Pinboard (guardiantech)

Totally Failing London >> the cabbies capital

guardiantech — 2014-06-12T21:31:03+00:00

Black cab driver RJ Cudlip:

Let me just explain one little bit of Taxi/PH [private hire] law first; as a Taxi driver (because of the extra training that allows me to accept instant hails) I am allowed to take bookings direct, unlike a PH driver who must accept a booking from a PH Operator like Addison Lee. This is why what Hailo do (connect me to a punter direct) is within the law and what Uber do isn’t. As previously stated, PH cars are not allowed to make themselves “available for immediate hire” and again, this is what Uber are doing and therefore breaking the law. Then there is the issue of their “virtual meter”. The law states that a PH vehicle is not allowed to be equipped with a meter. Uber, with TfL’s blessing, argue that a smartphone isn’t a meter. I think most right minded people would think that if it does the same thing as a meter, then it most probably is a meter. And an important point here is that Taxis are made to have meters fitted to protect the public from being ripped off. …There are also issues around Uber not asking for destinations (required by law) and Uber not having an operating center in the UK, but in Holland. This final point seems to be the only one that TfL are admitting is a problem and that if they’d known about it before may not have issued their operator licence! …what Uber and Hailo really want is to take a big cut of the multi billion pound taxi market. Do they have drivers interests at heart? Definitely not. Do they even have customers interests at heart? Almost certainly not. What they really want is to re sell my work to me for a fee. Isn’t technology wonderful?

GPS jamming: out of sight >> The Economist

guardiantech — 2013-08-01T22:04:06+00:00

Every day for up to ten minutes near the London Stock Exchange, someone blocks signals from the global positioning system (GPS) network of satellites. Navigation systems in cars stop working and timestamps on trades made in financial institutions can be affected. The incidents are not a cyber-attack by a foreign power, though. The most likely culprit, according to Charles Curry, whose firm Chronos Technology covertly monitors such events, is a delivery driver dodging his bosses’ attempts to track him.

GPS jamming has obvious military uses, of course.

Introducing uberX // Same Uber quality but cheaper than a black cab >> Uber Blog

guardiantech — 2013-07-11T13:27:40+00:00

Effective today, uberX prices are 40% cheaper than Addison Lee and 30-50% cheaper than a Black Cab, depending on the tariff level*. We’re merging the value of minicabs with the efficiency and instant gratification of Uber. That means you can still make an entrance at the club tonight in the backseat of an UberLUX Jag XJ or S-Class but tomorrow morning you can nurse your hangover on the way to work in a lower-cost uberX BMW 3 Series or Toyota Prius equivalent.

Note that asterisk after "tariff level" in the first sentence. Except quite what it means - especially the comparison to a black cab - isn't explained anywhere. Uber still makes more sense in the US, where there isn't much of a cab business outside metropolitan centres, than in London.

London in 1927 >> Vimeo

guardiantech — 2013-05-17T22:00:27+00:00

Incredible colour footage of 1920s London shot by an early British pioneer of film named Claude Friese-Greene, who made a series of travelogues using the colour process his father William - a noted cinematographer - was experimenting with. It's like a beautifully dusty old postcard you'd find in a junk store, but moving.

London in 1927 from Tim Sparke on Vimeo.

How does £15,000 of startup investment sound? >> Bethnal Green Ventures

guardiantech — 2012-03-12T23:17:23+00:00

Bethnal Green Ventures is an accelerator programme for technology startups working on things that matter. How it works: once a year, we work with a group of very early stage companies and provide them with up to £15,000 of investment and a three month programme of support based in Bethnal Green in East London.

Tell a friend.

Find London Buses Quickly and Easily >> BusMapper.co.uk

guardiantech — 2011-05-13T12:40:00+00:00

"Can't figure out which bus to take in London? Click on 2 points on the map and we'll tell you!"

Really we need to have these for all cities.

Registration >> silicon milkroundabout

guardiantech — 2011-05-05T21:47:22+00:00

"Are you a developer or engineer with a passion for building real products and crafting great code? Fresh out of uni, or looking for your next move?

"Did you know that London's top tech startups are hiring for over 100 technical roles right now?"