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GOP tax bill is just another way to repeal health care. Will coverage ever be safe?
 Andy Slavitt

Opinion columnist

It has been just two months since the Senate gave up on trying to pass a series of health care bills that Americans had soundly rejected in poll after poll. Yet the same Republican recipe for health care now is back on the table in the form of the lopsided tax bill that the Senate plans to vote on this week.

A lot of people get intimidated by the idea of trying to understand the tax bill. It’s a shame because, much like congressional budgets, tax bills reveal priorities.

More:Obamacare verdict is in, but will Trump let GOP scrap repeal?

More:Republican tax plan is right to kill Obamacare's individual mandate

And GOP priorities are easy to follow as they haven’t changed since the party failed to accomplish its three-part health care agenda: Cut the money going toward health care for low-income people, seniors and kids; use that money to cut taxes for people in the upper-income brackets; and end the federal protections that stopped discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Flip the order, and the tax bill looks the same.

Much like the earlier health bills, with their corporate tax breaks and breaks for the upper-income brackets, the dollars and cents of the House and Senate tax bills point to clear beneficiaries and losers. The beneficiaries? Corporations and wealthy individuals (particularly those who stand to inherit large estates), who get large permanent tax cuts. In 2025, the bill would give tax cuts averaging $360,000 to the top 0.1% of households.

And like the health care bills last summer, these tax cuts are paid for in large part with cuts to health care benefits — affecting people with private coverage, Medicare and Medicaid.

To start, an estimated $338 billion that is helping millions of working-class Americans pay for insurance is on the block to be cut. Republicans argue that these are people who are being compelled to buy health insurance and so neither they nor anyone else will be hurt. That’s simply untrue.

Yes, there is a requirement that Americans purchase health care or pay a penalty, and the Senate GOP proposes to remove it. And requiring people to do something is not wildly popular. But why does that requirement exist? Former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney put it this way in 2011: “It is fundamentally a conservative principle to insist that people take personal responsibility as opposed to turning to government for giving out free care.”

It’s also a good basic insurance principle — more people with insurance reduces everyone’s costs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office expects everyone’s insurance to cost 10% more if the Senate GOP is successful.

The American Academy of Actuaries, an independent and just-the-facts body, says it's even worse than that. It predicts “severe market disruption and loss of coverage” as insurers stop offering coverage.

That’s not all. In the version of the tax bill passed this month by the House, Americans who have serious chronic conditions or pay for nursing home care or high-cost medications would lose the ability to deduct medical expenses. These are people with often crippling medical bills, nearly half with annual incomes under $50,000 and more than half of them 65 and older.

This assault on the sick fits with the executive order the president signed last month, which is designed to give insurance companies loopholes so they can exclude people with pre-existing conditions, adding an effective surcharge to policies that do cover people with pre-existing conditions.

More:Tax bill race to break Trump's populist promises: Who's winning?

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media

To pave the way for this tax bill, Republicans passed a budget that over 10 years allows them to grow the debt by up to $1.5 trillion with just 50 votes in the Senate. And so far, most of the party's deficit hawks are suspiciously silent. There is a half-hearted set of GOP talking points claiming the economy will grow enough to offset those lost taxes, but 37 out of 38 economists recently surveyed disagreed.

More likely, the $1.5 trillion budget hole will be used to meet the objectives of the failed health care repeal bills — to make dramatic cuts to the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Conveniently forgetting it was their tax cuts for the wealthy that got us there, these same lawmakers will decry the manufactured fiscal crisis and bemoan that we can’t afford the cost of health care for our older and sicker citizens.

Many of these cuts will occur automatically. Under a 2010 pay-as-you-go law, Medicare will automatically face draconian cuts of $250 billion over 10 years. And three former Defense secretaries warned that the tax bill would endanger national security funding, which should make John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, think twice before signing on.

Tax cuts for the wealthy? Health care repeal? Call it what you will. For this Congress and White House, they are two sides of the same coin — gold on one side, lead on the other.

Andy Slavitt, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors, is a former health care industry executive who ran the Affordable Care Act and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2015 to 2017. Follow him on Twitter: @ASlavitt

Output: The proposed tax bill from the Republican party still includes the healthcare repeals that were unsuccessfully pushed in the Senate two months ago. The GOP priority to repeal and replace Obamacare seems to have driven the tax bill, which appears to still cover the main points of the prior agenda: reduce the funding for health care for low-income citizens, seniors and children; use this funding to lower taxes for higher-income citizens; and end any federal protections against discrimination towards those with pre-existing conditions. The bill appears to benefit corporations and wealthy citizens, offering significant permanent tax cuts. By 2025, the bill - if passed - will give tax cuts of an average $360,000 to the top 0.1 percent of American homes. These tax cuts will be funded by reductions in health care benefits across private coverage, Medicare and Medicaid. A key point is the predicted $338 billion cut to assistance for working-class Americans' insurance, with the requirement for citizens to purchase care up for removal. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has predicted that all citizens' insurance will cost 10 percent more if the bill passes. The American Academy of Actuaries, an independent body, warns of  “severe market disruption and loss of coverage” if insurers no longer offer coverage. In addition to this, those with severe chronic conditions, nursing home care requirements or high-cost medication needs will no longer be able to deduct medical expenses. The presidential decree that allows insurance companies to exploit loopholes to exclude those with pre-existing conditions also compounds the issue. The tax bill will be enabled by a budget that gives 10 years for debt growth of up to $1.5 trillion with only 50 votes in the Senate. The debt will likely be used to facilitate cuts to the Medicaid and Medicare programs. , Medicare is already facing cuts of $250 billion over 10 years.


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Darpa keen to work with commercial space sector on new projects
 WASHINGTON — The military space business is stuck in its old ways and missing a "golden opportunity" to capture the energy of a rejuvenated commercial industry, said a former White House space and aviation technology adviser who is now a top official at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

"In the national security space sector, we're in dire need of new thinking and innovation," said Fred Kennedy, director of DARPA's Tactical Technology Office. He assumed that post in September after serving as deputy director since January.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation Nov. 15, Kennedy criticized the Pentagon's methods for acquiring satellites and called for a "shakeup" in national security space programs.

In the Defense Department, Kennedy said, "We've gotten very good at building small numbers of extremely exquisite things, very expensive things on very long time schedules." That culture that emphasizes high performance and low risk is now working against the military because its satellites have become huge targets for adversaries.

"Our savior is going to be the commercial sector," said Kennedy. Some pockets within the military are moving in that direction but not soon enough. "We're starting to see an influx of commercial technology, but we need more of it, and quick."

Kennedy worries that the commercial space boom could turn out to be a fad that fades in a few years, so the Pentagon should be harnessing that energy now. "My biggest fear is that in a couple of years people will forget Matt Damon and 'The Martian' and be back where we were before."

'Other transactions' contracting

DARPA's weapon for capturing privately funded technology is an authority known as "other transactions," or OTA, to sign contracts with vendors that bypasses some of the federal procurement red tape.

"We do that. It's very effective and useful," said Kennedy. "I can't say it's always quicker than the normal contracting process. But it is actually an effective way of teaming."

The way it works with DARPA: The agency selects a commercial partner and the company is expected to help fund the venture. "Then we can go out and work on problems jointly," Kennedy said.

He touted one of DARPA's most ambitious space programs, the robotic servicing of geosynchronous satellites, or RSGS. It is a government-industry partnership with SSL MDA Holdings.

If the project is successful — a launch is planned for 2021 — it would elevate DARPA's status as a disruptor, Kennedy said. He recalled that an earlier program called Orbital Express, designed to service spacecraft in low-Earth orbit, got off to a fast start but was deactivated in 2007 because there was no business case for it.

The RSGS effort is aimed at high-orbit satellites, most of which are in need of some type of service — new flight computers, more fuel, more propellant. Companies in the industry told DARPA that they would buy that service if available. "We have to get out of today's culture of treating satellites like a Rolls Royce or Ferrari, that they have to work for 15 years, so you'd better test the hell out it, make sure it absolutely works," said Kennedy. "Geosynchronous orbit is a natural place to go. … They all need to be refueled, repaired, moved or retired. There is a commercial interest and a national security need."

The RSGS will be a "commercial transition and not something we push to the Air Force," he said. Once the system is up and running, SSL will commercialize it.

Industry skeptical

Kennedy's cheering words of encouragement, however, were met with skepticism from executives in the audience who argued that DARPA often funds the development of technologies that already are available in the private sector, creating government vs. industry competitions that undermine private efforts.

Kennedy only partially agreed. He said he hopes projects like the RSGS will result in a "shakeup" in how the space sector does business with the government. "I'd like to use RSGS and other systems to be some kind of a wedge to force people to think differently about the enterprise, in our case, about the 'order of battle.'"

But he acknowledged that "culture is the biggest problem" in military programs. "I'd like to live in a world where we do not have to wait 10 years and spend $20 billion to get a capability," he said. "I would like to see a change away from that."

Executives in the audience pointed out that the Defense Department has not moved to capitalize on the small satellite revolution or "hosted payloads" as alternatives to custom-built military spacecraft. The industry had expected to see movement in that direction by now as the Pentagon considers future replacements for its constellations of missile-warning and classified communications satellites.

