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Saturday, 9 June 2018

Head out to Tenerife in July: 7nt break from £194pp - incl. 7nts aparthotel & flights

Head out to the Canaries this July and catch some of that Tenerife sunshine with the help of our Holiday Finder. With this deal you'll be spending 7 nights at Teneguia, just a few minutes' walk from the beach. Flights are included from a variety of UK airports. The cheapest options are for early July… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Could Uber’s charm offensive blow up in their face?

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As D-day approaches for Uber in relation to their London licence renewal appeal, could the overt charm offensive which has been embarked upon had an adverse, rather than a positive effect on the world’s largest private hire company?

Uber's appeal begins on June 25th, however, they have applied for an interim 18-month licence, which is a strange move given that Uber are appealing the initial decision by TfL not to renew their licence. Whether they have a licence for 18-months or 5 years should be an irrelevance if they are seen to be complying and found fit to hold a licence. Therefore is this Uber taking out a contingency plan to obtain a licence by stealth should their appeal fail.

Uber were refused renewal of their licence on several grounds. TfL found that both medical checks and criminal background checks were inadequately performed. Criminal investigations into the company's drivers may have been hampered after they reported potential criminal activity, which included sexual assault to Transport for London, but failed to report the same said criminal activity to the police. Greyball technology, a piece of software that could be used to block TfL (or any other regulator) from gaining full access to the Uber app, potentially preventing officials from undertaking regulatory or law enforcement duties was also cited as a reason to reject Uber’s renewal application.

All of these issues, plus others, meant that TfL refused Uber's licence renewal under the umbrella term of "not being a fit and proper operator."

Since that time Uber have agreed to share its data with TfL, offered its drivers an injury and sick pay package at a cost of £2 per week, and embarked on a charm offensive which can only be described as mind-boggling.

This charm offensive includes a 5 part, 5 minute docu-advertorial featuring Uber drivers from around the UK, in conversation with their passengers, which include footballers from Manchester United, who are sponsored by Uber amongst others. This is allied to other, slightly more baffling stories, such as Benedict Cumberbatch tackling a group of muggers, along with the Uber driver himself, emerging less than afortnight ago... despite the incident actually happening some eight months ago in November 2017.

More concerning is the Open Democracy revelation that the Evening Standard had accepted a substantial sum of money from Uber (as well as several other companies) to positively promote them for a period of two years.

Citylab have said that the Evening Standard have denied allegations that their editorial independance could be compromised. This of course comes into direct conflict with Evening Standard editor and former Chancellor of the Exchequor, George Osborne's links to Black Rock, a major investor in Uber. It wasn't that long ago that an Evening Standard editorial heavily criticised London Mayor Sadiq Khan over his decision not to grant Uber a renewal of their licence.

Uber's current "in your face" advertorials suggesting that they are reformed characters and are now "the good guys" may well appease some of the public, press and politicians, and the reality is that they will probably obtain a licence to operate in London, but one cannot help believing that "methinks the company protesteth too much."

With Lyft, Taxify and others waiting in the wings to enter into the London market, the question must be asked as to whether Uber have gone way over the top in trying to convince the public that they are a reformed company and are no longer the proverbial wolf in sheeps clothing.

June 09, 2018 at 05:57PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Steve Kenton THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* Portugal break: 7nts in oceanfront hotel with flights & breakfast from £216pp

Although the weather is fabulous now, it's always a good time to plan your winter escape: enjoy 7 nights in the Portuguese weather this winter and what better way to experience it than in a 5* hotel on the oceanfront? Treat your favourite ship mate to a break to the Algarve in the Real Marina… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Preening in Perugia: 4nts in Italy in 5* spa hotel from £192pp incl. breakfast & flights

4 nights in Perugia, Italy from £192pp including the 5* Le Tre Vaselle Resort & Wine Spa, breakfast & flights. Have a dip in one of the two pools, sample local wine and cuisine, or enjoy a wine treatment or Turkish bath in the hotel's spa. Holiday details: Travel duration: 7 nights (longer or shorter… jcrdawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Las Vegas 4* getaway only £577pp - 7nts iconic Flamingo hotel on the strip & flights

