Uber has filed a patent for an A.I. system that will detect if a potential passenger is drunk

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Uber Technologies Inc has filed a patent for an artificial intelligence system which will be able to detect the behaviour patterns of passengers before deciding whether or not they will be sent a driver. The technology is designed to monitor how someone is interacting with the app, i.e. Speed of typing, number of typos, how the buttons are tapped and the way the phone is being held. Uber claim the artificial intelligence could then detect if your behaviour is irregular and if you're likely to be drunk. The passengers location and the time of day will also be taken into consideration. If someone is trying to hail a car in the early hours of the morning from an area where there are bars or night-spots, it would suggest that the person is more likely toe drunk, and then the driver can decide whether to pick them up or not.

The patent, which has been highlighted in the Mirror, says:

"The system receives the trip request from a user and generates a prediction about the current state of the user using the computer model.“To predict user state, the system compares data associated with the trip request to data about past trip requests submitted by the user.“Past trip information may be parameterized to a profile of the user and identify how the user activity of the current trip request deviates from previous (or "normal") behavior for that user.”

June 11, 2018 at 10:01AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Grant Davis; Lawless London

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After yet another week of violence and mayhem on the streets of the capital, one wonders what is happening to this once great city of ours.

It is hard to imagine that attacks in broad daylight on high class retailers in the West End of London is not now a ‘one–off’ but has become a regular occurrence.

Attacks are taking place predominantly by heavily armed moped riders right across our city. No area is deemed a safe haven, there have been reports that up to 60 incidents a day are taking place.

How has this situation been allowed to fester? We know under the present PM whilst Home Secretary, she cut the police funding by some 40% and the chickens are now coming home to roost. With all this mayhem and lawlessness on the streets daily, we would like to ask the question, where is the Mayor?

It’s all very well and good welcoming Major League Baseball to the London stadium or turning up at the next AJ mega fight at the 02, but we were under the impression that the Office of Mayor of London was more than a ceremonial post and one that represented the rank and file Londoners who are now afraid to walk down their streets!

Surely he should be seen taking a much more high-profile position in combating what has now become a security crisis on our streets?

Present day London no longer resembles the city we all grew up in and loved - in fact it is slowly becoming a third world city, a rail system run by ex-TfL Commissioner Peter Hendy not fit for purpose, constant dithering over whether to build a third runway at Heathrow and our Emergency Services are continually under threat.

Mind you, when one thinks about the lawlessness, no regulation, no law and order, the Uber “free for all” model fits perfectly. It is all very well and good

Grant Davis

LCDC Chairman

June 11, 2018 at 09:43AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

City centre stay in Edinburgh: Grand 2nts from £102pp - sleeps 3

It's time to grab some mates or the family and head to the Scottish capital for a mini staycation that oozes grandeur. The Blackfriars Lofts are in the heart of Edinburgh city centre, within walking distance of a bunch of the local tourist spots as well as local eateries and bars. Offer Details: Many travel… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Pirates, Malta is the place to visit this year with it's capital Valetta being the European Capital of Culture 2018 so get in quick and visit this gorgeous country before the prices hike up. This Malta getaway will see you stay in an awesome 5* hotel including flights from £200pp and you can book today… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Card payments in all black cabs in Reading from next year

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All black cabs in Reading will be required to take card payments from passengers by next year, following a licensing committee decision made this week.A limited number of hackney carriages in Reading currently provide facilities for passengers to pay for their trips by credit or debit card. Following recent requests by members of the public for card payment to be made available in all black cabs however, members last night approved the installation of electronic payment devices as part of revised carriage licence conditions.Hackney Carriage drivers will also be asked to prominently display signage in their vehicles, making it clear that card payment is available.The revised conditions come into effect on January 2nd 2019.

Councillor Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, said:“A growing number of people no longer carry cash and only use card payments on a day to day basis. It makes sense therefore to require all licensed black cabs in Reading to offer their passengers this choice of payment going forward. Cash payment will of course still be taken, but from January next year I’m pleased to say card payments will be an additional option in every hackney carriage in Reading.”Electronic payment devices approved by the Council will be used as part of the change, the cost of which will be covered by the hackney carriage owner as part of their licensing agreement with the Council.