Rather than deploy hundreds of sensors in tiny satellites that are cheaper to replace, the Pentagon has preferred to buy large expensive systems, giving enemies richer targets, industry officials said.

"That is a problem," said Kennedy. "The idea of having lots of something as a deterrent isn't a bad thing. … It's very difficult for DoD to see beyond the traditional model. But DARPA is well positioned to poke at that model."

Kennedy defended DARPA's decision to award BAE Systems a $12 million contract to develop a digital "testbed" for space command-and-control technologies. Companies in the sector contend that such technology is commercially available.

The project, known as "Hallmark," is more ambitious than it looks, said Kennedy, and DARPA believes it needs to invest in areas where there is no commercial capability. The testbed is not just to experiment with technology but also to do cognitive assessments of operators. "We want to measure how people are performing when they get new tools. We think that's a unique place for us," he said. "We thought we needed to invest in that."

Space plane moving forward

DARPA also has come under criticism for rejecting commercial proposals for a military space plane in favor of a new development venture with Boeing Phantom Works.

Kennedy said the experimental space plane, dubbed XS-P, will help the military services launch satellites into space quickly and at less cost than traditional methods. DARPA reportedly invested $40 million in the project.

The space plane was initially named the XS-1 but it was relabeled once DARPA realized XS-1 also was the designation of the original rocket engine–powered aircraft, the Bell XS-1, designed and built in 1945.

The new XS-P uses an AR-22 engine built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. It would be reusable like a commercial airliner and DARPA wants it to be able to fly to space 10 times in 10 days.

An initial flight is scheduled for 2019, said Kennedy. The contract with Boeing is an "other transactions" deal so it will be up to the company to move it forward after the development is completed.

"That's commercial transition," he said. "I'm not here to sustain capability. I can't afford that." Boeing has a commercial business case for the space plane, he added. "They believe they can go off and launch capability and make money. DoD then can purchase those services."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.

Output: The director of the Tactical Technology Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), Fred Kennedy, has said the military space industry is "in dire need" of innovation and called on the commercial space sector to create new technologies. Kennedy has been critical of the Pentagon's satellite purchasing methods and wants to "shake up" national security space programmes so Darpa can take advantage of the current commercial interest in space. Darpa uses "other transactions" or OTA for contracts with companies to avoid federal procurement bureaucracy, a practice Kennedy said can be effective in speeding up development of new projects.


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Google AI notifies users when others are looking at their screen
 None of these tips from TechRepublic Premium require a paid Google Workspace account, so anyone should be able to make use of them. You do, of course, need to have a Google account. From the guide: HOW TO PASTE WITHOUT FORMATTING I use this tip all the time. When you copy and paste text into ...

Output: Researchers at Google have demonstrated an "Electronic Screen Protector" which uses an AI to alert smartphone users whenever someone is secretly looking at the phone's screen over their shoulder. The privacy feature uses the phone's front-facing camera as well as the neural networks of GazeNet and Google's FaceNet to power its facial detection capabilities. It's hoped that the "Electronic Screen Protector" will help professionals users maintain privacy while working in crowded public spaces. The researchers are due to present their work at the 2017 NIPS Conference in California in December.


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Chinese bike graveyards show lack of demand for bike-sharing
 At first glance the photos vaguely resemble a painting. On closer inspection it might be a giant sculpture or some other art project. But in reality it is a mangled pile of bicycles covering an area roughly the size of a football pitch, and so high that cranes are needed to reach the top; cast-offs from the boom and bust of China’s bike sharing industry.

Just two days after China’s number three bike sharing company went bankrupt, a photographer in the south-eastern city of Xiamen captured a bicycle graveyard where thousands have been laid to rest. The pile clearly contains thousands of bikes from each of the top three companies, Mobike, Ofo and the now-defunct Bluegogo.

Once hailed as “Uber for bikes”, China’s cycle hire startups allowed users to unlock GPS-enabled bikes with their smartphone, and drop them off anywhere without the need to park it at a dock.

01:30 Peak bike: are China's dockless cycles becoming a public nuisance? - video

Bluegogo’s bankruptcy last week sparked questions about the future of dockless bike sharing in China, amid concerns there are too many bikes and insufficient demand. In an open letter apologising for his missteps, Bluegogo’s chief executive said he had been “filled with arrogance”.

A share bicycle graveyard viewed from the air in Xiamen, south-east China. Photograph: Chen Zixiang/The Guardian

Customers are charged just pennies per 30 minute ride, but competing companies have flooded cities with bikes to ensure cycles are always available. The top two firms have each raised more than $1bn (£750m) in funding.

Shanghai currently has 1.5m shared bikes on the streets, and despite its population being three times greater than London, that number far outstrips the 11,000 Santander Cycles peppered throughout the UK capital.

A mechanic from bike share company Ofo stands amongst damaged bicycles needing repair in Beijing. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

The large number of cycles on Chinese streets have led to scenes of clogged sidewalks no longer fit for pedestrians and piles of mangled bikes that have been illegally parked.

But the scene in Xiamen appears to be one of the largest amalgamations of discarded bicycles, with trucks unloading bikes from around the city.

Output: The future of China's bike-sharing industry is in doubt as demand has fallen catastrophically, according to The Guardian. It cited a bicycle graveyard the size of a football pitch in Xiamen, that was piled high with discarded machines. In an open letter following its recent bankruptcy announcement, Bluegogo CEO Li Gang apologised for having been "filled with arrogance". The country's two biggest operators, Mobike and Ofo, which have secured $1bn of investment between them, are among the companies reportedly flooding the market.


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Why Telemedicine is the Future in Senior Housing
 The 21st Century Senior Living Community is a series brought to you by CDW, a provider of technology solutions and services focused exclusively on serving the healthcare marketplace. The series takes a clear-eyed look at how leading providers and their partners are creating the next generation of senior living communities by raising the bar on services, design and technology.

Debate remains about the terminology, but one thing is certain: telehealth and telemedicine are becoming cornerstones of health care delivery and stand to significantly improve senior care.

A 2016 survey from the National Business Group on Health found that by 2018, 96% of health systems will be using some form of telehealth in their health care delivery. The term “telehealth” is a broad and often misunderstood one, and does not exactly inspire enthusiasm. Yet its sweeping qualities make it an easy concept to understand: it is the use of digital or electronic technologies in the delivery of health services.

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This can mean anything from teleconference doctor appointments to wearing fitness bands, like a Fitbit, that monitor personal behavior to build a health-related dataset.

It’s not surprising, then, that perhaps more than any other demographic, seniors could see the most upside from telehealth’s three key benefits: access, personalization, and quality.

“Fifty percent of hospital readmissions are actually from those over the age of 65,” said moderator Ginna Baik, strategic business development executive at CDW-Healthcare. “It’s becoming not only a pertinent but most important issue inside of health care in general, as well as the continuum of care in senior care.”

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How senior care benefits from telehealth

While there is still some debate surrounding the nuance in terminology, there is general agreement about the value of the technology and the degree to which it will continue to grow, particularly in senior care.

“There really are endless reasons why those greater than 65 have more difficulty accessing care,” said Dr. Eduardo Vadia, co-founder of Access Physicians, during a recent Senior Housing News webinar on the rise of telemedicine in senior housing. “This is a better approach to providing better access.”

The statistics tell the tale. Vadia’s Access Physicians telemedicine program — an acute care program in partnership with Louisville-based post-acute giant Kindred Healthcare (NYSE: KND) — projects more than 600,000 patients served in 2017, leading to an operational savings of $2.64 million and a 17% reduction in mortality rate. He wants to see more outcomes-based data, which will help sell the broader implementation.

The patient experience will, too. Travel time is a huge barrier to health care for seniors. Telehealth cuts that. Access’s program has a Net Promotor Score of +95, with patients expressing satisfaction in their care:

– 99% felt the doctor spent an adequate amount of time with them

– 95% felt the doctor included them in decisions

– 100% felt their questions were answered to their satisfaction

Fighting the cost barrier

While Vadia is encouraged by the program’s ability to deliver “elite care,” he noted that program longevity depends not just on finding clinical wins, but financial ones. This is critical because, as the panelists agreed, one of the largest barriers to widespread implementation is cost.

“What I think success looks like [in telehealth] is policy changes, and having CMS and payers really put some cash behind us, because money makes things move,” said Davis Park, director of Front Porch Center for Innovation & Wellbeing. The center is affiliated with Front Porch, which offers a variety of senior living options, including continuing care retirement communities (CCRC).

To expand upon the results Vadia has seen, Park noted that health care systems must be incentivized to support telemedicine delivery via new payment models.

“I personally think legislation needs to move in this direction,” Park said. “I think that we all should try to be as informed as possible so that we can advocate for these kinds of reimbursement models.”

Medicare has reimbursed for telehealth services since 1997, though conditions for reimbursement vary. Information is available at Center for Connected Health Policy, and individual addresses and ZIP codes required for reimbursement can be searched at www.datawarehouse.hrsa.gov.