Ahoy pirates, Las Vegas is calling and for todays deal you will be staying on the famous strip in the iconic 4* Flamingo Hotel. The Las Vegas getaway is for 7 nights which we think is the perfect amount of time to stay, you can even book with a deposit and payment plan. Holiday details… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Trendy London 5* Town Hall family stay from £48pp/pn - incl. pool access (August dates)

Ahoy mateys! The award-winning 5* Town Hall Hotel & Apartments is situated in the heart of East London, an incredibly imposing building boasting 1950s-inspired modernist design and a spa with a relaxing pool. Here you are perfectly placed for exploring Shoreditch's cool restaurant-and bar scene with Bethnal Green station on your doorstep also connecting you… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber arrives in the Costa del Sol

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Last month TaxiPoint reported that Uber would be launching within a few weeks on the Costa Del Sol.

On June 5th Uber finally launched, servicing the areas between Malaga and Marbella, which include towns such as Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Mijas and Calahonda.

Uber have initially started with 200 vehicles but there are plans to increase that figure.

The Costa Del Sol attracts more than 12.5 million visitors per annum and is also home to a massive ex-pat community.

Uber has previously used local jobs startups to recruit drivers.

There is controversy afoot as local cabbies complain that local regulations have been circumvented. Licensing regulations stipulate that there can only be one private hire vehicle for every thirty taxis, however it is alleged that the National Markets and Competition Commission have relaxed that rule.

The news of Ubers start-up in the area has received mixed views from some locals, with radio presenter Andy Coates saying "having used Uber in the UK, i can see why it is so popular, you know the car you are getting into, the driver you will get, the route that you will take and the price that you will pay."

However not all of the views were positive with Ace of Shades owner, Michelle Johnstone stating that "we have enough bad drivers on the roads here on the Costa del Sol, the last thing that we need are inexperienced drivers, purporting to be cab drivers, staring at their sat-navs instead of the road. Some of the roads here are extremely dangerous and the local cabbies know exactly what they are doing, they are fully regulated and people feel safe."

The launch is expected to see local cabbies coming out in protest, with a series of co-ordinated strikes.

June 09, 2018 at 01:12PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Majorca 4* break 4nts from £293pp - incl. flights & spa hotel

Ahoy mateys! We've just laid eyes on the top-rated 4* Hipotels Eurotel Punta Rotja situated in the eastern part of Majorca. Here you can enjoy stunning sea-views, as you'll be just a short walk from the beach along with a Thalasso spa, amongst other things! Holiday details Travel duration: 4 nights (longer or shorter stays… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Dubrovnik beach break from £297pp: 7nts - incl. flights, hotel & full board (2-3 sharing)

Game of Thrones fans can combine Westeros with the beach by scoring a Croatian bargain in Dubrovnik this autumn; we are currently seeing great prices for end-of-season dates. You'll get 7 nights at Valamar Club Dubrovnik, a beachside, family-friendly hotel, with full board and direct flights from the UK from as little as £297 per… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Ice Ice baby: 3nt Iceland trip in Northern Lights season from £188pp - incl. flights & hotel

November to February is now well-known as Northern Lights season in Iceland, meaning tourists flock to the area during these months and prices undoubtedly rise. Which is why we were pleasantly surprised to still find bargains can be had; like this 3-night trip from as little as £188 per person, based on 2 sharing, including… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Geely give £100,000 cheque to help Magical Taxi Tour

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Geely have donated £100,000 to be spent on the Magical Taxi Tour which involves London’s taxis.The biggest ever donation to the Magical Taxi Tour was gratefully received by the Master elect Phil Davis proudly presented by Victor Yang, VP for Communications at Geely.Geely, who own Taxi manufacturers LEVC, will continue their funding of fuel and spending money for the sick and terminally ill children that go on the trip each year. The Magical Taxi Tour is in its 25th year and gives sick children a break from therapy and treatment giving them a three day break in Disneyland Resort Paris.The children are transported in a convoy of London Taxis. The families would not be able to undertake the trip alone as the medical support available during the convoy enables them to do so.

