Showing 1 - 6 of 6
Innovation no fix for urban transport ills
News, Leonid Bershidsky, Published on 03/07/2018
» Urban transportation is undergoing a revolution. Offerings such as Uber and Lyft, as well as car- and bike-sharing services are widely believed to reduce congestion and generally make urban dwellers more mobile; driverless cars are expected to provide further benefits. Yet the notion that these innovations always make things better is far from a given: The new services are a net good only if they complement traditional public transportation systems rather than compete with them.
Why cold, hard cash remains king in the digital age
News, Leonid Bershidsky, Published on 28/06/2017
» We don't have to like the way technology is changing the world. Given the technological disruption happening everywhere, it's reasonable to expect a little Luddite pushback. The growing share of cash in advanced economies might fall in that category.
Political correctness won't help sort out Uber's woes
News, Leonid Bershidsky, Published on 16/06/2017
» There's a disconnect between the way Uber, the ride-hailing company, is trying to transform itself and what it really needs to fix to become a sustainable business. Instead of reconsidering its business model and protecting itself against a regulatory backlash, it has decided to go politically correct.
Safer vehicles can make terrorist strikes much harder
News, Leonid Bershidsky, Published on 07/06/2017
» 'Enough is enough," UK Prime Minister Theresa May declared after the London terror attack on Saturday night, the third one this year. But what she proposed to counter the terrorist attacks was, essentially, some freedom of speech restrictions, more powers for law enforcement and longer sentences for terror-related offenses -- the same old toolbox that has been used for almost two decades.
Keep your children well away from connected toys
News, Leonid Bershidsky, Published on 02/03/2017
» How dangerous is a teddy bear or a doll? In the Internet of Things era, it's not an idle question but one for parents and regulators to ponder seriously.
Emissions lawsuit tipped to scare VW out of US market
News, Leonid Bershidsky, Published on 07/01/2016
» The US government's lawsuit against Volkswagen threatens the German automaker with such heavy penalties that, in hindsight, it may not have been worth it for VW to be present in the US market at all.