Google patents ROBO-TAXIS to ferry punters into advertiser's shops, restaurants, etc for free What's holding you back from online shopping? Not being to touch or test drive the thing you desire before splashing the cash? What if someone were to drive you to the store, dealership or wherever, to seal the deal for free? Great idea, huh? Well, Google just patented it. The web ad kingpin, which designs self-driving cars …
Have Google ever thought that we, or at least most of us, DON'T want to be driven round in a Robo Car? Let the techie none drivers have them, but I want to have control. I want to have the right to speed, crash, run over cats and generally be obnoxious not giving way and giving the finger to the other as@eholes on the road.
Nah, he probably drives an Audi Q whatever.
Especially that 63 plate black Q5 that tail-ended me on the A3 as Tolworth last week. The driver complained that her child was kicking the back of her seat and that she couldn't see me. I was driving a WHITE Transit van that had just been washed. Plod was not impressed. Now were the rental company that supplied me the transit.
Skoda drivers wish they were driving a VW
VW drivers would rather be driving an Audi
Audi owners cry becuse they can't afford a Porsche
Porsche owners would rather be pushing up the daisies than be seen driving anything else.
I enjoy driving, but I'd happily give that up for being able to be driven around by a computer that does it more safely, and allows me to do whatever I want.
No reason to deal with the hassle of airports for flights under 1000 miles if it were possible to have my car take me an overnight trip while I sleep (in a lie flat seat) surf the internet, watch recorded programs I transferred from my home DVR, or whatever.
In many travel destinations, cab drivers from airport and railway stations pickup tourist and suggest (sometimes force) hotels to them. They observe the cloths and attitude of the tourist in suggesting suitable hotels. In return the receiving hotel gives them commission.
So, the only unique point in Google's patent is making it free. We just patented "giving away freebies".
I was just thinking that. How is this a patentable idea? It's just that an idea. There are no robo taxis able to do the job (nor will there be in the near future) and the patent doesnt seem to be covering the design and building of robo taxis. All this is seemingly patenting is a business idea, which I honestly didnt think was patentable?
Does the USPTO even look at the patents they're rubbing stamping these days?
just live more than 20 KM out of any large town/city/mega-hellhole and see what ridiculous offers one gets. I love it when the big G and other "services" think I live somewhere near the NAT+proxy exit to a network backbone. Usually over 3 digits distance away. No details, the spooks can work it out for them selves :-) Oh, and all my devices have no GPS or it is off except when I need it.
"the big G and other "services" think I live somewhere near the NAT+proxy exit"
Or if, like me, you live next to a honking big river and all the "find near me..." services think the places a few hundred yds across the river are my "nearest" when it's actually a 15 mile drive via the bridge or a 10 mile drive via the toll tunnel. (or 2-3 miles in another direction not crossing the river at all.)
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So while I'm driven to the shop "for free" I'm bombarded with constant advertising I can't turn off? The equivalent of a "click" for this is speaking up and telling the car "yes, I would like to take a detour to Frank's Flower Shoppe to pick up the dozen roses on special for $9.99!"
I think I'd rather own my own self driving car so I can tell it where I want to go and be driven in peace and quiet if I so choose...
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