broadbandchoices.co.uk News

Hundreds of New Forest homes to get superfast broadband

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 10:00:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

That includes…

200 properties in East Boldre
90 properties in Burley
90 properties in South Gorley (near Fordingbridge)
60 properties in Brockenhurst

Councillor Mike Kendal said: "Superfast Broadband is crucial for the future prosperity of the New Forest and Hampshire as a whole - helping pupils with homework, supporting businesses and helping reduce social isolation by making it easier for people to communicate online.

"I'm pleased that we can now take forward these proposals and help bring faster internet connections to many more homes in the New Forest, in future."

The Hampshire Superfast Broadband project is a joint effort between local councils and other stakeholders including Natural England, New Forest National Park Authority, Verderers of the New Forest, and the Forestry Commission.

It has a goal to connect 97.4% of the county's premises by 2019 - and it's currently sitting at around 92%, so expect a lot of properties to get superfast at some point soon if you haven't already.

It's a sticky area to build broadband on, however, since so much of it is rural forest.

The council is currently taking comments on the proposal up until 31 March, a which point it'll start work on the rollout.

Source: Bournemouth Echo | ISPReview

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Virgin Media goes Full Circle with new exclusive box set

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 11:51:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Full Circle comprises three series and 30 episodes. The first 10 episodes are available to watch now, with series two set to land in April, and series three due in July.

The series you can watch now is called Full Circle: Los Angeles, and focuses on mothers, fathers, friends, clients and teachers whose lives intertwine with shocking results. It stars Tom Felton (Harry Potter series, The Flash), Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights), Julian McMahon (Charmed), David Boreanaz (Angel, Bones) and Keke Palmer (Scream Queens).

The second series is Full Circle: Chicago. That run of episodes looks at Jimmy Parenna, a cop who blew the whistle on police corruption. It will star Terry O'Quinn (Lost), Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), Rita Wilson (Sleepless in Seattle), Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal, Supergirl) and Chris Bauer (The Wire).

The third series, Full Circle: Miami, sees a US Senator wake up next to a beaten and drugged prostitute in a high-end hotel, with no recollection of what happened the night before. It features Dougray Scott (Fear the Walking Dead), and Kim Raver (Grey's Anatomy).

Virgin Media started experimenting with exclusive content last year, with the frankly excellent Ash vs the Evil Dead. That was followed by Billie & Billie - also only available in the UK via the pay TV provider.

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BT Mobile launches 6GB-per-month plans

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 10:15:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

It's intended to bridge the gap between BT's 2GB and 15GB tariffs, and costs £15 a month if you've got BT Broadband or £20 if you don't.

The 6GB tier also comes with free BT Sport via the app - an extra you can currently get with 15GB or 20GB plans, but sadly not 500MB or 2GB ones.

So, the network's plans are now these:

500MB data, 400 minutes, unlimited texts - £5 per month with BT Broadband, £10 without
2GB data, 1000 minutes, unlimited texts - £10 per month with BT Broadband, £15 without
6GB data, unlimited minutes and texts, BT Sport app - £15 a month with BT Broadband, £20 without
15GB data (currently 20GB), unlimited minutes and texts, BT Sport app - £20 with BT Broadband, £25 without

All SIM-only versions are on 12-month contracts, while handset plans usually last 24 months. They all include free use of public BT Wi-Fi hotspots around the country too.

Eagle-eyed mobile fans will notice that the cost of its highest-tier plan, the 15GB (or 20GB) one, has gone up in price by about a fiver. At least you get 5GB extra data per month if you sign up to it ASAP.

Source: BT

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Taboo and Apple Tree Yard will be the first iPlayer box sets

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 11:48:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The Netflix-ification of the iPlayer was announced last month, when BBC Director General Tony Hall revealed plans to revamp the long-standing catch up service. One suggestion was that rather than putting episodes up as they air, the Beeb would put a whole series up at once. That way, people could binge-watch a whole series.

Taboo and Apple Tree Yard are the first two shows to receive this treatment. In Taboo, Tom Hardy plays James Delaney, a man who disappeared in Africa but has reappeared many years later. The drama has some big talent behind the scenes too, including Hardy himself, Ridley Scott and Steven Knight, and that class is very much reflected on screen.

Apple Tree Yard adapts Louise Doughty's novel, and stars Emily Watson as a geneticist who starts an affair with a man without knowing his true identity.

Both shows have already seen success on the catch-up service. Taboo was requested more than 3 million times, and received consolidated viewing figures of 7 million. Apply Tree Yard's opener was streamed 2 million times online, and also watched by 7 million.

Dan Taylor-Watt, the man in charge of BBC iPlayer says: "Taboo and Apple Tree Yard have both been huge hits on TV and on BBC iPlayer. Now viewers will be able to enjoy them as full box sets - and we want to do the same for more shows in the future. It's giving viewers what they want - and it's just the start of what we can do to ensure BBC iPlayer is the UK's number one online TV service."

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Battersea Power Station redevelopment to get 1Gb broadband

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 10:20:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

It's starting with the first phase of the development plan, Circus West Village, but hopes to expand its network out to the whole BPS community eventually.

Mike Varney, building services technical manager for the BPS development company, said: "World-class infrastructure is at the heart of our award-winning project… Broadband infrastructure may be invisible, but its impact on our residents' quality of life is significant."

A total of 865 residential units will be able to connect to internet with speeds up to 1Gb - that's 1,000 megabits per second, about 35 times faster than the UK's average.

