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Ziplining and VR headsets make a weird couple
Hailed as the next big thing a few years ago, virtual reality has yet to truly make its mark. Perhaps there'll never be one killer use for VR, and it'll remain a minor player in many niches: gaming, entertainment, education, therapy, enterprise, art and others. Some of the more unusual experimentations mix the virtual world with the real. VR roller coasters, for instance, blend physical movement with elaborate virtual settings to create a unique experience. Zip Now in London is trying something similar: ziplining with a VR twist.
Gigapixel timelapse captures a day in the life of London
There's a real chance you've seen gigapixel city shots before, but they've rarely had a dynamic element -- you've had to be content with that one sliver of time. Now, there's something a little livelier. Lenstore, Nikon and Canary Wharf have partnered on what they say is the first gigapixel timelapse, 24 Hour London. As the name implies, the project provides 7.3-gigapixel snapshots of the city for every hour of the day -- you can see how the roads come to life in the day, or how Tower Bridge illuminates the night. The trick, unsurprisingly, revolves around some robotics.
Uber can legally operate in London after court ruling
Uber just regained the London taxi license it lost in September -- with strings attached. A court has ruled that the ridesharing company can operate in the capital city, but only on a 15-month license and while meeting regulator Transport for London's terms. It'll have to undergo independently verified audits, report major safety complaints, train drivers on ridesharing safety and provide notice of any data breaches.
Zipcar rolls out the UK's biggest zero-emission car-share fleet
The UK's Zipcar club is going green. This summer, the car-sharing company will begin adding Volkswagen e-Golfs to its London fleet, starting with 100 in July and totalling 325 by the end of the year. Other car clubs already have EVs on the roads in the capital, but the move will make Zipcar the biggest zero-emissions car-share program in the UK.
Buskers in London are the first to accept tap-to-pay cards
The move toward a cashless society has created a problem for buskers: how do they get paid when many listeners won't have physical currency? There's now a solution on hand. The Mayor of London's office and iZettle (which was recently snapped up by PayPal) have partnered on a first-ever initiative that lets buskers accept tap-to-pay contributions. Participants plug special card readers into their smartphones and set a fixed donation amount -- after that, you just have to wave your card (or a compatible NFC device) to ensure a street performer gets paid.
Mercedes' ridesharing ViaVan service comes to London
Add another company to the list of transportation services filling Uber's London-sized void. Mercedes-Benz and Via have launched their jointly owned ViaVan service in Zones 1 and 2 of the city, giving Londoners a "ride-pooling" option that bridges the gap between plain ridesharing and mass transit. The allure, as you might guess, stems from the low cost that comes with multi-passenger rides -- for a limited time, rides into and out of Zone 1 will cost a relatively low £3 (about $4). You just have to accept that ViaVan will choose nearby pickup and drop-off points rather than offering a lift at your exact location.
Red Bull built an underground eSports bar in London
London's Red Bull Gaming Sphere has everything you would expect from an eSports venue: neon-strewn PCs, large TVs, chunky headsets and the latest Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft consoles. But this isn't a stadium designed to compete with the Gfinity Arena or ESL's Studio 1 in Leicester. There are no seats, for instance, beyond a few cube-shaped blocks scattered in front of a 190-inch wall-mounted TV. It's something else, a strange hybrid of eSports arcade and Twitch-friendly streaming studio. The hardware inside is undoubtedly impressive, but on opening night, few are sure what it's actually for.
Uber is releasing its London ride data to help urban planning
Uber recently started sharing its ride-sharing data in a limited number of cities in the US, and now the incredibly useful urban-planning tool is coming to the UK. Uber Movement launches today in London, letting developers and city officials see historical traffic data during road closures, infrastructure development and other major events. "London businesses will welcome this initiative as a sign that Uber is committed to working in closer collaboration with city and transport planners to keep London moving," said London First infrastructure head David Leam.
London Mayor: Tech companies aren't above the law
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, kicked off his SXSW 2018 keynote with some jokes that sparked a deafening laugh and applause from the audience. He first talked about how he was shocked by the amount of hipsters here in Austin, Texas, followed by a comment that he's excited to be on almost the same time zone as President Donald Trump. Just in case Number 45 decides to feud with him on Twitter. But Khan didn't come to SXSW for his comedy, though his sense of humor was certainly appreciated by those in attendance. Once he got to his real message, London's mayor mainly focused on discussing the impact of social media and technology as a whole on the world.
Uber hopes to win back London with a 24/7 helpline
When Transport for London (TfL) refused to renew Uber's operating license last September, issues with safety were among the primary reasons for the regulator's decision. Specifically, TfL wasn't enamored with how Uber reported serious offenses and conducted driver backgrounds checks, showing a lack of corporate responsibility. Since then, Uber's been keen to win TfL over, recently imposing limits on how long drivers can work without taking a break -- forced downtime of a similar nature has just been implemented for US drivers, too. Today, Uber has announced another raft of changes intended to make its service safer and curry favor with London's transport regulator.
