A new theory has emerged, raising questions about whether ride-hailing apps charge iPhone users more than Android users for the same rides. Recent tests conducted by The Times of India (TOI) have sparked speculation, with findings showing consistently higher prices for iOS users in Chennai. The tests compared cab fares for identical routes checked simultaneously on iPhone and Android devices. Although the price differences were most noticeable for shorter, single rides, the results are not definitive proof of discrimination. Factors like varying demand and fluctuating algorithms make it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Nonetheless, the findings have reignited concerns about the opaque pricing strategies used by ride-hailing platforms. In response, Uber has denied any practice of personalizing fares based on the type of phone a user owns. They attributed the discrepancies to dynamic pricing, which is influenced by factors such as real-time demand, estimated travel time, and distance. However, Ola, another popular ride-hailing service, did not respond to TOI’s inquiries. Experts, however, have raised doubts about these explanations. C. Ambigapathy, managing director of Chennai-based ride-hailing platform Fastrack, suggested that it is technically possible for companies to adjust fares based on the user’s hardware. He believes ride-hailing companies could easily manipulate fares while citing dynamic pricing algorithms as a cover. P. Ravikumar, a former senior director at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, explained that advanced machine learning technologies such as Google Cloud AI and Azure ML enable ride-hailing platforms to incorporate a range of variables—including device type and usage patterns—into their pricing models. He suggested that if consistent factors like estimated travel time and distance were accounted for, users should not face discrepancies based on their device. One expert involved in framing India’s aggregator policy noted that surge pricing is not only tied to the type of device a user owns. Instead, platforms adjust fares based on a user’s behavior and patterns, with frequent users or those who check fares multiple times often facing higher prices. Despite these claims, the allegations have yet to be independently verified. However, experts are calling for greater transparency from ride-hailing platforms to ensure fair pricing practices for all users, regardless of the device they use. Also Read: Indigo Launches Holiday Packages, Direct Flight From Kolkata To PhuketRutgers tries to avoid another Ivy loss when Columbia visitsVideos: Interfaith couples harassed by right-wing groups
Samsung Biologics listed among top most sustainable companies in Dow Jones Sustainability World IndexTrump says he's a 'believer' in polio vaccine, and other news conference takeawaysLEDUC COUNTY, ALTA. — Alberta’s government says it will invest up to $50 million to support the creation of a first-in-Canada drilling test site to support technology development in the oil, gas, geothermal and lithium industries. The Alberta Drilling Accelerator is intended to be an open-access, industry-led site where companies can test drilling technologies at deep depths, high temperatures and varying rock types. A location for the hub site has yet to be determined. While no binding contracts have been signed, the province says several companies have expressed strong interest in serving as anchor tenants, including Calgary-based geothermal company Eavor Technologies, Tourmaline Oil Corp. and international oilfield service supermajor Halliburton. The money the province is providing will come from the industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program, which Alberta's heavy emitters are required to pay into as part of the province's industrial carbon pricing system. The provincial government says the Alberta Drilling Accelerator could start drilling in 2026. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:TOU) The Canadian Press
LEDUC COUNTY, ALTA. — Alberta’s government says it will invest up to $50 million to support the creation of a first-in-Canada drilling test site to support technology development in the oil, gas, geothermal and lithium industries. The Alberta Drilling Accelerator is intended to be an open-access, industry-led site where companies can test drilling technologies at deep depths, high temperatures and varying rock types. A location for the hub site has yet to be determined. While no binding contracts have been signed, the province says several companies have expressed strong interest in serving as anchor tenants, including Calgary-based geothermal company Eavor Technologies, Tourmaline Oil Corp. and international oilfield service supermajor Halliburton. The money the province is providing will come from the industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program, which Alberta's heavy emitters are required to pay into as part of the province's industrial carbon pricing system. The provincial government says the Alberta Drilling Accelerator could start drilling in 2026. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:TOU) The Canadian PressTwo Oregon men have been found dead in a Washington state forest after they failed to return from a Sasquatch hunting trip. The unfortunate duo, aged 59 and 37, appear to have died from exposure, according to a Facebook post by the Skamania County Sheriff's Office. The harsh weather conditions and the men's lack of preparedness led the office to this conclusion. Sasquatch, a creature of folklore believed by some to roam the forests, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, was the object of their search. The bodies of the two men were discovered in a densely wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, located approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Portland. Search for passenger who went overboard from Norwegian Epic cruise ship called off Search for missing Oklahoma girl, 8, enters 3rd day after family vehicle swept away and dad killed A family member reported them missing around 1 am on Christmas Day when they did not return from their Christmas Eve expedition. The three-day search involved sixty volunteer search-and-rescue personnel, including canine, drone, and ground teams. The Coast Guard also participated, using infrared technology to search from the air. Authorities managed to locate the vehicle used by the pair off Oklahoma Road near Willard, which is on the southern border of the national forest, through camera recordings. "The Skamania County Sheriff's Office extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the loved ones lost in this tragic incident," a spokesperson said. Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, is a legendary ape-like creature said to inhabit remote forests, primarily in North America. Descriptions often depict it as a large, hairy humanoid standing around 7 to 10 feet tall, with features resembling both a human and an ape. Sasquatch is typically described as elusive, nocturnal, and shy, avoiding human contact. The creature's existence has been a subject of folklore among indigenous peoples for centuries, with stories about a wild and giant being roaming the wilderness. Over the years, numerous purported sightings, footprints, and blurry photographs have fueled public interest in Sasquatch, despite a lack of conclusive scientific evidence. Skeptics argue that most reports are hoaxes, misidentifications of known animals, or a result of folklore and human imagination. Sasquatch remains an enduring figure in pop culture, symbolizing the mystery and unexplored nature of wilderness.
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Trae Young, Hawks hoping to win big in Vegas at the NBA Cup semifinals
Trae Young, Hawks hoping to win big in Vegas at the NBA Cup semifinalsNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted amid mixed trading Monday, ahead of this week’s upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve that could set Wall Street’s direction into next year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last four . The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to a record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was a laggard and fell 110 points, or 0.3%. Broadcom leaped 11.2% to help lead the S&P 500 for a second straight day after delivering a profit report last week that beat analysts’ expectations. The technology company is riding a wave of enthusiasm about its artificial-intelligence offerings in particular. The market’s main event, though, will arrive on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve will announce its last move on interest rates for the year. The widespread expectation is that it will cut its main rate for a third straight time, as it tries to boost the slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its target of 2%. The question is how much more it will cut rates next year, and Fed officials will release projections for where they see the federal funds rate ending 2025, along with other economic indicators, once their meeting concludes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will also answer questions in a press conference following the meeting. For now, the general expectation among traders is that the Fed may cut a couple more times in 2025, according to data from CME Group. But such expectations have been shrinking following reports suggesting inflation may be tougher to get all the way down to 2% from here. Besides last month’s slight acceleration in inflation, another worry is that President-elect Donald Trump’s preferences for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation down the line. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle has dropped his earlier forecast of a cut by the Fed in January, for example. Beyond the possibility of tariffs, he said Fed officials may also want to slow their cuts because of uncertainty about exactly how low rates need to go so that they no longer press the brakes on the economy. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year and is heading for one of its best years of the millennium . The economy has held up better than many feared, continuing to grow even after the Fed hiked the federal funds rate to a two-decade high in hopes of grinding down on inflation, which topped 9% two summers ago. On Wall Street, MicroStrategy jumped as much as 7% during the day as it continues to benefit from the surging price for bitcoin , which set another all-time high. But its stock ended the day down by les than 0.1% after bitcoin’s price pulled back below $106,000 after setting a record above $107,700, according to CoinDesk. The software company has been building its hoard of the cryptocurrency, and its stock price has more than sextupled this year. It will also soon join the Nasdaq 100 index. Bitcoin’s price has catapulted from roughly $44,000 at the start of the year, riding a recent wave of enthusiasm that Trump will create a system that’s more favorable to digital currencies . Honeywell rose 3.7% after saying it’s still considering a spin-off or sale of its aerospace business, as part of a review of its overall business. It said it plans to give an update with the release of its fourth-quarter results. They helped offset a drop for Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI. Its stock fell 1.7%. Because it’s grown so massive, with a total value topping $3 trillion, it was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 rose 22.99 points to 6,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 110.58 to 43,717.48, and the Nasdaq composite rose 247.17 to 20,173.89. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.39% from 4.40% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, eased to 4.24% from 4.25%. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across much of Europe and Asia. They sank 0.9% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai after China reported lackluster economic indicators for November despite attempts to strengthen the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.2% as law enforcement authorities pushed to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree, and the Constitutional Court met to discuss whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday previewed next week's important Wall Street action, suggesting it's wise to pay attention to a slew of retail earnings as well as reports from Dell and CrowdStrike . He also said that the coming week is typically a good one for the market and advised investors to ring the register on some of their more volatile stocks that have seen significant gains. Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are "If you have huge profits in the month of November, could you do me a favor?" he said. "I would show a little thanks next week and take something off the table in your most risky positions." Monday brings quarterly reports from Bath & Body Works and Zoom . Cramer noted that the soap maker's stock hasn't been popular on Wall Street as of late, but wondered if positive commentary about the holiday season from management would make a difference. He also pointed to the tension between those who are shorting stock of Zoom and those intending to buy and said it seems the company always "has a lot of irons in the fire." Tuesday is a big day for retailers, with reports from Best Buy , Abercrombie & Fitch , Kohl's , Macy's , Burlington Stores and Dick's Sporting Goods . Cramer noted that many of these stocks have run up heading into earnings — so it's "treacherous" to buy now — and wondered which ones will impress Wall Street. He added that some retailers whose earnings weren't great still saw their stocks soar but others got badly dinged , like Target . J.M. Smucker will also post earnings that day. Cramer said some investors weren't pleased with the snack food company's pricey Hostess acquisition , but he suggested the stock could climb if results are in-line. A few major tech names also report Tuesday, including CrowdStrike , Dell , and Workday . Cramer said he's positive on all three, noting that Dell is a major Nvidia partner that is helping implement its newest technology. He said investors might want to buy some Dell stock now and some after earnings if it pulls back. HP will report after close, and Cramer said he wants to know if new artificial intelligence-enabled PCs are seeing success. While stock action tends to slow during the rest of the holiday week, Cramer pointed out that on Wednesday the government will release the latest personal consumption expenditures index. This data is an inflation metric for the Federal Reserve and could indicate whether there will be another interest rate cut before the end of the year. Click here to download Jim Cramer's Guide to Investing at no cost to help you build long-term wealth and invest smarter. Sign up now for the CNBC Investing Club to follow Jim Cramer's every move in the market. Disclaimer The CNBC Investing Club Charitable Trust holds shares of Best Buy, CrowdStrike and Nvidia. Questions for Cramer? Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up! Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.comIn relationships, it’s not perfection that binds us, but the choice to embrace and love each other ... [+] exactly as we are. Many people believe that the greatest love stories should be free of flaws, misunderstandings or heartache. Movies, books and social media feeds show us perfectly curated moments, often creating an illusion of what love should look like. But real love doesn’t thrive in perfection. It lives and breathes in the beautifully messy, unpredictable and deeply human moments we share with one another. Here are four reasons why “imperfect love” is not only inevitable, but also deeply healing. 