San Francisco is serious about Airbnb regulation

Since San Francisco is all about startups, it’s no surprise that the city changed its laws to accommodate one of its most successful: Airbnb. Last year, officials passed the so-called “Airbnb law,” legalising short-term rentals of private property with a lot of caveats. Hosts complained that the new rules were inconvenient, so the city is creating a new taskforce to make the regulations easier to follow and catch those breaking the law.

To recap, the rules limit whole-home rentals to 90 days per year, and apply to all short-term rentals (“Airbnb law” is just a nickname). They require hosts to have a business license, register with the Planning Department, pay hotel tax, and occupy the property when not renting it out for at least 60 consecutive days. Hosts also need to keep rental records to show they’re meeting the regulations.

According to the San Fransisco Chronicle, only 700 (out of over 5,000) properties on Airbnb have registered with the department so far, leaving over 85 percent technically breaking the law. Because of this, a revision to the law is being drafted that will “streamline” registration and make it easier to crack down on the worst offenders. The first steps to this simplification are happening soon: business licenses are going to be available online, and the in-person visit required to complete the process will no longer necessitate appointments — you can arrange one if you like, but you’ll also just be able to walk in. In addition, two revisions to the law are going to be discussed. One is said to impose stricter rules and fines for those breaking them, while the other is apparently less strict. Both, however, will tighten up the regulations considerably.

It’s hoped that by reaching out and improving the registration method, more hosts that are essentially acting within the law (apart from paying the relevant fees) will register, leaving the taskforce to focus on weeding out the real offenders. It’s already sent out violation letters to 15 hosts, but it’s not (yet) targeting those who simply aren’t registered. Instead, it’s focused on “bad actors” that are renting out multiple properties illegally. It’s argued that these “hosts” are negatively impacting the city’s housing market, taking valuable property that could be occupied by residents and renting it out short-term for a huge tax-free profit.

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Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Elon Musk-backed project grants $7 million to AI researchers

After Elon Musk donated $10 million to the Future of Life Institute (FLI) to finance studies aiming to keep AIs safe and beneficial (i.e., prevent them from going down Skynet’s path) almost 300 teams submitted their research proposals. Now, the institute is finally done reviewing them all and has decided to grant $7 million from Musk and the Open Philanthropy Project to 37 projects over the next three years. Some of the studies want to teach AI what humans prefer based on body language, one aims to develop a system that can explain its decision to humans, while another vows to figure out how to make sure robots and other intelligent weapons are always kept under human control.

The recipient getting the biggest amount ($1.5 million) proposes a joint Oxford-Cambridge research center to study the long-term impacts of AI, among other things. It will also develop policies to “minimize risks and maximize benefit[s] from artificial intelligence development.” The organizers want to clarify, though, that they’re not fearmongering, especially now that Terminator Genisys is about to be shown in theaters. “The danger with the Terminator scenario isn’t that it will happen, but that it distracts from the real issues posed by future AI,” FLI president Max Tegmark said. “We’re staying focused, and the 37 teams supported by today’s grants should help solve such real issues.” The institute listed all awardees right here, along with a summary of their proposals, many of which would have sounded like science fiction just a few years ago.

[Image credit: kirainet/Flickr]

Filed under: Robots

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Source: Future of Life Institute

Drone helps rescue trapped rafters

Drones aren’t just useful as scouts and signalers during rescue operations — they can play a hand in the actual rescue, too. When the Auburn Fire Department went to help recover two young men stranded in the middle of rapids in Mechanics Falls, Maine, Fire Chief Frank Roma used a DJI Phantom 3 to deliver a tag line that carried a much-needed life jacket. It also doubled as an observer while emergency crews sent an inflatable boat to bring the men back to shore, as you can see in the video below. While Roma notes that the Phantom 3 was his personal machine rather than official equipment, he’s eager to see drones used more often in the field. This only “scratch[es] the surface,” he tells TV network WMTW. It’ll be a while before robots are carrying you out of danger, unfortunately, but that key role in a river rescue offers a glimpse of what’s possible.

Filed under: Robots

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Via: Subrahmanyam KVJ (Twitter), The Verge

Source: Auburn Fire Department (Facebook), WMTW

Here’s 13 patriotic wallpapers to help you celebrate Independence Day

Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July, 4 1776.  The United States declared itself a sovereign union of 13 colonies and remove itself from the control of Great Britain. Our founding fathers made it possible for us to enjoy this day as a holiday, so make sure you celebrate the history, government, and tradition of the United States of America.

Random fact – On Independence day, Americans will consume more than 150 million hot dogs.

If you see a wallpaper that belongs to you and you would like to receive credit, I would love to give it to you! Just drop a comment in the section provided below with some proof (You know, just so we don’t have people claiming things that are not theirs…) So, please choose those that you like and enjoy!

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