Community Matters: News for Uber Users, Bring Me App to Bring You Stuff, Clear Skies Ahead in August

Check out what Uber is doing to spread its gospel of a dependable black cab system. Currently every service that Uber offers is for profit, but there's a new edition in the bundle called People's Uber, which is now launching for a trial period only in Beijing.

This service will allow riders to share a car with vetted drivers, through the normal process that is Uber, yet the rider will only be charged for what the rider is spending on gas, fees and other maintenance costs like cigarettes, red bull, green tea, etc. Uber hopes that this cheaper version will promote car pooling and also draw attention to their more luxury services, like riding around town in a black Audi like an OG.

Bring it on! Another new app, Bring Me, for iPhone and Android platforms is now breaking ground in the capital. I’ve never heard of this little tool, but I like the potential it has for turning us all completely hikikomori. Pretty much you tell the program to bring you something and then it just comes and comes and keeps coming with whatever fits in a backpack.

How does it work? We’re not quite sure because the website isn’t that informative, but it’s first being developed for a trial phase in Sanlitun and Andingmen. You can sign up here. 

China Realtime reported that from August 6-21, Beijing will be sweeping its pollution problem under the rug, so to speak. The capital will be hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic and Cooperation forum, and wants the air to be spick and span as a who’s who of foreign dignitaries arrive. In order to do this, they will be cutting back on the use of government vehicles by 70 percent. We are not sure how many government vehicles it will take to make a significant change in the pollution patterns, but there’s always those tricky cloud busting techniques if this doesn’t play out like they hope.

Commune this week with these great events:

• Aquaponics Workshop at Bookworm on Aug 7
• "Farm to Neighbors" Organic Market at Modernista on Aug 10
• Tea with Micha Benoliel, Founder of Open Garden at AND Cafe on Aug 10

Photos: getbringme, cdn.turner, startupbeat.hkej, techinasia