1. Imperfection Is Authentic The concept of “perfect love” is a pervasive myth, shaped by fairy tales and romantic comedies that idealize flawless relationships where problems vanish with a kiss or a grand gesture. In reality, unlike these polished narratives, authentic love is imperfect, human and far more fulfilling. When we try to present an idealized version of ourselves to others, we create a façade that hinders genuine connection. Authentic love, by contrast, removes these barriers, creating relationships where partners truly know and accept one another. Research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology supports this, showing that perceived partner authenticity is strongly associated with positive relationship outcomes, such as greater interpersonal trust, satisfaction and commitment. Apple Cancels iPhone 14 And iPhone SE For Millions Of Users Samsung’s Android 15 Leak—Bad News For Nearly All Galaxy Owners Critical Gmail Warning—Don’t Click Yes To These Google Security Alerts Being truly authentic involves embracing one’s quirks, vulnerabilities and flaws without fear of judgment. It transforms the relationship into a safe space where both individuals feel seen and valued for who they are. For instance, admitting you don’t know how to handle a difficult situation or laughing off a burned dinner instead of feeling embarrassed can build trust and openness. Such moments are an opportunity to signal to a partner: “You don’t need to pretend for me. I accept you as you are.” This mutual vulnerability creates a foundation of honesty, allowing both partners to show up as their true selves. 2. Imperfection Is Love’s Greatest Teacher While society often portrays love as effortless and harmonious when “done right,” the reality is that moments of imperfection are what strengthen relationships. These experiences offer valuable lessons in patience, communication and understanding, helping couples grow closer. Every challenge faced together is an opportunity to deepen your bond. Disagreements can reveal unmet needs, unspoken desires or hidden fears, while mistakes remind us of our shared humanity, teaching humility, accountability and forgiveness. A relationship that embraces imperfection values growth and learning over blame and the illusion of perfection. For example, consider an argument where you feel misunderstood. Instead of reacting defensively, take a moment to ask, “What is my partner really trying to communicate?” Shifting from self-defense to curiosity creates room for meaningful dialogue, transforming conflict into collaboration. Similarly, when a mistake occurs—whether it’s forgetting a special date or saying something hurtful in frustration—a sincere apology and a conversation about how to improve next time can strengthen the relationship. Moments of repair are where love proves its resilience, evolving into something deeper and more enduring. 3. Imperfection Inspires Creativity When love doesn’t conform to a prepackaged ideal, it opens the door to creativity. Relationships aren’t one-size-fits-all, and the rigid script of perfect date nights, grand romantic gestures and flawless communication can feel stifling. Embracing imperfection allows you to break free from these constraints, crafting a love story that reflects your unique personalities, values and circumstances. Ample research shows that creativity can enhance relationships, with creative individuals often perceiving their partners as more attractive than their partners’ self-assessments or objective ratings. Longitudinal data, from a 2019 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that creativity buffers against the decline of passion, acting as an antidote to monotony and routine in relationships. Embracing imperfection grants you the freedom to experiment, adapt and redefine what love looks like. Instead of adhering to traditional notions, you can design a relationship that works best for you both. So next time, be open to the idea that maybe date night isn’t candlelit dinners but spontaneous hikes. Maybe “I love you” isn’t necessarily spoken every day but shown in consistent acts of service or small gestures. By letting go of rigid ideals, you allow love to take a shape that’s uniquely yours, full of spontaneity, innovation and authenticity. 4. Imperfection Nurtures Acceptance Imperfect love creates a space where you can show up as your true self—flaws, vulnerabilities and all—and still be cherished. This acceptance goes beyond surface-level affection and reaches the core of who you are. Hiding your imperfections in a relationship creates a barrier to intimacy. Maintaining a façade of perfection is also exhausting and prevents your partner from truly knowing you. However, when you let go of the fear of judgment and allow your flaws to be seen, you create a connection based on trust and authenticity. In imperfect love, the focus isn’t on “fixing” each other but on embracing each other’s humanity. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that both accepting your partner and feeling accepted by them are crucial to relationship satisfaction. Partner acceptance enhances satisfaction by increasing the other person’s sense of being accepted, while also boosting one’s own satisfaction through their own felt acceptance. Perhaps the next time you’re grumpy after a long day, instead of retreating or putting on a happy face, share how you feel with your partner. When they show their love on these difficult days, support you through struggles and embrace you when you’re not at your best, it acts as a reminder that love doesn’t depend on perfection. It’s also essential to remember that imperfect love celebrates human flaws, not harmful or abusive behavior. Healthy love always prioritizes safety, respect, accountability and care. Such imperfect love, in essence, invites you to be real. And in that realness, you find the true beauty of connection. In the end, it’s not about loving your partner despite their flaws, but about loving them because of the complete, multifaceted person they are. Do you find it hard to let go of the idea that love must be flawless? Take the Authenticity In Relationships Scale to find out if perfectionism stands in the way of your connection.