ShinyShiny snippets: Mastercard pilots biometric payment system
The cost of groceries may be rising, but shoppers will have to grin and bear it at the checkouts. Under new plans unveiled by Mastercard, customers will soon be able to pay by smiling or waving at checkouts, meaning that the days of scrambling for a credit card or cursing a lost debit card could soon…
ShinyShiny snippets: Apple ‘testing screen for foldable display’
Apple is reportedly testing the use of a color display from E Ink as an external screen for an unannounced foldable device, according to noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. “The color EPD [Electronic Paper Display] has the potential to become a mainstream solution for foldable devices’ must-have cover/second screen thanks to its excellent power-saving,” the analyst wrote…
ShinyShiny snippets Google sued for using NHS data of 1.6 million Brits ‘without consent’
Google is being sued over its use of confidential medical records belonging to 1.6 million individuals in the UK. The company's artificial intelligence arm, DeepMind, received the data in 2015 from the Royal Free NHS Trust in London for the purpose of testing a smartphone app called Streams. The claim is being brought by Andrew…
Dog owners are happier – it’s official
Those with a dog have 69 per cent more ‘meaningful’ interactions (one-to-ones which boost their overall mood) than those without. That's according to a study of 2,004 adults which also found dog owners benefit from the simple act of walking their canine chum. Nearly one in three (31 per cent) feel less lonely when they…
ShinyShiny snippets: Elon Musk puts Twitter deal on hold over fake accounts
Elon Musk has said his $44bn (£35bn) deal to buy Twitter is temporarily on hold after he queried the number of fake or spam accounts on the social media platform. He said he was waiting for information "supporting [the] calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users". Following the announcement, Twitter…
ShinyShiny snippets: Royal Mail wants fleet of 500 drones
Image: Royal Mail The Royal Mail wants a fleet of 500 drones to help deliver the mail to remote communities across the UK. In the next three years it hopes up to 200 drones will help carry the mail on 50 new routes with the Isles of Scilly, Shetland Islands, Orkney…
ShinyShiny snippets: RIP Apple iPod Touch – you served us well
The Apple iPod Touch first launched in 2001 Apple has announced it is discontinuing its music player, the iPod Touch, bringing to an end a device widely praised for revolutionising how people listen to music. When the first iPod was launched in 2001, it could store 1,000 tracks. Today there are…
ShinyShiny snippets: Tesla slashes Shanghai EV production
Tesla has pulled back most of its production in Shanghai as China’s zero-Covid policy wreaks havoc in its supply chain. The electric car company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has cut back from making 1,200 units a day to fewer than 200 units, Reuters reported. The plans were outlined in an internal memo sent after…
Fiverr and Lonely Planet Introduce ‘Anywhere Worker’ study
Fiverr and Lonely Planet have released insights from a recent survey looking into a new generation of worker - the Anywhere Workers. With data from across the world, 1400 Anywhere Workers (i.e. people who work remotely while travelling from at least two locations, domestic or international, throughout the year), including 67 nationalities, shared their experiences…
Is vinyl still cool? Yes, claims latest research
Streaming may be the dominant way to listen to music, but vinyl records remain an important revenue stream for artists, while helping serve the consumer’s desire to collect albums, argues YouGov's Graeme Bruce... More consumers in Great Britain indicate a willingness to buy music on vinyl compared to last year, according to YouGov Profiles (32% in…
