Month: May 2019
BBM messaging app has closed down
The BBM messaging service closed down on Friday, marking the end of an era for the once crown jewel of BlackBerry’s phone business. The app – also known as BlackBerry Messenger – was one of the early mobile messaging platforms used by many during BlackBerry’s heyday, launching exclusively on the company’s own devices in 2005…
Huawei ‘axes meetings with US and sends American workers home’
Tech giant Huawei has ordered its employees to cancel technical meetings with American contacts and has sent home numerous US employees working at its Chinese headquarters, according to reports. The moves come amid growing US-China tensions over trade and technology in which Huawei has been a main target. The Financial Times quoted Huawei’s chief strategy…
Virgin Media launches Wi-Fi boosting service with Plume
Virgin Media has announced that selected customers will be able to sign up to get Plume’s smart home services bundle. Those that sign up to Plume – separate to their current Virgin Media subscription – will gain access to Plume Adaptive WiFi. This is an integrated Wi-Fi network powered by cloud-based artificial intelligence which includes…
Virgin Trains’ split ticketing app to ‘save passengers £1 billion’
Virgin Trains has announced a mobile app which helps passengers take advantage of split ticketing to save money on journeys. The firm said customers will be “guaranteed” the best fares and claims the app could save passengers £1 billion. Split ticketing involves buying multiple tickets for separate sections of one journey, with a combined price…
EE launches 5G but which smartphones are 5G-enabled?
5G is available to the public in the UK for the first time, with EE launching its service on Thursday May 30th in select cities. The new network coverage is available in parts of London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester to begin with, before rolling out gradually to other locations by the end of…
Netflix raises prices for UK subscribers by up to £24/year
Netflix is raising its prices for UK subscribers by up to £24 a year. Netflix’s standard plan, which lets customers watch two screens at a time and offers HD viewing, will increase by £1 to £8.99 a month, while its premium offer, which allows for four screens at a time and offers ultra HD, will…
Apple defends App Store in face of anti-competition criticisms
Apple says it welcomes competition and denies it has an unfair advantage on its App Store. The iPhone maker has defended its value to customers and developers alike, highlighting its standards for privacy, security and rigorous app review processes on a web page devoted to its principles and practices. Developers have earned more than 120…
Microsoft to open first UK store in London in July
The first Microsoft Store in the UK will open its doors in London on July 11, the computing giant has announced. A bricks and mortar presence in the country has been in the pipeline for several years, where devices such as Surface, Xbox, PC gaming and HoloLens mixed-reality will be available alongside Windows and Office products. The…
EE launches 5G network in six UK cities
EE is set to make its 5G network available to the public today (30/5/19), marking the start of a new era in the UK’s mobile capabilities. The BT-owned operator is initially launching in six cities: London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester – with more to follow before the end of the year and into…
Amazon adds option to delete Alexa voice recordings
Amazon is adding an option to Alexa-enabled devices that will allow users to delete all voice recordings, as the company looks to allay privacy concerns around smart speakers. The online retail giant is planning to make it easier for owners to remove recordings, simply by saying “Alexa, delete what I just said” or “Alexa, delete…
