Uber is revising its application with the ambitious goal of becoming "the operating system of your everyday life"

Uber merges its food delivery and food delivery applications, adding new security features, boosting alternative travel modes such as bikes, scooters and public transit, and involving them in 'restaurants virtual ", in addition to dozens of other products. as company CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says, "these systems are the operating system of your daily life."

On September 26, in San Francisco, the company introduced product updates at a complex event in Apple's image. But first, Khosrowshahi sits for an exclusive interview with The edge explain why the redesign of the application makes sense at a time when Uber is struggling to halt its huge losses of money, questions its approach to security and leads multiple regulatory battles in the country .

"We do not just live in the digital realm, and the real world has all sorts of complications," Khosrowshahi said. "And for us, the challenge is how to manage these complications and how to make sure we are a constructive part of everyone's life?"

You can read more about our interview with Khosrowshahi here.

Uber announces many things, so take one thing at a time.

The home screen

Uber will look different from the start. When you open the app for the first time, instead of seeing the map and the search bar asking you where you want to go, you will see two boxes: one that says "take a walk" and the other who says "order food. "Uber amalgamates its food delivery service, Uber Eats, with its main application.

"What we're seeing is that the users who use our app to roll and eat are our most satisfied customers," Khosrowshahi said. "We have more points of contact with them than anyone else and our relationship becomes closer."

It is possible to add other services in the future, whether delivery of groceries or something else.

security

Uber introduces a new four-digit PIN verification system to ensure riders do not get into the wrong vehicle. If you sign up, you must enter the PIN code out loud to your driver before he or she can begin the journey.

Uber is also developing a new technology that uses ultrasonic waves to automatically check that you are in the right car without a PIN. The driver's phone sends this ultrasonic signal to the driver's phone to automatically check the unique PIN code. The technology is expected to be ready for deployment in a few months, said Sachin Kansal, security product manager for Uber.

A new "Travel Report" feature will allow cyclists to report security incidents – inappropriate behavior, extended stoppage, or a low-traffic route – during the trip, rather than waiting for the end of the trip. . Uber said his security team would follow up after the trip.

Last year, Uber added a panic button to dial 911 from the app. From now on, it will also allow you to send 911 SMS to cities and counties that support this technology. Uber will automatically include the make, model, license plate number and location of the vehicle in the text.

Uber is updating the "Real-Time Identity Verification" introduced in 2016, in which drivers take selfies to verify their identity. Now, drivers will have to move their heads, blink their eyes and smile to increase safety.

Finally, the app will now send a push notification to your phone if you get dropped off near a bike lane, so you do not accidentally hit someone with the door.

The new security products are part of serious allegations against Uber regarding its flexible approach and showers of driver safety risks. Uber's team of special investigators, who collect complaints from runners and drivers, are not allowed to inform law enforcement or to file official police reports "even when they are confessions of crimes ". The Washington Post. Nor are they allowed to advise victims or potential victims of crime to solicit a lawyer.

Such stories can lead to a loss of confidence among runners, which Uber is very aware of. "We do not think that trust can be won with one thing," said Kansal The edge. "I think that to win the trust, you have to show commitment, and it will be long-term."

Multimodal transport

Uber

Did you hear? Uber loves buses and trains now! Yes of course. Uber said it wants to compete with public transport. He made it clear in his S-1 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, but then amended it. Now, Uber says it wants to complement, not kill, public transit and adds real-time planning and scheduling to prove it.

Uber's new transit feature is live in Denver and London. Today, the company announces some additional cities, including San Francisco, Mexico and Paris. New York City will come later this year with six other cities currently unnamed. For starters, it will only be planning and pricing information, but Uber hopes to add ticketing (as in Denver) in the near future.

When you connect your destination, if there is a subway or bus that will take you there, it will appear at the top of the list. And it will probably be the cheapest option. "To a certain extent, we are competing against ourselves," Khosrowshahi said. "But we have the following philosophy: if there is a better product for the user, and if we think that an integrated motion solution is better for the user, we should be competing with ourselves for other."

Uber's bikes and electric scooters are also getting a boost. Starting next month, Uber will be displaying motorcycles and scooters on the map, including Jump bikes and scooters and rival Lime scooters. The company will make this change in the 28 cities where its two-wheeled options are available, as well as in a dozen US cities where Lime scooters are available via the Uber app.

Uber also attacks the problem of exhausted batteries by building a network of Kiosks loading by jumps, which will allow the runners to exchange an exhausted battery against a new one, during your displacements. These kiosks will begin to appear in some cities later this year.

"We are making a big bet on e-bikes," Khosrowshahi said. "They make you feel like Superman when you are on these things."

Food

In addition to merging its Uber Eats application directly into its main application, Uber also doubles its food delivery business. This is the launch of a new rewards program for customers who purchase food frequently, in which they can earn redeemable points each time they take Uber or buy Uber Eats.

Uber also announces hypoallergenic filters for Uber Eats. Thus, people with allergies or dietary restrictions can safely avoid certain foods in their order. Now when you choose a dish, you can communicate your allergy or food restriction to restaurants via the app. Finally, Uber joins renowned chef Rachael Ray to launch a new "virtual restaurant" that will only be available on Uber Eats. But Ray's food will only be available in 10 cities for 10 weeks.

conductors

Uber is updating its app so that drivers include a "revenue estimator" to help them better track their money. Uber says it wants to provide more information to drivers so that they can better understand what they can reasonably expect to earn even before their first trip.

Uber also adds a "demand heat map" that highlights areas in which more cyclists are requesting travel and more accurately indicates when drivers can expect a trip request. And for drivers who are anxious to get a passenger off the ground in areas where demand is the least demanded, Uber offers a "Return to Busy Zone" filter. If a driver is traveling in a quiet area, he can activate it to filter movement requests in the direction of his choice.

Phew! It's a lot of things. Peter Deng, head of pilot products for Uber, said the new app "became the backdrop," as Uber sought to expand its business by creating new business and new revenue. This means that rewards programs, subscriptions and other benefits will now be at the heart of the Uber app.

"We can help you save money," said Deng. "And we can help lift this paradox of choosing" What should I do next? ""