It'll be full fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband, meaning the entire connection is fibre optic from the exchange to the building itself. Speeds of up to either 20Mb, 100Mb, or 1Gb will be available, either standalone or with a home phone package.

"The BPS project is one of the UK's most exciting redevelopment and place-making schemes," Hyperoptic's head of property, David Walker, said. "Every detail of the project has been meticulously planned to deliver a new, unrivalled community living experience. To be chosen to deliver the connectivity is further recognition of our true fibre approach."

Owners and tenants of homes in Circus West Village will start moving in over the next few months.

Source: Hyperoptic | Evening Standard

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LG G6 confirmed to launch this month

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 11:47:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

While not overflowing with information, the invitation confirms that the new phone will be called the LG G6 - shocker, we know - and will be officially unveiled to the world on 26 February. It also seems to back up rumours that the company's going big on the screen.

And we mean big - the LG G6 will have have a larger, longer screen that the previous model, with leaks pointing towards extremely thin bezels - essentially covering the whole front of the handset. Earlier rumours have suggested that the G6 will have a 5.7in quad-HD display, which would put it in line with the Samsung Galaxy S7.

Reports also suggest that the handset will use Android Nougat, feature a new Snapdragon 835 processor, and be waterproof and dustproof, though LG has yet to officially confirm that's the case.

What we do know is that the manufacturer is calling it a day on 'Friends'. The LG G5 was an extremely interesting device - it was modular, allowing you to pull off the bottom and stick on a peripheral. For example, you could add improved speakers, or gadgets to improve photography.

While a brave attempt to do something different in an increasingly stagnant mobile market, it didn't really take off.

The LG G6 will be announced the day before Mobile World Congress - the world's biggest mobile expo - kicks off, but it will no doubt be showing it off extensively, so we'll get much more information then.

Source: TechRadar

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Blind Date is coming back to TV

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 10:20:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

It might not be Murs in the hosting seat, though - Vicky Pattison, Georgia May Foote, and Helen Flanagan are all rumoured to be filling the role too.

For those who don't remember the show's original run between 1985 and 2003, Blind Date was one of those classic Saturday night shows - which drew in 18 million viewers at its peak - where a contestant picked someone to go on a date with.

One person asked ultra-cheesy questions to three potential dates… who sat behind a barrier so the contestant couldn't see them. Once the questioning was over, they picked their date based on the answers they gave, and the potentials were all revealed. Then the match went on an all-expenses paid luxury holiday together, because that's definitely the best way to begin a relationship.

Most new couples ended up arguing and deciding not to continue, but the show did result in three marriages.

Whilst the original aired on ITV, Channel 5 is in charge of its revival, and though there's no exact return date.

"It's a classic format that will be rebooted to make it young, sexy and modern," a source told The Sun. "Expect sparks to fly."

Source: BBC | Metro

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Thousands of parents don’t understand internet slang

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 14:41:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

BT surveyed more than 4,500 adults in the UK to see if they understood some modern, and aging, internet slang. The results showed that a full 85% couldn't correctly identify some of the lingo.

For example, 65% of parents thought the acronym KMS meant 'keep my secret', when it really means 'kill myself' - usually used in jest, rather than a literal suicide threat. Similarly, the majority didn't know that '99' means 'parents have stopped watching' and just 4% knew that MIA was a reference to bulimia.

Emoji also caused problems. For example, more than half of respondents didn't know that the monkey with paws over the mouth could mean 'I won't tell anyone'.

The oldies did, at least, do better with some of the older slang. More than half of parents knew that '182' means 'I hate you', 'WTTP' means 'want to trade pictures?' and 'LMIRL' is 'let's meet in real life'.

The quiz was run to promote awareness of Internet Safety Day, and online safety in general. Pete Oliver, the managing director of commercial, marketing and digital at BT said:

""For young people growing up with technology, this new language comes naturally, but it's leaving some adults unsure about what is being said by their children online. As we mark Safer Internet Day 2017, we think it's important for adults to speak to young people about how they use social media and chat online."

Carolyn Bunting, the general manager of charity Internet Matters added: "Children's use of the internet is developing at a rapid pace. While it is unrealistic to expect parents to understand every piece of internet slang their children will ever see, online safety starts with a conversation.

"It's vital for parents to talk to their kids about their digital worlds, including the sorts of things they might experience online, and the types of issues to be aware of, from cyberbullying to privacy."

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Three buys wireless broadband provider Relish

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 13:20:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

UK Broadband specialises in wireless home broadband and local LTE networks. Relish is its most well-known brand - a superfast 4G broadband option that covers central London, but the company also operates public sector networks in Reading and Swindon.

So how much does a wireless broadband company run you these days? Three picked up UK Broadband for a cool £250 million, and plans to fold the business into its main unit. That means it'll pick up the company's 15,000 customers, but that's not the only benefit.

Three will also get access to UK Broadband's spectrum holdings, something that will prove invaluable for delivering 5G services in the future.

The CEO of Three, Dave Dyson, said: ""UK Broadband gives us an opportunity to expand our ambition to provide high quality and great value internet connectivity for UK consumers."

The company's latest acquisition comes after Three was blocked from buying O2 back in 2015. The deal, worth a massive £10.5 billion, was blocked by European competition authorities, leading the mobile operator to seek new avenues for growth.

