Welcome to the Tech Weekly, NEO’s regular news monitoring of key developments in the food and mobility tech industries.
This week’s highlights:
- Nissan plans to allow Japanese drivers to lease their electric cars for several years instead of buying them, in order to preserve more of the precious metals that cars rely on in the country. The new rental service underscores the strategies Japanese automakers are experimenting with to keep control of metals, such as lithium, that companies and governments around the world are fighting over. (Financial Times)
- Uber has announced new features to improve the experience of its drivers as they continue to struggle with high gasoline prices and inflation. Drivers across the U.S. will be able to see exactly how much they will earn and where they are going before they accept a ride. They will also be able to see more than one trip request at a time. The changes will also help reduce waiting times for passengers. (CNBC)
- Just Eat has launched its own service offering fast food and convenience goods delivery in Berlin, pulling the firm deeper into an already crowded market. The so-called “dark store” Just Eat will target delivery times of about 20 minutes and offer consumers more than 1,000 items ranging from fresh produce to baby products under its local Lieferando brand. (Bloomberg)
- Amazon has launched a new wake-up word for its Echo devices in the United Kingdom. “Ziggy” is the fifth waking word option for Echo devices, added to “Alexa,” “Amazon,” “Computer” and “Echo.” Users can change the wake-up word for their Echo devices through the app or the Settings screen on Echo Show devices. All wake-up word options can be used with both male and female voices for Alexa. (The Independent)