For those wanting to launch their own telehealth programs, Park recommends talking to leadership in their organizations, and partnering with organizations in the community already using telehealth initiatives. Front Porch has used grant funding to develop telehealth initiatives in some senior housing settings, focusing on telemedicine and teledentistry.

“This is a very disruptive space, and your care teams are not going to like it,” Park said. “People are not going to be happy that you have a screen in one of your rooms or are wheeling them into people’s bedrooms. We need to be mindful about people’s insecurities about this.”

‘Just medicine’

Perhaps part of the insecurity is the use of language. It’s not just the confusion over the terms, with many not realizing that “telemedicine” is a subset of “telehealth.” The problem is also in the use of “tele.” Vadia wants to normalize telemedicine by driving out the prefix, so that patients, families, and doctors view it just as “medicine” — just another piece of the total medical offering.

Another panelist, Dr. David Lindeman, director of CITRIS Health, offered straightforward advice.

“Don’t sweat the terminology,” he said. “Just focus on what you’re doing.”

Lindeman’s experience with telehealth through CITRIS has been eye-opening. CITRIS stands for the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, and works to bring together laboratory research at various University of California campuses with public and private institutions and investors to facilitate the development of new technologies.

But nothing sells like a personal experience. Lindeman uses telehealth as a patient member of Kaiser Permanente, and saves time by rarely going in for appointments, instead communicating via email.

“This has become expected,” he said. “When people do realize that they do not have to take an hour or two out of the day, a caregiver does not have to take an older adult in for an appointment, or staff has to be assigned to a senior living community to move to a location, it’s a game-changer. And I think it’s now become far more the norm.”

Written by Jack Silverstein

Output: Telehealth and telemedicine will be key features for future health care delivery and senior care. A National Business Group on Health survey in 2016 found that by next year, 96 percent of health systems will likely offer telehealth in their services. The use of electronic or digital technology can include teleconferences for doctors’ appointments to health monitoring devices such as fitness bands. Senior care could be improved through the use of technology, which can provide greater access to healthcare, better personalization and improved quality. With 50 percent of hospital readmissions being patients over the age of 65, improving care and access to care is vital. The Access Physicians telemedicine program, which provides acute care in conjunction with Kindred Healthcare, has estimated that over 600,000 patients will be cared for in 2017, saving $2.64 million in operational costs and reducing the mortality rate by 17 percent. The program has found that 99 percent of users felt the doctor spent a sufficient amount of time on their care; 95 percent felt the physician included them in their care decisions; and 100 percent felt their queries were answered to their satisfaction. With finance being the largest obstacle for wider implementation of telemedicine, the support of CMS and payers is critical for the practice to spread. Since 1997, Medicare has already provided reimbursement for telehealth services, though it is conditional. However, the introduction of telehealth programs should be carried out with care, given the insecurity of patients and care teams about potential disruption.


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Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens to develop hybrid-electric plane
 Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens have formed a partnership to develop a near-term hybrid-electric flight demonstrator for commercial aircraft. The partners expect the E-Fan X series-hybrid-electric technology demonstrator to fly in 2020 following a ground test campaign, provisionally on a BAe 146 flying testbed, with one of the aircraft’s four gas turbine engines replaced by a 2MW electric motor. Provisions will be made to replace a second gas turbine with an electric motor once system maturity has been proven.

The E-Fan X demonstrator will explore the challenges of high-power propulsion systems, such as thermal effects, electric thrust management, altitude and dynamic effects on electric systems and electromagnetic compatibility issues. The objective is to push and mature the technology, performance, safety and reliability enabling quick progress on the hybrid electric technology. The program also aims at establishing the requirements for future certification of electrically powered aircraft while training a new generation of designers and engineers to bring hybrid-electric commercial aircraft one step closer to reality.

Output: Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens have said that they will develop a hybrid-electric plane that seats 50 to 100 passengers. The project, E-Fan X, aims to have a prototype based on a BAe 146 aircraft ready to fly by 2020 before bringing a product to market by 2030. Airbus will build the control architecture of the hybrid-electric propulsion system and batteries; Rolls-Royce will be responsible for the turbo shaft engine and 2 MW generator, while Siemens will deliver the 2 MW electric motor.


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Egyptian-Japanese partnership to construct €500m wind farms
 Cairo – Mubasher: A consortium of Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric and Japan’s Marubeni is planning to establish two 500-megawatt wind farms.

El Sewedy, the largest listed cable company in the Arab world, will deal with Japanese institutional funds to finance both farms, and it has started negotiations with banks over financing the project, sources familiar with the matter told Alborsa News.

The consortium is selecting a land plot in the Gulf of Suez and another in the west area of the Nile.

In March, Elsewedy had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Marubeni to build, own, and operate two 500-megawatt wind farms, with investments worth up to EUR 500 million.

Output: Two 500 MW wind farms are to be constructed in Egypt under a €500m ($594m) deal between the country's Elsewedy Electric company and Japanese trading and investment firm Marubeni. The consortium is understood to be seeking finance from Japanese banks for the projects, which will be constructed on two sites in the Gulf of Suez and west of the Nile.


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Shell to double clean energy investment, halve carbon footprint
 Shell has doubled its spending on clean power and bowed to shareholder pressure by promising to halve the carbon footprint of the energy it sells by 2050, as the oil giant said it was stepping up its ambitions on green energy.

The Anglo Dutch firm is increasing capital expenditure for its new energies division, to $1bn-$2bn (£750m to £1.5bn) a year for 2018-2020, up from a previous plan of up to $1bn a year by 2020.

But the spending on wind power, biofuels and electric car infrastructure will still account for a small fraction of the giant’s planned $25-30bn annual investment. Shell has $5bn-$6bn a year pegged for deepwater drilling and $2-3bn a year allocated for shale oil and gas.

The company’s new climate change target aims to cut the net carbon footprint of its products in half by 2050, and around one-fifth by 2035.

“It is making sure that the products within society have an overall lower carbon footprint. That is the longterm way of making sure our business remains a relevant business in the face of the energy transition,” said Ben van Beurden, Shell’s chief executive.

The carbon target is similar to one put forward by shareholder activists at the company’s AGM earlier this year, which the board opposed and defeated.

Shell said the goal addressed the spirit of the shareholders’ proposal but the company’s chosen methodology meant it did not have “negative side-effects” of the resolution. “We could see a kernel of truth and relevance in there,” said Van Beurden.

The Dutch activist shareholder group behind the proposal, Follow This, welcomed the new target.

“We applaud Shell’s ambitious decision to take leadership in achieving the goals of the Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to well below 2C,” said the group’s founder, Mark van Baal.

Shell said it would grow its new energies division through its existing businesses and by acquiring companies, as it has done recently by buying electric car charging firms Ionity and New Motion.

Van Beurden defended the level of spending on green energy. “Is the investment we are going to put in new energies enough? Let’s see, we have to start somewhere,” he said.

Wind and biofuels would have a key role, he said. “We will systematically improve, we will grow this business up to be a very significant part of the future of the company, otherwise you can’t even get to a 20% reduction of a carbon footprint.

“But we have to do it in a disciplined way. If we destroy value in this process, no one is going to be served.”

However, the company said hydrocarbons would still be at the heart of its business and the global energy landscape over the next two decades.

“Oil and gas will remain an important part of the energy system [up to 2030], no credible forecast says otherwise,” said Van Beurden.

Q&A What is the Paris climate agreement? Show The 2015 Paris climate agreement is the first truly global deal to tackle climate change. It commits governments to limit temperature rises to no more than 2C (3.6F) – which scientists say is the threshold of safety, beyond which the effects of global warming are likely to become catastrophic and irreversible – and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C. It has been signed by 197 countries. The US is on course to become the only country outside the agreement if it follows through on Donald Trump’s vow to leave. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.

On the idea that some of its assets would be stranded by governments taking action on carbon emissions as part of the Paris climate deal, he said: “I think we will have very limited, if any, stranded assets [in the 2020s].”

The chief executive said that the firm sees underlying reasons that the oil price could go even higher than where it stands now, at just over $60 per barrel, but in the meantime the price could be unpredictable.

“I think we will see an era of volatility,” he said, adding: “You may argue the fundamentals point to a slightly higher oil price than we see at the moment.”

As expected, Shell also announced it was would begin rewarding shareholders in cash rather than issuing more shares.

“Ben van Beurden has delivered an early Christmas present for Shell shareholders,” said Nicholas Hyett, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, of the scrapping of the scrip dividend which was introduced after Shell bought gas behemoth BG Group for £35bn in 2016.

Output: Shell has said it plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% by 2035 and 50% by 2050 as it doubles investment in clean energy to as much as $2bn a year from 2018. The reduction in its carbon emissions will come not just from its own operations but will include the consumption of its products, such as petrol. The focus of its clean-energy drive will be wind power, biofuels and electric car infrastructure. Shell has also allocated $5bn to $6bn a year for deepwater drilling and $2bn to $3 billion a year for shale oil and gas.


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London mayor unveils plan for gender-neutral public toilets
 More gender-neutral toilets should be built in public spaces to help trans and non-binary people feel more comfortable, according to Sadiq Khan’s new London Plan.