Source: The Inquirer

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Merseyside fibre rollout is extended

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 16:35:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

More than 60,000 premises in Liverpool, Bootle and beyond have been given access to superfast broadband through the Merseyside Connected project. Around 90% of homes and businesses in the area can now get access to speeds of more than 24Mb.

The project has been paid for by a combination of council money, cash from the government's Broadband Delivery UK scheme, funds from Europe and private investment from BT. Under its initial contract, BT agreed to reinvest money to the project if enough people switched to fibre packages, to further improve coverage.

More than 25% of premises in the area have taken up fast fibre connections, so BT has refunded £2 million to the project.

The extra funding will be used to expand the project to areas not included in the original rollout plan. That means fibre will soon be available in Knowsley Business Park, Liverpool and Sefton Docks, Birkenhead Waterfront, Wirral Waters, Wirral International Business Park, Haydock, Bootle Office Quarter, Stonebridge Cross and Edge Lane.

Councillor Gary Miller, said: "Investing public money in fibre broadband helps sustain our rural communities and maintains Merseyside's competitive edge as a business destination. It also allows homeowners to do things that need a faster internet connection like accessing skills and learning, entertainment and other social connections."

Source: ISPReview

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Wi-Fi at airports has got worse, says study

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 10:00:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

The fastest Wi-Fi in town is at Stansted Airport, which boasts download speeds of 6.4Mb. In 2015, however, those speeds were much faster at 8.1Mb… which still isn't exactly superfast, but far more impressive than 2016's speeds.

The biggest drop in speed was found in Luton Airport: while 2015's recorded speed was 4.5Mb, these days it's a piddling 0.9Mb. That could be down to the fact that it extended its free Wi-Fi time from 90 minutes to four hours between Thinkbroadband's visits - more people are probably connected at any one time, hogging the bandwidth and dragging it down for everyone. Pesky flyers.

The only airport where reporters didn't see a drop in speed was Heathrow, which has kept at a steady (and snail-paced) 1Mb all year.

Slowest of all, however, is the Wi-Fi at Gatwick - 0.4Mb, down from 0.5 in 2015.

On the other hand, Heathrow and London City Airports both get points for not having a time limit on their free Wi-Fi. Once you're connected, you can stay online as long as you like.

Here are the speeds it recorded in London's airports, in September 2015 and November 2016:

Airport	2015 speed	2016 speed	Time you can use it for
Stansted	8.1Mb	6.4Mb	1 hour
London City	4.5Mb	2.7Mb	Unlimited
Heathrow	1.0Mb	1.0Mb	Unlimited
Luton	4.5Mb	0.9Mb	4 hours
Gatwick	0.5Mb	0.4Mb	1 hour 30 min

Thinkbroadband emphasises that these are the speeds you'll find on the general, free Wi-Fi service offered by each airport. It doesn't include faster, more premium tiers of broadband that you can access by paying more, nor has it measured the speeds of Wi-Fi offered by shops and cafes in the airports.

Source: Thinkbroadband

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Sky Sports to air live women’s cricket for the first time

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 10:10:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

In August 2017, subscribers will be able to watch a handful of group stage matches from the Kia Super League, plus both games on finals day in September.

That's on top of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup throughout the summer, including the final at Lord's on 23 July.

Clare Connor, ECB's director of England women's cricket, said: "At the end of last summer I said that I was immensely proud of what the Kia Super League had achieved during its first season, but equally I stressed that there was still considerable growth potential for the competition.

"Moving into year two I am therefore delighted to announce the next historic moment in the development of the domestic women's game in this country, with six Kia Super League group stage matches plus finals day due to be televised live on Sky Sports."

Here are the Kia Super League games you can watch on Sky Sports:

Thu 10 August - Southern Vipers v Western Storm, 2.30pm
Fri 11 August - Yorkshire Diamonds v Lancashire Thunder, 2.30pm
Sat 12 August - Western Storm v Loughborough Lightning, 12pm
Sun 13 August - Surrey Stars v Yorkshire Diamonds, 12pm
Tue 15 August - Loughborough Lightning v Southern Vipers, 2.30pm
Wed 16 August - Lancashire Thunder v Surrey Stars, 2.30pm

Along with the live games, you'll also get news and analysis on Sportswomen, Sky's show for all the latest in women's sport.

Sky Sports is available on TV from Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, and BT, or with a Sports Pass from Now TV.

Source: Sky

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EU finally puts an end to roaming charges

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 11:35:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The new rules have been on the cards for some time, but there have been some problems to overcome. The final challenge was agreeing on wholesale caps - the amount that mobile operators can charge each other to let other customers use their networks, and this barrier has now been cleared.

Roaming rates have long been a point of contention for mobile customers, with numerous newspaper reports about people coming home with massive bills. As of 15 June though, people can use their phones and pay no more than they do in their home country.

As with any EU news, of course, there's the question of what this means for the UK. As the rules apply to any country in the EU, and the UK currently is still part of it, roaming fees won't apply to those of us travelling around Europe.

Once the UK leaves - which is currently looking like it will be the end of spring 2019 - it's less clear how roaming charges will work. It seems likely that roaming charges will return, but much of it depends on Brexit negotiations to come.

For now though, it's good news for anyone planning their summer holidays. Emmanuel Mallia, the EU's digital minister, said: "Today's decision is the final step in a process that started 10 years ago… Roam like at home is now a reality."

Source: Sky News

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Simon Amstell to direct feature film for iPlayer

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 10:15:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

Carnage - Swallowing the Past will arrive on BBC iPlayer this year, but the film is actually set in a utopian 2067 - a world when eating meat and using animal products has been completely phased out.

