Tokyo is a city notorious for both its tech consumption and its lack of free internet access, so needless to say, it’s very exciting to hear that over 800 taxis are now equipped with free WiFi courtesy of mobile company NTT DoCoMo. On top of that, 100 of the connected cabs will even offer Sony PSP Go devices so customers can play games while they speed – or crawl, if it’s rush hour — toward their destinations.
Within a few years, the current iconic New York City taxi will have a totally different look — Ford Motors is ceasing production on the Crown Victoria, which makes up about 70% of NYC’s fleet and a big chunk of taxi fleets nationwide.
Although the yellow isn’t going away anytime soon, the City of New York has selected three finalists, one of which will have an exclusive 10-year contract over all of the city’s taxicabs. They’re even letting New Yorkers weigh in on their favorite design and the features they want. We sure hope New Yorkers like vans though, because here are the three models they have to work with:
The Ford Transit Connect has already been approved for taxi use by Boston, and needless to say Ford has more experience supplying the taxi industry than any other company.
Nissan’s model can be quickly made available as a fully electric vehicle as well, unlike the other contenders.
The third finalist, by Karsan (who!?), a Turkish company, is the smallest of the three and has many taxi-specific special features, although it is at a disadvantage due to the fact that it doesn’t exist yet.
(photos from http://autos.aol.com/article/taxi-of-tomorrow/)
A study of London cab drivers has found that the hippocampus – the part of the brain associated with navigation – is larger in people who have memorized detailed mental maps of a city. And the more years of experience a cab driver has, the more growth in grey matter his brain experiences.
This is an important breakthrough not just for cab drivers, but for the rest of us; our brains are not just end products of our genetics and our childhood experiences, but an aspect of us we can develop and improve – with lasting effects – even in adulthood. There are a quite a few activities that have also shown to lead to brain growth, including playing music, face to face interactions, and even juggling!
These studies also have big implications for people with brain damage or diseases such as Parkinson’s, who would greatly benefit from rehabilitating brain exercises that increase grey matter in damaged areas.
Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/677048.stm.
Great article today from the Austin American Statesman about changes to the taxi cab fare system in Austin, Texas.
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/cab-fares-would-increase-under-plan-council-to-270398.html
Verifone has bought Clear Channel’s stake in advertising screens in New York City cabs, nearly doubling its reach to over 11,000 taxis.
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