The mayor’s planning blueprint for London will argue that more public toilets should be built across the capital, including in commercial developments, to reflect the diversity of the city.

The document, due to be published this week, will include guidance saying more toilets must be built in shops, leisure facilities and large public areas that are suitable for all users, including disabled people, older people and families with young children.

For the first time, the London Plan also calls for the provision of gender-neutral toilets for trans and non-binary people.

In addition, it will argue for more “changing places toilets”, which are designed to be suitable for people with profound and multiple impairments, some people with learning disabilities and people who require the assistance of a carer. These are different to standard disabled toilets, with additional features including a height adjustable changing bench, height adjustable sink, a toilet designed for assisted use and a hoist.

Khan said he was concerned that some Londoners and visitors to the city are limited over where they can visit and how long they can spend somewhere because the capital does not have enough appropriate toilet facilities.

“I have vowed to be a mayor for all Londoners so I am determined to ensure that everyone has the ability to enjoy our great city to its fullest,” he said.

“Toilets are a vital public service and can help to shape the experience of the capital for those who live here and for those visiting. We need a range of toilets that reflect the incredible diversity of this city – giving people the confidence to move around London with dignity.”

Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, the charity for LGBT rights, said: “We’re pleased the mayor has used the London Plan to call on councils to create more gender-neutral toilets, and so help meet the needs of all Londoners and the city’s many visitors. Gender-neutral toilets are a practical solution for many people, for many reasons and it’s a powerful demonstration of acceptance that has benefits for everyone.

“But this move isn’t just practical, it’s symbolic. By introducing gender-neutral toilets, planners can show that London is a city that cherishes its diverse population.”

The plan also pleased charities for older people and those campaigning for disability rights. This year, half of respondents to an Age UK survey of over-75s said the issue of too few loos was a “regular” problem when going out shopping.

Paul Goulden, chief executive of Age UK London, said: “It is reassuring to see that the mayor’s London Plan has committed to building more accessible public toilets across the capital. We want as many older Londoners as possible to be able to move confidently around their city without restriction and this pledge should go a long way to improving their experiences when out and about in London.

“The commitment to building more changing places toilets is especially encouraging, as many older people contend with limited mobility or require the support of a carer. We look forward to the provision of the new free, publicly accessible toilets across the city.”

Robert Meadowcroft, chief executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, added: “The mayor has rightly recognised that we need changing places toilets so that profoundly disabled people won’t face a choice between exclusion or changing on the floor of a public toilet.

“Muscular Dystrophy UK and the Changing Places Consortium welcomes this positive move and are keen to work with London’s train stations, shopping centres, cultural institutions and attractions to get more facilities built and make sure the city is accessible for all.”

Output: London’s public spaces should have more gender-neutral toilets for the benefit of trans and non-binary people, according to a blueprint for the capital by mayor Sadiq Khan. The proposals, to be published this week, will call for more public toilets reflecting London’s diversity to be built, including in commercial developments. The guidelines will call for toilets to be accessible for all users, including disabled and older people, and families with young children. The plans will also call for more “changing places toilets” suitable for those with profound and multiple impairments or who require assistance from a carer.


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VR headset shipments surge to record as Oculus cuts prices
 While the debate about whether virtual reality is just some oversold hype rages on, the nascent industry can at least boast of having crossed an important milestone.

According to a report from Canalys today, one million virtual reality headsets shipped in the three months ending September 30. This was the first time the gadgets had topped this mark in a single quarter.

What’s generating that momentum? Price cuts, says Canalys.

“VR adoption in the consumer segment is highly dependent on price, and Oculus’ strategy of lowering prices has definitely helped drive adoption,” said Canalys research analyst Vincent Thielke, in a statement.

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During the third quarter, Sony was the market share leader, with shipments of 490,000 PlayStation VR (PS VR) sets. Facebook’s Oculus was number two with 210,000 Rift headsets shipped. HTC came in third, with 160,000 Vive VR headsets. Those three companies are dominating, accounting for 86 percent of the VR headset market share in Q3.

Thielke pointed to the Rift’s discounted price of $399 over the summer as having helped move headsets. That success inspired Oculus to permanently drop the price to that level this month.

Meanwhile, strong consumer adoption of VR in Japan is giving Sony a boost.

“Sony is well-placed to take advantage of this increasing interest in VR,” said Canalys analyst Jason Low in a statement. “Sony has dominated the Japanese VR headset market since the release of the PS VR, taking more than an 80 percent share, and will continue to lead as it increases supply of the PS VR headset with bundles featuring new titles from popular franchises, including Doom, Skyrim, and Gran Turismo.”

Canalys projects that next year the VR headset market will gain more fuel from PC vendors who will roll out new headsets supporting Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform.

Output: A million virtual reality (VR) headsets were shipped in the three months through September, the most for a single quarter, analytics firm Canalys said. Price cuts for Oculus headsets and strong demand in Japan drove the surge, Canalys said. Sony claimed the largest market share, with 490,000 PlayStation VR sets; Oculus sold 210,000; and, HTC 160,000. Canalys has predicted that Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality platform will boost future sales.


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Airbnb allows people on group trips to split the bill
 Missed the GamesBeat Summit excitement? Don't worry! Tune in now to catch all of the live and virtual sessions here.

When Brian Chesky asked last December what Airbnb should be working on, one of the most popular requests the company’s chief executive received was the option to let groups of guests more easily share the cost of their stay. Today, powered by the company’s acquisition of Tilt, a split payment feature is now available and rolling out worldwide.

According to Airbnb, an estimated 38 percent of guests reported that they didn’t receive all the money owed to them from group trips. It’s something many of us are probably used to — booking accommodations for a friend or family getaway by putting the upfront cost on a credit card, only to find that at the end of the trip, at least one person hasn’t paid their share. Or perhaps it’s extremely complicated to figure out how much someone owes for their stay. Either way, Airbnb’s newest feature promises to eliminate the problem moving forward.

Group travel is a big opportunity for Airbnb, with at least 15.5 million groups using the service last year. Using the split payment feature, you can now send your fellow guests a link where they can provide payment details, make a payment for one or more friends, or add an email address that will direct Airbnb to send someone a notification asking for the money.

This feature will be available in most markets starting today.

James Beshara, Airbnb’s director of group travel, told VentureBeat that split payments are “one of our most-requested features in recent years, and in our initial testing we’ve already had more than 80,000 groups successfully split payments. Starting today, the feature will be live globally and across more than 40 major currencies.” Beshara is the former CEO of Tilt, which Airbnb purchased earlier this year for a reported $50 million. This is the first time Airbnb has officially confirmed the acquisition.

At the time, Tilt was a crowdfunding platform that let users fundraise and pool money online, akin to GoFundMe and others. When asked what specifically about Tilt motivated Airbnb to pursue split payments, Beshara responded: “We’ve been seeing travelers request social and group travel functionalities from Airbnb for quite some time, and combining the expertise of Airbnb and Tilt greatly accelerated our ability to begin solving these problems for our community. Splitting payments — when you have 5, 10, or 15 people paying at different times, using different currencies, and needing the financial side of things to function flawlessly (since guests would lose their reservation if there were any hiccups) — is a significant step forward for social travel, especially when you consider the large cost of accommodations for a group trip.”

According to Airbnb, some of the top destinations where people are traveling with split payments include Paris; New York City; London; Buenos Aires; Los Angeles; Sydney; Melbourne; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; and Boston.

The addition of split payments is another milestone for Airbnb as the company continues to check off features that hosts and guests have asked for. It also gives Airbnb additional tools to target demographics that it may not have optimized before, such as business travelers, groups, and travelers with disabilities.

Output: Airbnb has responded to one of its customers' most frequent requests and launched a service enabling groups of travellers to split their accommodation bill. Available now worldwide, tourists can access a feature in which a link requesting email details is sent to every member of a party, while Airbnb will send notifications for payment. In testing, the company said more than 80,000 groups used the feature successfully. The move followed Airbnb's acquisition of Tilt, a crowdfunding platform that allows users to pool money online, and is the first announced development arising from the takeover.


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YouTube boycott expected to have little impact on bottom line
 Just as controversies roll off Donald Trump, scandals don’t affect YouTube the way that many people hope they will.

YouTube is embroiled in another ad scandal, with advertisers freezing their buys over videos of children on the platform accompanied by obscene comments. Ad buyers say the controversy won’t lead brands to dial back their spending on the platform, though. Those that pull their ads are likely to return, and YouTube will continue to grow and wield control over video buyers.

“Brands say they care [about brand safety], but do they really?” said an ad buyer from an agency holding company, requesting anonymity out of concern of irritating Google. “History says they’ll be back and spending more.”

On Nov. 24, The Times of London reported that brand ads on YouTube were being served next to content and comments that exploited children. Particularly bothersome for brands was that ads were being served next to videos of children singing and dancing in their underwear on YouTube, commenters repeatedly left sexually suggestive comments on the videos and YouTube failed to boot the predatory accounts in a timely manner.

