Month: July 2019
Virgin Media pledges gigabit broadband to 15 million homes by 2021
Virgin Media has announced plans to introduce gigabit broadband to almost 15 million households by the end of 2021. The internet service provider has said more than a million people will be able to access the next-generation speeds this year, starting with Southampton, where it has been trialling the technology. It will also bring gigabit…
Virtual GP service ‘risks destabilising care for patients with greatest needs’
Expansion of a virtual GP service where patients are consulted over smartphones risks “destabilising care” for the most complex and vulnerable cases, a heath professor warned. If rolled out more widely, the NHS GP at Hand service would “cream off” fit young patients from existing practices at the expense of those with the greatest needs,…
Medals for 2020 Tokyo Olympics made from recycled gadgets
The medals which will be presented at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been unveiled, with the metal in each one made using materials from recycled gadgets. Designed by Junichi Kawanishi, each of the 5,000 medals contains metals extracted from consumer electronics handed in by the Japanese public over the last two years. The Tokyo…
EU Swim App gives sea swimmers water quality information
A new smartphone app which allows sea swimmers to check bathing water quality has been praised as a “fantastic asset”. The EU Swim app includes information on nine beaches across Ireland from Co Sligo to Co Down. It comes during an increase in popularity in sea swimming across the island. Swimmers in Bangor (Liam McBurney/PA)…
Half of people get news from social media, Ofcom claims
Half of UK adults get their news from social media, according to research. But social media platforms tend to be rated least favourably for quality, accuracy, trustworthiness and impartiality, Ofcom found. The regulator’s annual news consumption report said that TV remains the most popular platform for accessing news, at 75%, but usage has decreased from 79%…
Apple denies favouring its own apps in App Store search results
Apple has denied claims that it favours its own apps when ranking search results for its own App Store. An investigation by the Wall Street Journal suggested that Apple apps would appear higher in search results than better-reviewed downloads from third-party competitors. It claimed that Apple’s own apps were ranked first in 60% of categories…
Man arrested over cyber attack on Lancaster University
A man has been arrested after student data was stolen in a cyber attack on a university. The 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act (CMA) and fraud offences on Monday following the breach of Lancaster University systems, a spokesman for the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Records and ID documents of…
Vodafone and O2 agree to share 5G equipment
Vodafone and O2 have announced they have agreed to share 5G active equipment, such as radio antennas, on joint network sites across the UK. This means more people will get 5G sooner, helping to build a competitive digital economy and encouraging innovative new services that use 5G’s speed and greater reliability, the two companies claim.…
US launches antitrust investigation into tech giants
The US government is to examine if big technology firms have hurt competition or suppressed innovation as part of a new antitrust investigation. The Department of Justice announced it had opened an investigation into unnamed “digital platforms”, believed to include the likes of Facebook, Google and Amazon. It said the probe would look at “widespread…
Snapchat reports improved user numbers and revenue rise
Snapchat added 13 million daily active users in the last quarter, as the messaging app reported its latest financial results. The multimedia message platform’s parent company Snap Inc said users rose in the last three months to 203 million. This is an 8% increase on the 190 million daily users reported in the last quarter…