June 09, 2018 at 10:10AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

End-of-season Costa Brava from £96pp: 4nt group getaway - incl. flights & apartment (4-share)

Arr mateys! If you can hold out til the end of summer, we've spotted an excellent value for money holiday to Costa Brava, staying at the 4* Blau Apartments in popular Lloret de Mar just one minute walk from the beach. We've based this holiday on 4 people sharing and it starts from just £96… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Fear of flying? Take our survey for a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher

Arrr, matey! With summer season in full swing, we here at HolidayPirates HQ are a little curious about your travel plans. Where you are going, and more importantly, how you get there? Do you have a fear of flying? Are you a little afraid of airplanes? Or a little? Maybe a lot? Maybe not at… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Friday, 8 June 2018

Kos you're gorgeous: 7nts in summer from £234pp incl. hotel & flights

Pirates, pick up a week in gorgeous Greece with 7 nights in Kos from £234pp including the 2* Nikos 2 Studios and Apartments & flights. The property is a 4-minute walk from the beach and has an outdoor pool, so it's a great spot to chill out and enjoy the Greek sun. Holiday details: Travel… jcrdawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

4* Liverpool Tower Hotel from £27.50pp with city views: Cheap dates throughout Summer

Pirates! We've found a bargain rate for an iconic Liverpool hotel that has really knocked our socks off. You can stay in the glamorous 4* Mercure Tower Hotel -- which only reopened its doors earlier this year after a mega makeover -- from as little as £27.50 per person, based on 2 sharing. This amazing… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cyprus 4* holiday 7nts from £233pp - incl. flights & aparthotel with spa

Ahoy mateys! Next up we are sending you to Cyprus with a stay at the sleek 4* Coralli Spa in Protaras with departures spanning all season, with real bargains to be had in October to beat the crowds (or you could book your winter getaway with prices under £200 in January.) Here you will have… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Bargain Barcelona hotel from just £6.50pppn - Autumn dates

Barcelona is one of the classiest place in Europe for a great city break, but hotels there aren't always the cheapest. So we're happy to report on the opening of a brand new easyHotel in the Catalan capital, which has some truly scorching opening offers! Use a 30% discount code (See below) and double rooms… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber Apply For Patent To AI System That Could Be Used To Source Victims For Driver Predators

It’s been alleged that Uber may soon be patenting a system of artificial intelligence (AI) with facial recognition, which will distinguish whether the passenger is a regular rider or a licensing compliance office....a bit like their previous GreyBall system.

They hope to get this under the radar by announcing the system will identifying drunk passengers with artificial intelligence, according to information published on Thursday.

They are saying with the technology, Uber could better tailor its ride options for customers, but opponents believe it’s another system to deceive the regulators.

The patent application describes a system that learns how you typically use the Uber app, (as did GreyBall) so that it can identify unusual behaviour (like compliance perhaps)

The system relies on an algorithm to weigh a variety of factors, including typos, how precisely a user clicks on links and buttons, walking speed, and how long it takes to request a ride. The time of day, and where a ride is requested may also be considered. In other words Uber will be spying on and collecting masses of data from its users.

For example, it's a good bet that a person walking down a street at 1 a.m. Saturday in a nightlife district while clumsily typing probably isn't sober.

Uber driver have a history of serious sexual assault on drunk passengers. Will predators working for Uber who haven’t had proper DBS checks be using this system to source new victims?

The patent also says that the service Uber provides to the user could change, as a result. More secrecy !!!

Uber states: Drivers may be warned of their passenger's state and riders in an especially unusual state may only be matched with drivers with relevant experience or training,.... but it’s generally felt that the system could well be used by drivers with unsafe previous!!!

At best victims could be sourced by unscrupulous Uber drivers, to be charged unnecessary cleaning fees of up to £100. Uber has recent from for this practise used by drivers to inflate their earnings.

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT

Uber’s Panic Button Wont Stop The Sexual Assaults. Click link below!

https://qz.com/1298182/why-ola-and-ubers-measures-for-womens-safety-is-just-not-working/

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via IFTTT https://ift.tt/2Lz3Jkk https://ift.tt/12cqxIH

End summer on a high: 2 weeks all inclusive in Mexico from £871pp w/ flights, bags & transfers

Pirates, finish off summer with a bang on an all inclusive holiday to marvellous Mexico -- a 2-week holiday starts from as little as £871 per person, based on 2 sharing! You'll be staying at a First Choice hotel -- the Royal Decameron Complex -- located in beautiful Nuevo Vallarta on the Mexican coast. As… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT