A weekly update of news on the CNBC Disruptor 50 companies seeking to upend the status quo in the markets.
Amazon in 3-D
Amazon has launched a dedicated section on its website where consumers can buy 3-D printers as well as related materials. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is one of the original investors in Makerbot, whose Replicator is among the desktop 3-D printers available on Amazon.
Hail Lower Fares in SF With Uber
Effective this week, UberX prices are 10 percent lower than taxi prices in its flagship city of San Francisco, according to a blog post from the company. UberX at cheaper-than-taxi pricing means $8 from FiDi to AT&T Park, $15 from the Marina to the Mission and $50 from North Beach to SFO, the company said. "It means a single, cost-effective solution for dependable pickups in minutes, 24 hours a day, all over the Bay," the blog post said. As competition in the taxi app space intensifies, the price war could extend to additional cities.
Aereo Says Cord-Cutting on the Way
Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia said the unraveling of the cable bundle is "inevitable," in an appearance on CNBC. He added that this creates a "monopolistic situation" that "holds you hostage" for a handful of channels. "Nowhere in the world does that system function."
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"It's not lost on everybody that the market is shifting. It's inevitable that consumption of this form of entertainment—television—is going to be on the Internet," he said. "At some point, this has to break, with or without Aereo."
Aereo is launching its service in Atlanta on Monday, June 17.
Square Stands Firm Against Competition
Square said it plans next month to release what it calls Square Stand, which incorporates a built-in card reader that attaches to an iPad and a USB hub that connects to accessories such as a cash drawer, receipt printer and scanner. Competition with rivals in the mobile payment market, from PayPal to brick-and-mortar banks like Bank of America, is heating up.
Google-Waze Deal
In the biggest news of the week involving the CNBC Disruptor 50 companies, Googleannounced its acquisition of Waze.
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In news of interest to the CNBC Disruptor 50 companies:
Yelp Targets Foursquare
Yelp has added new mobile discovery features and overhauled its service in a new iOS app update to better compete against Foursquare. The Yelp upgrades include more relevant identification of local businesses based on a user's location, using their past check-ins, reviews and recommendations of friends to deliver more relevant results.
Legacy Console Makers Debut New Systems
Ouya plans to take down both the Xbox and PlayStation, but at the E3 entertainment system conference this week, Sony and Microsoft talked up their latest consoles. The big news was that Microsoft's new Xbox One console has a price tag of $500, an eye opener when compared with the new PlayStation 4, which Sony said late Monday is going to sell for $399 this holiday season.
Apple Radio
Apple announced its iTunes radio service at its developer conference on Monday, aiming at Spotify and other fast-growing online music services.
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—By CNBC.com's Eric Rosenbaum
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