You Don’t Need Apple Pay; Pay for Driving Classes With Sex - http://clapway.com/2015/12/21/you-dont-need-apple-pay-pay-for-driving-classes-with-sex-123/

Here’s one more reason to move to the Netherlands: you can now pay for driving lessons with sex. Forget Apple Pay, forget Google Wallet. Ministers in the country are actively defending the right of driving instructors to offer lessons in return for sex to their clients as one of the payment options.

The Law Allows Driving Lessons in Exchange For Sex So Long As Both Parties Are Over 18

This country has no need for electronic payment services like Apple Pay, which the US can use to make retail purchases or buy coffee. They are using a much more ancient form of payment.

The Netherlands are notorious for having more liberal laws than virtually any other developed country. Home of the famous Amsterdam Red Light District, this country is no stranger to the oldest profession in the book. This development has brought a lot of mixed responses from the public and other government officials, because despite the fact that it could be considered ‘fair trade’, there are some details that need to be tuned out first.

‘Ride for Ride’ Policy is 100% Legal in the Netherlands

A ‘ride for ride’ policy has been passed as undesirable but completely legal. Some political figures, like conservative Christian Union Party’s Gert-Jan Segers, believe it should be banned. His attempt to change the law was futile, and parliament opposed it.

Because prostitution is completely legal in the Netherlands, to the extent where prostitutes need to declare their profession and income to pay taxes, this is hardly a surprise. It’d be completely safe for these escorts to accept ‘ride for ride’ terms, but not everyone who would go through with a trade like this would have an escort license. This is what Segers is arguing, and he has a fair point.

Screw Apple Pay and Google Wallet!

On the side of the defense, Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Transport Minister, said it was completely lawful. Justice Minister Ard van der Steur also jumped to defend the law. Both of them released a letter on why the law was completely acceptable. They say that the point of the law isn’t to offer sex for money, but offering a service in exchange for another service. If this was a matter of sex for money, it would be no different than prostitution.

Google is Blowing Up With Sex for Driving Lessons Searches

Naturally, searches for ‘ride for ride’ have skyrocketed since the debate broke out. There is still a lot of confusion surrounding the topic, since both sides of the argument have a solid point.

There Are A Lot of Things About This Law that Need to Be Straightened Out

On the one hand, offering sex in exchange for a driving lesson is already iffy. The law should state that on top of both parties being over age, there must be solid consent on both sides of the trade. In addition, this should specify whether or not the person giving sexual favors has an escort license. It would be perfectly fair for an escort to accept this kind of payment, but not just anyone.

In the end, this is an issue of preference. The government is only defending the right for driving instructors to request this trade instead of financial payment or electronic payment through tools like Google Wallet or Apple Pay. There are more things to this discussion.

Has the Netherlands Government Been Watching Too Much Game of Thrones?

Would this law be implemented in other countries? Most likely, no. This would be very unbeneficial to a lot of countries, especially those with high rates of rape for all genders. The Netherlands is probably the only nation in the world that can pull this off in a civilized way, but there is a chance that this could backfire.

In a way, this is like a blast from the past. While other companies like Starbucks and KFC are taking payment from iPhones through Apple Pay, the Netherlands are stuck in a more primitive time. There was once a time when sex could become payment for all sorts of things. This is a step backward and also a step forward. Though there are a lot of details to be refined, this could kickstart a trend. If this works well, sex could replace currency for a lot of services. It could be a win-win situation in a lot of ways.

Read: New Sex Toy Uses VR for Ultimate Experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTMQ0EIfnLY

 

You Don’t Need Apple Pay; Pay for Driving Classes With Sex

Uber Surge Pricing: Less Riders and Less Drivers - http://clapway.com/2015/10/29/uber-surge-pricing-less-riders-and-less-drivers123/

For people who use Uber regularly of have need for it, the app is pretty much a lifesaver. It takes you where you want directly from wherever you are, and as opposed to the danger of a smelly car or an uncomfortable ride, all you have to worry about with Uber is whether or not the driver has gum and water.

One thing that bugs regular Uber users, and usually Friday or Saturday night crowds, is Uber’s surge pricing, where it’s fares can go up to 13x the base estimated fare. A team at Northeastern University proposes an argument that because customers are less inclined to order cabs during those times, there are actually less drivers on the road. So technically, surge pricing causes both supply and demand to drop.

