Posts by Mike_1727

Exercise-tracking app Strava to give away data sweated out after four billion runs, rides and rambles

Re: Really useful data

It's not a perfect sample, but Strava does get used for utility trips too. Looking at the Strava global heat map areas like ou local train station light up pretty well. Talking to the county council GIS experts they recokn there's a fairly high correlation to actual bike traffic when they compare strava data to their static counts too. Filtering by day,time and length of journey as well as the commute/workout flags should work pretty well too. Locally I'm encouraging utilty riders to use Strava to get a better sample.

It's not a perfect dataset, but it's much better than what we have now.

Ofcom coverage map: 7/10 – must try harder next time

Re: Good start

Real geolocation works by analysing layer 3 messaages and trianglulating the results. It's quite good but not perfect and doesn't work too well out in the sticks. (I know this as I've just spent the last 2 weeks eveluating a geolocation tool)

Geolocation looks at all the messages,even when not on a call/active data session so it's a lot better than GPS which only works when a user has GPS switched on and is engaged in the trial.

Small cells are like DRUNKS. They don't use lamp posts for light, they use 'em for support

Re: Elephant

Small cells are (largely) used fpr capacity not coverage. You get the ectra capacity by re-using frequencies/codes much mpre pften because small cells cover...a smaller area which mavro cells can't.

Cost is a big issue too,small cells are an order of magnitude smaller than macros.

US lawmaker blames bicycle breath for global warming gas

Road tax doesn't exist

Road tax doesn't exist. It's car tax, a tax on cars and other vehicles, not a tax on roads or a fee to use them. Motorists do not pay directly for the roads. Roads are paid for via general and local taxation. In 1926, Winston Churchill started the process to abolish road tax. It was finally culled in 1937.

Car tax is based on amount of CO2 emitted so, if a fee had to be paid, cyclists would pay the same as 'tax-dodgers' such as disabled drivers, police cars, the Royal family, and band A motorists, ie £0. Most cyclists are also car-owners, too, so pay VED.

Re: Facepalm...

Road funding at a local level comes from council tax. Road funding at a national level comes from the overall tax pot.

Cyclists generally pay both council tax and income tax/VAT/etc so they already pay for the roads.

British Waterways charity mapping data handed to Google for free

Re: Use the roads only?

Cyclestreets http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/ is pretty good for cycle route planning, giving a choice of fastest/balances.quietest routes and it uses cycle routes and bridleways if you want it to.

It's got an app too, for Android and Apple.

Wealthy Kensington & Chelsea residents reject BT fibre cabinets

Re: Street sited?

Drainage, cabling and pipework may well be an issue, but apart from that I don't see why not. It would cost a *lot* more though.