ULEZ London

[nixiefreqq]

worked with a guy in about 1978 who had been a fire control tech on the battleship pennsylvania during ww2. as a result he was easy to sneak up on and could converse only if he could read your lips.

but he was still one of those guys who argued that tube audio was far superior to solid state. (he also chain smoked, drank buckets of coffee, and would swear like......well like a sailor. despite his reputation for being grumpy he was a great guy.)

how he decided to be the office expert on hi-fi is a mystery (maybe it was just for sport?). people will squabble over the strangest things.

[dl6lr]

Nothing to do with HiFi, but:

In german computer magazine c't they made a double blind test with MP3 audio compression some years ago. The one that was able to hear all MP3 artefacts and clearly identify MP3 against losless reproduction was a hearing impaired person. They concluded that it was most probably he would hear artefacts that were hidden by other tones. so normal hearing people would not detect those artefacts.

[tggzzz]

worked with a guy in about 1978 who had been a fire control tech on the battleship pennsylvania during ww2. as a result he was easy to sneak up on and could converse only if he could read your lips.

I can certainly hear better if I can see lips moving. Bushy moustaches/beards are a problem.

[tggzzz]

Nothing to do with HiFi, but:

In german computer magazine c't they made a double blind test with MP3 audio compression some years ago. The one that was able to hear all MP3 artefacts and clearly identify MP3 against losless reproduction was a hearing impaired person. They concluded that it was most probably he would hear artefacts that were hidden by other tones. so normal hearing people would not detect those artefacts.

The ear/brain system is non-linear in every dimension.

In some circumstances I can hear what is being said at least as well as people with normal hearing. At others the syllables/phonemes juggle themselves around and the only solution is to get the other person to use a synonym - which isn't as easy as you would think.

One amusing/sad artefact of my hearing aid is that I can't hear sine waves. Or more accurately, I can only hear sine waves for a fraction of a second - then they fade rapidly over maybe 500ms as the hearing aid removes the "howlback".

[mnementh]

Little enough loss that he doesn't use it all the time, and sometimes prefers to just hold the speakerphone up to his ear. I really don't know the medical details; I never got that far looking into it because he wouldn't have it. He showed me the paperwork that came with when he got it; it stated it supported MFi (an Apple BTLE extension for hearing aids), and Telecoil. I forget the name, but Android has a similar BTLE extension for hearing aids.

I envy your father; my hearing was that good a decade ago.

MFi/BLTE are irrelevant for my hearing aids. They have a telecoil, which I can't use in many places (e.g. sitting typing this) because there's a buzz from the harmonics of 50Hz.

The only voice captioning app that I know is recommended by any agency is ClearCaptions; researching them was where I got the other links.

Ref please.

From there I found out about the FCC's HAC phone rating system, which is very useful if you'd bother to follow that trail.
Here's Apple's HAC rating chart: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202186

Oh, I know all about HAC - as I mentioned earlier, the phones I use are M4/T4.

All Apples phones are only M3. Surprise, surprise, the ones you said have good have excellent sound aren't up to the task.

But none of that changes the fact that hating on any general-market phone, no matter the format, for not having the exact specifications your "prescription" phone has is just not reasonable.

Bullshit, pure and simple.

I don't have anything resembling a "prescription phone" (except in your imagination). I use mass market phones available in local supermarkets, e.g. https://www.argos.co.uk/product/2151359 (HAC: T4/M4).

• Wired phone is a bog-standard old BT speakerphone
• Cordless phones are Panasonic phones recommended by "Which?". I'd give a link to the review, but it is behind a paywall.
• Cellphone is the Doro 6020, cost £70 (plus probably £20/year phone charges).

The fact is that the likeliest place to get a decent speaker with enough volume (or boosted volume, as iPhones have in their Accessibility settings)

More ignorance: your ref indicates all Apple phones are the poorer M3. I use mass-market M4 phones.

for you to hear and compatible connected-hearing-aid connectivity is going to be with a mid-range or better smartphone, because that is where the manufacturers spend the dev money, not flip-phones which are the bottom of the barrel tech-wise.

Wrong again. Doro advertises "Looking for an easy-to use mobile phone for yourself or for an elder relative? All our phones are designed with seniors in mind and feature extra loud and clear sound, large separated keys and a high visual contrast that make them easier to use than other phones."

