| Uber is taking control of its navigation system, which means you might see fewer drivers switching to other apps to get around. Also, a big security hire at Apple. That and more in The Daily Crunch for March 15, 2017. 1. Uber's new in-app navigation is designed specifically for Uber drivers Uber's driver-facing app is getting big changes to its navigation experience, something Uber is doing to try to help make it easier for drivers to do their job without having to worry too much about switching apps or trusting navigation software designed primarily for consumer use. The new Uber navigation experience is an upgrade from what was available in the iOS driver app previously, and a completely new addition to the Android version of their mobile software. Uber's Manik Gupta told us, "The goal for the new navigation experience is to provide drivers with the optimal driving experience for Uber specifically." 
2. Apple hires security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski Jonathan Zdziarski has been a leading expert on Apple and iOS security and forensics for years — and now he's taking his expertise inside the company. Zdziarski announced on his blog that he's joining Apple's Security Engineering and Architecture team to work on protecting user security and privacy. 3. Facebook Stories, yet another Snapchat clone, is rolling out to users worldwide Facebook Stories, a feature that puts photos that disappear after 24 hours at the top of the Facebook mobile app, appears to be rolling out to a large number of users across the world — but not everyone. And yep, it's another Facebook feature that seems to be copied from Snapchat. 4. Facebook's new 'Town Hall' feature helps you find and contact your government reps Speaking of Facebook, it seems to be taking its first steps toward Mark Zuckerberg's vision for a future where users of the social network become more "civically-engaged" and vote more often. This new feature popped up on the "More" menu in Facebook's mobile app, and it offers a simple way for users to find and connect with their government representatives on a local, state and federal level. 5. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman joins Microsoft's board This follows Microsoft's $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn last year. As a Microsoft board member, Hoffman said his focus will remain on LinkedIn itself, while also working to help Microsoft build more connections in Silicon Valley. 6. Prominent Twitter accounts compromised after third-party app Twitter Counter hacked In a move that might be related to Turkey's diplomatic dispute with the Netherlands and Germany, official Twitter accounts belonging to Amnesty International, Forbes and other prominent organizations, not to mention many regular users, were accessed to post swastikas and other Nazi-related messages. 7. With Alexa integration and mapping, iRobot aims to make Roomba the center of the smart home iRobot CEO Colin Angle has been repeating for some time now that the next step in the evolution of the company's Roomba vacuum is becoming a connective tissue for the smart home. A new announcement from the company takes it a couple of steps closer to that dream, introducing Alexa voice integration and advances to the mapping system. | 
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