Amazon expands same-day Prime deliveries to more of the UK
Amazon only just launched its free, same-day delivery option for Prime members a few weeks ago, but already it’s expanding the convenience to other parts of the UK. Previously available in Greater London and certain Berkshire and Hertfordshire postcodes, Prime Same Day has today spread to Birmingham, Bristol, Dudley, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Walsall and Wolverhampton in England, as well as the Scottish locales of Edinburgh, Falkirk and Glasgow.
Source: Amazon
BBC could kill Red Button services in bid to save £150 million
As the BBC continues to streamline its operations following a less than glowing government review, the broadcaster has announced a fresh round of cuts that it says will “address a shortfall” of £150 million in what it believes is lost money. It comes from what we know as the “iPlayer loophole,” which lets viewers avoid paying the licence fee by watching on-demand programming only. While the Beeb works with the government to close it, the company says it will cut management positions and reduce back office staff, but also look into whether it could phase out important services like the Red Button.
Source: BBC Media Centre
NASA wants to find out why zero G impairs human eyesight
A previous NASA study proved that space can impair an astronaut’s vision, which is a huge problem if we want to start sending humans to Mars. That’s why the agency has launched a new study that aims to pinpoint the exact cause of “space vision” and to find a way to prevent or fix the issue. Under the leadership of principal investigator Christian Otto, NASA will “collect evidence to characterize the risk and define the [visual, vascular and central nervous system (CNS) changes]” in microgravity. In other words, the researchers will examine astronauts before they fly for the ISS, while they’re living aboard the space station and when they land after their expedition ends to determine the changes in their bodies.
Source: NASA
The YouTube Kids app launches in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK
Just in time for all the kids receiving smartphones and tablets as Christmas presents next month, YouTube’s kid-friendly app has launched in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. The YouTube Kids app offers a selection of filters for parents to choose from to shield adult or inappropriate content from being seen by the little ones.
Besides filtering videos and channels, the YouTube Kids app also removes the ability to upload content as well as comments. The app has a handy built-in timer that parents can set to decide how long children can view videos while inappropriate search terms are also blocked. And if parents are in any doubt whether a video or channel has somehow slipped past YouTube Kids content restrictions, they can flag the relevant video, alerting YouTube to the content in question. Another handy feature is that it can also connect to your Chromecast.
Local UK channels such as Wallace & Gromit, The Magic Roundabout, and Little Baby Bum are featured in the app. You can download the YouTube Kids app to your child’s device by clicking the Play Store link below. Once installed, you (or another grown-up, will be required to set it up. This which involves setting a pin number, deciding what content is appropriate for your child as well as setting the timer function.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: The Guardian
Come comment on this article: The YouTube Kids app launches in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK
Deal: Grab a Nexus 5 for just $210 this week
There may be a couple of new Nexus handsets on the market now, but the original Nexus 5 still has its charms. At a discounted price of just $210, it’s a really tough bargain to beat.
Newegg is running a sale this week which sees a 58 percent discount applies to the handset, with the price dropping all the way from $500 to just $210. The model on offer is the unlocked North American LG-D820, which is important if you’re an AT&T or T-Mobile customer, along with 32GB of internal storage space.
Although it may be a couple of year’s old, the Nexus 5’s core hardware still stacks up fairly well with today’s mid/high tier handsets. There’s a 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC, 2GB of RAM, a 2,300mAh battery, and an 8 megapixel rear camera. Not to mention, it’s a cost effective way to receive a fast upgrade to the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS.
See also: Google Nexus 5 review: best for the money, but is it enough?
The phone is available from Newegg in both black and white color options and the deal will run for the next 5 days, ending on Sunday.
The UK is closing all of its coal power stations
The UK’s last fifteen coal power stations are to be closed within the next decade under new government plans. In an announcement, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed that in a push for more “secure, affordable, and clean energy supplies,” restrictions will be placed on all coal-powered installations by 2023, ahead of a full closure by 2025.
