Driverless taxis set to feature at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

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A Japanese robotics firm has teamed up with a local taxi operator in a bid to launch an autonomous taxi in Tokyo just in time for the 2020 Olympic Games. Robotics company ZMP’s CEO Hisashi Taniguchi said on Thursday after announcing the partnership with taxi firm Hinomaru Kotsu “Autonomous taxis and the taxi industry can grow and prosper together,"

Hinomaru are said have 607 cars operating in the Japenese capital putting them in the top ten in terms of taxi fleet size.

An aging population, especially in more rural parts of Japan, has made recruiting the number of drivers to meet demand for vehicles more difficult for some taxi operators.

"We have been trying to improve diversity by hiring more new graduates, women and foreigners, but this will not be enough to ease labor shortages," Hinomaru President Kazutaka Tomita said."We will have to compensate for the lack of supply by using autonomous driving technology."If testing is successful ZMP are planning to use the fleet of taxis to move athletes and dignitaries around during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

August 28, 2018 at 03:26PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cool Athens winter city break from £86.50pp - 4nts central hotel, breakfast & flights

Ahoy, if you fancy a little trip to Athens in Greece then sometimes the cheapest way can be to put together a diy trip and we have done just that. We have found some cheap flights for under £35 return and teamed them with a bargain 3* hotel for 4 nights with breakfast included. Use… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber And Tesla’s Money Pit Swallows Billions, As Our Nation Is Lost On The Playing Fields Of Eaton.

Japanese carmaker Toyota is investing $500m in Uber, it confirmed late last night, valuing Uber at more than $70bn as part of a deal to work together on driverless cars. 

So, the company is said to be worth $70bn? A company that has had to postpone its IPO because of crippling debt !!!

Apart from the plethora of expensive court settlements, Uber’s expensive driverless car programme has been plagued by delays after it caused a pedestrian death earlier this year.

The world’s largest automaker is flinging big bets around in the hope that something sticks. It might be better off doing what it knows best.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it’s deepening ties with Uber Technologies Inc., investing $500 million and making Sienna minivans equipped with the tech company’s self-driving software. A yet-to-be determined third party will operate that fleet. One day earlier, four Toyota-affiliated parts companies announced a joint venture to develop software that manages components for automated driving. A few months before that, Toyota put $1 billion into Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing provider, Grab, the largest such investment by an automaker.

From chunky stakes in mobility and autonomy to financing partnerships and doubling down in China, the Japanese leader is splashing out on the future of the car. Increasingly, though, it looks like two Toyotas: One that remains squarely focused on cost-cutting and operating within the confines of a struggling world market, the other trying to spend its way out of the gloom.  

This new deal will see Toyota and Uber working together on car safety systems for autonomous vehicles.

Last month, Uber chief operating officer Barney Harford made the statement to the media that the company was "not focused in the short-term" on profits, but was instead piling investment into driverless cars and its other businesses.

Another company that had a go-private failure and is now in a position where it will have to add to its debt to keep business going is Tesla. Unless it is able to turn its auto business profitable fast, it is going to have to raise massive funds again.

Bankers have already cut Tesla’s share price estimates after the debacle, although some investors were buoyed, claiming Tesla could be worth far more (eventually). Tesla shares fell as much as 5pc on Monday. 

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT : by Lenny Etheridge. 

Gerald Gouriet QC's summary of Judge Arbuthnot's decisions concerning Uber, during Uber's London License Appeal.

With our courts compromised by the dollar, we are left to question the safety of our nation as a whole.

This country was lost on the playing fields of Eton.

TAXI LEAKS LATE NIGHT EXTRA !

It’s not all bad news though....

Taken from the Uber people Blog mainly (Uber drivers).

Now Uber is stuck. If the IPO fails to meet the needed value mark, Uber will have a huge problem with cash flow. Soft Bank and the rest that have carried Uber are no long willing to pump good money after bad. If Uber sells off the self driving unit, investors will dry up. Investors will not fund a cheap taxi company with billions in debt. The only hope for Uber is to have self drivers on the road and quickly. Not going to happen it appears.

