Some two years of talking about gig worker rights later and European Union lawmakers have finally reached a deal on the final shape of the Platform Worker Directive.
The development could deliver a significant boost for millions of gig workers laboring on digital platforms without being afforded workers rights.
There were also divisions between Member States over how much worker protection vs platform shielding they were prepared to commit to.
Rappoteur and MEP Elisabetta Gualmini trumpeted the deal as “historic”, claiming the directive would advance workers rights for millions of gig workers across Europe.
And I am really incredibly happy that we are now managing to provide protection [for gig workers].
Read MoreEU Lawmakers Reach Agreement to Enhance Protections for Gig Workers
Worldcoin, a crypto project co-founded by Sam Altman, said it now supports integrations for its World ID with Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify and Mercado Libre.
Or, Shopify store owners can use World ID for fraud prevention or one-time promotions.
The “standard” or “World ID Orb” level involves creating a profile and also getting your irises scanned by one of the company’s Orbs to verify your identity.
“High” or “World ID Orb+” security requires you to also use facial recognition to secure the app besides the previous two steps, Sada said.
You can use one World ID per device, so if you have a phone and an iPad for example, you can create two World IDs.
Read More“Global Reach: Worldcoin Expands Integration with Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify, and Mercado Libre”
The Chinese Ministry of Transport recently unveiled a set of trial guidelines for autonomous vehicle services like robotaxis, self-driving trucks and robobuses.
The rules also specify the requirements for safety operators at various degrees of automation.
Autonomous cargo trucks should “in principle” be equipped with in-car safety operators.
Robotaxis with advanced automation should have one in-car safety operator.
They should also establish an agreement with the vehicle manufacturers and safety operators on the respective party’s scope of responsibilities.
Read MoreSafety Operators and In-Car Recordings: Mandatory Regulations for Autonomous Vehicles in China
Now, one of the companies building security tools for SMBs has raised a round of funding to expand its business, underscoring the demand in the market for better defenses.
It’s no longer selling directly to SMBs but is working with managed service providers that in turn sell and manage IT services for SMBs.
MSPs, it found, were the primary route to getting their product to get used by SMBs (meaning direct business was not taking off).
“Guardz has developed an impressive, holistic, and user-friendly cybersecurity and cyber insurance risk-assessment platform that is cleverly tailored to MSPs, who serve the often-overlooked long-tail small business market.
We are excited to lead this funding round and join the Guardz team on their journey to secure the digital world for those who today need it most.”
Read MoreGuardz Secures $18 Million for Growth of SMB AI Security Platform
Zuper, a field service management company, closed on $32 million in Series B funding to provide its customers with technologies and tools to cater to a wider range of workers.
While other field service management companies target specific parts of the market, Zuper was designed to encompass the entire workflow.
That has now evolved into working with small business and enterprise customers, Subbaraj said.
Within that group there are more than 50,000 users of the Zuper platform.
We announced ZIVA earlier this year, and it’s an alpha right now, but our goal is to bring GenAI to the field service management.”
Read More“Unleashing Zuper’s Field Service Management Superpowers for Small Businesses and Enterprises”
“Verve is pioneering a new class of connected wearable technology for the industrial sector by integrating robotics into functional apparel,” Galiana said.
But Galiana perceived applications well beyond combat; Galiana launched Verve in 2020 to commercialize his and his team’s tech for industrial as well as retail and manufacturing settings.
Verve’s mission is to power the human workplace through people-centric robotics.”Verve’s powered exosuit is customizable to workers and tasks, intended to be worn like a regular backpack.
“The challenge [we face] is to convey that the goal is to create a safer and more efficient future for industrial workers,” Galiana said.
“As we heighten awareness regarding the advantages of soft exosuit, we anticipate a rapid transition towards a future where wearable robotic technology seamlessly merges with our everyday work attire.”Aspirational?
Read More“Verve Motion Secures $20 Million in Funding for Exosuit Enterprise Expansion”
South Korean internet giant Kakao — in the middle of multiple investigations over antitrust and securities violations — has appointed a new CEO as it tries to turn the ship around.
Shina Chung, who had been running the company’s venture arm, is moving to the top role at the company.
Separately, just last month, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for a review of the monopolistic practices of Kakao’s taxi-hailing unit, Kakao Mobility.
Korea’s antitrust regulator had already fined Kakao Mobility about $20.3 million for unfair service in February.
Kakao Mobility, which has about 74% of the ride-hailing market in the country as of September, separately is trying to lower the temperature around this controvery.
Read MoreShina Chung Takes the Reins: Kakao Names Former VC Head as CEO Amidst Ongoing Turmoil
The Chinese Ministry of Transport recently unveiled a set of trial guidelines for autonomous vehicle services like robotaxis, self-driving trucks and robobuses.
The rules also specify the requirements for safety operators at various degrees of automation.
Autonomous cargo trucks should “in principle” be equipped with in-car safety operators.
Robotaxis with advanced automation should have one in-car safety operator.
They should also have an agreement with the vehicle manufacturers and safety operators on the respective party’s scope of responsibilities.
Read MoreSafety Operators and In-Car Recordings: China’s Autonomous Vehicle Regulation
Kenyan e-commerce and fintech platform for mass market consumers Copia Global has appointed John Lazar, the ex-CEO of Metaswitch, a Microsoft subsidiary, to its board off the back of $20 million in new funding.
Without the capital to get it all the way to profitability, it made sense to hold off there.
Both companies have encountered headwinds that question the sustainability of B2C e-commerce in Africa even though they operate different e-commerce models.
However, both platforms are confronted with distinct objectives: Copia strives to achieve profitability in a single market, Kenya, while Jumia has to battle it out across 11 markets.
The founder and chairman noted that once the e-commerce company achieves profitability in the East African market, it plans to extend operations to 14 other countries it has strategically mapped out.
Read More“Former Metaswitch Chief Executive John Lazar Joins Copia Board as Kenyan E-Commerce Enterprise Rakes in $20 Million to Drive Profitability”
The general idea here is to help banks use their first-party data to build personalized experiences by predicting user behavior.
The company is already working with about a dozen banks in Brazil and has not set its sights on expanding to the U.S. as well.
And while Hyperplane is currently solely focused on the world of banking, over time, the team plans to bring its technology to other verticals, too.
At its core, Hyperplane provides these banks with the APIs to build these personalization models on the fly.
“The Hyperplane Cloud can scale across markets with little effort, and we”ll soon announce our first partnerships in the U.S.”
Read More“Revolutionizing Banking: Hyperplane’s Mission to Implement AI”
