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'Fallen London' and the secret to writing an infinite gothic game
Writing a video game is nothing like penning a novel. But writing a never-ending, nonlinear, text-driven video game about a hellish alternate London stuffed with gothic intrigue and nearly a decade of backstory? That's a different beast altogether. "Novels follow protagonists, but in Fallen London, the protagonist is the player, and they're a mystery to us," Failbetter Games narrative director Chris Gardiner says. "While we know some things about them -- mostly the decisions they've made in the game -- there's still a lot we can't assume. Novels have a plot; there's no spinal plot to Fallen London, no single story we're telling and will finish. We're exploring a setting, establishing its status quo, then letting the player kick bits of it over. Novels are complete, while Fallen London is a living game. We add new stories and events to it constantly."
London airport to use 'digital' air traffic control tower
London City Airport will be the first in the UK to replace a traditional air traffic control tower with a "digital" one. A new, 50-metre tower will be built in the middle of the airport's long-stay car park, overlooking the runway, with 14 cameras and two custom pan-tilt-zoom cameras. The combined 360-degree footage will then be fed to a facility in Swanwick, Hampshire, where NATS, the UK's lead air traffic control provider, is already based. Operators will then monitor the live video on 14 HD screens, positioned in a circular formation to replicate a conventional tower.
UberEats has London's need for late-night munch covered
We've all been there. You get home late, the local chippy has shut up shop for the night, and you're starving. In London, UberEats already has the hangover cure covered with the addition of breakfast deliveries earlier this year. Now, the service wants to cash in on late-night munchies in the capital too. As of today, UberEats has extended its London opening hours from 11PM to 2AM, with over 150 partner "restaurants" able to meet your midnight snack requirements -- calling them restaurants might be a bit of a stretch, because we're talking Papa Johns, Roosters PiriPiri and similar establishments that serve ravenous dinner-skippers already.
UberEats now lets Brits schedule food deliveries
UberEats, like Deliveroo and Amazon Prime Now, can be useful if you don't have the time, supplies or energy to rustle up some grub. When you're really in a rush, however -- the morning 'I must not be late for work again' dash, for instance -- it can be a nuisance to open the app, complete an order and then wait for the courier to arrive at your front door. Now, in London, Birmingham and Manchester, it's possible to schedule an UberEats delivery. It's a small addition, but one that could prove useful if you're time poor or like to have your meals organised in advance.
Uber is building its own EV charging network in London
Uber's fleet of electric vehicles in London is set to rise in the coming weeks after the company announced an expansion of its partnership with Nissan. The two companies have committed to deliver an additional 100 Nissan Leaf EVs, trebling the number of green vehicles available via its app. To power them, it'll also build its own charging network in the capital.
Why London is a self-driving nightmare for the Nissan Leaf
For the people sitting in the lobby of the Aloft ExCel, a premium hotel in the heart of London's Docklands district, it was a typical day. Some were there on business, others to see the city. A handful of parents were patiently waiting to be ushered in for their weekly mother and baby swimming classes. However, in one corner, just out of view, were some of the top executives from Japanese car maker Nissan. They were busy making last-minute preparations for a self-driving vehicle that has been quietly traversing London's streets as part of the first ever European tests. These secret experiments -- the first Nissan has conducted in Europe -- could shape how Brits travel in the coming years.
NHS to use Uber and startup Cera for at-home patient care
Healthcare startup Cera is teaming up with Uber to deliver patient care on the NHS' behalf. The service, launched in November, matches "hundreds" of carers in the UK with the people who need them most. Today, the company is announcing a partnership with the Barts Health NHS Trust -- which runs Mile End Hospital, Newham University Hospital and others -- so that doctors can effectively prescribe the platform and help their patients receive timely care at home. The hope is that such a service will improve patient care while freeing up hospital beds in London.
Uber loses High Court bid to block English language driver tests
Uber's operations in London have been dealt a fresh blow after the High Court ruled that it, and other private hire companies in the city, must force drivers to pass an English language test. The ride-hailing provider was attempting to overturn strict new rules proposed by Transport for London (TfL) last year that included reading and writing tests for drivers, better customer support and private-hire insurance for period when drivers weren't even working.
Uber offers UK drivers free English course ahead of compulsory test
Uber only works if a huge number of drivers are at its disposal. (Surge pricing helps when demand outstrips supply, but it's not a silver bullet.) To achieve that critical mass, the company is constantly introducing and juggling new incentives against its otherwise aggressive business model. The latest additions for the UK include FlexPay, an option that allows drivers to bank their fares before their usual end of week payment. Account transfers will take up to three working days, but still, it could be a useful option for drivers who need some cash in a pinch.
Nintendo is taking the Switch on a UK tour this month
Are the Joy-Cons too small? What is ARMS really like to play? If you have these or any other Switch-related questions, there's only way to get some definitive answers: Try the system yourself. Following its US preview tour, Nintendo is taking its latest console to Great Britain. From February 10th to 12th, the system will be available to play at the Boxxed warehouse in Birmingham. The console-portable hybrid will then appear at the Cobden Rooms in Manchester for three days starting on February 17th. Finally, it'll stop by the Tanner Warehouse in London from February 24th to 26th.
