Category: Gadgets
Amazon introduces Christmas Countdown feature to Alexa – including Santa stories!
Amazon Alexa users are now able to hear a story from Father Christmas and have the virtual assistant sing Christmas songs as part of a new festive feature. Called Christmas Countdown, the new Alexa Skill means that when users ask “how many sleeps until Christmas?”, they’ll hear a Christmas story from Santa and a different…
Apple rolls out ECG test feature for heart health checks on the Apple Watch
Users of the latest Apple Watch are now able to take an ECG (Electro Cardiogram) reading of their heart’s rhythm as part of an update which is initially rolling out across the US. Apple announced the arrival of enhanced sensors for a unique ECG feature at the launch of the latest Apple Watch in September,…
O2 to compensate customers over 3G and 4G data outage
O2 has confirmed it will compensate users affected by the software fault that took the mobile network’s data services offline for 24 hours. The company said its 3G and 4G data networks, which were taken offline by a software issue on Thursday morning, were restored to normal on Friday. Some O2 customers also reported being…
Scottish designers enable create Exit Brexit tool for digital generation
An online tool created to make it easy for the “digital generation” to urge their MP to vote against Theresa May’s Brexit deal if they are against it has been launched by designers. The Exit Brexit tool locates users’ MPs from their address details and generates a letter of objection, which it then sends to…
Robots and DNA coding to revolutionise surgery, commission says
Image: PA New developments in robotics and DNA coding will revolutionise surgery by making it safer and less traumatic for millions of patients, an independent commission predicts. The Commission on the Future of Surgery said advances in genomics could mean major cancer operations become redundant because patients can be offered…
Lime electric-assist bikes to launch in London boroughs of Brent and Ealing
Electric-assist Lime bikes will be available in London for the first time from Friday. A fleet of 1,000 Lime e-bikes is to be placed throughout the boroughs of Brent and Ealing, where they can be hired and unlocked via a smartphone app. The dockless bikes cost £1 to unlock and 15p per minute of ride…
O2 network goes down – millions unable to use 4G mobile data
UK customers have reported not being able to use mobile data to access the internet and other services on the company’s network. It has confirmed engineers are working to fix the issue. We are aware our customers are unable to use data this morning. Our technical teams are working on the issue with high priority.…
Sir Paul McCartney’s Carpool Karaoke UK most watched YouTube video 2018
Image: Press Association Sir Paul McCartney’s appearance on Carpool Karaoke has been named the most watched YouTube video of the year in the UK, ahead of the Royal Wedding. The former Beatles musician took part in the popular segment on James Corden’s The Late Late Show earlier in the year, singing…
Recycling old phones ‘could help save endangered gorillas’, report claims
Recycling old smartphones stashed around the house could help towards saving endangered gorillas, scientists have claimed. Mining of special metals such as gold and coltan for use in handsets has long blighted gorilla habitats in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, jeopardising the future of the species. It is thought that around 400 million people…
Waymo launches trial ride-hailing service with self-driving car
Google’s self-driving car spin-off Waymo is finally ready to profit from its nearly decade-old technology with a small-scale ride-hailing service in the Phoenix area of the US. The service, which will include a human behind the wheel in case the autonomous vehicles malfunction, marks a significant milestone for Waymo, a company that began as a secretive…