Narrated by Amstell himself, the film looks back at that crazy time in the past when it was normal to eat animals, drink milk, and cook with animal products. Young people find it unthinkable, and older folks are in therapy to cope with memories of the horrible industry.

Sounds bleak, but the Beeb assures us it's a comedy. One that even hardened carnivores will enjoy, in fact.

Along with the apologetic comedian, it's got a rather high-profile cast too, including Joanna Lumley, Martin Freeman, Dame Eileen Atkins, and Gemma Jones, with Kirsty Wark and Lorraine Kelly chipping in to play themselves.

In a slightly more serious statement, iPlayer head of content Victoria Jaye said: "In a culture obsessed by what's on our plates, Simon Amstell's film Carnage imaginatively challenges our attitude towards eating meat, fish and cheese triangles."

BBC Studios EP Janet Lee added that the film has been "a great opportunity for BBC Studios to make ground-breaking content for BBC iPlayer and work cross genre".

Carnage will premiere some time in the spring on iPlayer only, as part of the service's branching out into a wider array of digital content. So long as you've got a TV license, you can watch it online, through your TV set top box, or on your smartphone or tablet via the app.

Source: BBC

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TalkTalk slashes broadband prices in new sale

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 11:48:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Both standard broadband and superfast fibre optic packages are included in the sale, and TalkTalk's fixed plans mean that the price will stay the same throughout the length of the contract. The deals, as listed on broadbandchoices, are:

Fast Broadband - speeds of up to 17Mb, £20 a month for 12 months
Faster Fibre - speeds of up to 38Mb, £27 a month for 18 months
Faster Fibre Large - speeds of up to 76Mb,£32 a month for 18 months

In addition, the usual £60 connection fee for fibre packages has been waived as part of the offer, and the Anytime calls add-on has been cut from £7.50 a month to £5 a month.

It's a good offer, and the price freeze will be welcome to those used to getting price increases mid-contract. That said, there are a few things to be aware of.

Firstly, some contract lengths are months. For many people, that will be fine - the price freeze means you can expect a consistent, predictable bill each month. But it also means you could potentially miss out on a better offer within a year.

In addition, be aware that the price freeze only covers the length of the contract. After 24 months, your bill will go up. For example, the Fast Broadband package will go up to £25.50 a month after 12 months, so you should make a note to compare broadband again at the end of your contract.

In other TalkTalk news, the company has announced that its CEO Dido Harding is stepping down, after seven years of being the boss. She'll be replaced by Tristia Harrison, currently managing director of TalkTalk Consumer.

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Three now lets you call and text over Wi-Fi

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 10:00:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

You'll need a pretty good phone, though - it's currently only supported by a handful of high-end mobiles.

Once installed and enabled, though, it'll let customers stay in touch with their contacts even in a poor signal area. Because the calls and texts use Wi-Fi rather than Three's network, the company says it'll help you save money.

Embedded Wi-Fi is compatible with these phones:

iOS 10.2 and above - iPhone 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7, 7 Plus
Android - LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

It'll be available on the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge from some time in February too.

If you've got a compatible phone with a Three SIM stuck in it, the feature will install automatically. Android owners can use it straight away, while on an iPhone you'll need to go to Settings - Phone - Wi-Fi calling to switch it on.

And if you had the old Three InTouch app, you won't need it any more - you'll be prompted to delete it when Embedded Wi-Fi installs.

On other phones, Wi-Fi calling and texting is still available through separate apps, like WhatsApp and Skype.

Source: Three | Independent

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Hyperoptic rolls out 1Gb broadband to first UK housing estate

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 11:14:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Most fibre connections in the UK are still fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), which means that fibre cables run to street cabinets, with copper wire connecting them to the home. That can drop speeds, leading to common packages advertising up to 76Mb.

Hyperoptic uses fibre to the premises (FTTP), in which the more efficient fibre cables run directly into the home or business. Without the inefficient copper wire to slow things down, it means that broadband speeds in the QEII development will be considerably faster than the UK's typical connections.

The QEII is the first housing estate Hyperoptic's hooked up with its broadband - typically the provider targets office blocks of apartment complexes. The development project includes 163 properties, including houses and flats. Those will sell between £319,995 for a two-bedroom coach house, and £484,995 for a four-bed home.

Steve Holford, chief customer officer at Hyperoptic, said: "For today's modern family, having a reliable fast broadband connection is an essential utility that is prioritised in the same league as good schools, a safe neighbourhood and strong transport links. Having a full fibre connection makes a home more attractive for prospective family buyers.

"The difference between an ADSL connection and our full fibre service is like night and day - we have had phenomenal feedback from customers as we have extended our footprint across the length and breadth of the UK."

Source: ISPReview

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Sky Sports livestreams Deadline Day on Twitter

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:10:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

From noon today, it'll offer live updates on transfers, right up until the window closes. On Twitter, that means a dedicated page with the stream and live updates on the #DeadlineDay hashtag.

Three separate streams will broadcast from the newsroom:

12pm-1pm - David Garrido and Natalie Sawyer, with Thierry Henry and Jamie Redknapp
5pm-6pm - Kirsty Gallacher and Julian Warren, with Don Goodman, Matt Le Tissier, and Phil Thompson
10pm-11pm - Hayley McQueen and Jim White, with Alan McInally and Charlie Nicholas

On the TV channel - and on the app and Sky Go - you'll also get a 'super-sized' episode of Gillette Soccer Special at 7pm.

Dave Gibbs, Sky Sports' director of digital, said: "The heart of Deadline Day is the fantastic reporting team and a newsroom that delivers incredible stories of improbable transfers all football fans are craving.

"Our job is to package the fascinating stories across all the platforms we have so that fans can decide the best way for them to follow the news, whether that's watching Sky Sports News HQ, live streaming on Twitter, or across our apps and website."

Catch all the transfer news as it happens on deadlineday.twitter.com, Sky Sports' website, via the Sky Sports app, or on TV if you have Sky Sports (Sky 406, Virgin Media 506, TalkTalk TV 401).

Source: Sky | Wired

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Samsung Galaxy S8 image leaked online

Mon, 30 Jan 2017 11:25:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

According to notorious mobile tipster Evan Blass, via VentureBeat, two new handsets will be available - a chunky 5.8 inch model and a gargantuan 6.2 inch version. The small handed need not apply.

The pictures seem to back up early rumours that the S8 would have a curved screen that covers most of the front of the phone. It's so big, there's no room for a home button, or even Samsung's logo. Blass suggests that as a result, Samsung may hard code the logo to the top of the screen, but that would seem something of an own-goal for a company that really needs a win right now.

Either way, the back will have the Samsung name, as well as a fingerprint scanner and a 12 megapixel (MP) camera, the leak claims.

Other specs include a 2,560 x 1,440 quad HD Super AMOLED screen, 8MP front-facing camera, pressure sensitive touch screen, and - hooray! - a head phone jack. The phones will use Android Nougat, a Snapdragon 835 chip, and 4GB RAM.

According to Blass, the handsets will launch on March 29. The 5.8 inch version will reportedly cost €799 (£680), while the 6.2-inch model will run you a not-inconsiderable €899 (£770).

Source: VentureBeat | The Independent

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Fibre broadband rollout delayed in Wales

Mon, 30 Jan 2017 10:20:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

"Way-leaves have been - and continue to be - one of our most significant challenges - getting permissions to access the land that we need to access in order to lay the fibre cables," explained Alwen Williams, director of BT Wales.

"At the moment we have around 40,000 homes and businesses that are held up because we have a complex discussion or negotiation going on with various parties about how to gain access to land or permissions to dig, road closures."

He said that the engineering challenges the company faces have been "absolutely immense".

The fibre deployment, part of the Superfast Cymru scheme, hopes to connect the final batch of homes and businesses in Wales that weren't included in the last few rounds of rollouts.

The majority of premises it needs to connect are in rural areas - which are often difficult to reach and need some pretty complex engineering. Cutting through parts of private land is often the only way.

Residents are a little frustrated with the delay. Pembrokeshire business owner Glyn Jones told the BBC: "It's something that we've been longing for some time… Asa company we've given up waiting and we've leased our own superfast line. That will cost the businesses £1,000 a month between them. We can't have broadband hold us back as businesses."

BT continues to work with landowners to find a solution, but it looks like it'll miss a few deadlines.

Source: BBC | ISPReview

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England, Scotland and Wales flags to become emoji

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 11:41:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

There are already plenty of flag emoji in use, but the UK has, until this point, only been represented by the Union Jack. That's fine for general use, but not so useful if you're cheering on your national team, for example.

The three flags were approved for release by the Unicode Technical Committee - a group of technology organisations that include Google, Facebook and Apple, responsible for agreeing standards for new emoji.

People in the UK have been asking for home nations flags for a while now. According to Jeremy Burge, the founder of the Emojipedia website, they represent the three most requested emoji flags of all. He and Owen Williams of BBC Wales, have been campaigning for their arrival for some time.

Even former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond has gotten involved, writing to Unicode and Apple to ask for a Saltire emoji.

Now it's finally happening. Unicode president Mark Davis announced the news on Twitter, and it's expected that they'll be widely available in the second half of the year.

Source: The Telegraph

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Sky to launch satellite-free TV service

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 10:10:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

That's good news for anyone who rents or lives in an apartment building, where it's not always possible to get a dish installed.

It's likely that all you'll need is high-speed fibre optic broadband to get it dish-free - streaming TV via the internet needs a lot of bandwidth and data.

Sky says that the response to Sky Q has been rather encouraging - 600,000 households have already signed up to the premium service, and they're watching 10% more telly than regular Sky customers - so it's keen to roll it out to even more people.

Chief executive Stephen van Rooyen said: "This year is about giving our customers even more quality, choice and value. We're planning to launch our Sky TV service without the need for a satellite dish for the very first time, giving millions more homes the chance to enjoy TV with Sky Q… We are finding new ways to make our customers' lives simpler."

The internet-only TV service is expected to launch some time in 2018 - though we're not sure exactly when.

It's possible, however, that 13 channels will be missing from Sky Q when the dish-less service goes live. The company is currently in a dispute with Discovery Communications, the company behind the Discovery suite of channels, that could see them disappear from Sky TV.

If negotiations don't conclude soon, Discovery, Animal Planet, Eurosport, ID, Quest, and TLC may be pulled from the service next month.

Source: Sky

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Netflix Android app now lets you download shows to microSD card

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 11:31:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The ability to download shows to watch offline is a great feature of the Netflix app, but some users felt limited by the capacity of their smartphones. Video files are fairly chunky in size, and there's limited storage space on most smartphones - especially if they're clogged up with apps and gurning selfies.