Aside from special-purpose devices like yours where somebody pays a premium for specific features in what would otherwise be an ordinary or even remarkets a slightly-modified budget phone, which is just plain medical racketeering (I'm looking at you, JitterBug ); the manufacturers just don't spend the money on those "budget" products.

Doro spends the money, because that is their USP. Get them in your local supermarket.

However, I notice that Doro have just introduced a M4/T4 android phone. I'll see if I can find any reviews of it.

Your comments about Jitterbug illustrate why I insist on reviews from organisations dedicated to deafness, and where I can understand who pays their salaries.

And now we've gone recursive, right back to the point where I said that you are using a phone custom-made for the hearing-impaired. Arguing that is not what you're saying doesn't make it so, it just makes you sound like a loon, which I know you are not.

Where I found out aboot ClearCaption was in an article by the Hearing Loss Association of America: https://www.hearingloss.org/ which is a top-rated non-profit specializing in providing these much needed tech products to people who need it at reduced or zero cost.

I don't have that exact article on hand, and I cannot find it now. Here is the page where they link to it and several other such apps/devices: https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-hel ... e-devices/

M3 (microphone - the worst possible connection) is not bad; any rating M2 or higher is considered good. Sure M4 is better. You would expect that from a phone marketed as being made for the elderly and hearing-impaired.

And of course, the best sound quality you're going to get is with a connected hearing aid, which is what my dad got from the VA.

As for the quality of the Doro phones... I cannot speak to that; Jitterbug advertises similarly, but the couple dozen I've had across my bench over the years ranged from utterly craptacular to downright fraudulently poor quality. Their top of the line (which costs like a iPwn) with huge speaker and oversized buttons is just a crappy ABS shell around the cheapest possible Chinesium phone guts, and are literally so cheaply made as to be nearly unrepairable. It is only the mass of all that cheap plastic which keeps them in one piece as long as they do last.

mnem
*sigh*

[tggzzz]

And now we've gone recursive, right back to the point where I said that you are using a phone custom-made for the hearing-impaired. Arguing that is not what you're saying doesn't make it so, it just makes you sound like a loon, which I know you are not.

"custom-made" means "made to individual specifications" https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/custom-made
If you wish to use "custom made" to mean something else, that is your pogo-stick[1]. But please let us in on the secret of what you mean by "custom made".

Supermarkets do not sell "custom made" items. Full stop. They sell mass-market items.

They do sell the Doro phones I mentioned; they are mass-market phones, not custom made phones.

[1] cf ""glory" in the famous passage https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/789880 ... alice-said

[mnementh]

Oh, FFS...

What. the fuck. ever. You need to be right on this one, fine. You're right, I'm wrong, there is no room for give, nothing I said was valid. It's all yours...

mnem

...congratulations.

[Specmaster]

It looks like I have eventually found the new replacement car after the old was deemed a write-off, if everything goes according to plan, it will be another Škoda Superb, estate car this time but of the latest style, will not have all the goodies of the old one, TV etc, but has all the essentials, sat nav, cruise control etc and 3 years newer and just in case, its ULEZ compliant so nothing to pay if a go into the London Mayors new zone

[Specmaster]

How is this for a crafty way of avoiding the ULEZ charge in London.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHVSzCwpZA

[Robert]

How the hell did this get onto cell phones and deaf people?
I finally had a hearing test a couple of mont's ago. As suspected my high frequeny response is shot (1kHz is 6dB down higher frequencies 30-40dB). So I now have hearing aids. At SWMBO's insitance I got the fancy ones with bluetooth. As well as making my hearing clearer and letting me hear the continuity buzzer on a Fluke, they also make a passable hands-free kit. Ought to at over £3000 I don't even have to get my phone out to answer a call, just tap my ear.

[tggzzz]

How the hell did this get onto cell phones and deaf people?
I finally had a hearing test a couple of mont's ago. As suspected my high frequeny response is shot (1kHz is 6dB down higher frequencies 30-40dB). So I now have hearing aids. At SWMBO's insitance I got the fancy ones with bluetooth. As well as making my hearing clearer and letting me hear the continuity buzzer on a Fluke, they also make a passable hands-free kit. Ought to at over £3000 I don't even have to get my phone out to answer a call, just tap my ear.

