Tesla is apparently being sabotaged, Uber is testing a new feature that lets passengers wait for cheaper fares, and Facebook is putting autoplay video ads in your private messages.
First up from LinkedIn is news that Tesla may be the victim of internal sabotage. Founder and CEO Elon Musk sent an email to all employees this weekend explaining that a person within the company had conducted “quite extensive and damaging sabotage,” according to a CNBC report. Sabotaging acts included changing operating system code for an internal product and releasing data externally. Musk’s email was followed by another about a fire that halted production of Tesla’s at its California factory. This news comes as the company is in the midst of sweeping layoffs and a drive for profitability.
Next from LinkedIn again, Uber is apparently testing out giving passengers the option to wait for a cheaper ride. An Uber employee in California tweeted a screenshot of the new feature, which showed that an immediate ride at 4:56 p.m. local time would cost $10.18 but waiting until 5 p.m. would only be $8.15. An Uber spokeswoman told Quartz by email that the option to wait for a cheaper ride is being tested in San Francisco and Los Angeles but could expand elsewhere if all goes well.
And last but not least from Reddit, Facebook rules the online marketing world, and it’s looking to keep it that way with a new opportunity. The social media giant is now selling ads that would see autoplay video ads appear in user’s inboxes right next to messages from friends and family. Facebook started selling ads inside Messenger about 18 months ago, but this is the first time they will be videos and autoplay without a user’s approval. The company says its top priority is user experience and will monitor this new marketing ploy to see if it turns people off of the app.