In response to this, brands like Mars, Lidl and Adidas pulled their ads off YouTube. YouTube declined an interview request, but said in a statement that it has shut down hundreds of accounts for making predatory comments and is “working urgently to fix this.”

If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. In March, brands like AT&T and Verizon took their ads off YouTube after the Times — the newspaper owned by Google enemy Rupert Murdoch that also kick-started YouTube’s most recent controversy — published an exposé that showed brand ads appearing in videos that promoted terrorism.

Despite all the hubbub, most of the brands that pulled their ads from YouTube were back on the platform within a few months, and the boycott had little impact on YouTube’s bottom line.

“When you are part of a monopolistic culture, [putting up with YouTube’s gaffes] comes with the territory, unfortunately,” said an exec of an independent ad agency requesting anonymity. “You don’t have a lot of control when they have all of the video views. I think brands will forgive YouTube and move on.”

Marcus Pratt, vp of tech at media-buying shop Mediasmith, said the blowback YouTube is receiving should remind advertisers that digital video doesn’t match TV’s quality or scale. Advertiser optimism about digital video has led demand to exceed supply. This trend leaves advertisers dependent on YouTube — one of the few places selling video inventory at scale — and it has driven publishers to pivot to video in a desperate attempt for ad dollars.

Even if some brands commit to their YouTube holdout for the long haul, it is next to impossible for an individual advertiser to make a dent in the platform’s ad business since it is designed to perpetually draw in buyers by the thousands. Brendan Gahan, founder of social agency Epic Signal, said one of his clients has yet to come back to YouTube after pulling out from the platform this summer, but that overall, his agency continues to put more money toward YouTube in each successive quarter.

The holding company ad buyer said the brouhaha won’t stop brands from pouring money into YouTube, but the protests still serve a purpose for buyers. After YouTube’s scandal earlier in the year, advertisers pressured the video platform into allowing more third-party measurement tags on its platform.

“This will blow over quickly,” the buyer said. “But brands should indeed make a lot of noise. It’s the only thing that forces YouTube to focus on fixing its problems.”

Output: Profits at Google-owned video-sharing site YouTube are not likely to be affected by recent scandals which prompted brands to suspend or withdraw their advertising on the platform, according to an anonymous ad executive. Mars, Lidl and Adidas were among the big names removing their ads from YouTube after they were found next to content that exploited minors, while earlier this year, a similar boycott occurred over extremist material posted on the site. One buyer urged advertisers to continue making a fuss, as it was the "only thing that forces YouTube to focus on fixing its problems".


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Lexplore aims to diagnose dyslexia using AI
 In an era of breakneck change and tech innovation, evaluating dyslexia in young students looks much the same today as it has in the past: A struggling reader’s parents and teachers might sit down, gather information and assess the child on their strengths and weaknesses to determine a diagnosis and appropriate interventions.

Often this is done via paper tests—despite the growing usage of predictive analytics in schools, where there are seemingly as many data dashboards as students in a classroom. All that’s to say, it seems like an industry almost too tempting for deep-pocketed tech investors and an ambitious startup with an eye on using machine learning to trim the fat.

“Today’s methods are quite cumbersome,” explains Frederik Wetterhall, the CEO and co-founder of Lexplore, a company that has devised a dyslexia screening tool that pairs eye tracking cameras with AI and algorithms. “With paper- and pen-based tests, it’s quite hard to read the results and takes a lot of time. [Educators] ask, ‘Who are the kids we think have difficulties?’ and they miss a lot of kids.”

Wetterhall’s company opts for a different approach, screening every student using computers and eye tracking cameras in an effort to find the few that might have dyslexic tendencies. Already, it’s caught the attention of investors, who just this March injected $5.6 million into the company in a funding round led by Gabriel Urwitz, CEO of private equity group Segulah, specifically to help it expand into U.S. schools.

Currently, Lexplore has an established presence in its native Sweden, where it’s used across Stockholm’s municipal education board to help identify kids who may be dyslexic as early as first grade.

“It’s a screening tool, not a diagnostic tool,” clarifies Wetterhall. “The main purpose is to find kids that are struggling with reading early on.”

Eye movements is one of the best ways to index reading ability at an incredibly in-depth level Julie Kirkby

From Research to Reality

Lexplore claims its technology is new—particularly the algorithm that separates typical from atypical readers. But the concepts it’s based on aren’t. Its tech draws from a deep well of previously-conducted research stretching back decades, which is generally supportive of using a combination of eye tracking and machine learning to screen for dyslexia.

“Eye movements is one of the best ways to index reading ability at an incredibly in-depth level,” says Julie Kirkby, a psychology professor at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, who has studied eye tracking and dyslexia for years.

One study from 2015 reported being able to identify dyslexic readers using eye tracking with 80 percent accuracy. That study used different cameras and methods, but Lexplore claims its technology can do even better, achieving 95 percent accuracy in a study conducted by two of the company’s co-founders immediately prior to the launch of the company, originally called Optolexia.

Tools like Lexplore make their analysis by tracing how a reader’s eyes follow words in sequential (or non-sequential) order looking for patterns. Readers at low risk for dyslexia tend to make more progressive movements—from left to right—as they scan words. Dyslexic readers on the other hand make more regressive movements—right to left movements—and do not make regular pauses (or fixations) during reading in the same way non-dyslexic readers do.

A comparison of eye movements between two readers (source: Lexplore)

Claims like Lexplore’s 95 percent accuracy seem a little high but are possible, Kirkby acknowledges, since research has shown that eye trackers can pick up on these reading differences. While researchers are torn on the exact reasons for these differences, they are likely a "product of reading disability rather than a cause," Kirkby says.

For Lexplore, the challenge has been refining this research into something user-friendly and inexpensive enough to make it attractive for schools, particularly ones that screen for dyslexia in traditional ways. According to Wetterhall, his technology is impartial and not subjective the way teachers and paper-based evaluations are. Ultimately, he says, that advantage may help screen at-risk kids faster.

“We have a high balanced sensitivity and specificity,” says Wetterhall. “We are equally good at finding kids with dyslexia and also excluding kids.”

Kirkby, who reviewed the Lexplore research at the request of EdSurge, was most surprised that the study was able to achieve its results using lower-frequency trackers. The data collected might not be suitable for high-quality research of the kind she typically helps conduct, but such innovations could end up making eye-tracking technology more affordable for schools.

Tracking the Market

Lexplore hasn’t made many inroads into U.S. schools, but it has done some preliminary work with a handful of private institutions in the Atlanta area. Among them is the private Galloway School in the tony Buckhead neighborhood, where tuition runs more than $20,000 year. There, the company came to the attention of the school after a suggestion from the parents of a Swedish student. As a result, Galloway became one of the first stateside schools to test drive Lexplore’s technology as part of a research pilot to see how the technology would translate from Swedish to English readers.

At Galloway, Lexplore representatives guided about 200 kids in grades 1-4 through the brief screening process. Kids read two short texts on a computer as a small, mounted eye tracking camera scanned and recorded their eye movements and uploaded it to the company’s database, along with some basic identifying information such as their name and age. That data was then uploaded to the cloud on a Microsoft Azure-based platform. Early in Lexplore’s development, Microsoft helped the company scale its product and now works with them in a sort of informal partnership, assisting with marketing and lead generation.

According to Wetterhall, the collected data is only used to sharpen its machine learning algorithm, which analyzes each child’s eye movements looking for patterns and abnormalities. “We have the data to help us develop our method further,” Wetterhall says, “but when we store it, it’s not connected with personal info, just a birthdate.”

After the screening, Lexplore made results available to the school and asked for feedback. “The kids were in and out in a very quick amount of time, and they were not stressed at all about it, like a regular test,” says Polly Williams, a principal at Galloway’s primary school. “One of the things I asked for was to be able to see a visual comparison of a child who was struggling versus a regular child, side-by-side. I thought that would have been good to show parents.”

Williams says she was impressed, and thinks the service could be significantly cheaper than current screening methods, although pricing hasn’t been set. But she isn’t sure yet whether her school will continue using it. “I think they’re still working out their business model and really identifying how to position and market themselves,” she says. “I don’t think that’s quite figured out yet.”

Right now, Williams says the company offers a couple of different models: a white glove package where company reps come to the school to conduct screenings; an option where schools purchase the hardware and software along with some support; and a do-it-yourself route that includes only the equipment.

It’s that last model that raises eyebrows for Kirkby, who cautions that educators are not necessarily scientists or researchers and may not have the resources to understand how to make the most of their results.

“If they can afford to dedicate someone to understand that data, I think that could present them with a really interesting way of getting more from their interventions,” she says. “Because then they can design an intervention and test a before-and-after scenario. But the schools would have to invest in that knowledge.”

Output: Swedish firm Lexplore has combined artificial intelligence and eye-tracking cameras to create a screening tool that can identify dyslexic children. Already used across Stockholm’s municipal education board and in several private schools in Atlanta in the US, the system traces a reader's eye as it moves over a text. So far the system has achieved 95% accuracy. Lexplore, which has an informal partnership with Microsoft, has yet to work out a US pricing level, but one principal said it was "significantly cheaper" than current systems.


