All articles by barbara speed
barbara speed
Google has added fake engine noises to its self driving cars, and taught them to honk
The biggest problem facing self-driving cars is non-self-driving cars. Autonomous vehicles have very sophisticated spatial awareness, safety features, and precise…
Holborn station has enlisted a singing, punning cardboard cutout to stop people walking up the escalator
Holborn wants you to stop walking. The Underground station is trialling a new system whereby passengers stand on both sides of escalators –…
More and more rough sleepers are sheltering on London's buses – especially the number 25
If you work with homeless people, or have ever been homeless yourself, you’ll know that public transport is a cheap…
The US public still doesn't want driverless cars
You may remember that we once ran a piece about a fake town built on the University of Michigan campus…
A London gym may soon offer spin classes on buses
In news which we don’t really know what to feel about, a gym in London is hoping to launch a range of buses…
“Do I have any?” and other questions about your rights as a renter
Around a fifth of people living in the UK rent their homes. And increasingly, they’re a bit cheesed off. …
Uber now offers wheelchair accessible taxis. Is this a big deal?
Uber gets a lot of (mostly deserved) bad press: taxi unions are annoyed that it’s edging other drivers out, while…
The farmers working 33m underground in a TfL tunnel
The lift clanks to a stop 33m below ground and I am led into a locker room, where I don…
Even a 0% deposit mortgage won’t end buyers' reliance on the bank of mum and dad
It can sometimes seem like there’s nothing new to say about the UK rental market, especially if you’re living in…
“£1050. Hounslow. Mould”: Londoners are sharing their rent horror stories online
Renting in London in the year 2016 is, to put it mildly, the worst. Rents shot up 11.6 per cent…