Tech Digest daily roundup: 5G is overhyped, claims study
5G connectivity is overhyped – and many users are yet to experience improvements in mobile speed or reliability, says a new study. Research from Uswitch.com found one in six mobile users felt the power of the technology had been overstated, and less than half said they had seen noticeable speed or reliability improvements since upgrading. The study also discovered an urban-rural divide. A total of 17% of those in the countryside said they had never been able to connect to a 5G network – three times as many as those in cities. Sky News
A fleet of electric buses has been fitted with new technology that allows train-style pantographs to deliver rapid charges to keep them running through the day. The 18 double-deckers on route 132 call in to Bexleyheath bus garage for a 10-minute top-up – delivered by the metal arm-like device that descends to connect with a power receiver on the bus roof – to boost the conventional “slow” charge received overnight. It is the first time this technology – known as an inverted pantograph – has been used in the world, according to bus company Go-Ahead. Unlike trains or old-fashioned trolley buses, the pantograph arm lowers down onto the bus. Evening Standard
⚡️Higher power: How London’s electric buses are the first in the world to use an inverted pantograph to undergo rapid charging ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/3WzYiYGlfX
— Ross Lydall (@RossLydall) October 26, 2022
Elon Musk has posted a video of himself walking into Twitter’s headquarters carrying a sink, raising speculation about the fate of his planned takeover. The billionaire faces a Friday deadline to complete the $44bn (£38bn) purchase, which he announced months ago but then tried to abandon. He agreed to move forward earlier this month, just weeks before a court trial over those moves was due to start. “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!” Mr Musk wrote. In business parlance, “kitchen sinking” means taking radical action at a company. He also updated his Twitter bio to read “chief twit”. BBC
Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022
Mark Zuckerberg has seen $10bn slashed from his net worth as shares in Facebook-owner Meta plunged amid mounting scepticism over its “Metaverse” ambitions. Shares in the Big Tech company fell nearly 19pc in after hours trading, which will wipe out a fifth of its chief executive’s $49bn fortune. Mr Zuckerberg’s net worth has fallen by around $85bn so far this year. He was worth around $125bn at the start of January, according to Bloomberg data. The latest fall will leave him worth just under $40bn. Some $66bn (£57bn) was wiped off the valuation of Meta on Wednesday after profits more than halved amid a slowdown in tech stocks. Telegraph
Nothing, a new consumer technology company founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, is just a couple of years old and has very limited products in the market. In fact, it has launched only two products so far — Ear (1) TWS earbuds and Phone (1) smartphone but that isn’t stopping the brand from making risky bets.
The company is all set to open its first Nothing Store in London in the coming weeks. The store will open “before Christmas” this year but no specific date is known yet.
The first Nothing Store will open on 4 Peter Street in London’s fashion-oriented Soho neighborhood. The company promises a boutique rather than a tech shop experience, with design flourishes inspired by classic chains like Olivetti. Gizmochina
