News

WeRide & Uber Join Forces To Launch Autonomous Rides In UAE

The partnership will first bring autonomous vehicles to Abu Dhabi, with Uber leveraging WeRide’s extensive robotaxi expertise.

Published

4 months ago

September 26, 2024

Nour Nasir

WeRide

Autonomous vehicle experts WeRide have partnered with Uber Technologies to form a strategic collaboration that will integrate the Chinese tech firm’s autonomous vehicles into Uber’s ride-hailing app, starting in the United Arab Emirates.

After revealing news of the partnership, Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide, said: “We are honored to partner with Uber to continue to bring our technology to global markets. Together, we aim to combine our collective experience and expertise to deliver much-needed, affordable, sustainable, and safe mobility solutions to a global audience”.

In addition, Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, added: “Uber is very excited to partner with WeRide. It’s clear that the future of mobility will be increasingly shared, electric, and autonomous, and we look forward to working with leading AV companies like WeRide to help bring the benefits of autonomous technology to cities around the world”.

Also Read: How To Find The Best Remote Work Opportunities In The Middle East

The results of the collaboration will hopefully be seen later this year in Abu Dhabi, where a select number of WeRide autonomous vehicles will make their debut for Uber rides across the Emirate. Once the service is live, users who request eligible trips through the Uber app may get the opportunity to travel in a WeRide autonomous vehicle for their journey. The trial scheme is currently limited to the UAE, with no immediate plans by either company for expansion to regions such as the United States or China.

WeRide already operates the largest fleet of robotaxis in the UAE, with its services accessible through the TXAI app. Moreover, in July 2023, the tech company received the UAE’s first national license for self-driving cars, which authorized the testing and operation of autonomous vehicles on public roads throughout the country.

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News

Truecaller For iPhone Gets Real-Time Caller ID And Auto Spam Blocking

The latest update integrates with Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework, launched with iOS 18 last year.

Published

1 hour ago

January 23, 2025

Nour Nasir

Truecaller

Truecaller has rolled out a major update for iPhone users, introducing API support that brings real-time caller identification and automatic spam blocking. The upgrade aims to bring the iOS version of the app closer to its Android counterpart, which has long offered these advanced call-screening features.

The latest update integrates with Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework, launched with iOS 18 last year. The technology allows third-party apps to cross-check incoming calls against a database of known spam numbers in real-time. Importantly, the process employs “homomorphic encryption,” ensuring user privacy by masking the caller’s number, concealing the client’s IP address, and using anonymous authentication.

With this update, Truecaller has also introduced global automatic spam call blocking for iPhones. However, the real-time caller ID feature is being released gradually and is available only to Truecaller Premium subscribers on iPhones running iOS 18.2 or later. Free users will still have access to ad-supported features, such as manual number searches and caller identification for verified businesses.

How To Enable The New Features

To activate the new features, follow these steps:

Update the Truecaller app to version 14.0 or newer via the App Store.
Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification on your iPhone.
Turn on all Truecaller toggles, then restart the app.

Also Read: “AI Seal” Certification Now Required For Dubai Gov Partnerships

While these features are new to iOS, Truecaller has hinted at this update for months. Following Apple’s iOS 18 update and the introduction of its Live Caller ID API last September, Truecaller Co-founder Alan Mamedi shared his excitement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Truecaller finally works on iPhone”.

The global rollout of spam call blocking is already live, but users may need to wait for gradual access to the live caller ID feature.