London may force Uber to introduce women-only UberPools
Out of the blue, Transport for London (TfL) has issued a "policy statement" on ride-sharing services in the capital. Most of it isn't new — the bulk of the six-page document recaps older policy announcements, such as the controversial English language test for Uber drivers — but there is one idea that hasn't been communicated before. "Operators should provide mechanisms to allow passengers to choose who they share vehicles with (e.g. women-only vehicles) and establishing how passengers might be able to decide on this before accepting a ride." That would affect UberPool and similar services that offer discounts if you share a ride with a stranger.
Ford’s Chariot ride-sharing vans come to London
Chariot is Ford's attempt to launch its own quasi-public transport system with a fleet of minibuses designed to serve flush commuters. The service has seen some success in the US, and operates routes in San Francisco, Austin, Seattle, Columbus and New York. That's enough to convince Ford to take the service worldwide, with the first European routes launching in London.
London’s new electric taxis scuppered by faulty sensor
London's new electric taxis have been delayed. The "TX" cabs developed by LEVC were supposed to arrive in the capital late last year. But there's a problem with the system that tracks time and distance — recorded as electric "pulses" — for the all-important fare meter. It's forced the company to push back its delivery schedule while a fix is developed and approved by Transport for London (TfL). "Deliveries are subject to a short delay as a result of an unexpected issue with compatibility with the taxi meters and the taxi," an LEVC spokesperson said. "The problem is understood, and it involves the pulse messages sent between the vehicle and the meter."
Uber forcing UK drivers to take breaks in the name of safety
In an effort to stop UK drivers working excessive hours, Uber's going to start forcing them to rest up after pulling a decent shift. A new policy coming into effect next week mandates a driver must take a continuous six-hour break after racking up 10 hours of cruising either with a passenger in the back, or en route to pick one up. And these aren't just guidelines. Uber will stop drivers logging into the app if they don't take the necessary downtime, with a 10-hour counter resetting every time six hours or more are spent off the clock.
Amsterdam will limit Airbnb rentals to 30 days per year
Last year, Amsterdam limited Airbnb rentals to no more than 60 days in a calendar year but that is about to be halved according to a report from DutchNews.nl. The city's executive board agreed to the proposed shortened limit today and housing alderman Laurens Ivens said, "I recognize that reducing the length of time is not the solution to city congestion but it will reduce the problems caused by tourists in some areas and will make it less inviting to use your home as a way to earn money."
China’s WeChat Pay comes to London
Walk around Camden Market this weekend and you'll notice that many of the stalls now support WeChat Pay. The mobile payment platform — an extension of Tencent's messaging app WeChat — is big in China but almost unheard of in the UK (at least outside of the Chinese community). So why bother? Well, the north London market is popular with Chinese tourists. SafeCharge, a company that helps businesses process payments, took notice and has updated its point-of-sale (POS) software accordingly. Now, stall owners can accept WeChat Pay with a tablet and compatible till.
UPS is trialling electric bike trailers in London
In a bid to lower emissions in the capital and reduce the footprint of its vehicles on the road, global delivery firm UPS has begun trialling a new electric-powered bike trailer on the streets of London. The concept, built as part of the Low Impact City Logistics project, attaches to the back of a pedal cycle and utilises a "net-neutral" technology. This then allows couriers to transport up to 200 kilograms without requiring any additional effort on their part.
London buses to be powered by coffee grounds
As part of ongoing efforts to reduce pollution in the capital, London's buses are set to utilise a new source of fuel: coffee grounds. Thanks to a collaboration between Bio-Bean, Shell and Argent Energy, double deckers will be filled with a B20 biofuel created by blending oil extracted from coffee waste with diesel. So far, they've produced enough to power one London bus for a year, but as Londoners drink 20 million cups of coffee a day, it could provide enough oil to power a third of Transport for London's entire network.
Mytaxi offers London cabbies free medical training
A taxi-hailing app is offering London cabbies free training to deal with health-related emergencies, including acid attacks and terrorist incidents. Mytaxi's "Knowledge+" course covers first-aid techniques including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and how to use a defibrillator. Drivers are also given advice for handling crisis situations and basic psychology, such as reading body language and de-escalating aggressive behaviour. It's being marketed as a progression of "The Knowledge," with backing from St John Ambulance, a first aid charity, and Chris Phillips, the former head of the UK's National Counter Terrorism Security Office.
Snap heads to trendy east London to peddle those unsold Spectacles
What do you do when hype around your quirky hardware play dies, leaving you with hundreds of thousands of unsold units? You open an experience and retail store in a trendy part of east London and hope to catch a few late adopters cruising by, of course. That's exactly what Snap is doing this weekend, opening of a store dedicated to peddling Spectacles in the hipster haven that is Shoreditch's Boxpark. It's no transient pop-up, though, but a permanent store and Snap's first in Europe.