Drivers have a window right now. If even 2 or 3 big markets go the direction of NYC, Uber will loose control of the drivers to the states and the laws that protect employees. The momentum will move state to state until Uber is toast

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Swiss lakeside bliss: 5* Lake Lugano break 2nts from £197pp - incl. flights & hotel

Ahoy mateys! Treat yourself to a scenic lakeside stay by the Lake Lugano in Switzerland, right on the border to Italy. This crystal clear Alpine lake enjoys a Mediterranean climate with citrus trees and palm trees growing here, and we've laid eyes on the elegant, top-rated 5* Swiss Diamond Hotel Lugano offering an indoor and… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Autumn getaway to Turkey from £178pp - incl. 7nts hotel & flights

Pirates, get some late season sunshine with an autumn break to Turkey! Using our Holiday Finder we spotted 7 nights at the Lemas Suite Hotel in Side. Flights are included from a variety of UK airports. This deal departs in October, when temperatures out there hover in the mid-20s. Find more dates and board bases… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

mytaxi comes to Oxford

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As Uber shelve plans to operate in Oxford, mytaxi launched in the city yesterday.

The licensed taxi app have around 100 drivers on the platform at the moment, in what is the sixth city in the UK from where they operate.

Local interest has prompted mytaxi’s leap into Oxford. One of the main attractions of mytaxi to cabbies in the area is the potential reduction of down-time and the willingness to work within the regulatory framework.

Whilst some drivers are enthusiastic at MyTaxis arrival, there are also some who are a little more cautious, with concerns being voiced regarding the fact that MyTaxi being a national app as opposed to a local entity.

MyTaxi are offering a 50% reduction on all trips until the end of September.

August 28, 2018 at 12:45PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Winter flights to Podgorica, Montenegro from £36 return

Pirates, we have found these super cheap flights to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro for under £40 return. The flights span November, December and January, during November the weather could reach a nice 17° - use our flights finder for more options. Podgorica is really pretty and offers stunning lakes and bridges, a centuries old… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Awesome all inclusive Costa Brava holiday from £295pp - 7nts hotel & flights

Ahoy there pirates, do you fancy heading to sunny Spain this October for a week of relaxation? We have come across this great getaway to Costa Brava and even better you will stay on an all inclusive board basis. The all inclusive holiday in Costa Brava is based on 2 sharing and you can book… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Welsh Cabbie steals thousands of pounds from disabled passenger

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A cab driver from Pembrokeshire, Wales, has been jailed for 18 months for stealing over £5,000 from a disabled passenger who he would regularly pick up. Gary Michael Bourne, 52, gave his victim, Brian Griffiths, 72, regular lifts around Pembrokeshire and had known him since 2010. Griffiths was said to of trusted Bourne "implicitly", even allowing him to withdraw money from a cash machine, giving him access to his personal pin code. The court heard that in January 2017, Mr Griffiths, who suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and non-reversible asthma, was unable to leave his bedroom due to his illnesses and had left his bank cards in his living room. It wasn't until mid-February that he realised one of his bank cards was missing. While Investigating the missing card, Griffiths noticed that a number of withdrawals and point of sale transactions had taken place at the end of January. Items purchased included car parts, jewellery and a fridge freezer. A total of £5,134.90, was taken from his account. The police arrested Bourne on suspicion of theft. Appearing at Swansea Crown Court, Gary Michael Bourne admitted six counts of theft and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Mr Brian Griffiths has since passed away from his illnesses. In a personal statement he said the theft by a man he truly trusted had made him even more ill and caused him "indescribable worry". Speaking directly to Bourne, Judge Rees said:

"You befriended him. Such people like Mr Griffiths and his mother are highly reliant on others. You abused that trust stealing his debit card and persistently using it."It started when the victim gave his card and number unwittingly for you to withdraw money as it was a task he was unable to do himself."The affect on them was devastating and Mr Griffiths has since passed away. In his latter days he became anxious about these events."He never thought you would do this to him. It caused them both a great deal of worry and stress."Your seemingly kind gestures was a carefully laid plan to take advantage. Your actions were despicable."

August 28, 2018 at 10:42AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Autumn sun: Ibiza 4* half board holiday 7nts from £323pp - incl. beach hotel & flights

Ahoy mateys! We've spotted this excellent value for money holiday to Ibiza placing you on the north of the island right on the gorgeous beach of Cala San Vicente - away from the party strip. You'll be staying at 4* Grupotel Cala San Vicente with half board included in your stay. And should you get… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Sizzling Cyprus 4* autumn holiday 7nts from £293pp - incl. flights, hotel & breakfast

Ahoy mateys! Treat yourself to some well-deserved sun this autumn with a stay at the 4* Capital Resort & Spa in Paphos, boasting a great location right on the beach overlooking the Med and a selection of great facilities. We found good rates spanning October, however you could also opt for November and thereby shaving… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Taxiapp: Help us work for you

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The London taxi is as quint-essentially British as a cup of tea or fish and chips. It’s woven into the very fabric of the city itself. Taxis have faithfully served both Londoners and visitors alike for over 350 years. The amber glow of a “taxi” sign has become a symbol that represents familiarity and safety in equal measure.