The ability to save films and shows to SD cards means that people can now store far more, thus putting an end to their storage woes.

Not everyone's problems are solved though. The feature isn't available on every Android phone with a microSD slot, and Netflix hasn't revealed which specific devices can use the feature.

What's more, those of us with iPhones won't be getting this feature anytime soon - Apple has never offered expandable storage in its smartphones, and we suspect it won't be happening anytime soon either.

Still, if you're a commuter or a regular traveller with a compatible Android phone, this is great news. We have to say, binging The Fresh Prince of Bel Air on the way to work sounds like a pretty good way to start the day.

Source: The Independent

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Sky gets exclusive rights to UEFA Nations League England matches

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 11:00:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Next year, first UEFA Nations League will get underway, with national teams split into four leagues based on UEFA rankings. The teams will play across September, October and November, with the group winners entering knockout stages.

All the home nations' games will be covered exclusively on Sky Sports. In addition, the channel has exclusivity on both the Euro 2020 and World Cup 2020 qualifiers. The deal lasts between 2018 and 2022, which means that (all going well for the national teams), there could be as many 900 live international games to watch over that time.

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports said: "Showing England in competitive matches exclusively live for the first time in seven years is great news for our viewers with the UEFA Nations League putting the top nations against each other regularly. Added to the recent success of Wales and Northern Ireland in reaching major tournaments, there is even more reason to follow the Home Nations on Sky Sports."

If you want to watch some international football a little earlier than 2018, Sky Sports also has exclusivity on the home nations' qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup.

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Norfolk pub first place to get indoor mobile coverage from Vodafone

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 11:17:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Rural locations are often desperately underserved when it comes to mobile connectivity, and getting connected inside a building can often prove problematic. One initiative that Vodafone's undertaken is to install technology in 'community hubs' that can provide indoor coverage in those areas.

Hubs could include village halls, community centres and, as it is in this case, pubs. The plan involves installing femtocells in select locations - tech that uses fixed line broadband to boost 3G coverage in an area.

Jorge Fernandes, Vodafone UK's chief technology officer, said: "Community hubs, like pubs and village halls, across the UK play an important part in rural life and supporting the local economy. We want to ensure all our customers can enjoy the benefits of mobile connectivity wherever they are but appreciate there are some communities which will take longer to get to using traditional methods."

Chris Shore, landlord of The Wortwell Bell added: "The Vodafone Sure Signal unit is benefitting both our customers and our business. As keeping in touch is so important to everyone these days, having a reliable 3G signal is fantastic for our village pub."

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BT fibre optic broadband coming to Holderness

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 10:20:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

When locals discovered that their coastal village wasn't going to be included in any fibre rollouts in the area, they sought the help of wind farm company Dong Energy - who agreed to fund installation for the village.

Currently, most Tunstall homes and businesses can only get broadband at speeds below 2Mb, but BT says fibre will bring speeds up to a superfast 80Mb.

Plus, since the network gives residents broadband access via Openreach, fibre packages may soon be available from other providers too - such as Sky, TalkTalk, and Plusnet. That's despite being in a HU postcode, usually the realm of KCOM.

Openreach spokesperson Emma Peace said: "It is great to be able to work with communities like Tunstall village to find a fibre broadband solution… Residents in all of the CFP areas will have a choice of internet service providers and be able to choose from a wide range of packages."

Tunstallers are thrilled with the news, saying they're "over the moon". As well as benefiting people at home, the rollout is also a big boon for rural businesses, including a number of local farms.

Villager Mark Ridpath explained to the Hull Daily Mail: "Farmers now need the internet for all the stuff they do, things like getting access to the latest market information, keeping equipment secure with broadband powered CCTV or for selling farm shop produce online.

"Being able to benefit from faster download speeds becomes more important as more home devices connect to the internet and so many things are accessed or delivered online."

There's no word on when the fibre network will go live - but if other similar schemes are anything to go by, it'll probably arrive by the end of the year.

Source: Hull Daily Mail

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BBC reveals five new daytime shows for 2017

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 11:32:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The first newly-commissioned show is Holding Back The Years. Set to air on BBC One at 9.15am, it will look at how growing older in Britain has changed over the years. Every episode, an over 60-year old celebrity will talk about the experience of aging, and talk about the issues that affect them, including relationships, health, pensions and money.

Celebrities lined up in include Maureen Lipman, Arlene Philips, Ainsley Harriot, Bill Turnbull and Angela Rippon.

Also on in the morning, Getting the Builders In is a new series that pits the nation's best and brightest builders competing to win jobs and make homeowners' designs a reality. Rather than the usual daytime fare of dodgy dealers and cowboys, this series pointedly looks at builders who are good at their jobs.

The A1 Highwaymen is another morning show. It looks at the men and women who work on Britain's longest road, including police, traffic officers, and emergency responders. It will also feature stories about some of the people who use the road on a regular basis, including truckers and farmers.

The BBC's newly-commissioned afternoon programme is The Boss - a brand new quiz show hosted by comedian Susan Calman. In each episode, one player is chose to be the Boss, and has to decide which players answer questions, leveraging their strengths and weaknesses to build the prize fund. But at set points, the Boss can be challenged by another contestant, with the losing player facing elimination.

The final new show is The Repair Shop. Set to air on BBC Two at 6.30pm, it features a large cast of crafters and artisans, who will fix items that the public bring into their workshop. They'll learn the stories of each object, and restore them to life.

