Apple confirms it uses Google Cloud, ride-sharing companies like Uber cause congestion, and online grocery shopping just got a whole lot easier for Toronto transit riders.
First up from Facebook is news that Apple will now be using Google’s Cloud Platform, in addition to Amazon Web Services, to store user’s iCloud data. These rumours have been swirling for years but this is the first time Apple has confirmed they’re true. The company was previously using Microsoft Azure but ditched the platform in favour of Google. The tech giant also boasts other big-name customers like Spotify, SnapChat, and PayPal. And if you’re concerned about Google and Amazon having access to your data, don’t worry because all that information is encrypted, according to Apple, although that didn’t stop the celebrity iCloud data breach back in 2014 and the other ones since.
Next from Reddit, researchers have confirmed that ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft are actually increasing congestion on city streets because they pull riders off public transportation and greener methods like bikes or walking. A 2017 survey of almost a thousand ride-sharing users over four weeks in the Boston area found that six in 10 people said they would have used public transportation, walked, biked or skipped the trip altogether if the ride-sharing apps weren’t available. The large increases in the number of taxis and ride-sharing vehicles, which are often empty and looking for their next trip request, are seriously clogging city roads. While Uber says their services are meant to complement public transportation and serve as a connection between different modes of transport, the survey found ride-sharing users are not using it for that purpose and it’s now become a direct competitor to public transportation.
And lastly from Twitter, grocery store chain Loblaws has partnered with Metrolinx so that Toronto-area residents can pick up online grocery orders at Go Transit stations. Commuters using Go Train or Go Bus services will now be able to order their groceries online and be able to pick them the next day on their way home as long as they order before midnight the day before and spend over $30. Loblaws already has a click and collect service that allows people to order online and pick up in store for a fee of between $3-$5, and the company says this partnership with Metrolinx is just an expansion of that. So far, this first-of-its-kind in Canada service will be rolled out in the spring to five Go stations, including Bronte, Oakville, Rouge Hill, Whitby, and Clarkson. Construction for the staffed pick-up kiosks and refrigerated lockers began Feb. 26.
That’s what’s trending today. Hashtag Trending is produced by IT World Canada. Today’s episode is brought to you by SAS, the world leader in advanced analytics and Official Analytics Partner of the Canadian Olympic Team.
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