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Addison Lee is looking into self-driving taxis too
Driverless car trials are happening all around the UK, but the epicentre is arguably Greenwich, in London. We've seen driverless pods ferry passengers around the O2 and autonomous delivery vans drop off Ocado hampers near Woolwich. That's because a chunk of the borough has been ring-fenced as a "Smart Mobility Living Lab" for autonomous projects and research. The latest initiative to fall under that banner is "Merge," which will look at how a driverless ride-sharing service could work in the city. The work will be led by Addison Lee, alongside a consortium that includes Ford, the Transport Research Laboratory and Transport Systems Catapult.
Ocado's driverless delivery van is a glimpse of the future
Filmers and photographers line the street, their fingers hovering over camera shutter buttons. "Any second now," an engineer mutters nearby, eyes glued to a smartphone screen tracking the truck's location. The group collectively takes a deep breath and then, suddenly, the CargoPod glides into view. It rounds the corner silently before drifting up an empty boulevard and into a nearby side-street. The van's arrival is, to be honest, a little anticlimactic. With its small cockpit and large, boxy back, it resembles a milk float from the early 1960s, rather than a cutting-edge piece of autonomous transportation. Still, looks can be deceiving.
Driverless pods to hit the streets of Greenwich
As you stroll past the Royal Observatory in Greenwich and that place where Thor fought in The Dark World, you'll soon see driverless pods gliding next to you. That's the plan, anyway. The GATEway project, which has already been experimenting with a self-driving shuttle around the O2, will soon be taking some unusual vehicles onto south London's streets. They'll be repurposed Ultra Pods -- electric four-wheelers that already operate at Heathrow Airport. Until now they've been locked to tracks, but project organiser TRL wants to upgrade them so they can navigate Greenwich independently. Furthermore, the new trial will be used to record exactly how the public reacts to self-driving vehicles.
Apple Store security plan irks merchants, locals
Apple has a gorgeous retail store in the swanky community of Greenwich Connecticut. The beautiful facade and lovely arched windows may soon be adorned with a security gate and this addition is causing a stir in the small, upper-class community. Apple is installing the gate after a theft last year resulted in the loss of thousands of dollars in computers, phones and tablets. While Apple may be happy with the gate, its neighbors are not. Some elected city officials and nearby merchants are criticizing the nighttime security measure. Naysayers claim the gate is "ugly", "unsightly" and gives the impression the retail district is not safe. One even says it will make the area look like Lebanon. Regardless of what others think, Town Planner Diane Fox says her office has no control over interior modifications like the one Apple is planning. [Via ifoAppleStore]
Greenwich, Conn., Apple Store closed temporarily due to flooding
A mishap at a Greenwich, Conn., Apple Store resulted in the activation of the sprinkler system and significant water damage to the building. A cleaning crew working Tuesday night accidentally dislodged a sprinkler head, which activated the sprinkler system and fire alarm. Within minutes, the city's fire department responded to the call, but the main floor and two sub-basements were already flooded. The store was closed and initially determined to be unfit for occupancy due to possible damage to the electrical wiring in the building. The building was deemed safe by Greenwich building inspectors on Wednesday, but remains closed indefinitely while Apple begins the arduous cleanup process. Store employees would not comment on the loss of electronic equipment from the flooding, but it is expected to be extensive. This is not the first mishap for the beleaguered store, which opened in 2009. The Greenwich store made headlines in December 2010 when a break-in resulted in the loss of hardware estimated to be worth more than $10,000.
Five men rob Apple Store in Greenwich, CT
Apple Store burglars have struck again, this time in Greenwich, Connecticut. Police say that at least five suspects, seen in the surveillance photo to the right, broke through the front door and helped themselves to a whole bunch of Apple products valued in the tens of thousands of dollars. The store obviously had security cameras in place to record the break-in when it happened, but I wonder if any employees also got to watch the robbery in real-time, like this guy who watched on his iPhone as thieves robbed his house. So if you happen to live near Greenwich and receive an Apple product as a holiday present without a gift receipt, you may want to inquire as to where the generous gift-giver was on the morning of December 14. Most of these Apple Store robberies actually turn out well for the stores, since the police usually do a nice job finding the crooks. We'll have to see if the cops in Greenwich are able to catch the parties responsible here and recover any of the stolen merchandise.