All shows will air on BBC One or BBC Two this year, so keep your eyes open if you're at home.

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Virgin Media to arrive in 4,500 homes in Louth, Lincolnshire

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 10:10:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

Work has already begun on the rollout, and Virgin Media expects to complete it by the end of 2017 - leading to a network that reaches 17 million premises across the country by 2020.

Once it arrives on their street, Louth residents will be able to order the whole portfolio of Virgin Media services, including fibre optic broadband at speeds up to 200Mb - or 300Mb for businesses. It'll also include its TiVo packages with Sky Sports and BT Sport.

Locals are pleased with the announcement. Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle, said: "I am pleased to hear that Louth has been selected to receive ultrafast broadband as part of Virgin Media's Project Lightning… I view good connectivity as vitally important for my constituents, so it is fantastic news that homes and businesses in the area will soon be able to enjoy faster connectivity speeds."

Richard Davies of Lincolnshire County Council agreed, adding that top-notch broadband "is no longer a luxury" but is now "vital" for a modern business or home.

If you'd like Virgin Media's network to arrive in your neighbourhood, the provider urges you to register your interest at www.virginmedia.com/cablemystreet.

Source: Virgin Media

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Samsung says battery faults caused the Galaxy Note 7 to explode

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 11:51:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 last year was something of a disaster for Samsung. Despite good reviews, many users reported that their beloved handsets had a nasty habit of bursting into flames. The company recalled more than 2.5 million phones and issued replacements, but some of them exploded too.

Ultimately, the company ended production and recalled all Galaxy Note 7 devices - a move that cost it an estimated $5.3 billion in lost profits.

But the question remained - why was it happening? Some speculated that the fault was in the batteries, and indeed this seems to be the case. Samsung's internal investigation tested tens of thousands of handsets, and identified two separate faults.

It says the first set of batteries had a casing that was too small, and that led them to short circuit and ignite. They were replaced, but those batteries had a different manufacturing defect, and that led to the same result - ignition.

In a statement, Samsung said: Our investigation examined every aspect of the Galaxy Note 7 including hardware and software, and related processes, such as assembly, quality assurance testing, and logistics.

"Through a large-scale testing facility where approximately 700 Samsung researchers and engineers replicated the incidents by testing more than 200,000 fully-assembled devices and more than 30,000 batteries, Samsung finally concluded the cause of the issues.

"Our investigation, as well as the investigations completed by three independent industry organizations, concluded that the batteries were found to be the cause of the Note7 incidents."

The company also assured people that the issue would not be repeated in any of its future phones - including the Galaxy S8, expected to launch next month.

It said: "We have taken several corrective actions to ensure this never happens again, including the implementation of a multi-layer safety measures protocol at the product planning stage, and an 8-Point Battery Safety Check.

"We look forward to moving ahead with a renewed commitment to safety. The lessons of the past several months are now deeply reflected in our processes and in our culture."

Source: The Mirror

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BT to raise prices and charge for BT Sport

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 10:15:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

Broadband costs usually go up around April, BT said, and this year that means an increase of £2 a month for standard broadband and £2.50 a month for fibre.

Line rental will remain the same, frozen at £18.99, but the costs of some inclusive calls packages will go up - as will the general cost of calls.

BT Sport, meanwhile, will be more expensive as of 1 August - and it won't be free for customers on BT's most basic TV packages, Entertainment Starter or Entertainment Plus, any more.

From 2 April 2017:

Standard (ADSL) broadband will increase by £2 a month
BT Infinity fibre optic broadband will increase by £2.50 a month
Anytime calls will increase by 49p a month
Evening and weekend calls will increase by 30p a month
Calls (outside of what's included in your package) will increase by 1p a minute
Call set-up fees will increase by 2p

And from 1 August 2017:

BT Sport will cost £3.50 a month for BT TV customers on anything but the top TV package
BT Sport will increase by £1.50 a month for Sky TV customers who have BT broadband
BT Sport will increase by £1 for Sky TV customers who don't have BT broadband

If your BT bill goes up, you have the right to cancel your service without penalty. Inform the provider of your intent to cancel within 30 days of being informed of the changes - which BT usually does via email or post - and you won't face cancellation fees.

Source: BBC | TechRadar

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Cheshire fibre rollout to reach 6,000 more homes and businesses

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 11:16:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Connecting Cheshire is a partnership of four authorities - Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington - and BT, with additional funding coming from the government. The project's goal is to make fibre optic broadband available to 98% of the region by summer 2017. To date, more than 92,000 premises has been connected.

A lot of people have chosen to switch to fibre too. As a result, £4.3 million has been reinvested into the scheme. The original contract included a clawback clause, which stated that if take-up was more than 20%, BT would return some of the public money to reinvest in expansion projects.

The extension project will run until summer 2018, and areas to benefit will include Mottram, St Andrew, Swettenham, Aston near Frodsham, Hatton near Warrington and Manor Park in Halton.

David Brown, Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: "Under its initial contract with BT, the Connecting Cheshire programme receives a dividend if take-up reaches a certain point. As this has been achieved, the money will be used to extend the network to areas previously outside the planned coverage area - which is great news.

Investing public money in fibre broadband helps sustain our rural communities and maintains Cheshire's competitive edge as a business destination. It also allows homeowners to do things that need a faster internet connection, like accessing skills and learning, entertainment and other social connections."