UberEats now does breakfast in London
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. The alarm goes off and instinctively you roll over, hit the snooze button and close your eyes once more. Breakfast can wait. We've all made this sleep-deprived decision, only to skip brekkie entirely when we realise we're running late for work. Unsurprisingly, there's now an app for that. Starting tomorrow, Uber is offering a breakfast service through its UberEats app in London. So whereas before the service started at 11am, cutting off at 11pm, you can now make an order from 7am in the capital.
London's iconic Piccadilly Circus will go dark next month
Since 1908, London's Piccadilly Circus has been home to illuminated signs and advertising billboards. As time went by, incandescent light bulbs gave way to neon lights, eventually ending up with six massive LED displays (Piccadilly Lights) that you see today. From January 2017, however, the Lights will be switched off for the longest period since the Second World War to make way for the largest single digital screen Europe has ever seen.
Tim Peake's space capsule will live on at London's Science Museum
Tim Peake's voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) made plenty of headlines over the past year for good reason: he was the first British astronaut to explore space in over 20 years. While floating 220 miles above the earth, Peake took some time out to help the BBC make its first broadcast into space and completed a marathon, helping inspire millions of young children across the UK (and the world). In an attempt to build on that momentum, the Science Museum Group announced today that it has bought the spacecraft that made it all possible.
UberPool coverage area doubles in London
Previously only available in more central parts of London, Uber's ridesharing option has been expanded to cover the entirety of zone 3 today. The catchment area for UberPool, which was first offered in London a year ago almost to the day, has effectively doubled as a result of the expansion. With UberPool, passengers can save 25 percent on the cost of an UberX ride, with the catch being they might have to share their trip with a stranger.
London Mayor commits to greener bus fleet
As part of ongoing efforts to curb pollution in the capital, London Mayor Sadiq Khan today announced that all new single-decker buses for the centre of town will be zero-emissions vehicles, and that no more pure diesel double-deckers will be added to the network from 2018. At an event today, Khan also showed off the "world's first" hydrogen fuel cell double-decker, which will be trialled in the capital next year. In total, 20 of these buses -- which are hydrogen/electric hybrids -- will eventually be added to the fleet.
Google unveils new plans for its London HQ
When Google spent upwards of $1.6 billion securing prime land near King's Cross station, it immediately set out plans for a new London HQ. They included a rooftop running track, swimming pool and interior cycling ramps, but it didn't take long for the project to be canned, with the search giant saying it wanted to "challenge ourselves to do something even better." Fast forward three years and Google CEO Sundar Pichai is town to recommit to its London campus, unveiling new ideas for its first "wholly designed" building outside of the US in the process.
UK Uber-rival Karhoo is dead
Sometimes when you're late to the party, there aren't enough chicken nuggets and cocktail sausages left to go around. It's a lesson taxi-hailing app Karhoo has learned the hard way, today announcing the closure of its service as it looks "at the next steps for the business." Launched in London in May, Karhoo aimed to take on Uber, as well as black cab equivalents Gett and Hailo, with an all-encompassing platform covering black cabs, minicabs and executive cars -- it also boasted a pre-booking option, which Uber didn't have at the time.
The UK's first pro drone race will be hosted in London next June
With backing from big broadcasters like ESPN and Sky Sports, drone racing is already making its mark on TV. The Drone Racing League's (DRL) inaugural five race season is now two races deep, having visited Miami and Los Angeles, but the company is already thinking ahead to next year's championship. After revealing that the UK would host its first professional drone race in 2017 back in September, the DRL today confirmed that the winner-takes-all season finale will be hosted at London's iconic Alexandra Palace on June 13th.
Volvo's self-driving cars will hide from UK 'bullies'
If you could see that the car in front of you was being driven autonomously and therefore navigating in an ultra-safe manner, how would you react? Would you treat it as you would any other road user or be more inclined to torment it, knowing it would yield to your advances? It's a very real question that car makers and insurance companies are wrestling with and one that has prompted Swedish automotive giant Volvo to take preemptive action. The Guardian reports that it's decided that when the first 100 self-driving 4x4s hit London's streets in 2018, they'll look no different to any other Volvo of the same model so that other road users aren't tempted to "take them on."
All London black cabs will support contactless from next week
London's entire black cab fleet will be required to carry readers to process card and contactless payments as of Monday October 31st, Transport for London (TfL) has announced today. This is no great surprise, of course. The ball began rolling on the new rule late last year, and TfL set an October deadline this past March. For now, all that's asked of black cabbies is they have the facility, but from January next year readers will have to be mounted on the passenger side of the glass. Some hackney carriages have supported card payments for years, but for the majority of cabbies cash has remained king. From next week, though, it'll no longer be optional.