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UK charging network isn't keeping up with EV growth: report
 Analysis from non-standard vehicle finance provider Moneybarn, shows UK infrastructure might be unable to support the growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road.

Numbers of EVs are expected to rise to 700,000 by 2020 and at the end of last year, there were 100,000 Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) in the UK for only 4,615 electric charging stations. This equates to just one charging station every 53 miles. In contrast, there are petrol stations available on average every 29 miles.

This means the current number of charging stations could leave motorists dangerously low on charge and out of range for stations during long journeys and non-motorway travel.

In addition, only 2,500 of the 14,000 electric chargers fall into the ‘rapid’ category which, charges EVs in around 30 minutes. The majority are ‘fast’ chargers which take 3-4 hours - inconvenient for on-the-go charging.

Simon Bayley, sales and marketing director of Moneybarn, said: “While it’s great to see a rise in the adoption of electric vehicles, UK infrastructure needs to keep up. Motorists need peace of mind they can complete journeys without the worry of running out of power or long charging delays. It will be interesting to see how the government responds to this growing need.”

The UK will need a range of technologies for managing electrical consumption to meet an estimated rise of up to 15% in overall demand and to prevent spikes of up to 40% at peak times.

One suggestion has been for drivers to ensure they recharge their EVs overnight when spare power capacity is abundant to avoid power outages. However, 43% of households have no off-street parking, so many drivers will be unable to recharge vehicles overnight in garages or driveways.

The government has introduced the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill in Parliament and aims to invest more than £1.2 billion in the industry, to try and combat some of these issues. However, it’s uncertain whether these changes will happen in time to significantly help motorists, who already own an electric vehicle.

Output: The UK doesn't have enough electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to meet growing demand from the sector, with 4,615 charging points per 100,000 EVs and hybrids, the equivalent of one every 53 miles, according to data from Moneybarn. The car finance provider also pointed out only 2,500 of the UK's chargers could top up an EV within 30 minutes, while the other 11,500 took three to four hours. The government has already pledged to invest £1.2bn ($1.6bn) in the sector.


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SelfDrive offers $1.50 an hour electric vehicle rentals in Dubai
 This story about renting an electric car in Dubai was first published by Gas2.

SelfDrive, an online car rental company in Dubai, has begun offering customers the chance to drive an electric car for less than $1.50 an hour. Yes, a minimum 24 hour rental is required, but that still works out to about $30 for a day’s worth of use. The rental plan is for the all-electric Renault Zoe, a car slightly smaller than the Nissan LEAF that happens to be the highest selling electric car in Europe. Consider the ZOE the little sister of the Samsung SM3 electric car sold in South Korea. Notably, the longer-range ZOE just arrived into the UAE a few weeks ago.

Soham Shah, founder and director at Pinewoods Technology Services Dubai, tells Gulf News: “We are thankful to the Road Transport Authority and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority for collaborating to incentivize electric cars by allowing free charging across all Dewa car charging stations, free parking and Salik tags.”

Dewa has a network of 90 charging stations in Dubai and all of them will be free to use for people who rent from SelfDrive. The rental agreement limits customers to no more than 250 kilometers of driving a day. Cars can also be reserved on a weekly or monthly basis.

Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive officer of Dewa, says, “Under the umbrella of the Supreme Energy Council, Dewa is working on implementing the Dubai Green Mobility Initiative to promote the use of electric and hybrid vehicles. This supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 for Dubai to have the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050 and the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy to slash carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2021.”

All electric car owners in Dubai are entitled to use the Dewa network of EV chargers for free until 2019. They also enjoy priority parking privileges and are not required to pay annual licensing fees. Dewa will have 100 chargers in operation by the end of 2017 with plans to install another 100 next year.

Al Tayer says the incentives are intended to “motivate organizations to use sustainable transport such as hybrid and electric vehicles and to contribute to the sustainable development of the emirate by reducing carbon emissions in ground transport, which is the second largest gas emitter in Dubai.”

Related:

Renault Zoe 40 Launches In The UAE

2017: The UAE’s Year For An EV Charging Boom

Dubai Supreme Council Of Energy Announces New Electric Car & Hybrid Incentives

The UAE Has Become A Cleantech Hub, Because Leadership

Sign up for Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Former Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era — Podcast: I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ... Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps —— grow. So ...

Output: Dubai online car rental firm SelfDrive is offering the opportunity to rent an electric Renault Zoe for less than $1.50 an hour or around $30 per day. Users are limited to 250 km of driving per day and will have have free access to Dewa's 90 charging stations. Vehicles can be rented on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Dubai's Clean Energy Strategy aims for the country to have the world's lowest carbon footprint by 2050 and reduce CO2 emissions by 16% by 2021.


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Researchers develop quantum key distribution encryption system
 A New Level of Cryptography

The advent of functioning quantum computers has been considered to present a threat to today's encryption methods. On the other hand, these quantum systems might hold the key to keeping computers and the internet secure, thanks to quantum cryptography. A team of researchers from Duke University, Ohio State University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have tackled quantum encryption on a whole new scale.

In a study published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers demonstrated a system that uses quantum key distribution (QKD), creating and distributing encryption codes at megabit-per-second rates. The secret lies in putting more information on the photons — light particles used in QKD and in most of today's quantum networks — and combining it with high-speed detectors.

Illustration of a high-dimensional quantum communication device that can stream encrypted video. Image Credit: Agheal Abedzahdeh/Duke University

The feat was achieved by adjusting the moment when photons are released, making it possible to encode two bits of information on a photon instead of just one. As a result, their system can transmit keys five to ten times faster than current methods, which only allow for between tens to hundreds of kilobits per second. Running several systems that use their new method in parallel creates current internet speeds.

This is important, because most of today's existing "quantum-secure encryption systems cannot support some basic daily tasks, such as hosting an encrypted telephone call or video streaming," Nurul Taimur Islam from Duke said in a press release.

Securing a Quantum Future

QKD requires a set of encryption keys sent separately from the encrypted message. In principle, the information becomes "hack-proof," because tampering with the message or the encryption key would alert both the receiver and the sender. However, QKD cannot work flawlessly, because it requires equipment that is still imperfect. This makes QKD vulnerable to hacking.

"We wanted to identify every experimental flaw in the system, and include these flaws in the theory so that we could ensure our system is secure and there is no potential side-channel attack," said Islam, explaining how they had to identify and incorporate the limitations of the equipment they used.

In any case, QKD is still currently the best chance we have for improving today's cybersecurity measures, which have been proven — time and again — to be inadequate to deal with hacks and breaches. And because this new system used equipment that's mostly commercially available, it would be easy to integrate into the current framework of the internet.

Output: Researchers from Duke University, Ohio State University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a quantum key distribution (QKD) encryption system using off-the-shelf components. In an article for Science Advances, the team explained how encoding two bits per photon in transmitted keys, rather than one, made systems between five and 10 times faster, and running several together created a viable internet speed. However, the team also acknowledged that QKD is currently vulnerable to hackers, as the equipment used to devise it is still "imperfect".


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Samsung's 'graphene ball' could rapidly speed up battery charging
 0 The image of "graphene balls"

By AsiaToday reporter Choi Sung-rok

Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) said Monday it has developed 'graphene ball' that could increase lithium-ion batteries' capacity by 45 percent and make their charging speed five times faster.

While the existing lithium-based batteries take an hour to be fully charged, the graphene-based batteries will take only 12 minutes. In addition, the new batteries can be used in electric vehicles, as they can maintain stability at up to 60 degrees Celsius.

The findings were recently published on science journal Nature Communications under the title "Graphene balls for lithium rechargeable batteries with fast charging and high volumetric energy densities."

SAIT has sought a way to apply graphene, which has high strength and conductivity, to batteries, and then found a mechanism for mass synthesis of graphene into a 3D popcorn-like structure using low-cost SiO2, or silica.

According to the new findings, the graphene balls shortened charging time by increasing charging capacity and satisfied high temperature safety when used as material for anode and cathode on lithium-ion batteries.

Since the first commercialization in 19991, the lithium-ion batteries have been applied to mobile devices and electric vehicles, expanding the market. However, its technology has been facing limits in terms of capacity and charging speed. Therefore, various attempts have been made to apply new innovative materials. Graphene has been garnering attention as one of the next generation materials.

Hence, SAIT has applied for two patents in South Korea and the United States related to graphene ball.

Output: Researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) have used graphene balls to increase a lithium-ion battery's capacity by 45% and reduce charging time to 12 minutes. The team used silica to generate synthesised graphene in structures similar to popcorn, which remained stable at high temperatures when used as both an anode and cathode on lithium-ion batteries. SAIT has applied for patents covering the technology in South Korea and the US.


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Soil Essentials targets digitised crop management
 Angus-based precision farming experts Soil Essentials have launched an online precision farming platform aimed at independent agronomists and farm businesses.

The new Kore software is the fruit of a three-year project supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and collaboration with Deimos Space UK, the British arm of Spanish remote sensing experts Elecnor Diemos.

The cloud-based app allows users to incorporate satellite and drone imagery data with existing on-farm information such as soil type, yield maps and historic weather data to aid and improve crop management.