My ears are 110dB and 60-80dB down.

My aids are free, including replacements for lost/damaged/chewed/etc aids, and whenever I need new ones. Make sure you have appropriate insurance, and are particularly careful when taking facemasks off.

They, of necessity, prevent me from hearing sine waves, e.g. an oscillator, continuity buzzer. The aid has to interpret sine waves as howlback, because at those gains there will be howlback. My father had much earlier generations, and ever with the aid in a shirt pocket, there was sometimes howlback.

[Cerebus]

How is this for a crafty way of avoiding the ULEZ charge in London.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHVSzCwpZA

Having seen the first comment, pinned by the video producer, I think I shall be giving the video a miss:

There is no climate crisis, it is simply a UN plot to force world Communism on us all.

[Cerebus]

... So I now have hearing aids... I don't even have to get my phone out to answer a call, just tap my ear.

Congratulations, you've just become a superannuated ear-budded hipster!

[Specmaster]

How is this for a crafty way of avoiding the ULEZ charge in London.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHVSzCwpZA

Having seen the first comment, pinned by the video producer, I think I shall be giving the video a miss:

There is no climate crisis, it is simply a UN plot to force world Communism on us all.

WTF, you have formulated an opinion based on that? I'd have thought an educated person like you would at least have an open mind and listen to the evidence, it could, perhaps, open your eyes. But it seems as if anybody who has a different opinion to you, that they are automatically wrong. Have you never considered that perhaps they may have spotted something that you missed?

Personally, I always give people the benefit of doubt, and I'm not afraid to admit if I get things wrong when people can clearly and calmly demonstrate that.

[Cerebus]

How is this for a crafty way of avoiding the ULEZ charge in London.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHVSzCwpZA

Having seen the first comment, pinned by the video producer, I think I shall be giving the video a miss:

There is no climate crisis, it is simply a UN plot to force world Communism on us all.

WTF, you have formulated an opinion based on that? I'd have thought an educated person like you would at least have an open mind and listen to the evidence, it could, perhaps, open your eyes. But it seems as if anybody who has a different opinion to you, that they are automatically wrong. Have you never considered that perhaps they may have spotted something that you missed?

Personally, I always give people the benefit of doubt, and I'm not afraid to admit if I get things wrong when people can clearly and calmly demonstrate that.

It purports to be a video about ULEZ workarounds, there's no need to have an open mind about that, or to give it a fair crack of the whip. It's either interesting or not, and the purported subject I would find interesting even if only from the "flaws in systems" approach. Not so interesting however that I want to watch something from someone who will pin a conspiracy nutjob comment like that.

There's keeping an open mind, and there's having a mind so open that your brain falls out - entertaining people who will support claims that "There is no climate crisis, it is simply a UN plot to force world Communism on us all" fall into the latter category. Are you seriously suggesting that I should have an open mind about that claim, or waste my time on listening to people who clearly wish to encourage promotion of the idea?

[Specmaster]

No I'm not saying that at all "C", but I'm also not going to bother trying to explain anything because it is evident that you have already made your mind up about everything including his motives for pinning such a comment. Let's move on, I'll continue with my open mind approach, one day I might walk about in the nude unintentionally of course, but at least I'll hear it when someone shouts out that I have no clothes on

[Cerebus]

No I'm not saying that at all "C", but I'm also not going to bother trying to explain anything because it is evident that you have already made your mind up about everything including his motives for pinning such a comment. Let's move on, I'll continue with my open mind approach, one day I might walk about in the nude unintentionally of course, but at least I'll hear it when someone shouts out that I have no clothes on

The irony here is that because you're a believer in some rather outré theories surrounding ULEZ, LTNs and the like you see the video maker as a fellow traveller and are failing to critically examine that which is obvious - the motives for pinning such an obviously lunatic conspiracy comment. One doesn't draw deliberately attention to a comment and pin it at the top of the list of comments unless one agrees with the idea and wishes it promoted. To suggest that coming to such a conclusion without in-depth examination of the video or the video maker is a sign of close mindedness is frankly ridiculous. Denying the obvious is not being open minded.

