Uber CEO Travis Kalanick resigns

Following months of upheaval, Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick has stepped down.

"I love Uber more than anything in the world and at this difficult moment in my personal life I have accepted the investors request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight," Kalanick said in a statement to The New York Times.

The innovative company, whose ride-summoning app changed the face of transportation and launched a new  pp-based economy applied to old business norms, was founded in 2009 and has since established an imposing global presence. Uber has been in the spotlight for various sexual harassment in the workplace complaints, charges of stealing trade secrets and investigations on misleading government regulators. Uber is clearly one of the most despised companies, not because it provides a poor product, but because the perception is that it and many of its executives are shady. 

Kalanick still retains a board seat and the company has yet to assign a new CEO.

Mastercard and Western Union explore digital model for refugee camps

With more than 65 million people around the world currently displaced from their homes due to political conflict and natural disasters, there is a growing need to find better ways for refugees to achieve self-sufficiency and become economic engines in their host countries.

On World Refugee Day, Mastercard and Western Union announced a collaboration to explore the development of a digital model to help refugees more easily access basic human goods, services and finances within refugee settlements. The aim is to enable refugees, their host communities and donors to send and receive funds digitally, allowing for more transparency and long-term empowerment of refugees.

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Chevrolet Bolt EV earns top safety ratings from IIHS

Electric Cars and hybrid vehicles are rewriting the way automobiles are built, not just in terms of powerplants, technology and carbon footprints but also in terms of construction and materials. The Chevrolet Bolt EV has has added top safety ratings from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) to its list of accolades.

“The Bolt earns good ratings in all five of the Institute’s crashworthiness tests — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. It also has an optional front crash prevention system that earns a superior rating. The car avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, and the system has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria," the IIHS said in a report.

Earlier this year, I was invited by GM Canada to check out all facets of the Chevy Bolt EV, this included talking to engineers about construction and powertrains. The Chevy Bolt EV uses various types of materials to ensure rigidity and strength during collisions, but also maintains lightweight materials.

Source: Elektrek.co

Motorola Moto Z2 Play and JBL SoundBoost2 coming to Canada in July for $800

Motorola's Moto Z2 Play, which is their current Canadian flagship that can take the Moto Mods accessories, will be available in early July for $800  together with the JBL SoundBoost2 in-box (normally priced as $114.99 CAD option), and will be at Freedom Mobile, Bell Mobility, SaskTel Mobility and BellMTS. Moto TurboPower Pack will also be available in early July for $99.99 at Bell Mobility and Staples. Moto GamePad, a Moto Mod that turns the smartphone into a will be available later this summer. 

Some specs on the Moto Z2 Play, it is sized between last year's wafer-thin Moto Z and the larger Moto Z Play. It has a headphone jack, a redesigned and multifunctional fingerprint reader, which doubles as a trackpad. It is powered by SnapDragon 626 octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM, has a 5.5-inch HD display, 12-megapixel camera with f/1.7 aperture and dual autofocus pixels. Stay tuned for a full review right here.