Megan Rose Dickey
Senior Reporter
The Latest from Megan Rose Dickey
How scooter charging startups want to make the industry more profitable
In an industry where unit economics are low, operators are seeking ways to improve margins while also maintaining fleet reliability and low prices for riders. Charging stations may be part of the solu
Pinterest’s diversity report is missing some key data
Pinterest today released its latest diversity report, showing slight gains in representation of underrepresented minorities while also hitting its three hiring goals. The company has long been recogni
Uber kicks off adaptive electric scooter pilot in SF
Uber’s JUMP has started its adaptive scooter pilot in partnership with San Francisco Bike Rentals. This is part of Uber’s permit with the city of San Francisco, which requires all electric
Is Instacart’s wider rollout of Pickup an attempt to rely less on gig workers?
Earlier today, Instacart more widely rolled out its Pickup product, which enables customers to retrieve groceries directly from stores. The announcement comes just a day after Instacart shoppers unvei
Away co-founder Steph Korey, who allegedly fostered a toxic culture, is back
Away co-founder Steph Korey, the one who stepped down as CEO following reports of her role in creating a toxic culture, is back at the helm of the luggage startup, The New York Times reports. The orig
The electric scooter wars of 2019
Throughout 2019, a number of mobility companies launched in additional markets, while many pulled out of areas that no longer served them. Meanwhile, transportation startups continued to raise more mo
Lime is laying off about 100 people and ceasing operations in 12 markets
Lime is hoping to achieve profitability this year by laying off about 14% of its workforce and ceasing operations in 12 markets, Axios first reported. “Financial independence is our goal for 2020, a
How gig economy giants are trying to keep workers classified as independent contractors
Now that 2020 has started, Uber, DoorDash and Lyft are taking additional steps to undermine a new California law that would help more gig workers qualify as full-time employees. These moves entail pro
To break away from D2C crowd, SmileDirectClub announces retail partnership with Walmart
Today, SmileDirectClub announced a partnership with Walmart to sell a new line of oral care products, including toothbrushes, teeth whitening treatments, a water flosser and more. For one of the top t
A year after being banned, Lora DiCarlo returns to CES with new sex toys
It’s amazing what can happen in just one year. After being banned from the Consumer Electronics Show last year, sex tech startup Lora DiCarlo is debuting two new sex toys on the show floor. Even
Segway-Ninebot unveils a transportation pod and new kick scooter
Segway has unveiled a self-balancing vehicle that can go up to 24 mph. Called the S-Pod, it’s designed for sitting while navigating enclosed campuses. Details on how to actually use the vehicle
The year of the gig worker uprising
2019 was a momentous year for gig workers. While the likes of Uber, Lyft, Instacart and DoorDash rely on these workers for their respective core services, the pay does not match how much they’re
After battery fires, Lyft’s e-bikes are back in San Francisco
Just in time for Christmas, Lyft has brought back to San Francisco its pedal-assist e-bikes. The plan is to roll out hundreds of bikes each week until it hits 4,000 by the end of April 2020. This come
Hulu is down
Less than one month after a major Hulu outage, Hulu is down again. We’ve been seeing reports on Twitter of Hulu streaming issues. It appears the issues have been ongoing for the last few hours.
Uber agrees to pay $4.4 million to settle EEOC sexual harassment and retaliation charge
Uber has agreed to pay a $4.4 million fine to settle a 2017 charge from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pertaining to sex discrimination and retaliation. The investigation found reaso
Google has fired another worker-activist
Google has fired another worker-activist: Kathryn Spiers. Spiers, who worked on the platform security team, was generally tasked with writing code for browser notifications to automatically notify emp
Lime now offers weekly subscriptions
Following in the footsteps of Lyft and its partner Uber, Lime is launching a subscription plan for its shared electric scooters. Called LimePass, riders who subscribe get access to unlimited free scoo
Wheels deploys helmet-equipped e-bikes
On the heels of a $50 million funding round in October, Wheels is launching its “smart” helmet system for its pedal-less e-bikes. The helmet, which locks into the rear fender of the bike,
Away CEO is stepping down in light of reports of toxic culture
Away CEO Steph Korey is stepping down following The Verge’s report of toxic culture at the luggage startup. Taking her spot is Stuart Haselden, COO at Lululemon, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Instacart shoppers plan a series of actions in protest of company’s wage practices
Instacart shoppers are continuing to hold the grocery startup accountable with their latest set of actions. Kicking off next Monday, Instacart shoppers plan to take one action per day for six days in