[Specmaster]

No I'm not saying that at all "C", but I'm also not going to bother trying to explain anything because it is evident that you have already made your mind up about everything including his motives for pinning such a comment. Let's move on, I'll continue with my open mind approach, one day I might walk about in the nude unintentionally of course, but at least I'll hear it when someone shouts out that I have no clothes on

The irony here is that because you're a believer in some rather outré theories surrounding ULEZ, LTNs and the like you see the video maker as a fellow traveller and are failing to critically examine that which is obvious - the motives for pinning such an obviously lunatic conspiracy comment. One doesn't draw deliberately attention to a comment and pin it at the top of the list of comments unless one agrees with the idea and wishes it promoted. To suggest that coming to such a conclusion without in-depth examination of the video or the video maker is a sign of close mindedness is frankly ridiculous. Denying the obvious is not being open minded.

Do you believe that approx. 4,000 Londoners die each year due to air pollution, or that 142 people in London Borough of Redbridge die of air pollution each year? Do you know of anyone in London who has died because of air pollution? These are figures that Sadiq Khan is quoting and hence why he is on a crusade to save peoples lives through the introduction of the expanded ULEZ scheme, say he who drives around in one the most polluting vehicles on the planet, a thumping big gas guzzler, a Range Rover, while telling others to down size, ride a bike or even walk. Now I was never a fan of Boris Johnson, but at least he did lead by example when he was London Mayor, he used to ride a bike and Ken Livingstone used public transport.

I don't believe everything these video makers say, I have an open mind and quite capable filtering the BS from the truth.

[vk6zgo]

How is this for a crafty way of avoiding the ULEZ charge in London.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHVSzCwpZA

A so-so bit of amateur comedy, but I somehow doubt it would work.
Can you really transfer ownership of your car unilaterally in the UK?

Back in the "Dreamtime", my mate & I did own a couple of cars during a brief sojourn in that country, & as far as I can remember, both buyer & seller needed to agree to such a transfer.

I have owned many more in Oz, & the normal way, at least in WA is for the ownership, as far as the licensing authorities are concerned, to not change until signed documents are received from both the seller & buyer.
In addition, the "owner of record" is whoever holds the current license, with any fines charged to that person, so licensing it yourself & saying "But it belongs to Fred" won't fly!

[bd139]

No I'm not saying that at all "C", but I'm also not going to bother trying to explain anything because it is evident that you have already made your mind up about everything including his motives for pinning such a comment. Let's move on, I'll continue with my open mind approach, one day I might walk about in the nude unintentionally of course, but at least I'll hear it when someone shouts out that I have no clothes on

The irony here is that because you're a believer in some rather outré theories surrounding ULEZ, LTNs and the like you see the video maker as a fellow traveller and are failing to critically examine that which is obvious - the motives for pinning such an obviously lunatic conspiracy comment. One doesn't draw deliberately attention to a comment and pin it at the top of the list of comments unless one agrees with the idea and wishes it promoted. To suggest that coming to such a conclusion without in-depth examination of the video or the video maker is a sign of close mindedness is frankly ridiculous. Denying the obvious is not being open minded.

Do you believe that approx. 4,000 Londoners die each year due to air pollution, or that 142 people in London Borough of Redbridge die of air pollution each year? Do you know of anyone in London who has died because of air pollution? These are figures that Sadiq Khan is quoting and hence why he is on a crusade to save peoples lives through the introduction of the expanded ULEZ scheme, say he who drives around in one the most polluting vehicles on the planet, a thumping big gas guzzler, a Range Rover, while telling others to down size, ride a bike or even walk. Now I was never a fan of Boris Johnson, but at least he did lead by example when he was London Mayor, he used to ride a bike and Ken Livingstone used public transport.

I don't believe everything these video makers say, I have an open mind and quite capable filtering the BS from the truth.

Regarding your last comment, possibly not.

1. Reduction of pollution is a net gain for everyone, no?

2. The reason Khan drives around in a large bullet proof Range Rover is because of death threats by conspiracy lunatics and racists, a point that is omitted in any Khan-critical diatribe.

3. People don't die of pollution directly but it accounts of excess statistical deaths in certain areas from respiratory problems such as lung cancer by shortening lives. That is converted to an excess deaths number because it's difficult to describe to people with little to no mathematical knowledge what it means.