June 11, 2018 at 08:17AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Arrrr... Escape the daily grind with a luxury spa break at the popular 4* Malvern Spa Hotel in Worcestershire. We found some great rates with spa access and breakfast included, sleeping in a swanky Double/Twin Room with a signature bed and luxe Egyptian cotton sheets. What better way to usher in a new week?! Offer… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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ABD: Mayor’s Environment Strategy Misses the Point

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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Kham, has published his Environment Strategy. The executive summary talks about the “greening” of London with more trees, green roofs and walls to reduce energy demand, the encouragement of more walking and cycling to improve air quality and many other environmental improvements. But the report fails to mention the key problem. Namely that there are too many people in London.It highlights that water supply is set to outstrip supply by 2020 and the city’s electricity infrastructure is approaching full capacity. Air pollution is also high but that’s not just from transport, albeit much of the transport emissions are generated by the goods vehicles and public transport vehicles required to serve the growing population. Non-road emissions such as from construction, the river or wood burning constitute half of emissions in London and are a growing issue – that’s what the Mayor says, but he has no solution to that other than to “work with the government and other partners”.London’s population is growing rapidly and the more people there are, and the more businesses that provide employment and services to those people, the more energy and water are consumed and the more emissions generated. It also results in a sclerotic road transport network where no new capacity has been added for many years. But instead of tackling the root cause of the problem the Mayor is talking about planting more trees and providing more open spaces.In summary, many of the Mayor’s proposals are worthy and may have minor impacts on the quality of life in London. Encouraging us all to drive zero emission electric vehicles by 2050 may help in some regards, although they will add a further heavy load on the already stretched electricity network, but the report fails to spot the elephant in the room and propose how to deal with it. Namely that there are too many people in too small an area of land. The densification of London, with more and more homes and other buildings to support the growing population, supported by a few more green parks will not tackle the fundamental problem.

June 10, 2018 at 04:02PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Ahoy mateys! Jet off to the French Riviera with a swanky stay at 4* Radisson Blu Hotel Nice offering first class amenities, private beach access and breathtaking views. Breakfast is included in this holiday, which is available throughout the season, with the cheapest dates to be found in October. Holiday details Travel duration: 4 nights… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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The £11,000 question; Should taxi drivers be paying VAT for wheelchair accessible vehicles?

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In many local authorities around the UK wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) have long been made a necessity for taxi drivers working in that region.However some cities are only now going through the reclassification of the taxis available making drivers change from standard saloon cars to the more expensive WAV taxis.Nearby to where I live, Cheltenham are facing this exact change. Cheltenham Borough Council only recently decided to make all of the town's taxis wheelchair-accessible by 2021. Drivers have since taken to the streets in protest and also produced online petitions in order to reverse the decision.

There are pro’s and con’s for any taxi fleet to be fully WAV compliant. For those cities making the change cost, in a market that is currently low in confidence, is the biggest hurdle faced. There is also the argument by some that elderly and less mobile members of the public struggle to enter and exit a WAV taxi more so than its saloon counterpart. Personally speaking as a London cab driver I don’t mind the fact that all of our vehicles have to be WAV. It keeps the London fleet available to everyone and is also a huge PR point when selling the trade to the public. It also provided a brand and clear distinction from private hire options available in the area.

However it comes at a cost. WAV taxis start at £19,695 for the very basic 4-seater Peugeot Premier to the eye watering £55,599 price tag placed on the new electric LEVC TX taxi. If the costs were to be reduced for WAV taxis imposed and not chosen by drivers, the uptake of such vehicles would be met with much less resistance.Taxi drivers are currently paying 20% VAT on all new taxi purchases. Nothing new I hear you say, but should drivers be paying anything at all?Generally, VAT has to be paid on all goods and services. However, in certain circumstances there’s relief from paying VAT on a limited range of goods and services for disabled people.

For some time there has been VAT relief to those purchasing a vehicle adapted to carry wheelchairs. On the HMRC government website it details that an individual purchasing a vehicle on behalf of a disabled wheelchair user can claim relief if they meet the following criteria:Zero rate VAT on the supply of a ‘qualifying motor vehicle’ that has been:

designed to enable the disabled wheelchair user to travel in it, or substantially and permanently adapted to enable the disabled wheelchair user to travel in it and the adaptation is necessary to enable that person to travel in the vehicle

So on paper taxi drivers should be offered tax relief on WAV taxis. That would knock off over £11,000 on the new LEVC TX taxi and make it’s purchase a serious dilemma far all drivers not just a select few.

So why isn’t it happening?

June 10, 2018 at 09:44AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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Ahoy mateys! Sometimes you gotta treat yourself a little, and we've laid eyes on the top-rated ocean front 4* Nautilus - a Sixty Hotel in Miami! This luxurious hotel boasts direct beach access, an inviting outdoor pool surrounded by cabanas, spa services and a chic restaurant overlooking the ocean. The bustling South Beach district with… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

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