Hailo ditches private hire vehicles and recommits to black cabs
As the debate over whether private hire taxi apps like Uber are good for London continues to rage on, Hailo has announced it has resigned its licence and will go back to supporting regular black cabs. In a statement, Andrew Pinnington, CEO of Hailo, confirmed that the company will become a champion for the licenced taxi trade in London by campaigning “every level of government, every day” to protect the industry. It also intends to reinforce the benefits of the Knowledge and make “all transport 100 percent accessible, safe, green and reliable – and lead the world on standards, professionalism, and values.”
They are strong words, but Hailo’s announcement is certainly well timed. Earlier this week, Transport for London (TfL) announced a second consultation that proposed tighter regulation of private hire apps like Uber. One proposal suggests that drivers should be made to wait five minutes before they can pick someone up, while another asked whether they should be made to pass English-language and navigation tests, similar to those put forward by the London Mayor.
To Hailo’s credit, it was one of the first major apps to allow Brits to hail a regular Hackney Carriage. However, back in May 2014, the company confirmed it would extend its service to include private hire cars. This led to a massive backlash by disgruntled drivers, who vandalised the company’s HQ and actively boycotted the company and its app. The company has tried to rebuild those bridges over the past year, and today’s announcement appears to reinforce its commitment to the industry.
There is another way of looking at it, though. Britain now plays host to a number of successful private hire and taxi booking apps, but Uber is the one that hogs the limelight. When (dis)interested parties attempt to take action, it’s Uber that takes the heat, even though it only serves to boost its popularity. With increased competition and lower margins, Hailo’s private-hire business may not have been as successful as it would’ve liked, and TfL’s upcoming reforms gave it the perfect platform to further its support for traditional taxis.
Whatever the cause, Hailo hopes it can win back the hearts of Londoners and cab drivers alike with improved card payments, lower commission fees and reward programs. “At the heart of this is our commitment to go back to black,’ Pinnington says. “100 percent Hackney Carriage. No ifs, no buts, just taxis.”
Source: Hailo Blog
Tinder’s ‘Super Like’ is now available to all
Swiping right on Tinder is a simple to tell someone that you like them, but what if you want them to know that you really, really, really, really, really like them? That’s what Super Like is for, a swipe up (or blue star) that signifies that you’re developing more than a passing interest in another person. The feature was trialled in Australia last month and now it’s being pushed out to Tinder users all across the globe. According to TechCrunch, Tinder CEO Sean Rad claimed that the option is encouraging more people to start paying for Tinder Plus. Unlike regular swipes, Super Like is a once-a-day type affair, which means that you have to be choosy as to who you want to bear your soul to. If you’re a Tinder Plus user, however, you are entitled to use the button five times — although that could prove costly if you’re over Tinder’s desirable age range.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Tinder
Deezer gets into live football commentary with TalkSport’s help
In recent months, Spotify and Deezer have mixed things up by extending beyond music and into podcasts and video. But what about live content? That’s exactly what Deezer hopes will set it apart from rivals after it launched a new partnership with TalkSport, one of the world’s biggest sports radio stations. From today, customers in the UK and Germany can access live coverage of Premier League and Bundesliga games respectively. It’ll also host match fixtures and results, football-centric music playlists and extra content from Deezer’s football editors. Football podcasts will also be available, but only for UK subscribers. If you’re a Deezer user and want to see what it’s all about, Football on Deezer is prominently displayed on the homepage, as well as in the apps section. It’s also available on free and Premium tiers, but non-paying customers will need to sit through ads.
Source: Deezer
BBM app lands on Apple Watch before WhatsApp
Apps are continuing to trickle into Apple’s wearable, with recent standouts including Airbnb, Google and…BlackBerry? The company once called RIM has announced Apple Watch support for its messaging service, BBM. When reading the product description on the iTunes store, you find that the companion app will allow you to share photos and voice notes, see when people are responding to your messages, and even offer groundbreaking features like delivered and read receipts. There isn’t a wide variety of alternatives available on the Apple Watch at the moment — with WhatsApp and Facebook messanger still missing from the app store — but maybe there’s a reason for that. What’s your PIN? Let’s discuss this some more through our wearables.
Source: iTunes
Starbucks’ app lets UK users pre-order drinks and skip the queue
Starbucks first allowed US customers to begin pre-ordering drinks and food at the end of last year, but it took until late last month for it to become available to both iOS and Android users across the country. Meanwhile Brits were left out in the cold. Luckily, the coffee giant has now decided to include the UK, as Mobile Order & Pay has today begun rolling out across 150 of its London stores.
If you’re new to Starbucks, it already has a fully-featured app that lets you pay for your order in store and earn rewards for doing so. Mobile Order & Pay comes in a new update, allowing you to select hot/cold drinks and food via its in-app menu. As soon as you’ve ordered, the app will give you an approximate pickup time, allowing you to rock up, slip past the queue and grab your bits.
While US customers can now order from their Android device in any of Starbucks’ 7,000 stores, the “first phase” of the UK trial only lets iOS device owners order ahead. The company reckons you can save between 10 and 15 minutes using this option, giving you more time to savour the real pumpkin in your Pumpkin Spice Latte (hey, we’re not judging).
Source: Starbucks
Rhapsody’s new music feature is designed for kids
Over the past few months, Rhapsody has focused on making its mobile apps prettier. But now the music-streaming service is announcing something a little bit different: a feature designed with children in mind. KIDS, which will be available via an update for Rhapsody’s iOS and Android apps, is a mode for young ones to experience without parents having to worry about them running into Dr Dre’s Compton — or another album with Parental Advisory. Instead, KIDS consists of three main sections with kids-friendly, parent-approved music, like recently played songs, a tab for bookmarks and another for curated content from Rhapsody’s editorial team. The company says it’ll offer tracks from Kidz Bop and Disney, among others.
Source: Rhapsody (YouTube)
Next Issue, the Netflix for magazines, reborn with a fresh design and new name
For those who haven’t heard of it, Next Issue is best described as the Netflix of magazines: It’s an app that, for a monthly fee, gives you all-you-can-read access to a large library of digital magazines. It first launched on Android in 2012 and eventually made its way to the iPad and Windows devices, although it’s been ages since it received any substantial updates. That changes today, however: The app is relaunching with a new look, new features and even a new name — it’s called “Texture” now, thank you very much.Slideshow-324198
Although the app has the same concept, and is priced the same as before ($10 a month and up), it now places a bigger emphasis on individual articles, as opposed to just whole issues. For starters, there’s a “New & Noteworthy” section, curated by human editors behind the scenes. That same team also puts together “Curated Collections,” groups of stories around a theme — say, the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. On the other hand, you can be a curator too, and save stories to your own collections. In that respect, Next Issue’s new approach reminds me not just of Netflix, but Spotify too. I could, if I wanted, listen to the same songs on repeat or read the same two fashion magazines. Or, I could avail myself of playlists (collections) curated by humans with good taste. I like that I can do both.
To be clear, you can still mark whole magazines as your favorites and set the app to automatically download new editions as they come in. But Next Issue, which is owned by a handful of traditional media companies like Conde Nast, knows that nowadays people are used to getting their news on Twitter, web logs and Facebook. To the extent that you’re used to just clicking on random links, it was important to Next Issue that Texture look a little like a home page. And indeed it does.
Also like a regular news site, there’s a built-in search feature that gives you access to an archive of more than 15,000 back issues and 500,000 stories, which you can read separately from their original issues. So, if I typed in the word “marathon” (I’m a marathoner), I’d see articles not just from Runner’s World, which I subscribe to, but also Running Times, which I never read. That’s obviously good for publishers, which want to gain new readers. (Next Issue Media pays them based on how much time readers spend reading their stories, so there’s an incentive to reach more people if possible.)
But this design is good for me too: If we’re going to continue comparing Texture to Netflix, then it’s worth pointing out that one of the things that makes Netflix so appealing is the way it helps us discover new stuff. If Netflix is great because of its algorithm, and cable TV is great because of its TV guide, then Texture is compelling because it can point me toward things I wouldn’t have read otherwise.
Texture arrives just as Apple is launching its own news app, albeit with a very different approach. Apple News is free, and only includes access to articles from websites. That means you’ll get some magazine stories — say an article from Wired.com — but never whole issues. At first glance, Apple might seem to be the winner, if only because it doesn’t cost anything. But remember, Texture’s monthly fee includes magazines — complete editions that you’d have to pay for regardless, either through a subscription or at a newsstand. If you primarily read news sites, you’re better off with Apple News or a similar app like Flipboard. But if you love magazines, you’re going to have to pony up at some point, and you only have to download a few titles each month before Texture’s $10 fee becomes worth it.
Texture is available in the US and Canada, with subscriptions starting at $10 a month for monthly magazines only. There’s also a $15-month-tier that includes weeklies as well. If you go with that plan, you can expect around 160 titles in total. Look for the updated app tomorrow on iOS, Android and Windows.
Mac exploit dodges Apple’s anti-malware app check
If you’ve used a Mac running OS X Mountain Lion or later, you’re well-acquainted with Gatekeeper: it’s the security measure that prevents unsigned apps from running unless you want them to. Unfortunately, it turns out that this first line of defense isn’t quite as secure as it’s supposed to be. Synack security researcher Patrick Wardle has discovered a flaw that lets malware get around Gatekeeper and do what it wants with your system. The trick ‘hijacks’ a signed app to pretend that it’s legit, and uses clever file packaging to launch hostile code once OS X declares the host app safe. Wardle only used one app in a proof of concept demonstration, but other apps should work. You could even use malicious plugins (say, Photoshop add-ons) to bypass Gatekeeper.
Needless to say, this is a potentially nasty flaw. If attackers can convince you to download and install an authentic-looking app, they’ll have a field day. The good news? Wardle took care to notify Apple before disclosing the exploit, and the company says that it’s already working on a patch. It’s not clear when this will arrive, so you’ll want to stay on your toes until then — grab apps only from those sources you can trust.
[Image credit: Getty Images/OJO Images RF]
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Virus Bulletin
OS X El Capitan is now available for download
By now, you’re likely read about the new version of Apple’s OS X more than once. Today’s the day you can get your hands on the final version. El Capitan is now available for download via the App Store on your Mac, delivering arrives new features like split-screen multitasking, speedier performance, handy tabs in Safari and updates to apps like Mail and Notes. If you gave the public beta a spin, you already have an idea of what to expect. However, if you weren’t feeling adventurous, take a gander at our review for some in-depth impressions of all the changes.
Source: Mac App Store
‘Sin City’ and ‘Hellboy’ comics come to Hoopla’s public library app
After adding DC and Image Comics to its public library digital-checkout service, Hoopla is back with news that Dark Horse Comics’ titles are now available for all your Sin City, Hellboy and Lone Wolf and Cub reading enjoyment. The Hoopla app and service syncs with participating local libraries to offer digital versions of books, audio books, albums, movies, TV shows and of course graphic novels. If you have a library card and your local branches support it the service, you can check out digital versions of media right from your phone or browser. When your item is due back at the library, it just disappears from your account. So if you’re a fan of comic books, it’s probably a good idea to see if your library supports the app.
Source: Hoopla
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