These three charts show how we use the internet now May 20, 2016 More Britons than ever used the internet in the last three months, according to newly-released data from the Office for National Statistics. Almost 46m adults accessed the internet in the last quarter, accounting for 87.9 per cent of all UK adults, a modest jump on 86.2 per cent in 2015. The percentage of Britons who had never used [...]
Contactless card payments are still on the up, but customers aren’t completely sold on them yet May 20, 2016 Contactless payments have more than doubled in the last year from one in 16 transactions to one in seven, but consumers are still not fully sold on them, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 adults by Defendernote indicated that almost a third (30 per cent) said bank customers should reserve the right to [...]
Sharing is caring: Science has found a solution to tackling low battery on our mobile phones through new system PowerShare May 20, 2016 It's time to rejoice as science might finally have solved one of the most tiresome 21st century (and first world) problems we're all blighted with – low phone battery. A new technology, called PowerShare, consists of docking aids and flexible coils that are embedded in a smartphone or smartwatch that allow you to control the [...]
Watch out bitcoin: Competitor cryptocurrency Ethereum’s value is already up 1,100 per cent this year May 20, 2016 Watch out bitcoin, there's a new kid firmly on the block. Bitcoin competitor Ethereum has shot up in value to become the world's fastest growing major cryptocurrency since the start of this year, growing by 1,100 per cent since the beginning of January. In comparison, the price of bitcoin has grown by around five per [...]
Plain packaging: New UK cigarette rules are “plain crazy” after High Court ruling against big tobacco firms yesterday May 20, 2016 Uniform cigarette packaging slammed as "plain crazy" comes into effect today after the High Court ruled against a legal challenge from big tobacco firms. Opponents fear the "Soviet style" plain packaging will put tobacco brands at risk of being "eradicated" and lead to a rise in cigarette counterfeiting. All cigarette packets manufactured from today will [...]
Plain packaging: Here are six reactions to today’s High Court ruling on cigarette packets in the UK that will be introduced tomorrow May 19, 2016 This afternoon the High Court ruled against a legal challenge brought forward by big tobacco companies to try and avert new plain packaging laws that will be implemented tomorrow. The world's big four tobacco companies were involved in the legal challenge, which was led by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco. Japan Tobacco International [...]
This one chart shows the impact plain packaging laws had on cigarette sales in Australia (spoiler: it wasn’t much) May 19, 2016 This afternoon, big tobacco companies lost a High Court appeal against new plain packaging rules that will come into effect tomorrow. From 20 May, all cigarette packets will have to look similar under the new domestic laws, with the same green colour, font, size, case and alignment of text on boxes. Read more: Big tobacco [...]
New EU tobacco rules: In defence of the menthol cigarettes and packs of 10 that will soon be banned May 19, 2016 Among the many petty new rules being introduced in the EU's Tobacco Products Directive, which comes into force tomorrow, is a ban on menthol and a ban on packs of 10. The ban on menthol came about as a result of anti-smoking hype about "characterising flavours". There was much chatter in Brussels about the supposed allure [...]
