App develops next generation taxi payment allowing black cabs to accept chip and pin, contactless and Apple pay March 23, 2016 A new app that allows customers use chip and pin, contactless and Apple Pay when taking a black cab has launched. The app, aptly named cab:app, allows passengers to pay within 90 seconds in locations across the UK. While it will be mandatory for all black cabs in London to offer card and contactless payment from [...]
Switching mobile networks is about to become much easier under new proposals from Ofcom March 23, 2016 Changing your mobile phone provider is about to become much easier. Regulators have put forward new proposals to make switching networks easier for customers. Ofcom has suggested two options, its preferred one being the new provider handling the switch. "It is unacceptable for people to be missing out on better mobile deals because they fear the hassle of [...]
Google’s Android Pay is coming to the UK, letting you pay with mobile on the Tube and across the high street, including Pret, Starbucks, Waitrose and more March 23, 2016 Users of Android will soon be able to use their smartphone to pay for items and even travel to work, as Google prepares to launch Android Pay in the UK following hot on the heels of Apple Pay. Google said it will roll out "in the coming months" with the backing of Britain's biggest banks, but did not [...]
The end of traffic lights? Thanks to driverless car technology, researchers may have just killed them off March 23, 2016 Waiting around at a red light may soon become a thing of the past, and it's all thanks to driverless cars. The technology which will soon mean we can sit back and relax while automated vehicles take us from A to B could spell the end to arbitrary hold ups from frustrating red lights, scientists say. Driverless [...]
Woollip kickstarter: This is the only pillow you need for desk napping March 23, 2016 Feeling the mid-week dip? Flagging a little from early starts and late evenings? You probably need this pillow, which may just be the best invention for desk napping we've seen yet. Bonus – it's also perfect for getting a bit of shut-eye while you're travelling, too. Simply inflate the Woollip cushion and you get a strange looking [...]
Twitter stickers? The latest feature being tested to capture users imagination March 23, 2016 First came gifs, but now Twitter is said to be working on another new visually stimulating feature – this time, it's stickers. The social network is considering letting users edit photos with the addition of "sticker" images such as hearts to add a bit of personalisation. It could also suggest images to post and show how pictures have been changed [...]
Streaming overtook digital downloads and CDs as the biggest source of revenue in the US music industry for the first time last year March 22, 2016 Streaming became the biggest source of revenue for the music industry in the US for the first time ever last year, new figures have revealed – and the recent trend for buying vinyl has pushed the sector back to 1980s levels. The streaming category includes subscription services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Jay Z's [...]
Uber’s giving £10k to hackers with a bug bounty program to find security flaws March 22, 2016 Uber is offering up to $10,000 to hackers. No, it's not some sort of blackmail, it's for the friendly sort who can spot security flaws in their technology meaning they can fix it before any not so friendly hackers do. The so-called bug bounty program offers a tidy cash sum to anyone who can track down bugs in their code as [...]
Apperio, London tech startup with aim of bringing “meaningful transparency” to legal system, raises £1.7m in seed funding round March 22, 2016 London legal technology startup Apperio has secured £1.7m in a seed funding round. The company, which provides a real-time legal fee tracking platform, said it has been backed by Notion Capital, NextLaw Labs and IQ Capital among others. This was Apperio's second funding round and was led by Notion Capital, which focuses on cloud computing and [...]
Brussels airport explosions: Facebook Safety Check activated for Brussels terror attacks March 22, 2016 Facebook has deployed Safety Check, a feature designed to alert loved ones that you're ok in an emergency, after the Brussels terror attack. Explosions at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro killed more than 30 people and seriously injured many more. Some have criticised the tech company for not activating the feature earlier, however, while others have asked why [...]