DoorDash is piloting an ultra-fast grocery delivery service in Manhattan, with the goal of delivering items to customers in less than 15 minutes. The service will initially be available at a new DashMart outlet in Chelsea, and DoorDash plans to expand ultra-fast deliveries to more locations and partners over the coming months.

The company opened its first DashMarts last year to provide a central location for shoppers to find fresh and frozen groceries, household items and goods from local merchants. The company says DashMart offers more than 2,000 items. The Chelsea location will be open between 7AM and 2AM for orders within a small radius, and excess produce will be donated to a local food bank.

In addition, DoorDash notes that the ultra-fast service will require a different operating model than its typical approach of using gig workers to fulfill orders. A team of full-time employees will handle those deliveries. The company says the workers will be on regular schedules, have wages starting at $15/hour plus tips and receive benefits. 

The company says 90 percent of its couriers (or Dashers) in the US want to stay as contractors and have greater flexibility over their schedule. DoorDash has been at odds with the city and other jurisdictions, including California, on worker classification and other fronts. NYC lawmakers passed a series of bills in September that, among other things, set minimum pay for gig economy and food delivery workers. In addition, DoorDash, along with Uber Eats and Grubhub, recently sued New York City over limits on the delivery fees they're allowed to charge restaurants.

DoorDash will be competing against other companies that offer ultra-fast deliveries in the city, including Gorillas, Buyk, Gopuff and Jokr. However, it's a well-known brand that could potentially carve out a significant slice of the market.

YouTube is shedding more light on the tidal wave of copyright claims it receives. The service has released its first copyright transparency report and it notes that of the more than 729 million claims made in the first half of the year, it overturned more than 2.2 million. Around 60 percent of disputed claims were resolved in favor of the uploader, versus just under 1.5 million in the claimant's favor.

Over 99 percent (722.7 million) of all copyright claims between January and June emerged through Content ID, which automatically monitors YouTube for potential copyright issues. Only 0.5 percent of these were disputed.

Other copyright claims were submitted via webforms and the Copyright Match tool. YouTube says claims that are filed manually are twice as likely to be disputed than automated ones. That indicates creators are perhaps more reluctant to appeal against Content ID claims, even though most disputes are resolved in their favor.

Copyright owners can opt to have a video that's deemed to violate their rights deleted, track viewership stats and/or receive revenue it generates. Earlier this year, YouTube started offering creators a way to check for potential copyright violations when they upload a video. The platform offers creators a way to remove sections of a video that cause issues.

YouTubers have long criticized how the platform handles copyright claims, as The Verge notes. They can lose money or even face having their channel banned as a result of claims, many of which are evidently incorrect. While the report provides more insight into how big an issue copyright claims are, YouTube acknowledges "no system is perfect" and that it's "impossible for matching technology to take into account complex legal considerations like fair use or fair dealing."

Psyonix is bringing a couple more Ford vehicles to Rocket League this week, and whether players are more interested in brand-new cars or classics, there should be something to catch their interest. On December 9th, the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV will land in the Item Shop. Perhaps to underscore that this is an electric vehicle, you'll see a visual lightning effect when it goes supersonic.

Joining the Mach-E in the store this week is the classic 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R. Each car is part of a bundle that includes themed decals, wheels, a player banner and engine audio. You can buy each bundle for 1,100 Credits or both for 2,000 Credits. The bundles will be available until December 22nd.

The addition of the Mach-E and GT350R builds on the partnership between Psyonix and Ford. The F-150 arrived in the game earlier this year. The automaker is also sponsoring the Rocket League Championship Series Fall Major, an in-person tournament that takes place in Stockholm this week.

Facebook Gaming is about to become more interactive. Two features are rolling out today that should help creators and their fans seamlessly play games together, and give viewers other ways to get involved with streams.

Play With Streamer is self-explanatory. There will be a button on livestreams that lets viewers play Pac-Man Community (a version of Pac-Man developed in partnership with Genvid and Bandai Namco) with streamers and other community members. Pac-Man Community includes a four-player co-op mode, a mobile-optimized maze creator, rankings and community challenges.

Facebook Interactives, meanwhile, are interactive layers viewers will see on top of livestreams. When Pac-Man Community's Watch Mode is enabled, they can help or hamper an AI-controlled Pac-Man or the ghosts through the in-game video player. Facebook says these features form some of the first steps of its vision for the metaverse.

Other platforms have long had ways for players to interact directly with streams. On Twitch, viewers can control Pokémon and other games by entering commands in the chat. There are also extensions that let viewers impact the game the streamer is playing by, for instance, granting them extra items or even instantly killing their character. With Stadia's Crowd Play feature, viewers can play with a streamer who's broadcasting their gameplay on YouTube, as long as they also own the game and have a sufficient setup.

Google TV is placing a bigger focus on things users can watch for free. The platform has teamed up with Pluto TV to highlight more than 300 ad-supported channels folks in the US can check out through the Live tab. Free live TV recommendations will also appear in the For You tab. The Pluto TV integration is coming to all Google TV devices in the coming weeks.

There are other ways users can find free stuff to watch on Google TV. In the YouTube app's Movies & Shows tab, for instance, they can find thousands of ad-supported movies to watch. The platform's Apps tab, meanwhile, includes a row of Free Movies & TV apps to download, including Tubi and Xumo.

