a pilot ride sharing service with the aid of Waze which helps in connecting drivers as well as passengers in the vicinity of Googles headquarters in California. Google by the end of this year ensures that Waze carpooling would be available to anyone within the Bay Area at the click of a finger on the Waze app.

On the basis of the success of the service in the Bay Area, Google will look into further expanding their services to other cities in the country. However, this may result in a downfall of Googles rivals as the prices charged by Waze are comparatively lower.

Financials 

Unlike Uber as well as its nearest rival Lyft, Google at this moment is not taking a cut of the fares of the drivers. However this does not mean that they would not make any money in the near future, it’s all thanks and praise to googles rewarding advertising business that google does not need to make a cut from the drivers fare right away. Uber on the other hand is spending drastically on subsidies for the drivers.

The fares of the services would be modest thus probably nabbing on possible Uber clientele. However this model may fail in attracting professional drivers to switch companies.At this current moment when the pilot program is being conducted, Waze charges its passengers an outer limit of 54 cents per mile without any additional booking fee. The company has mentioned that it aims to have fares low enough that discourage drivers from operating as taxi drivers.

Same, same but different? 

The main aim of Waze is to be able to connect drivers to possible passengers that are heading in the same direction while the charges are mainly only to cover the expenditures made for fuel as well as for maintenance. The business model being used by Waze is completely different from that of Uber as well as Lyft, since both Uber and Lyft function with drivers using their own cars and offering rides with the end intention of achieving a profit.

Over the last couple of years, both Google as well as Uber have been competing against each other in the transport business which has been booming. Both the firms are working on developing driverless cars. Pittsburgh is where the road tests for these driverless cars are going to be conducted by Uber in a short while. Apart from driverless cars, Uber is also working on designing its very own mapping software. While both Uber as well as Lyft have an estimated worth of billions of dollars, they are both yet to turn a profit.

Here's How to Install Android Nougat on a Nexus Right Now

Google’s Latest Version – Android 7.0 Nougat

Google had rolled out the latest version of Android 7.0 Nougat to some innovative Nexus devices and the over-the-air –update that added features such as improved multi-tasking as well as enhanced notification control would be out to user soon.

However if one intends to have a Nougat immediately, there is a method. Initially one would need to ensure that they have a compatible device which means either a Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, Pixel C tablet or a General Mobile 4G. You could then sign up for the Android Beta Program, utilising the same Google account the one to be used on the chosen device. Thereafter opt for the handset or tablet one would prefer to enrol and on accepting the terms, you could click Join Beta.

If your phone or tablet is not among them you could look out for Android Nougat release date article on the latest details regarding when one would get the update. A newer and high-profile device would probably get the taste of Nougat much sooner. The update is set to take place in stages and some of the carriers would be receiving the update later than the others.

Nougat – Plenty of New Features

It would be apparent when the update would be available for the device since Nougat would be pushed to devices as an over-the-air software update and one would get a notification when the same is available. Google had stated that it would take around 24 hours to send the updates to the device though the staff at Verge observed that it generally occurs within seconds.

You need to be connected to Wi-Fi for the download but overall it seems to be a very simple procedure. When Nougat is installed, one could get access to split-screen, which is a system-wide quick reply system for the apps as well as a virtual cat-catching game.

The upcoming handsets like the LG V20 and new Nexus phone would be among the first to launch with Android Nougat and avoid updating if one tends to get one of them. Either way, Android Nougat is worth it since it adds plenty of new features like the capabilities of replying directly to notifications without leaving the screen one may be on, together with new quick settings menu, besides multi-window mode enabling the user to run two apps simultaneously.

Improved Battery Efficiency/Doze Mode

Besides this, it also has improved battery efficiency with Doze Mode together with general performance enhancements. If considering on backing up the device, ensure that the built-in backup feature is enabled. To get this done, the user could go to `Setting > Backup & reset, and ensure that both `Backup my data’ and `Automatic restore’ are checked.

One could also back up photos by plugging the Android device to a PC through a USB and view the phone in Windows or Mac OS X, surf to the DCIM folder and duplicate the folder or its contents. To ensure that you have backed up everything, you could check out the comprehensive guide to backing up your Android device.

EU to hand Apple hefty Irish tax bill

EU Orders AAPL.O to Pay Hefty Tax Bill

Recently, Apple-AAPL.Ohad been orderedby the European Commission antitrust regulators to pay up 13 billion euros around $14.5 billion, by way of taxes together with interest to the Irish government after ruling that a special scheme to route profits through Ireland had been illegal state aid. It is said that Commissioner Margrethe Vestager would be holding news conference on antitrust case towards noon (1000 GMT) in Brussels.

In spite of the subject of the case not provided, she was expected to feature her verdict on why a deal which had stimulated the U.S. tech giant to route vast profits through Ireland had broken EU state aid laws apart from government giving some firms unfair advantages.The decision is probably to annoy Washington who hadblamed Brussels of disturbance against the corporate success stories of U.S.

Ireland had been accused by the European Commission in 2014 of evading international tax rules by permitting Apple to house profits amounting to tens of billions of dollars from tax collectors for maintaining jobs. The accusation had been rejected by Apple as well as Ireland and both have stated that they would be appealing any contrary decision.

Decision – Reverse Engineered

The source had mentioned that the Commission would recommend a figure in back taxes, expecting it to be collected though it would be the decision of the Irish authorities to calculate precisely what are maintained. An excess bill of 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) would have been more far more than the 30 million euros each the EU had earlier ordered the Dutch authorities to pull through, for their tax deals, from U.S. coffee chain Starbucks and Luxembourg from Fiat Chrysler.

 It is said that both the companies have appealed those decisions. In 2014, when it had opened the Apple investigation, the Commission had informed the Irish government that the tax decisions agreed in 1991 and 2007 with the iPhone maker amounted to state aid and could have broken the EU laws.

The Commissioner had mentioned that the decisions were reverse engineered to make sure that Apple had the nominal Irish bill. The minutes of meetings between the representatives of Apple as well as the Irish tax officials had indicated that the tax treatment of the company had been inspired by employment considerations.

EU Executive’s Tax Investigations – Departed from International Taxation Standards

Apple tends to hire 5,500 workers or about a quarter of European based staff in the Irish city of Cork where it seems to be the largest private sector employer stating that it paid 12.5% rate of Ireland on all the income which it tends to generate in the country.

The low corporate tax rate of Ireland which had been a cornerstone of economic policy for 20 years, had drawn investors from most of the important multinational companies, where the staff accounts for nearly one in 10 workers in Ireland. Dublin had been urged by some opposition Irish lawmakers to accumulate whatever tax the Commission tends to order.

 However, the foremost opposition party Fianna Fail, supporting the minority administration relies on passing laws stated that it would assist an appeal depending on the reassurances it had been provided by the government so far. Last week the U.S. Treasury Department had published a white paper which stated that the EU executive’s tax investigations had departed from the international taxations standards and could have been an enormousinfluence on the companies in U.S. The Commission had stated that it tends to treat all companies likewise.

Brexit And Fintech: What Had Happened?

With the Brexit still fresh in people's minds, it's no surprise that the GBP/USD markets have remained relatively stable over the past month.

It all stems back to when the Brexit referendum was first announced. Experts warned the British public that a vote to leave Europe could have a devastating effect on the economy both in the short-term and long-term. While this devastating effect has not as of yet come to light, it cannot be ignored that the Pound has suffered a rather steep decrease in value against the benchmark Dollar.

It was only this week that the United Kingdom announced their GDP growth figures for the second quarter of the year - and that left many economic experts in awe. The UK showed that growth in the majority of sectors has continued to grow, and that consumers are now spending more than ever before in all spaces; such as retail and home improvements. Consumers are not afraid to spend their hard earned cash; which could mean that a potential economic crash isn't so likely after all.

With growth happening in the UK however, the GBP/USD price still hasn't changed much. Currently, the markets are dictated by traders who buy and sell Dollars and Pounds on trading platforms such as CMC Markets; and these traders often set the benchmark for where the currencies move to. In times of uncertainty, such as Brexit, the Pound would drop in value against the Dollar. Likewise, in times of economic growth, the Pound would typically grow in value against in the Dollar.

What makes the whole issue even more interesting is that consumer lending in the UK has dropped quite significantly. Mortgage Approvals through July were down to 60.91K, compared against the 61.9K prediction. Likewise, consumer credit was down to 1.181B, against the prediction of 1.857B. With consumers lending less, and spending more, this has left experts rather puzzled as to where the GBP/USD price is really heading.

In total, Net Lending against dwellings in the UK printed a total of 2.7B veruses a total of 3.1B (expected). Less people are refinancing homes, which could indicate that consumers in the UK have a positive outlook on the financial prospect of the country.

However, all of this needs to take in consideration the most recent interest rate cut by the Bank of England. These statistics have not taken into consideration the most recent cut by BoE; and this cut could have a detrimental effect on the economy as a whole. We will need to wait a few weeks, or even months before we can forecast the short term and long term effects of the interest rate cut.

The UK Job Market Could Hold The Answers

The Anti-Brexit camp often pinned danger on small, medium and large businesses alike; spreading fear through uncertainty. One of the main talking points of the whole debate lay in the proposed fact that businesses would need to make redundancies as UK spending power lessened. As of yet, the job market in the UK has not shown any signs of slowing down or taking a negative hit.

In fact, unemployment has dropped in-line with expectations; leading many to question whether there will be any real short-term negative effects of the Brexit vote.

Looking to the GBP/USD price, it's hard to determine where the countries economics is heading. It was completely expected that the Pound would go down in value after the Brexit vote; due to uncertainty surrounding the economy. With a drop now taken place, the UK continues to amaze investors and traders alike; showing growth in all sectors. It's now whether those traders will turn into a bullish market.

According to the DailyFX Speculative Sentiment Index (SSI), traders are mostly adopting longs on the GBP/USD market. The SSI is often looked at a contrarian indicator, and these figures could show that potential weakness lies ahead.

The true reality is, however, that the UK's economy is growing and nobody can predict whether the economy will continue to grow or will worsen following the actual European exit. It could be two years, or longer, before the UK chooses to leave Europe; and only then will we know the true impact of Brexit.

Twitter Adds A Hidden ‘Night Mode’

Night Mode Added by Twitter to Apps

Night mode has been added by Twitter to its app in an effort that it could be a screening of the next iPhone.The new setting is said to enable the user to turn their background and text contradictory colours which makes the app a dark blue and the writing white.

It could well be a promo of what is in store in the future devices. For instance the iPhone has been rumoured for some time now of getting a night mode across its apps. It would be significant if Apple tends to roll out an OLED screen. OLED screens need to work less hard in producing blacks and which are far richer which means that the designing apps using darker colours assist in preserving the battery life and looks better.

So far, the feature has only been revolved to some apps, only by the developers. Twitter is said to be of the first major apps to provide it. The latest setting can be accessed by going to your own profile on selecting `Me’ tab in the app and click the cog in the top right hand corner. When that’s done, a large list of options tend to come up, one of which will be `turn on night mode’. The feature can also be turned off in the same manner.

Perceive Better While Tweeting in the Dark

The night mode feature enables users to perceive better while tweeting in the dark.The night or dark mode feature tends to ensure that the light which is transmitted from the app on the phone is not severe to the eyes and using a shade which is darker than usual would not have any issue utilising the phone while tweeting at night. It is a good move; in spite of the fact the Twitter app had not a received good rating.

 The social media app had announced the new setting update recently along with a gif tutorial on the use of the night mode option. It enables the user to switch their background and text colours, which automatically tends to change the writing to white, while the app tends to turn dark blue making the bedtime tweeting easy on the eyes. The night mode option of Twitter could be what some tech supporters are presuming could be the first hint at a new software changes which seem to be coming for iOS users.

Users to Adhere to Policies

Ever since Apple had first announced its intention of releasing a new iPhone in September, being speculated as iPhone 7, there were rumours circulating that the updated software would come with a new night mode feature across all its apps, especially if Apple uses the new phone to unveil an OLED screen, according to the report of Independent.

 Twitter had mentioned that `in order to protect the experience and the safety of people using Twitter, there are some limitations on the type of content and behaviour that is permitted. All users should adhere to the policies set forth in the Twitter Rules and failure to do so could result in the temporary locking and/or permanent suspension of account.

Twitter also added some new feature to curb down harassment, providing more control over what one views and who you tend to interact with. The micro blogging network seems to have ample of work to do in convincing the critics particularly with regards to harassment.