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Uber has filed a racketeering suit against a group of legal firms and medical professionals, claiming they staged car crashes and performed unnecessary surgeries to commit insurance fraud, Bloomberg reported. The group allegedly recruited passengers involved in purported or minor vehicle collisions and provided "medical unnecessary... [sometimes] invasive and painful surgeries like spinal fusions," according to the federal suit filed in Brooklyn yesterday. Driving the alleged racket is New York's no-fault insurance, particularly as it applies to cab and rideshare chauffeurs. The city forces those workers to carry personal injury coverage up to $200,000, four times that required for individual drivers providing potential scammers with lucrative targets. There are other issues behind the claim. New York City's largest taxi insurer, ATIC (American Transit Insurance Co.), which insures about 60 percent of the 120,000 for-hire vehicles in the city, recently went insolvent. Uber sued ATIC last year, saying that its "unreasonable practices" spawned 23 lawsuits against Uber, forcing it to deal with the claims itself in court. On top of that, ATIC itself filed a $450 million racketeering suit in December last year, also seeking damages from doctors and others for insurance fraud. That has left New York with a big mess around the availability and pricing of for-hire insurance, so Governor Kathy Hochul recently proposed legislation to make it easier for insurance to adjust commercial car insurance rate. Uber has been pushing for insurance and tort reform in multiple states to address rising insurance costs that have hurt its business. The company recently agreed to a $328 million settlement with New York rideshare drivers who were underpaid between 2014 and 2017. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-files-racketeering-suit-against-new-york-groups-alleging-car-crash-fraud-130056714.html?src=rss
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In the span of a week, the Chinese startup DeepSeek has completely disrupted the AI landscape with its free and "open source" R1 model. In this episode, Devindra, Engadget Senior Reporter Igor Bonifacic and Producer Ben Ellman dive into what makes R1 so special, and what DeepSeek is doing differently from OpenAI and other competitors. Also, we try to figure out whats up with Incention, a weird AI/blockchain project for creating new Hollywood IP, and wonder if Helions fusion reactor is actually legit. Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Topics DeepSeeks R1 model shakes up the AI landscape 1:55 Quick mention: Sam Rutherfords Galaxy S25 review Too much AI, not enough Ultra 30:19 Incention is proof that blockchain nonsense is alive and well 37:16 Fusion startup Helion has Altman and Thiel on its side, but maybe not physics 42:50 Google agrees to rename Gulf of Mexico on U.S. version of its maps 49:19 Working on 50:07 Pop culture picks 51:32 Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Igor BonifacicProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale NorthThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/engadget-podcast-deepseek-blows-up-the-ai-world-123036730.html?src=rss
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Its early 2025, the weathers still cold, so it must be time for Samsung to kick off the years flagship smartphone race with its latest barrage of devices. This time, weve got three S25 phones, ranging from the $800 S25 through to the $1,300 S25 Ultra. Lets start with the flagship, the S25 Ultra. This year, Samsung has honed the design of the slate to closer match the rest of its family, while adding a substantially upgraded ultrawide camera sensor. Theres also a powerful 3nm Snapdragon Elite for Galaxy added, a collaboration between Samsung and Qualcomm that augments its computational photography skills and more. (Not to mention incredible battery life.) And you know what? Its another great phone, capable of going toe-to-toe with the iPhones and Pixels of this world. However, it also looks very similar to last years model, which makes the S25 Ultra a less impressive update, given its price. Then theres the Galaxy S25 priced the same as the last few S-series base models. I spent over a week with it, and much of its hardware remains the same, with incremental improvements to the camera, courtesy of behind-the-scenes processing, and that incredible battery life. And its Samsung, so it was always going to be a solid premium phone with a gorgeous screen. But if you were thinking of upgrading from an S24 (or S23, even S22), its a hard pitch. Mat Smith Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The biggest tech stories you missed Comcast unveils ultra-low lag internet connection UPS plans to slash its shipping business with Amazon by half A private start-up called Helion aims to have a working fusion reactor by 2028 OpenAI isnt happy with DeepSeeks sudden rise, thinks IP theft is bad now Even if it didnt name the Chinese startup explicitly. The big story this week is around DeepSeek AI: the open-source chatbot that reportedly requires far less computing power than competitors and was developed on a (relative) shoestring budget. It subsequently put stocks related to AI, like NVIDIA, into a tailspin, although they have somewhat recovered. DeepSeeks had brief success, even stimulating a response from President Trump. Now, ChatGPT maker OpenAI says Chinese startups are cribbing the models of US AI companies. It claims rivals are persistently trying to copy the technology of existing AI companies, adding that OpenAI and its partner Microsoft have been banning accounts suspected of distilling its models. The company didnt explicitly mention DeepSeek in its statement, but yeah. Also, lets not forget: OpenAI admitted last year that getting its AI models up to speed was impossible without dipping its toes into copyrighted materials. How does it feel, having your hard work repurposed and regurgitated? I couldnt possibly relate. Continue reading. CVS will let you unlock its cabinets with your phone If you install its app. And are in a handful of stores. UCG via Getty Images Offering the biggest reason yet to install a retail stores app, CVS says it will let select users, without needing staff, to shop for items typically locked away in its stores. If you havent been to a CVS, many items are locked up to prevent theft (and antagonize everyone). The feature is only available to loyalty program members and in a handful of unnamed stores. It was being trialed in just three stores but will be expanded to 10 to 15 stores. (There are over 9,000 CVS locations in the US.) Continue reading. Incention is a desperate attempt to make new Hollywood IP with AI, fans and the blockchain White hole? More like white noise. By the headline alone, this sounds terrible, but you should read Devindras takedown in full. So many questions: Why the name? Why even make Incention? Who wants this? Does it smell like a blockchain-scented Quibi? Yes, yes it does. Continue reading. Ask Engadget! AMA or AEA. Engadget What is the best Galaxy phone under $500? Are refurb iPads worth it? My Roomba stole my girlfriend, please advise. Were bringing back Ask Engadget, with an entirely new email address: askmat@engadget.com. Aside from spamming free trials of apps and streaming services, lets put it to use. Ask me something!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121727846.html?src=rss
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