The Study Declares: Surge Pricing is a Tool to Maximize Profit, but It Doesn’t Entice Drivers

The team created 43 Uber accounts and operated them between San Francisco and Manhattan. Their research resulted in the conclusion that drivers actually leave areas where surge pricing is active because people are less inclined to order rides. A representative of the team commented that surge kills demand, so drivers actually get away from it.

According to Gizmodo, Uber has a contrary assessment. A representative added that there is much more data that should be analyzed than what is available to the public, and that since the results come from such limited research, it is not accurate.

As a tip to current Uber users, the researchers also fished out a few ways that surge pricing can be avoided. If a rider changes their location, sometimes by even as much as 100 feet, the minimum fare changes, and by waiting as little as five minutes, fares may return to normal. They conclude that the Uber business model is designed to maximize profit but doesn’t really give good results.

The market between Manhattan and San Francisco are obviously vastly different, and this too was observed in the study. Prices surge in Manhattan about 14% of the time, while San Francisco surges 57% of the time. There is naturally a significant difference in demand between these two cities. The availability of public transportation, time and convenience are varying factors, but the study concludes that in terms of surge pricing, the company is way in over its head.

Despite the Findings, Uber is Still the Most Reliable Cab Service

Uber is different from most online services. There is a first party controlling the service, Uber itself, a secondary party that carries out the service, the drivers, and a third party that receives the service. There isn’t much information that is shared among all three parties; phone numbers are available only to the company and the Uber car’s phone so as to protect client privacy, and drivers have little to no access to what happens after they have dropped off a rider and leave to pick up another one: all of that information remains with the company.

This model seems safest, and it is why Uber and its competitors have become prominent and popular services for people in need of a sober driver or any kind of trip while incapacitated.  Despite this study, Uber will remain a special and convenient tool in every city where it is available, especially for people who don’t drive, are unable to, or don’t have a car in the city they’re currently in.

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More of A Skater? Check Out Clapway Trends’ Review of the Original Penny Skateboard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uvFIozLuAg

 

Uber Surge Pricing: Less Riders and Less Drivers

Google Car Almost Crashes with Another Self-Driving Car - http://clapway.com/2015/06/26/google-car-almost-crashes-with-another-self-driving-car876/

A Google self-driving car that was testing self-driving technology to be featured in Google’s upcoming “koala car” almost got into an accident with a rival self-driving Audi from the company Delphi Automotive. Delphi Automotive said that they had to take appropriate action after reportedly getting cut off by the Google self-driving car.

THE FIRST OF ITS KIND

This close call between Google and Delphi is the first ever incident that involved two separate self-driving cars.

The new development comes following a report from Google in May, revealing its own group of cars as having had 11 minor accidents since the program began in 2009. The director of this program, Chris Urmson, noted that not one self-driving car was the direct cause of an accident. He also said that many of these accidents involved the car being rear ended by another vehicle.

minor accidents COMMON AMONG SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES

This is clearly quite common among companies with self-driving vehicles. Delphi Automotive, a self-driving car startup, reported that they had an accident with one of their own cars in October of 2014. The accident report showed that it was broadsided by another car while it was waiting to make a left turn. However, the Delphi Automotive car was not actually in self-driving mode at the time of the accident. Under California law, it was still required to report the accident.

As of May 2014, there were a total of seven companies that held testing permits in the state. This allowed them to operate a total of 48 self-driving vehicles. None of the other five companies has reported any accidents with its cars.

KOALA cars ARE GOING TO BE EVERYWHERE

Also on Thursday, Google announced that its self-driving cars, which it nicknamed Koala cars, are going to be taking to public roads soon. The company states that they are designed to work without pedals or a steering wheel. During the current phase they will have safety drivers in the car with a removable steering wheel, accelerator pedals and a brake pedal. These features allow the safety driver to take over driving if needed. The car’s speed is capped at 25 mph, and it will use the same software that the Lexus uses.

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If trusting a machine to drive for you is too much, you can at least put your faith in the adorable yet intelligent MUSIO robot.

Google Car Almost Crashes with Another Self-Driving Car