4. Yes I've watched two people slowly die from respiratory related diseases in London with pollution as a contributing factor. It's not pretty. You should watch one and see.

[Specmaster]

How is this for a crafty way of avoiding the ULEZ charge in London.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHVSzCwpZA

A so-so bit of amateur comedy, but I somehow doubt it would work.
Can you really transfer ownership of your car unilaterally in the UK?

Back in the "Dreamtime", my mate & I did own a couple of cars during a brief sojourn in that country, & as far as I can remember, both buyer & seller needed to agree to such a transfer.

I have owned many more in Oz, & the normal way, at least in WA is for the ownership, as far as the licensing authorities are concerned, to not change until signed documents are received from both the seller & buyer.
In addition, the "owner of record" is whoever holds the current license, with any fines charged to that person, so licensing it yourself & saying "But it belongs to Fred" won't fly!

I think you can, but I also think that would also effectively have other repercussions I just thought that is well worth a look even if it was sh1ts and giggles.

[Specmaster]

Regarding your last comment, possibly not.

1. Reduction of pollution is a net gain for everyone, no?

2. The reason Khan drives around in a large bullet proof Range Rover is because of death threats by conspiracy lunatics and racists, a point that is omitted in any Khan-critical diatribe.

3. People don't die of pollution directly but it accounts of excess statistical deaths in certain areas from respiratory problems such as lung cancer by shortening lives. That is converted to an excess deaths number because it's difficult to describe to people with little to no mathematical knowledge what it means.

4. Yes I've watched two people slowly die from respiratory related diseases in London with pollution as a contributing factor. It's not pretty. You should watch one and see.

Pollution generally is reduced and it seems that with the introduction of newer and more fuel efficient engines, along with the reducing engine capacity means extracting the best possible HP from them also means that any fuel is being burnt effectively and therefore cleaner emissions are result. I have long advocated for these large V8+ engines to be effectively be removed from new cars, they are not required, you really cannot use their full potential in just about every country in the world, has sensible speed limits and too much traffic combined with unsuitable roads that prevent it.

Some modern cars have CO2 emissions of below 50g per mile, just a few years ago that would have been in the realms of around 300g per mile and higher. Cars these days are supposed to have catalytic convertors to help reduce it even further. Recent Chelsea mud pluggers like the large Range Rovers are still around the 300g per mile, compared with my new car, 109g per mile, with 150HP and yet when I had a B5 Passat (same sized engine 1.9L) that produced 90HP and CO2 was over 200g per mile.

Now I can also illustrate that air pollution is vastly superior today to what it was a few years, way before EV cars were even a thing, I suffered from Chronic Asthma years ago and could not go anywhere without a a blue Salbutamol inhaler and I'd have a lot of them in a year, even at times needing blue light medical assistance. Today I have been without an haler on my person for almost 20 years and I have had zero other medication for my Asthma, so the pollution which was triggering it bears no real comparison to what it was back then. So I actually know from personal experience that the pollution is not as bad as some people in power are claiming it to be.

I used to have to drive to West Bromwich on a regular basis for meetings and in my cars which all had the 66 Litre tank, I could do that round journey approx.1 and a half times, with my current car that is now 3 times with the same sized tank, a massive improvement and with Euro 7 engines being released, that is going to continue to improve.

[mnementh]

No I'm not saying that at all "C", but I'm also not going to bother trying to explain anything because it is evident that you have already made your mind up about everything including his motives for pinning such a comment. Let's move on, I'll continue with my open mind approach, one day I might walk about in the nude unintentionally of course, but at least I'll hear it when someone shouts out that I have no clothes on

The irony here is that because you're a believer in some rather outré theories surrounding ULEZ, LTNs and the like you see the video maker as a fellow traveller and are failing to critically examine that which is obvious - the motives for pinning such an obviously lunatic conspiracy comment. One doesn't draw deliberately attention to a comment and pin it at the top of the list of comments unless one agrees with the idea and wishes it promoted. To suggest that coming to such a conclusion without in-depth examination of the video or the video maker is a sign of close mindedness is frankly ridiculous. Denying the obvious is not being open minded.

Open-mindendness is one thing; it must be tempered with critical thinking. Distrust anything you haven't researched yourself. My recent embarrassment in this forum stemmed directly from not applying that mantra to stuff I absorbed as a youth and took for granted for decades.

