Articles by Joshua Brustein

Ergonomic Tracking Helps Cut Workers Comp Claims but Privacy Concerns Remain

Every morning when he goes to work in the freezer room of a warehouse in eastern Pennsylvania, Jack Westley throws on a hooded sweatshirt to keep warm and grabs a radio to talk to his coworkers. He was recently given …

Car Sharing Lobbyists Battle Car Renting Lobbyists, Driving State Lawmakers Crazy

The bill that turned Illinois into the focal point of a bitter debate over car-sharing last year started as a proposal about what happens when a rental car is stolen. The legislation, which would allow rental companies to punish customers …

Chinese Manufacturer Ninebot’s Dominance Has Startups Sharing Scooter Product Risks

Scooter-sharing company Lime recently relayed a troubling message to its users: a portion of its fleet was at risk of bursting into flames. The startup recalled about 2,000 vehicles, less than one percent of its scooters, following its Oct. 30 …

E-Scooter Fires Pit Sharing Firm Lime Against Manufacturer Segway

Segway Ninebot, the primary manufacturer of shared electric scooters, is hitting back three days after one of the biggest scooter-sharing companies said manufacturing issues had led some vehicles to smolder or even catch fire. In a statement on Friday, the …

Scooters Take Hiatus From San Francisco’s Busy Streets

San Francisco’s scooter revolution is officially on hiatus. Lime, Bird, and Spin, startups that have delighted and infuriated San Franciscans with their scooter-sharing services, have pulled their vehicles from the streets while they apply for permits to operate. The process …

How Sex Trafficking Became Battleground in Fight Over Big Tech Immunity

During last week’s hearings about the industry’s role in the 2016 presidential election, one ominous moment for Big Tech came when California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the industry’s representative in Congress and a Democrat, addressed the social media companies. “You bear …

Uber Prepares for First Public Hearing in New York Over Disclosure Rules

Uber Technologies Inc. is starting off the year preparing for a new political fight. As New York City seeks more information about ride-hailing drivers’ activities, it’s shaping up to be Uber’s second major conflict with the administration of Mayor Bill …

Airbnb’s New York Fight Moves From Legislature to Courtroom

Airbnb Inc. is fighting to stay alive in the biggest rental market in the U.S. Hours after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that will fine residents who rent out their apartments for illegal short-term stays, …

Drone Registrations Top 180,000 in First 2 Weeks

One of the most important players in the booming drone industry isn’t a hardware manufacturer; it’s the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. So attendees at the Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday flocked to hear a policy update from the FAA, which …

Fraud Class Action Claim Filed Against Fantasy Sports Sites

Fantasy sports companies FanDuel and DraftKings are coming under further pressure as a player in Kentucky accused them of negligence and fraud in a lawsuit. Adam Johnson, a daily fantasy player from Jefferson County, says in the suit that players …