Unfortunately, in recent years we have faced a new interloper, a heavily financed one, whose political influence and technological capability has decimated incumbent trades around the globe. When I first heard about this particular “disruptive”ride-sharemodel, it was causing problems in Paris, but I didn’t think too much of it. “London is different,” I thought. I wasn’t aware of how heavily financed it was, or how much political sway it garnered The rest, you could say is history. The path was cleared for Uber to sweep through this great city of ours recruiting up to 1,200 drivers per week. It literally felt like an alien invasion, one for which the cab trade was unprepared. All was not lost though, London’s cab trade hasn’t survived 350 years by rolling over at the first sign of a threat, and this time was no exception.

The trade was already using innovative technology and it had became a useful tool. But something didn’t seem right, and as time went on, it felt like we were increasingly beholden to these corporate led apps. The whole set up imploded when out of the blue, Hailo, the taxi hailing app, driven by greed, applied for a private hire operator’s licence. It felt like we were vulnerable and were being carved open by financiers, hellbent on taking control of our market. So, in true black cab style, drivers set about launching the trade’s first app and in June 2016, Taxiapp UK was born. We wanted to maximise the availability of taxis to our customers and the easier they can be accessed, the better. But crucially, we were also about promoting the trade itself. However, this is just one of the ways Taxiapp differs significantly from the other hailing apps. Firstly, it is a non-profit organisation run by a cooperative of drivers and members committed to helping secure the future of London’s black cab trade. The app has been set up so that it cannot be sold to outside investors seeking a return. The drivers are firmly the bottom line with Taxiapp. It’s all about protecting our working practices. Drivers are entitled to 100% of the meter, who are we to say otherwise? It’s okay to offer promo codes, but the cost deficit should be absorbed by the app. All too often we are seeing drivers suffer financially because the corporate led apps are only answerable to investors. We are taking a stand against drivers being sidelined in the race for global domination; Taxiapp is here to redress the balance. We offer a pre-payment system of £20 per month – which works out to just 67p per day. For that, the driver is automatically registered as a cooperative member, is ring-fenced from any potential losses that could occur, and most importantly drivers pay no commission on jobs offered through the app.

In fact, the driver is easily able to recoup the £20 pre-payment by savings made using a 1.5% credit card deal via PayPal, available exclusively to Taxiapp members. The deal can be used to pay for all jobs, not just those taken on the app. And of course, until it’s made illegal, there’s the facility to pay by good old-fashioned cash.

Taxiapp offers remarkably good value, and whichever way you look at it, this is a remarkable achievement by cab drivers, who were unfairly labelled luddites by the previous mayor, Boris Johnson. Evidently, this is not the case, and the ability to respond to a very real threat in such a short space of time is greatly overlooked. Taxis offer the travelling public the safest transport option in London. And it’s great to think there’s a place where drivers can feel truly empowered, safe in the knowledge that all those years of blood, sweat and tears studying the KOL will not be in vein. Taxiapp is about defining and delivering a bright future for London’s black cab trade. Drivers on the app firmly believe that Londonerers and visitors alike will increasingly recognise the appeal of an organisation that is not aimed at maximising profit for outside investors but focuses more on sharing the new technology benefits between cab drivers and their customers. What’s more, we are the only service to guarantee passengers a driver fully versed in the topographical Knowledge of London and committed to getting customers to their destination using the most cost-effective route.

We wouldn’t expect anything less from London’s most iconic institution. Why would some politicians want to see us crushed? Because we are managing to hold on to its share of the market and the vested interests don’t like it. Truth be told, these people may work London, but black cabs are part of the city’s DNA, and that’s the difference. Long may it continue.

August 28, 2018 at 08:18AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Paul Harris - Taxiapp THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* luxury spa break in West Sussex from £74pp per night - incl. breakfast

Arrr pirates! As summer is coming to a close, it's time to get booking those spa breaks for the colder months. The gorgeous 5* Alexander House Hotel & Utopia Spa, is set in a charming country house surrounded by parkland in West Sussex with 2 restaurants, a Champagne bar and an award-winning spa. That'll do… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber to appeal ruling that drivers are employees

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A Brazilian labour court ruling, which ruled that a driver was an employee, is to be appealed by Uber.

