I doubt the patent covering this stuff has long to run.

To be fair to Microsoft, they did have handwriting recognition in PocketPC devices too - several modes in fact from simple Palm-like chars, to handwriting and a keyboard. That said I found my Palm Pilot's system to be very reliable once I learned all the funny strokes for each letter. PocketPC was always hit and miss and I used the keyboard mode the most.

It seems pretty obvious to do something like this in a watch and I guess it's better than nothing but it highlights why smart watches have such a long way to go to be useful for much.

There are plenty of apps which will hail a licenced cab, e.g. Hailo. It's the car and driver that matter and not the manner in which they were dispatched.

Thing is, a taxi is usually treated as a form of public transport. The standard that you the driver and your vehicle are held is consequently that much higher. That's why the regulation exists.

It's bizarre that you conflate the issue with how much tax someone might pay on their wages.

Operating a taxi in most of Europe requires a taxi licence, a criminal background check, a "knowledge" test plus additional road safety requirements for driver & car. Uber is not exempt from this and if drivers don't meet the requirements they're going to be treated like any other unlicenced driver and fined. Sucks to be them but its not bullying. These laws existed before Uber turned up and if the company and their drivers didn't bother to do the due diligence then whose fault is it when they run afoul of them?

I bet you could stick them up your arse for all the good they'd do you.

Well they could dip a few seabirds in crude oil and then clean them up again.

Perhaps these luxury yacht owners like getting from A to B in the fastest time and the sails are just an emergency precaution in case the engine packs in.

It looks like Greenpeace has different priorities - the sails mean they can turn off their engines to save fuel, extend their operational range and it naturally fits with their image. Looks like a really cool boat.

Biodiesel can be made by recycling vegetable oil from fryers. It has to be filtered and blended with alcohol. Presumably Greenpeace could use that if they wished although I expect pragmatism and the reality of operating a boat out of many ports means they have to take what's available.

Except it doesn't have 250,000 immigrants a year. That is a lie. The actual figure is approximately 24,000. So the "problem" is merely 1/10th of the amount you claim. Secondly, the UK already has border controls and it has the capability of stopping immigrants at those borders whether it is in the EU or not.

And yes UKIP is a far right party and it is racist. It's a party with a long record of racist and far right incidents and even its own leader has a record stretching back to school. One well documented incident has teachers writing a complaint to the head about Farage's racist behaviour and singing of Hitler Youth songs. If this were any other politician they would be drummed out of office. UKIP supporters just pretend it doesn't matter.

Hopefully it will stay that way. Of course the conservatives might get so scared of losing that they do something incredibly foolish such as ally with UKIP or come to an agreement where they don't contest certain seats to ensure the other one wins. Of course that might mean they lose voters from the centre who would be horrified by the prospect of UKIP getting anywhere near the reins of power.

Scotland will probably stop the madness. It's a stronghold for the Labour party and will contribute to its majority at the next election.

Cameron has been a competent prime minister. He hasn't screwed up in any major way, the economy has significantly recovered, he's survived the Scottish referendum and the coalition has been successful in moderating his party's reforms. But his party and Clegg's are doomed in the next election.

As generations are born and die, the old system falls out of use and people use the new system instead. I don't see that as a reason to keep on using it when it was gotten rid of for a reason. If I want to approximate something I can always say a litre, or half a kilo, or 50 meters or whatever.

The Conservatives Party's electoral base is being undermined by UKIP and measures like this are simply pandering to voters who might be swayed by the far right rhetoric, nationalism anti-immigrant and anti-EU whargarbl that UKIP is putting out. It's popularism pure and simple. They're trying to outdo UKIP in the popularist soundbites. Expect to see Cameron standing around for photo-ops with a pint in one hand.

It's very unlikely the Conservatives will win another term thanks to UKIP, not because UKIP stand a chance but because the first-past-the-post system ensures Labour will win a handy majority.

Multi touch would allow the OS to do stuff like pinch to zoom, rotate, scrolling and other gestures that have become common. I doubt it says anything one way or another about other forms of input. Quite clearly the prevalent form of input will be mouse and keyboard for a long time to come.