What's more, for a limited time, those who activate a Google TV or Android TV OS device in the US will get six months of access to Peacock Premium at no extra cost. Peacock Premium usually costs $5/month and, along with ad-free viewing, it includes much more content than the free tier, such as Peacock Originals, a ton of live sports and a host of WWE content. Google noted it will offer more ways for TV users to watch shows, movies and other content for free in 2022 as well.

One of the toughest nuts to crack when it comes to developing carbon-free transportation is flying. Commercial electric planes won't be feasible until batteries become more powerful and lightweight. Hydrogen-powered flight is another possible way forward, and a research group has revealed what such a plane could look like.

The FlyZero project, which is led by the Aerospace Technology Institute and funded by the UK government, came up with a concept for a liquid hydrogen-powered midsize aircraft. It said the plane would be able to fly 279 passengers non-stop from London to San Francisco, or from London to Auckland, New Zealand with one stop for refueling. The aircraft, which has a 54-meter wingspan with two turbofan engines, would offer the "same speed and comfort as today’s aircraft" but with zero carbon emissions. 

The ATI says its concept plane would have cryogenic fuel tanks in the rear fuselage, which would store hydrogen at -250 degrees Celsius (-418 degrees Farenheit). Two smaller "cheek" tanks along the forward fuselage would keep the plane balanced as fuel is used.

We're years away from commercial hydrogen aircraft becoming a reality, though. The refueling infrastructure doesn't exist yet and hydrogen is more expensive and difficult to store onboard than kerosene-based fuel. Those types of planes might not be too much of a pipe dream, however.

The ATI expects that, by the middle of the 2030s, efficient hydrogen planes might be a more economical option than current planes. That's partly because other sectors are shifting toward hydrogen, which is likely to reduce supply costs. 

The FlyZero project plans to publish more detailed findings early next year, including concepts for regional, narrowbody and midsize aircraft, economic and market reports, roadmaps for the required tech and a sustainability assessment.

The next game in the Grid series, and the first since Electronic Arts bought developer Codemasters earlier this year, has a release date. Grid Legends will hit PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on February 25th.

Codemasters announced the game at EA Play Live in July. Grid Legends has a story mode inspired by Netflix docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive. It features live-action performances that were filmed using the same virtual set tech as The Mandalorian.

You'll be able to drive in more than 100 vehicles at the outset, and compete in more than 250 events in Career mode. The Drift and Elimination modes return, and players can check out a race creator and a new mode called Electric Boost. There's cross-platform multiplayer support, and Codemasters says you'll be able to race online after "three quick button presses" with the action starting almost immediately after you choose a race.

Grid Legends joins a bunch of major games that are coming out in February. It arrives on the same day as Elden Ring and soon after the likes of Dying Light 2, Horizon: Forbidden West, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen and Sifu. Although Grid Legends won't have to compete with any big racing games in February, another heavy hitter will be available just one week later: Gran Turismo 7.

Meanwhile, Codemasters has offered the first in-depth look at Grid Legends gameplay. Along with an Elimination race and a big rig in action, the 17-minute video shows some street racing in heavy rain.

When Tesla finally starts rolling the Cybertruck off the production line in 2022, the electric vehicle will debut with a four-motor variant. CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter that model will offer "independent, ultra fast response torque control of each wheel." Some other EVs have a motor on each wheel, including Rivian's R1T.

Musk also reiterated that the Cybertruck will have front and rear-wheel steer. He previously noted the EV would offer rear-wheel steering, which will enable it to drive diagonally, "like a crab." Notably, the Hummer EV has a crab mode. Nissan's e-4orce all-wheel control system — which is in the Ariya electric crossover, upcoming next-gen Leaf and a lunar lander prototype — has front and rear motors too.

Tesla removed all Cybertruck specs and pricing from its website in October. Would-be owners can plunk down a refundable deposit of $100 and configure their order close to when Tesla starts production, which is scheduled to happen next year. However, it seems you'll likely have to wait longer if you want a two-motor version.

Xbox Game Pass has been a hit for Microsoft, and it seems Sony is preparing to respond with its own version of an all-in-one game subscription service. The company is planning to merge PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now into a new offering, which is expected to debut this spring, according to Bloomberg.

The service, which is code-named Spartacus, would likely be available on PS4 and PS5 for a monthly fee. It's unclear whether players would be able to access it on other devices, though the report notes Sony is putting more resources into cloud gaming. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate allows players to delve into more than a hundred Xbox titles via cloud gaming on consoles, PC, phones and tablets. Microsoft plans to make game streaming sticks for TVs too.

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Bird is bringing its electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters to more cities. The company and its partner, Scootaround, are expanding the program to San Diego as of today. The wheelchairs and mobility scooters recently arrived in San Francisco too. The California expansion follows a pilot in New York City.

Using a custom Scootaround interface in the Bird app, folks can find, reserve and pay to use accessible vehicles. They can select convenient pick-up and drop-off locations, and riders are provided with an in-person tutorial.

Bird is offering discounts on rentals. In San Diego, the vehicles cost $5 per day to use for up to three days at a time. The company also offers free rentals in some areas.