Apps

Grab to offer ride services at NAIA terminals

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Pretty soon, travelers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport won’t have to brave the crowds and the summer heat to call a cab or car service, if Grab has its way.

A spokesperson for the local airport authority said that airport officials and the app-based, ride-dispatch company are expected to reach an agreement that would allow Grab to operate at the country’s four airports starting March 14, effectively lifting the regulation that bars ride-hailing services from picking up and dropping off passengers at NAIA terminals.

Obviously, the agreement only applies to Grab, but it nonetheless sets a precedence for Uber to operate to and from local airports. Not to mention, it might result in more competitive fares between airport taxis and shuttles down the road. I probably don’t need to tell you how exorbitant transport fees can get.

A post from Top Gear Philippines’ Facebook page claimed that airport shuttle companies charged between P1,800 and P3,200 (roughly $39 and $69) for transportation from NAIA Terminal 2, which is ten times what you would expect to pay for a similar trip in a metered cab.

The development is another feather in Grab’s cap. Earlier this week, the company announced it has expanded its GrabTaxi service to Cagayan de Oro, allowing Kagay-anon commuters to book a cab using the Grab app. Cagayan de Oro is the seventh city in the Philippines to open the (passenger) doors to Grab, and joins Metro Manila, Baguio, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, and Iloilo on its expansion list.

[irp posts=”11584″ name=”Ride-sharing app uses Tinder to market its new promo”]

Source: Motioncars

Apps

Netflix suddenly resurrects 30-day free trials

It’s available only in some countries.

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Over the weekend, a report emerged about Disney+ allegedly considering a new tier offered to users for absolutely free. Apparently, Disney isn’t the only one. Netflix is now resurrecting its free trial program in select countries.

Back in the day, it was easy to get into Netflix. With a 30-day free trial, you can watch the shows you’ve always wanted to catch. If you liked what you saw, you can pay the monthly fee to access the entire library without constraints. Eventually, the platform got rid of this system to favor a cheaper ad-supported tier.

Perhaps not seeing the benefits of ad-supported tiers, Netflix has suddenly resurrected its free trial program. Spotted online (via Android Authority), some countries, including Brazil and India, are experimenting with the program again. New users can get 30 days of free Netflix access.

Because only regular users are spotting this (rather than an official announcement), we don’t have a list of where the free trials are available.

Still, it’s an interesting move. Cable isn’t a thing anymore so “cutting the cable” isn’t a popular phrase anymore, but people are definitely cancelling subscriptions over rising prices. Some even rely on short clips from YouTube to catch up with their shows. Having a free trial opens up more possibilities for users, but it remains to be seen whether it’s enough for users to return to Netflix.

SEE ALSO: Netflix expands its cheaper ad-supported tier to Southeast Asia

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Disney+ might get a free tier

What would you like to see in a free Disney+ tier?

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In a world disappointingly obsessed with increasing prices beyond our means, Disney+ has miraculously remembered the phrase, “free sample.” According to a report, the streaming platform is considering making a free subscription tier.

As of late, it’s been difficult to maintain a healthy collection of streaming services. When you have to pay the equivalent of a full-course meal every month for just a single platform, you start to evaluate which ones really matter.

Perhaps feeling the sting of users leaving the platform over pricing, Disney+ is reportedly experimenting with a tier that comes at no cost to users (via Business Insider). According to two sources, adding such a tier might help the platform reach customers more.

Now, it’s still a mystery how this tier might work. Disney+ already offers an ad-supported tier, so it’s unlikely to be another one like that.

One possibility is a heavily curated feed of content either designed specifically for free users or limited exactly to give users a free sample. For the latter, think of the limited content you get on a plane. Sure, you might get the first three episodes of The Mandalorian, but you’ll have to fork over cash if you want to see the rest of the story.

And for the former, you can imagine short-form content available for free. Going back to Star Wars, you might see a short anthology series like Star Wars: Visions.

Either way, it’s an interesting concept. If the tier does offer full content, it’s a great way to get into franchises you were thinking of trying without the need to spend for a taste.

SEE ALSO: X-Men ’97 returns to Disney+ for second season

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WhatsApp will introduce usernames to hide your phone number

Hide your number from others.

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WhatsApp is about to get an extra later of protection. After thriving on number-based chatting, the platform will soon add usernames, eliminating the need to share your number with strangers.

Usernames are the standard way of maintaining your anonymity online. Though most platforms today require users to log their email addresses or phone numbers, establishing a username can prevent other users from seeing this information way too easily.

Today, Meta has started rolling out reservations for WhatsApp usernames. The feature itself isn’t available yet, but early adopters can grab theirs as soon as the setting becomes available on their app.

To access the reservation, users can go to Settings > Account > Username. Of note, this isn’t available for everyone yet. But if you want to take dibs on a specific name, be on the lookout for the setting.

As for the username itself, users can reserve anything as long as it’s unique. Business owners and creators can also use their Facebook or Instagram handles as their WhatsApp usernames.

The feature, once it launches, will stop users from accessing your phone number when messaging. Similarly, other users will now need your exact username to start a conversation. Users can also set a separate code to protect conversations further.

SEE ALSO: Meta adds subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp

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