Source: Gov.uk
Scientists build atom-scale sub that moves at ‘breakneck’ speeds
Source: Rice University
Sky reinvents itself with the Sky Q box
Television is going through a period of transition that’s greater than almost anything that’s been seen up to this point. The inexorable rise of the internet, smartphones, tablets and on-demand viewing have combined to relegate the communal living room TV to being just another screen. That’s a problem for Sky, which for so long has offered a single box — more, if you had the cash — as gatekeeper between you and its entertainment riches. The firm knows that it’s going to have to adapt if it’s going to remain king of your viewing universe, which is why it’s launching Sky Q, formerly known as Project Ethan, the long-awaited set-top box, or should that be boxes, of the future. Slideshow-341705
Source: Sky
Mediafire launches Pool, a photo sharing app with some smarts
Mediafire is trying to make image sharing easier than ever before with an app they’re calling “Pool.”
Services like Google Photos have made it a lot easier to make images available for the public at large. From your latest sushi dinner to your most recent in-the-car selfie, all snapshots are available for sharing in just a few taps with Google Photos at your command.
But what if you wanted to engage your public even quicker? What if your social media network is more like a broad pool of like-minded individuals rather than a specific, laser-shot audience.
Introducing Pool by Mediafire, an app that makes sending your photos to the public at large as easy as tapping a button. While many services, like Google Photos, hinge on cloud storage, Pool is attempting to distance itself from such an idea by marketing itself as sharing “where you are with the people you’re with.”
It may go as a given that Pool’s success will depend largely on how widely it’s adopted. Such is the way with social media. However, if Pool works out, it would actually have some pretty interesting results. For instance, sharing photography remains something that’s almost entirely deliberate. Pool aims to make this aspect of social media very passive by allowing sharing instantaneously from the device in use. According to their website, current features include:
- Auto Suggestions: Pool makes photo sharing suggestions based on where you are and the people you’re with
- Private: Pool only shares photos with the people you choose using the proven infrastructure of MediaFire
- Cross-Platform Sharing: Pool works with iOS or Android devices
- High Resolution: Shared photos are at full resolution
- Reminders: Pool reminds you to share photos if you forget
- Activity Feed: Pool keeps track of the photos you’ve sent and received
- Save to Camera Roll: Pool saves photos directly to your device.
- Pool is not another cloud storage service.
If you’re interested in Pool, grab your own copy in the Google Play Store. I look forward to seeing how this plays out.
HTC One M9(s) has sapphire glass rear camera, MediaTek SoC, 2GB RAM
HTC apparently has a new variant of its flagship One M9 coming soon, called the One M9(s). The device makes use of some markedly different specs from the original product despite looking remarkably similar. The key is in the specifics, however, as the device has made some change-ups, namely a fresh new sapphire glass coating for the rear camera and different internals from the earlier flagship. It will launch in Taiwan on November 21st.
The HTC One M9(s) will ship with a 5-inch Full HD display, a 2.2GHz 64-Bit Octa Core MediaTek Helio X10 SoC with PowerVR G6200 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, a 13-megapixel f/2.0 BSI rear camera with sapphire cover, and a 4-UltraPixel f/2.0 front camera with Flash and Dual-LED. It will have a 2840mAh battery, and support both NFC and microSD.
The spec listing also makes note of a “Sensor Hub,” however, it is currently unclear as to if this refers to a Nexus 6P/5X-type deal or else something different entirely. Curiously missing is any indication of what Android build will be present, or the fingerprint sensor included on the M9+.
The M9(s) will be made of dual-layer double-anodized aluminum and is currently up for pre-order in Taiwan where it is going to retail for NT $12,900, or roughly $393.
What do you think? Clearly HTC decided to change from a Snapdragon 810 SoC to a MediaTek, as well as decrease the RAM from 3GB to 2GB, however there is a lower price point in-tow and the presence of scratch resistant sapphire glass for the rear camera is definitely a plus.
AIVAnet 