Tag: .uk
BT super-fast broadband rollout on schedule for 2012 Olympic launch
BT have today announced that they are ahead of schedule for their super fast broadband rollout, and plan to have the network ready nationwide in time for the 2012 Olympic games. BT aim to have a 100Mbps service ready for…
Orange subscribers – will you be getting an iPhone?
So what does this mean for Orange subscribers ? At present we have no details on when the phone is coming or how much Orange users will pay for it.
Hulu: UK launch is their No.1 priority
A top-dog at Hulu International, Johannes Larcher has announced that the UK is “very ready for a product like Hulu” and that the UK is “number one priority in terms of international expansion”.
Speaking at the IEA’s Future of Broadcasting event in London, Larcher confirmed that the collapse of Project Kangaroo had opened up some possibilities for Hulu.
It is reported that there are still a few stumbling blocks, in terms of advertising control, that need to be overcome before a UK launch is officially announced. A September launch had been touted although it’s not clear if this is still achievable.
When it does arrive, however, expect the service to look somewhat different from its American counterpart. Larcher said: “We will localise our model so we are not perceived as a US company.”
Let’s hope we still get plenty of US content though. I’d take Family Guy and CSI over My Family and Hetty Wainwright Investigates any day of the week.
(via Mediaweek)
VIDEO: 1cm folding plug on its way?
We poor old Brits must have the worst AC plugs in the world. Well, us Brits and also the 30 or so other nations who use the old type G, BS1363 AC power adaptor. Not only are they bulky, nay huge, and ugly it also hurts like hell if you accidental tread on one.
But, we may not have to put up with the old bulky adaptors for much longer if the video below is anything to go by:
It proposes a new design, measuring just an impressive 1cm thick that works by folding the three copper prongs into a nice, neat parallel line.
It’s just a concept at the moment, but surely someone has got to pick up on this and mass manufacture it. It looks brilliant. I’m going to go home tonight and hack of all of my old bulky plugs in anticipation.
(via Engadget)
25 Camping Gadgets you really should have
The British camping season is now truly upon us, offering inexpensive holidays under canvas.
Here are 25 bits of kit that will make your life a lot easier, whether you’re cooking, foraging, hiking, or relaxing under the stars.
1. Tent
It goes without saying that you’ll need a decent tent if you’re planning on sleeping in a field.
My personal favourites are Khyam tents. They come in a wide range of sizes and styles and are generally quick and easy to erect. You may pay a bit more but you can usually find them on special offer, and they’ll last a long time…
UK Satellite TV Comparison Guide: Sky versus Freesat
Two services that require you to stick a satellite dish to the side of your house.
One has been around for two decades, the other has just celebrated its first birthday.
Both will demand an upfront payment: one will continue to drain money from your bank account each month.
So which is best? Read our comparison guide to see if you should go with coming-of-age Sky or new-kid-on-the-block Freesat.
Read on to find out…
Brits get easier way to personalise T-shirts with CafePress UK launch
Anyone who’s been hanging around the Internet for a while will probably have come across CafePress, a US-based site that allows T-shirts and various other gift/novelty items to be personalised and shipped.
Nice idea, except for the appalling pound-to-dollar exchange rate at the moment, plus the added cost and delay of importing gear from the States.
Fear not! CafePress has launched its UK web site which should make it less of a hassle to get your designs to the UK and Europe…
SIM-free Nokia E75 hits UK today
It’s been a couple of months since Nokia unveiled its E75 handset at this year’s Mobile World Conference, but now it’s finally available to buy in UK stores.
Nokia’s profits may be taking a nosedive at present, but that doesn’t seem to be slowing the company down at all.
It will be available at Nokia flagship stores (that’s Regent Street and Heathrow T5) and at Nokia’s online shop for £379 SIM free…
Amazon blocks Phorm from scanning its website
Controversial ad-targeting system Phorm will be blocked from scanning Amazon’s website, according to a statement released by the company this afternoon. It’s not alone – LiveJournal, mySociety and Netmums will also be off-limits.
The system, which works by scanning for keywords on pages visited by a user and using that to send more relevant adverts, has been under fire this week, after the European Union declared that it would be bringing legal action against the UK for its data protection laws not preventing such a system.
The Open Rights Group, which works to protect digital rights and freedoms, has written to the privacy officers of Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, AOL, Bebo, Yahoo, Amazon and eBay, asking them to block Phorm. So far, Amazon is the only company in that list to respond, but if the others start following suit then Phorm could be in even greater trouble.
(via BBC)
Last.fm bans third party mobile streaming applications
Last.fm has had rather a bad day for PR, making two very big, very bad announcements for its consumers. First of all, the company announced in a forum post they’re removing access to their API for third party mobile applications. That means that users of Mobbler on S60, Pocket Scrobbler on Windows Mobile, and FlipSide on BlackBerry devices will soon find themselves without a way of listening on the go.
The ‘official’ applications for the iPhone and Android will remain in action, which seems a little odd. If this is a licensing problem, surely the same rules are in place for whatever platform the content is delivered on? Relatedly, the service will also be stopping non-subscribers from accessing the radio APIs, simply because Last.fm wants more money.
Secondly, the company also announced in a blog post that it will begin charging for its previously free service outside of three countries – the UK, the USA and Germany. Customers anywhere else will be charged a fairly slim €3 per month for the service.
The company admits that the reason for this change is because it’s having trouble selling ads outside of these markets. The UK, USA and Germany all have relatively mature ad markets, where funding the service through advertising alone is possible. Outside of these countries, though, the company is having trouble.
What will remain free for all users is the scrobbling aspect of the site – where it charts your music taste and allows you to compare taste with friends and other users, as well as the social network that sits on top of everything. Although I’ve never pushed very hard to fill out my friends list on Last.fm, it’s grown incrementally over the years and now it’s not too bad.
I’m deeply disappointed that I’ll be losing access to Mobbler, even if it was a little rickety and didn’t work properly on the bus. Let’s hope that services like Slacker make their way over this side of the Atlantic sooner rather than later.
