Or, “program”, as we used to call them. Uber is getting into the desktop space, to try and solve that pesky problem of not being able to book an Uber if your phone is out of battery.
Of course, one might ask the question, if you’re at home or around a desktop computer, how is your phone not on the charging station? Well, there’s a certain type of person (me) who always forgets until their phone is at 5%, and then has to make tough battery management decisions. This app is for them.
Users don’t actually need to take their phone with them, so you can complete a trip without even taking your phone. But you will need to use a phone number to sign up for an account, as usual. You’ll obviously need the phone if you want to communicate with drivers, but you won’t need to worry about them knowing your number — Uber hides that now.
It only works on Windows 10, but it’s universal, so that applies to phones and tablets as well. United States users get their first $20 spent through the app free, but not us ‘Strayans.
As VentureBeat points out, it’s actually kind of a win for Microsoft that Uber is a Windows 10 exclusive at the moment. As opposed to, say, Windows 7. It even works with Cortana. I’m a distrusting curmudgeon so I’m still not upgrading. Stop asking me, Windows.
Head over to the Windows Store to download the app. Judging by the reviews, it looks like there are a few kinks to sort out, so you might have to be patient.