A New York Times article Thursday highlighted a lucrative side hustle that is emblematic of the times we live in: gaming algorithms to earn money. In this case, folks figured out they could maximize the payout from Lyft’s Citibike “bike angels” program by taking advantage of a company algorithm used to meet its supply-and-demand needs.

The practice of “station flipping” — when one or more bike angels move docked Citibikes to a nearby empty station, waited 15 minutes and then moved them back — was quashed over the summer, according to Lyft. The company sent an email to the offenders reminding them that earning Bike Angel points through station flipping went against the spirit of the program. “Continued instances of station flipping could result in removal from the Bike Angels program,” the email read.

The practice lasted long enough, however, for some bike angels to earn thousands of dollars every month.

A New York Times article Thursday highlighted a lucrative side hustle that is emblematic of the times we live in: gaming algorithms to earn money. In this case, folks figured…

Gaming Lyft’s Citi Bike algos was a lucrative side hustle for a while
Image Credits: Ben Hider / Getty Images

This is the chipmaker’s second round of layoffs over the past year, while the company recorded billions in revenue.

Chipmaker Qualcomm lays off hundreds of workers in San Diego

SpaceX sent a letter to top congressional leaders on Wednesday denying allegations that it violated its launch licenses on two separate occasions last year, which has resulted in regulators seeking…

SpaceX disputes $633K FAA fine, citing ‘systematic challenges’ with agency

California’s newest law could land social media users who post, or repost, AI deepfakes that deceive voters about upcoming elections in legal trouble. Governor Gavin Newsom suggests that AB 2839,…

Elon Musk’s reposts of Kamala Harris deepfakes may not fly under new California law

The team points to glass’ optical properties and its “infinite recyclability” as reasons for turning to the material.

MIT develops recyclable 3D-printed glass blocks for construction

A new FTC report on how social media and streaming sites collect and monetize their hoards of user data doesn’t really feature a lot of surprises for anyone who’s followed…

FTC report on predatory social media data hoarding hints at future regulations

Test subjects were required to move a 30-pound kettlebell up and down a flight of stairs.

This robotic knee exoskeleton is made from consumer braces and drone motors

California residents can now store their driver’s license or state ID in their Apple Wallet apps, the state’s government announced on Thursday. California started allowing digital IDs through Google Wallet…

Apple, Google wallets now support California driver’s licenses

I recently adopted a kitten from a local animal shelter. The modern, well-staffed three-story facility relies almost entirely on donations to operate. It’s just one of the 1.8 million nonprofits…

Virtuous, a fundraising CRM for nonprofits, raises $100M from Susquehanna Growth Equity

Elon Musk is suing the FAA over fines he claims are “politically-motivated.” The former head of the FAA disagrees.

No, the FAA isn’t fining SpaceX because of Elon Musk’s politics, former FAA head says

Starting Thursday, those who are enrolled in Apple’s public beta program will be able to experience the generative AI-fueled platform the company has been talking up since June.

Apple Intelligence is now live in public beta. Here’s what it offers and how to enable it.

This week’s Mobility newsletter looks at a leadership shakeup at Motional, and we go inside the fight over TuSimple’s cash and much more.

A leadership shake-up at Motional, inside the fight over TuSimple’s cash, and Fisker waffles on recall repairs

The company said Thursday that it will put “several” vehicles driven by humans in the two cities that will initially perform mapping.

Cruise robotaxis return to the Bay Area nearly one year after pedestrian crash

The company said it was inspired to create an alternative Photos app after seeing how frustrated iOS 18 early adopters were with Apple’s new design.

For $5, Photon Library brings back the feel of the old iOS Photos app

On Monday, Apple released its latest computer operating system update called macOS 15, or Sequoia. And, somehow, the software update has broken the functionality of several security tools made by…

Apple’s new macOS Sequoia update is breaking some cybersecurity tools

Passkeys, the digital credentials that let you sign into apps and websites without entering a password, are getting easier to use for Chrome users. You can now save passkeys to…

Google rolls out automatic passkey syncing via Password Manager

Launching a new product is challenging, but doing it in a space dominated by tech giants requires bold innovation, sharp strategy, and the ability to scale quickly. TechCrunch Disrupt 2024…

Quilt, Furno Materials, and RA Capital Management share the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

Back Market held a press conference on Thursday morning in Paris to talk about upcoming product launches and give an update on the company’s current situation. If you’re not familiar…

Back Market lays out its plan to make refurbished phones go mainstream

UPchieve, the free, 24/7 online tutoring and college counseling app for low-income students, announced Thursday it’s giving teachers in Title 1 middle schools and high schools a new tool to…

UPchieve, an online tutor app for low-income students, launches a free tool for teachers

In a world where innovation knows no borders, a new trend is rising in the tech ecosystem: national-interest startups. From aerospace and defense to critical infrastructure, these firms are ensuring…

Dcode Capital, Albedo, and Biofire are coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

Startup Battlefield 200 is a major highlight at every Disrupt, and we’re thrilled to find out which of the thousands of startup applicants will get the chance to pitch to…

Announcing our next wave of Startup Battlefield judges at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

Like its rival, Google, Amazon has launched an AI-powered video generator — but it’s only for advertisers at the moment, and somewhat limited in what it can do. Today at…

Amazon releases a video generator — but only for ads

The startup, previously known as GreenBlu, was working on desalination when it realized there was more value in the minerals that were left behind.

Tidal Metals sees seawater as the solution to a critical mineral shortage

Amazon sellers now have access to an AI assistant designed to help grow their business by answering questions about their metrics, and later, helping to resolve issues that arise. The…

Amazon debuts Project Amelia, an AI assistant for sellers

The startup has been methodically exploring how batteries might transform life in emerging markets.

Zeno emerges from stealth to crib Tesla’s master plan for Africa and beyond

In many meetings today, it sometimes feels like there are more AI notetaking and transcription bots than people. There are seemingly dozens of options to choose from these days, but…

AI notetaker Fathom raises $17M

Like most good startup stories, Harbor began life as a product of disappointment. Kevin Lavelle, the co-founder and CEO of innovative clothing company Mizzen and Main, couldn’t find a baby…

Harbor is building a better baby monitor and an army of night nannies

There’s ample opportunity in the form of a mobile billboard. Kiwibot is so convinced of this fact that it plunked down $25 million to purchase Nickelytics.

Kiwibot acquires an ad startup to turn its delivery robots into mobile billboards

The startup will use turbomachinery to develop a heat pump capable of generating industrial-grade heat.

Karman Industries hopes its SpaceX-inspired heat pumps will replace industrial boilers

The European Union has opened two “specification proceedings” on Apple under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) that will see it instructing the iPhone maker on how to comply with…

EU to tell Apple how to do interoperability, DMA style

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