Enterprise

Whistleblower: Uber used politicians and violence to grow business

Also installed kill switches in company devices

Published

July 12, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

Uber isn’t feeling as uber lately. Though the ride-sharing platform has since exited from several countries, the company is currently facing a massive controversy in the countries that it still has presence in. Dubbed the Uber Files, a massive leak has revealed how the company strongarmed its way into countries it was formerly banned in.

Initially leaked to The Guardian, the leak comes from former Uber lobbyist (and now-whistleblower) Mark MacGann. According to the leaks, Uber leveraged politicians to force itself into a foothold in countries. Additionally, the company allowed violence against Uber drivers to shine the platform in a good light. And thirdly, it installed a “kill switch” which blocks off the company’s devices in the event of a raid.

First up, the meetings. Since the rise of its popularity, Uber founder Travis Kalanick apparently held private meetings with politicians worldwide including French president (and then-prime minister) Emmanuel Macron and American president (and then-vice president) Joe Biden. The meetings all involved Kalanick asking these politicians to change current laws to favor Uber.

Of course, not everyone loved Uber. The platform was clearly a threat to traditional taxi services. The hatred even grew to violence against drivers who drove for Uber. Though the company advocated for driver safety publicly, leaked messages indicate that the company actually didn’t mind the incidents, stating that it’s a “good story” to shift empathy towards Uber.

And finally, the kill switch. While the company faced violence in the streets, opposing governments conducted their own actions against the company through raids on their offices. According to the leaks, it had installed kill switches, which allowed the company to automatically delete information from raided offices.

For its part, the company has since vehemently denied all allegations sprouting from the leaks. However, denying a leak of this magnitude is certainly a tall order. Though the platform has since exited from other countries, the allegations will certainly still resound loudly across the entire industry.

Enterprise

realme is reportedly going back to being an OPPO sub-brand

All scheduled phones will still launch on time, though.

Published

January 9, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

A popular story among Chinese smartphone brands is whenever a sub-brand spinning off into its own independent entity. A less common one is when an independent entity suddenly merges back into the main entity. And yet, that’s the story we have today. realme is reportedly going back to being a sub-brand of OPPO.

If you don’t remember realme’s time as a sub-brand, then it’s hardly your fault. It’s been a long while since realme was considered a sub-brand. In 2018, the brand spun off on its own to form one of the most popular names in the Chinese smartphone space.

Today, via Leiphone, realme will return to OPPO as a sub-brand. Current realme CEO Sky Li will still retain his responsibilities heading the brand. Plus, all products on the current release schedule will still come out as planned.

However, starting this year, realme will start reintegrating back into OPPO, particularly through the latter’s after-sales programs. OnePlus will also follow the same structure going forward.

Currently, realme has not officially announced the move. That said, we also don’t know how the brand will address the reported change. It’s possible that the shift is just internal and has no effect on how the brand faces the public. For now, only time will tell.

Enterprise

Samsung warns that tech prices might increase this year

And it’s all because of AI.

Published

January 8, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The big story late last year was the skyrocketing prices of chips. Analysts are predicting that the demand for RAM will cause the entire industry to experience hikes this year. Some users, especially in the PC building scene, are already feeling the burn. PCs won’t be the only victims, though. Xiaomi is already expecting hikes across the board. Now, Samsung is adding its voice to the growing list of warnings about price increases.

During CES 2026, Wonjiun Lee, Samsung’s global marketing chief, confirmed that the memory shortages are, in fact, real (via Bloomberg). Moreover, the company is now evaluating whether more price hikes are needed this year for its products. Though Lee expressed regret over pushing the prices to consumers, the state of the industry might force the company’s hand.

Samsung’s opinion has a lot of weight. While other brands have also voiced out their opinions lately, Samsung itself is a producer of chips. If a chip supplier is already warning users of prices affecting them, the effect will likely cascade even more when it comes to device manufacturers.

The ongoing shortage of chips is a result of the overwhelming demand from companies looking to build and bolster AI-based servers. The business-to-business demand is notably different from how regular consumers, who will soon find it hard to buy their own devices, see it.

At the very least, Samsung has not confirmed any price increases yet. However, all eyes are on the next Galaxy Unpacked, when Samsung will launch its newest Galaxy products. Will prices increase or stay the same?

Enterprise

TikTok finally gets a buyer in the United States

The deal targets a closing date in late January.

Published

December 19, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

The year started with a ban. A day before Donald Trump started his second term, TikTok went dark, in anticipation of an impending ban. The platform quickly went back online, leading to an ultimatum that saw TikTok hunt for an American buyer to full stave off a definitive ban in the United States. Now, as the year ends, a buyer is finally here.

Via CNBC, TikTok has reportedly inked a deal to finalize a deal in the United States, as stated in an internal memo from CEO Shou Zi Chew. The memo, which was sent just this week, details a plan that will see the deal close by January 26, 2026.

Fifty percent of TikTok’s newly restructured U.S. arm will be held by a collection of American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Meanwhile, already existing investors of TikTok will hold 30.1 percent. Finally, ByteDance will retain 19.9 percent.

Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm in the United States will be retrained with American data. The American arm will also handle the country’s “data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.” Oracle will be the “trusted security partner” in charge of making sure the company keeps within regulations in the country.

With a deal pushing through, the long-running TikTok saga in the United States might finally come to a close.