I don't want to be dismissive; but this guy's a pretty obvious sensationalist hack; just this side of the 5G wingnuts, if not actually one himself.

mnem
"Keep a sufficiently open mind, and other people will throw all kinds of crap in there." ~mum

[Cerebus]

No I'm not saying that at all "C", but I'm also not going to bother trying to explain anything because it is evident that you have already made your mind up about everything including his motives for pinning such a comment. Let's move on, I'll continue with my open mind approach, one day I might walk about in the nude unintentionally of course, but at least I'll hear it when someone shouts out that I have no clothes on

The irony here is that because you're a believer in some rather outré theories surrounding ULEZ, LTNs and the like you see the video maker as a fellow traveller and are failing to critically examine that which is obvious - the motives for pinning such an obviously lunatic conspiracy comment. One doesn't draw deliberately attention to a comment and pin it at the top of the list of comments unless one agrees with the idea and wishes it promoted. To suggest that coming to such a conclusion without in-depth examination of the video or the video maker is a sign of close mindedness is frankly ridiculous. Denying the obvious is not being open minded.

Do you believe that approx. 4,000 Londoners die each year due to air pollution, or that 142 people in London Borough of Redbridge die of air pollution each year? Do you know of anyone in London who has died because of air pollution? These are figures that Sadiq Khan is quoting and hence why he is on a crusade to save peoples lives through the introduction of the expanded ULEZ scheme, say he who drives around in one the most polluting vehicles on the planet, a thumping big gas guzzler, a Range Rover, while telling others to down size, ride a bike or even walk. Now I was never a fan of Boris Johnson, but at least he did lead by example when he was London Mayor, he used to ride a bike and Ken Livingstone used public transport.

I don't believe everything these video makers say, I have an open mind and quite capable filtering the BS from the truth.

That's not the point. The point is giving a pass to someone promoting content like: "There is no climate crisis, it is simply a UN plot to force world Communism on us all.". So Graham, do you believe that, do you think that is a worthwhile thing to promote? Because you are prompting it if you uncritically pass this guy's videos around. You raised no caveats at all, just passed it on as "How is this for a crafty way of avoiding the ULEZ charge in London.....". All I did was say I was giving it a miss if he wanted to promote what's quoted above, and you turned that into accusations that I was close minded and had made my mind up about everything. Yes, I have made my mind up that people who promote that kind of unfounded conspiracy crap are dangerous nutters and poisonous to the fabric of society.

And actually I can easily believe that 4000 people a year in London (population 8,799,800, so 45 deaths/100,000) die with air pollution as a contributory factor. I myself have been blue lighted to hospital and treated in resus for an asthma attack on a day when pollution was particularly bad. They don't wheel you straight into resus unless they are are concerned that you may need immediate life-saving treatment. They told me that more than 1/2 the people in A&E that day were people with underlying respiratory problems. You can literally track hospital admissions for asthma in lockstep with pollution levels. The same applies to people with COPD, heart disease and so on.

There is no debate to be had as to whether London's air is too polluted or whether that kills people. It's easily determined to be the case from a review of statistics. It's as close to settled scientific fact as it's possible to arrive at from epidemiological data. Whether ULEZ will have any impact on that is debatable. I personally think it won't, and that it is a little pet project of the major's that is being pursued regardless of whether it will work, or without regard to what impact it will have economically, especially in the poorer outer boroughs.

Moreover, I've much more skin in the game than you have, actually having paid ULEZ charges and having to spend serious money on a new car to avoid them in future, effectively scrapping a car that was innately low polluting and still had several years of life left in it, embedded pollution that was just wasted because ULEZ was effectively based on vehicle age not actual environmental impact. Funnily enough I can think that ULEZ is all a waste of time and money, and be aggrieved about it, and still think that's no reason to climb into bed with people who think "There is no climate crisis, it is simply a UN plot to force world Communism on us all.".

[Cerebus]

How is this for a crafty way of avoiding the ULEZ charge in London.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHVSzCwpZA

A so-so bit of amateur comedy, but I somehow doubt it would work.
Can you really transfer ownership of your car unilaterally in the UK?

No, you can't. Both parties have to file paperwork with DVLA to make the transfer effective.