Reuters reported that Uber will appeal the decision before Brazil's highest labour court.

Uber have won over 120 similar cases in Brazil, whilst losing just 4 cases.

Brazil is Uber's second largest market, and is an area where they do turn a profit.

Uber has received widespread criticism from across the globe by labour advocates, in relation to their labour and liability policies.

Any ruling will not be implemented until the appeals process is exhausted.

August 28, 2018 at 05:17AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Toyota and Uber “extends collaboration” with $500m investment

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Toyota and Uber have announced that they have agreed to “expand their collaboration” with the aim of bringing to market autonomous ride-sharing.

To accomplish this, technology from each company will be integrated into purpose-built Toyota vehicles to be deployed on Uber's ride-sharing network.Separately, Toyota is investing $500 million in Uber."Combining efforts with Uber, one of the predominant global ride-sharing and automated driving R&D companies, could further advance future mobility," said

Shigeki Tomoyama, executive vice president, TMC, and president, Toyota Connected Company said "This agreement and investment marks an important milestone in our transformation to a mobility company as we help provide a path for safe and secure expansion of mobility services like ride-sharing that includes Toyota vehicles and technologies."As Uber and Toyota look ahead to a self-driving future, this partnership will be critical in realizing self-driving technology at scale. Uber and Toyota anticipate that the mass-produced autonomous vehicles will be owned and operated by mutually agreed upon third party autonomous fleet operators."The deal is the first of its kind for Uber, and signals our commitment to bringing world-class technologies to the Uber network," said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber's CEO. "Our goal is to deploy the world's safest self-driving cars on the Uber network, and this agreement is another significant step towards making that a reality. Uber's advanced technology and Toyota's commitment to safety and its renowned manufacturing prowess make this partnership a natural fit. I look forward to seeing what our teams accomplish together."The initial "Autono-MaaS" (autonomous-mobility as a service) fleet will be based on Toyota's Sienna Minivan platform. Uber's Autonomous Driving System and the Toyota Guardian automated safety support system will both be integrated into the Autono-MaaS vehicles. Toyota will also utilize its Mobility Services Platform (MSPF), its core information infrastructure for connected vehicles. Pilot-scale deployments will begin on the Uber ride-sharing network in 2021.

August 28, 2018 at 12:09AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Ooh la la: Chic 2nt Paris last minute city break from £162pp - incl. 4* design hotel & flights

Pirates, how about a wicked little getaway to romantic Paris? The 4* Vice Versa was designed by Chantal Thomass, with each guest room inspired by one of the seven deadly sins. With this deal from Expedia, flights are included as well as 2 nights at the hotel. The cheapest time to go is early September,… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Early-bird: 4* Malta all inclusive winter escape 5nts from £262pp - incl. spa hotel & flights

Ahoy mateys! Check out this rather gorgeous spa escape to Malta that we found giving you 5 nights of all inclusive bliss at the well-renowned, Travellers' Choice awarded 4* db San Antonio Hotel & Spa slap bang in picture pretty St. Paul's Bay. This holiday is available all season with the cheapest dates spanning November… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Viva Las Vegas: 4nt break from just £354pp - incl. hotel & direct flights (Solo option £383)

Pirates, save your hard earned booty for the clubs and casinos of Sin City with this mega cheap deal to Las Vegas! You'll be spending 4 nights at the Stratosphere Hotel, home of the iconic 350 metre Stratosphere Tower. Direct flights are also included. There are some great departure options in December, making this offer… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

4* Fuerteventura family half board break 4nts from £379pp - incl. Pool villa w/ jacuzzi & flights

Take the family or your friends to Fuerteventura this winter for a luxurious stay at the top-rated 4* Bahiazul Villas & Club near Dunas de Corralejo Park. Here you will be staying in style in your own spacious, white-washed villa with private pool with integrated jacuzzi with half board included, so what are you waiting… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Christmas & 2019 dates: Direct San Francisco flights from £294rtn

California knows how to party, and you can get a taste of the action with these bargain flights to San Francisco! Our flower power Flights Finder is offering some great rates on non-stop flights with United. The cheapest options depart between September and January, including dates over Christmas and New Year. Autumn is considered the… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT