Was The iPhone 7 Worth The Wait? What Is The Future Of Uber? All That And More On CHOM FM
Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio broadcasting out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 5 to 10 minutes every week – about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly to SoundCloud, if you’re interested in hearing more of me blathering away. I’m really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up on listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry and Heather B. morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.
This week we discussed:
Apple. Apple. Apple. The big event happened last week. The iPhone 7 cometh. As suspected, a lot faster, slightly better battery life and… no more headphone jack (hello, AirPods. So, is it worth it? Plus, two cameras on the iPhone. A GPS-enabled and swim-proof Apple Watch. Mario is coming to the iPhone! (Super Mario Run).
Is Uber going to stay in Quebec? A “pilot” deal was secured last week, even though the provincial government told the global brand that Uber drivers are not playing by the same set of rules as regular cabbies who hold valid taxi licenses. The one-year deal will see Uber acquiring the equivalent of 300 taxi permits, which gives the company 50,000 operating hours a week. In addition to collecting and paying taxes, Uber will have to pay a 90-cent fee per ride to the government if its drivers collectively work 50,000 hours a week or less; $1.10 per ride between 50,000 and 100,000 hours, and $1.26 for more than 100,000 hours. Uber will also pay a $0.07 fee per ride, which, the agreement says, is a way to respect the fact that traditional taxi drivers have high insurance costs. The fees paid by Uber will go into a fund to help modernize the traditional taxi industry, the deal says. I’m guessing by the time this all gets sorted out, taxis will be driverless :)