See also: Early success for blight-resistant GM potato trial

While other similar options are available, Soil Essentials managing director Jim Wilson told Farmers Weekly at British Potatoes that Kore’s unique selling point is it is completely bespoke to the individual needs of customers.

Soil testing

An example is the spatial frequency in soil testing protocols, which can vary from business to business. With Kore, any such methodology can be programmed into its data-analysing modules by the company’s developers.

“It also allows small independent agronomy groups or farm businesses to put their own branding on the interface.

“We like independent agronomy and its way of thinking and felt that the sector was in danger of losing out, so needed a precision tool that allows them to compete,” said Mr Wilson.

Satellites

The platform uses satellite imagery from the ESA’s latest Sentinel satellites and updated daily. This is supplemented by drone and tractor sensor imagery where required to ensure access to crop growth data during periods of cloud cover.

Clever functions of the software include the ability to carry out plant counts in crops such as potatoes, sugar beet and maize as they emerge.

Crop growth

Subsequent monitoring of crop growth parameters such as percentage ground cover as the season progresses allows potato growers to produce variable rate desiccant application maps.

Modelling within the platform can also forecast potato yield and tuber size distribution, helping to time crop burn off accurately to maximise marketable yield – particularly important for salad and seed potato growers.

In addition, 50 years of historic weather data is fed into the system and when combined with slope and aspect data, field-scale late blight risk alerts can be produced for more informed fungicide application decisions.

The price of the service starts at £1/ha a year for images from lower cost satellites. More accurate, higher resolution options from the commercial satellite networks are £2/ha a year.

Output: Scottish agritech firm Soil Essentials is hoping to give the independent agronomy sector a boost with the launch of its Kore online platform. Developed with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and in partnership with Deimos Space UK, the system blends existing information on soil type, historic weather data and yield maps with daily-updated satellite and drone imagery from ESA’s Sentinel satellites. The company said Kore can be tailored to a farmer's specific needs, and features crop-count tools and yield forecast models.


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Teladoc reports strong results and aims for 23 million users
 Image: Teladoc

Think telehealth is a trend? The deep-pocketed suits on Wall Street beg to differ.

Teladoc, the 3100-member remote healthcare network, saw its stock price rise by more than 24% over the holiday week, according to the finance website The Motley Fool and various stock trackers.

The move followed Teladoc’s first-ever investor and analyst day and came just a few weeks after the announcement of its third-quarter results: $68.7 million in revenue, for a 112% year-over-year increase; 22.6 million paid memberships, a 33% year-over-year hike; and a 51% spike in total visits. “Teladoc demonstrated very strong performance in the third quarter, delivering results that were at or above our expectations on all key metrics,” CEO Jason Goveric said early this month, foreshadowing the stock’s ascent.

Founded in 2002, Teladoc was the first telehealth platform to take off in the country. It provides round-the-clock access to board-certified physicians with a variety of specialties, including dermatology, behavioral health, and general medicine. The company’s doctors prescribe medical treatments, manage records, and consult patients through an app, which supports video and phone calls.

The model seems to be working. Its 22.6 million members—who made 306,000 visits last quarter—report an average customer satisfaction rate of 95%, according to Teladoc. Members, meanwhile, reported a 92% resolution rate following encounters, the company noted.

And Teladoc’s tentacles extend beyond telehealth. It also uses big data and analytics, medical devices, and consumer wearables to boost care and engage patients, according to the company. Its tool bench, according to experts, combines many of the much-discussed features at the center of the marriage of healthcare and technology.

So, what has this all done for its stock? Teladoc, or TDOC, closed its initial public offering in July 2015 with more than 8.2 million shares of common stock at $19 apiece, according to the company. As of 12:35 p.m. today, Nov. 27, the stock’s value had climbed to $35.80, a 55-cent jump from the opening bell.

Teladoc hosted its investor and analyst powwow last Monday in New York City. The senior management team was expected to highlight “key industry insights” and “several business segments,” the organization noted.

In the fourth quarter, Teladoc expects its revenues to rise beyond $75 million and membership to grow by 400,000, to 23 million people.

Output: New York firm Teladoc has said it aims to have 23 million people paying to access its portal by the end of Q4. The company's Q3 results revealed it had 22.6 million paid memberships, a year-on-year increase of one-third, while revenue reached $68.7m, a year-on-year rise of 112%. CEO Jason Goveric said the results were "at or above our expectations on all key metrics". The firm expects Q4 revenue to reach $75m. Teladoc was the first telehealth platform to take off in the US and offers video and phone access to specialist and general doctors via its app.


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Gene therapy research hindered by virus shortages
 Eager to speed development of revolutionary treatments, the Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it would expedite approval of experimental gene therapies. But the regulatory process may not be the biggest obstacle here.

Biotech companies have exciting plans to introduce treatments that may be transformative, sometimes curing genetic diseases with a single treatment. And the firms are itching to test their products.

But they are struggling to obtain a critical component of the therapy: the disabled viruses used to slip good genes into cells that lack them.

This delivery system lies at the heart of many forms of gene therapy; without the disabled viruses, there is no treatment. But manufacturing them is costly and onerous.

Output: The expanding field of gene therapy is being hampered by a lack of disabled viruses with which to test new treatments, with some companies forced to wait years for a supply. Companies that create bespoke viruses are deluged with orders, but the process of creation is laborious, requires extensive documentation and is prone to setbacks. Smaller firms that don't have the financial clout to follow BioMarin's example and build their own facility, are having to pay millions to buy slots in delivery queues years ahead of time.


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QR payments via GCash accepted in Philippine convenience stores
 MANILLA, Philippines – The Manilla Bulletin reports that GCash, an electronic payments firm that utlizes QR codes, has partnered with Ministop, one of the largest 24-hour convenience store chains in the Philippines, to promote the benefits of cashless payments in the country.

“We are excited over this partnership since Ministop is the first convenience store in the country to embrace e-payment via QR code. This will be good for the larger population because of the ease, convenience, and security that e-payments provide both to the consumers and merchants,” said Anthony Thomas, president and CEO of Mynt, which operates GCash.

Ministop has developed products and services that cater to the consumption profile of the Filipino market with its wide assortment of merchandise and an extensive selection of ready-to-eat products, which are mostly frequented by employees and students, notes the news source.

“Providing 24/7 convenience to our customers has always been our thrust,” said Thelma Roxas-Jacob Ministop’s general manager. “And we find that Globe GCash’s e-payment via QR code program will redefine convenience to our customers by providing them an easier way to shop for their favorite treats and meals with just few clicks on their mobile phones.”

To use the scan to pay feature of the GCash App, customers need to download or update the GCash App in their iPhone or Android smartphone, register for an account and load their GCash wallet in any of the 12,000 GCash partner outlets nationwide, including Robinsons Business Centers, Globe Stores, SM Business Centers, Puregold branches, 7-Eleven Cliqq kiosks and TouchPay kiosks, among others. To make a purchase, users tap or point the phone’s camera at the QR code, and input the amount to be paid.

Thomas told the news source that Filipinos will see GCash becoming more ubiquitous in the next couple of years as it acquires more partner merchants including micro entrepreneurs. “We are not reserving e-payment for organized trade, but also for your cigarette vendor, balut vendor and the sari-sari store, among others. Eventually, you can pay with your smartphone anywhere you go. No need to bring cash,” he said.

Output: Payments using QR codes will soon be accepted in one of the largest retail chains in the Philippines. Ministop, which runs 24-hour convenience stores across the country, is partnering with payment system GCash to deliver the service. Customers will be able to use the GCash app on their iPhone or Android smartphone after loading it with funds at one of 12,000 outlets. Payments can then be made using the phone's camera to scan QR codes on items for purchase. GCash, which is operated by Mynt, is seeking to expand its coverage in the Philippines with similar deals.


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AI headhunter Woo doubles success rate of human recruiters
 The hiring process is tedious for people on both sides of the interview table. There are online forms, stacks of résumés, LinkedIn browsing, and countless job interviews. Each of these tasks is repetitive, a matter of scanning the Internet for data. That makes them ideal for artificial intelligence to take on.

AI is skilled at automating tasks that have a lot of easily accessible data it can learn from. Enter Woo, a recruitment platform that harnesses AI to get people into jobs that best fit them. The platform serves as a headhunting tool for large corporations and a simplified job-hunting tool for talent.

“If you think about an interview, it’s an outcome of a lack of information on both sides,” Woo CEO and founder Liran Kotzer told Forbes. “But if there’s a machine that knows everything—like a god—knows about your past experiences, about your projects, your culture—the machine is going to tell you that there’s a perfect fit and both parties won’t question it.” The company claims its headhunting software, Helena, has a 52 percent success rate of interested candidates accepting job interviews, more than twice that of human recruiters.

Woo isn’t alone—Belong, a startup based in Bengaluru, India, also uses AI to pull information on candidates from all over the Web, including sites like GitHub and Twitter. It then generates a ranking of the best candidates based on the requirements for a given position.

