*By Christian Smith*
New York's ubiquitous yellow taxis are getting a much needed tech upgrade.
Curb Mobility, the company behind the Curb app that lets riders hail taxis from their smartphones like they would an Uber or Lyft, launched an initiative Thursday to equip New York's yellow cab fleet with a new tablet-based digital operating system.
"In the face of disruption, there is a unique opportunity to modernize and enhance the taxi experience for both sides," Curb's CEO Amos Tamam said in a statement. "By empowering drivers with tools that make their job easier and more profitable, they'll be able to focus on providing the utmost service to their riders."
There are two parts to Curb's new Android-based system. "Dash" is an 8-inch display that will replace the clunky dashboard boxes that have been in cabs for decades. The new dashboard tablet will track the cost of a ride, and it includes tools for the driver like multi-language support, GPS navigation, live traffic information, and an emergency panic button.
The "Ryde" component is for passengers, who have access to a 10-inch tablet with apps, including an updated version of Taxi TV.
"By opening up the platform, we're allowing third-party developers to come up with applications to run for that passenger," Jason Gross, Curb's vice president of mobile, said in an interview on Cheddar. "So it could be listening to Spotify or Pandora, it could be browsing restaurants or even making reservations on an Open Table right from the back of a taxi."
The new system will also give passengers price security. Rather than waiting until the end of the ride, Curb app users will be able to get a fixed price before the ride begins when they input their location and destination.
The new Curb operating system is being used in dozens of cabs around the city, with a wider rollout planed for June.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/nycs-taxis-get-a-tech-upgrade).
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
Starbucks’ AI barista aims to speed service and improve experience. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune Business Editor, explains its impact on workers and customers.