But while using algorithms to streamline the hiring process is clearly attractive to any firm that wants to save on costs and time spent recruiting, as we have written before, AI can often be biased (see “How to Root Out Hidden Biases in AI”). This isn’t the fault of the software, as such—it’s only as good as the data it is fed. And we humans have an unfortunate habit of being unable to shake habits like gender and racial bias. If we’re to avoid such pitfalls in a world in which AI mediates the hiring process, then, we’re going to have to keep a sharp eye out to make sure it does a better job than we have of playing fair.

Output: Large corporations are using artificial intelligence (AI) recruitment platform Woo to headhunt potential employees. Woo uses AI to scan the internet for data, such as LinkedIn pages, to place people into jobs that suit their skills. Its developers claim 52% of candidates identified by Woo's software, Helena, have accepted job interviews, double the rate of human recruiters.


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Washing synthetic fabrics pollutes ocean more than microbeads
 Since the 20th century, clothing has increasingly been considered as disposable, and the industry has become highly globalised, with garments often designed in one country, manufactured in another, and sold worldwide at an ever-increasing pace. This trend has been further accentuated over the past 15 years by rising demand from a growing middle class across the globe with higher disposable income, and the emergence of the ‘fast fashion’ phenomenon, leading to a doubling in production over the same period.

The time has come to transition to a textile system that delivers better economic, societal, and environmental outcomes. The report A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future outlines a vision and sets out ambitions and actions – based on the principles of a circular economy circular economy A systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. – to design out negative impacts and capture a USD 500 billion economic opportunity by truly transforming the way clothes are designed, sold, and used.

Beyond laudable ongoing efforts, a new system for the textiles economy is needed and this report proposes a vision aligned with circular economy principles. In such a model, clothes, fabric, and fibres re-enter the economy after use and never end up as waste. Achieving a new textiles economy will demand unprecedented levels of alignment. A system-level change approach is required and one which will capture the opportunities missed by the current linear textiles system.

Output: Washing synthetic clothes causes more damage to oceans than microbreads found in cosmetics, according to research by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The report, launched on Tuesday by Dame Ellen and fashion designer Stella McCartney, calls for reform of the throwaway nature of fashion and for research into a recyclable, non-polluting “super fibre”. Fast fashion has led to global clothing production doubling in 15 years. Since 2000, the number of times that clothes are worn has fallen 36%. Each year, half a million tonnes of microfibres are released into the ocean from clothes, equivalent to over 50 billion plastic bottles.


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App allows instant purchase, sale or rental of property
 WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Groundbreaking news hit the real estate industry in the United States today as Trent Real Estate, Inc of West Palm Beach, FL, announced that the first build of its unique real estate mobile software application was complete.

The app – which allows anyone to buy, sell, or rent real estate directly from their phone – was seed funded for $150,000 and is currently in Series A seeking further funding to finish the round. The name of the app is to be announced in the near future.

Trent Real Estate

"Our application is the first of its kind. Imagine being able to buy or sell a home as easily as ordering a ride from Uber or Lyft, or a pizza from Dominos – that's exactly what our app does," explained Roy Trent Jr., founder of Trent Real Estate.

"We wanted to create a one-stop shop for brokers, agents, buyers, sellers, and renters. With our app, you don't even need to speak to anyone; just pick up your phone and buy, sell, or rent when you need. We believe that this is a key step forward in the future for real estate brokerage."

Trent, who has personally closed over $3 billion dollars' worth of real estate deals, is the mastermind behind the app, which has made the often-convoluted process of buying, selling, or renting a property a streamlined affair.

Users simply fill out key areas of information such as descriptions, mortgage information and inspection days, then choose the commission percentage they would like to pay the agent they choose. The app has a full database of agents, each of whom competes for business on a first-accepted basis.

Once an agent has accepted the agreement, the app is time-stamped and sent to both parties and accepted as a real contract. Users can also fill out mortgage documents, and related services such as property inspections from the app.

The news comes not long after Inc. Magazine revealed that the real estate industry was ripe for tech disruption. Matt Hunckler, writing for the magazine, said, "real estate has dragged its feet to adopt new technology, and as a result, many processes are weighed down by paper. There is a lot of speculation about how real estate will be disrupted – but companies across the country already have boots on the ground. In 2016, 235 real estate tech companies received VC funding – compared to just 72 in 2012."

Trent Real Estate's unique new app is at the vanguard of this transformation – and promises to be a revolution in the way that over 100m Americans will buy, sell, or rent property in the coming decades.

For media inquiries or to invest in the revolutionary real estate concept, please contact

Roy Trent at 321-305-1422 or email at [email protected].

SOURCE Trent Real Estate

Output: Florida-based firm Trent Real Estate has completed the first build of a groundbreaking, as-yet-unnamed mobile app that allows users to buy and sell real estate using their smartphone. Users can fill out descriptions, mortgage information and inspection days, as well as complete mortgage documents, with everything time-stamped for legality purposes. Trent Real Estate is currently in the midst of a series A round, after having gained $150,000 in seed funding.


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Redrow CEO says local authorities unable to reach housing targets
 Redrow chief executive John Tutte has said government targets won’t be hit while local authorities remain responsible for housing.

Describing the local authority structure as “fragmented”, Mr Tutte said it was unlikely that central government targets would be achieved if the current system was maintained.

“You will never get the housing delivered in this country while you rely entirely on local authorities making the decisions,” he said.

“The problem with housing is it’s left to all the local governments across the country.

“If you wanted to build a railway line from London up to Leeds and you left it to the local authorities, well it’d never get joined up would it.”

Speaking exclusively to Construction News, Mr Tutte said he believed it would be difficult for many smaller housebuilders to access the £44bn-worth of finance promised for housing in last week’s Budget.

“There are so many finance initiatives, it’s a minefield trying to work your way through what all the funding options are,” he said.

“The larger companies, who to be frank don’t need access to that funding, would have the people and the resources and the skillset to understand it all.

“But all this funding is directed [to] businesses that are not of a scale and don’t have the in-house resources to know how to access it.

“So I do think [the government] make life a little bit complicated at times. It’s a pity they can’t have a more effective way to put funding into smaller businesses.”

Mr Tutte also questioned the uptake of government funding in recent years.

“I’d be interested to know of the money that’s been allocated in these funds over the last five years how much of it has actually been taken up,” he said.

“Nothing ever really gets said about that. It’s not the first time it’s happened.”

The chief executive expressed his disappointment over the Budget announcement that the government was conducting another review into landbanking.

However, he told CN he hoped Oliver Letwin’s latest review would analyse other obstacles to development.

“It’s a little bit disappointing that the government still thinks the industry might be landbanking,” he said.

“I think the industry has been reviewed four times on landbanking.

“It comes from local authorities [who] say, ‘We’re granting all these permissions and they are not being built out’.

“But we very much challenge a lot of the numbers that come out of local authorities.

“I’m confident that [Oliver Letwin’s review] will show that we’re not landbanking; hopefully it will also show where the real logjams are.”

Output: Abstract: Councils are unable to meet central government housing targets, Redrow CEO John Tutte said. Housing is the responsibility of different local authorities across the UK and that "fragmented" and complicated system meant it would be tricky for smaller house builders to access the £44bn ($60bn) of financing earmarked for housing, Tutte said. Meanwhile, larger firms who don't need access to that funding are the ones with a skillset to understand the system, he added.


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Redrow Councillors approve 72-home Redrow development in Burbage
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New homes will be built off Lutterworth Road in Burbage, with developers promising dwellings of a distinctly 1930s feel.

Councillors approved reserved matters for the scheme which will feature 72 properties ranging from one bedroom to four bedrooms and containing 14 affordable homes.

Outline planning permission for up to 80 homes was granted in January 2016 before an appeal was due to be heard.

Developer Davidsons initially had a submission turned down but later argued the borough at that time could not demonstrate a five-year housing supply.

To avoid going to appeal the second application was granted.

Now competitor Redrow has followed through with a blueprint to progress the project on former agricultural fields at the back of existing houses.

The firm’s submission stated: “The aim of the proposal is to provide a new high quality residential development that respects and enhances its existing landscape and built context.”

The estate will access from Lutterworth Road and a new crossing and extra footpath are planned.

In an attempt to disperse the road noise from the neighbouring M69 a densely wooded embankment has been established between the site and the motorway.

Redrow said: “A range of plot sizes are proposed, from detached houses to semi-detached and terraced. The scale of the site will be two storeys, with feature dwellings in key locations, these have been positioned in prominent corner locations aiding legibility and wayfinding through the site.

“The proposed properties will have a distinct 1930s architectural style, reflecting the quality workmanship of that era.”

The plans for the 3.4 hectare plot were vigorously opposed by residents and the parish council when initially submitted.

Output: A housing development of 72 homes will be built in Burbage, Leicestershire after the local authority granted planning permission. Redrow Homes will complete the development on a 3.4 hectare site adjacent to existing homes, alongside the M69 motorway. It will consist of homes ranging from one to four bedrooms in size and include 14 affordable homes, which will be designed in a 1930s style, the company said. Planning permission was granted on a second application after another developer, Davidsons, had an earlier submission rejected. The initial plans were opposed by local residents and the parish council.