Source: ISPReview

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Sky Sports to air Tough Mudder for free

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 10:10:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

World's Toughest Mudder is the most extreme competition of the Mudder lot - it's a "gruelling" 24-hour endurance race with all the obstacles (and muck) of the smaller events, aimed at the more extreme competitors.

Sky will air it on 26 January, though it's also agreed to show two more Tough Mudder series throughout the year. There'll also be a six-part series about the contest's 'everyday heroes', and another snow that follows five Olympians competing in the race.

That's as well as a whole host of extreme sports coming to the Mix channel, including snowboarding, cliff diving, and surfing. And drone racing.

Will Dean, Tough Mudder founder and CEO, said: "We are thrilled to partner with Sky to expand our video content distribution footprint globally, bringing Tough Mudder to millions of people throughout the UK. Our partnership with Sky will allow us to continue reaching a global audience, while bringing Tough Mudder to Sky Sports' millions of viewers."

Catch the main event on 26 January, 8.30pm on Sky Sports Mix - Sky channel 407, or Virgin Media channel 507. The post-show is on straight afterwards, and you can catch the pre-show on 24 January.

Source: Sky

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What are the most common TV episode titles?

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 11:20:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

The most common of all is 'Pilot' (or 'The Pilot) - which TV Tropes have left off the list, since it isn't a real title - that logged 1715 instances. Next up was 'Finale' or 'The Finale', which 255 shows chose to use for their last episode.

'Reunion' / 'The Reunion' is pretty common too, probably because of its prolific use in reality TV - the show Survivor alone used it about five times, TV Tropes notes.

Here's the top 20:

1. Finale / The Finale - 255 episodes
2. Reunion / The Reunion - 217
3. Wedding / The Wedding - 164
4. Homecoming / The Homecoming - 146
5. Lost and Found - 138
6. Lights, Camera, _____! - 126
7. Runaway / The Runaway / Runaways / The Runaways - 122
8. Alibi / The Alibi - 118
9. Double Trouble - 111
10. _____ to the Rescue - 104
11. Halloween - 104
12. Legacy / The Legacy - 103
13. Second Chance / Second Chances - 100
14. Party / The Party - 96
15. Witness / The Witness - 90
16. The Gift - 91
17. Hero / The Hero - 84
18. Secrets - 78
19. Trapped - 75
10. Great Expectations - 74

Others that didn't quite make the cut include 'A Family Affair', 'The Trial', 'The Aftermath', and 'Home'. So… even more clichés.

The Independent commented: "Sometimes, TV showrunners aren't the most imaginative of people especially when - after spending months putting together a series - they have to name each episode… Come on, showrunners, you can do better."

Take a look at the complete list over on TV Tropes.

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BT launches advanced home Wi-Fi system

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 10:30:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

It consists of three repeater discs - 165mm round white circles on little stands - that you can place all around your home to get better Wi-Fi signal. Each disc has four antennas inside it, which repeat signals and spread the Wi-Fi further.

It also comes with an app to download, which BT says will give users "complete control" over the system and help you figure out the best spots to put the discs.

The app also gives you info on who's online and how the network's being used, and lets you 'pause the internet' to switch off the Wi-Fi and give your household some downtime. That's also a great feature if you want to play a hilarious prank on a Netflix-engrossed housemate.

Each of the discs uses dual-band Wi-Fi on wireless standards 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, so you should always be able to connect. BT promises that the network can always switch you to the fastest and strongest signal available.

Anyone can buy the new system, even if you don't have BT broadband (though we imagine it'll work best with a BT router). Well, okay, not anyone - the system costs a rather steep £299.99.

For that price you'll get what looks like a pretty good system, but bear in mind there are other solutions that cost a lot less. Basic Wi-Fi extenders are available for less than £100 - or less than £50, if you don't need something too powerful.

For more info on Whole Home Wi-Fi, visit the BT Store or your local Currys or Maplin.

Source: BT

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Sky Sport to show all England Women’s Six Nations matches

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 11:28:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Sky will show four of England's five games live, with England v Scotland being covered after the fact. The team's Six Nations campaign starts on 4 February, when the Red Roses facing off against France. The team will be out for revenge after a capable French team pipped them to the trophy in 2016.

Sky Sports head of rugby, Gus Williamson, said: "This is great news for Sky Sports viewers and another example of our strong partnership with the RFU across all levels. This deal will give our viewers more action from the Women's Six Nations than ever before, which adds to a thrilling year of women's rugby on Sky Sports."

There's more women's rugby to come in 2017 too, including all six legs of the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series and the Old Mutual Wealth series in November.

Ian Ritchie, the RFU's chief executive, said: "This commitment from Sky Sports reflects what an exciting time it is for women's rugby and the ongoing growth of the game. This is an excellent opportunity for any fans unable to attend games to get behind the Red Roses as they build towards the Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland later this year."

The full Six Nations schedule is as follows:

Saturday 4 February (Sky Sports Mix) - England Women v France Women - Twickenham - 19.35

Saturday 11 February (Sky Sports 3) - Wales Women v England Women - Cardiff Arms Park - 11.30

Saturday 25 February (Sky Sports 2) - England Women v Italy Women - The Twickenham Stoop, 13.00

Saturday 11 March (Sky Sports 2) - England Women v Scotland Women - The Twickenham Stoop - delayed coverage, KO 13:00

Friday 17 March (Sky Sports Mix) - Ireland Women v England Women - Donnybrook, Dublin - 13.00

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Ofcom fines EE £2.7 million for overcharging customers

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 10:20:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

A mistake on EE's part meant that for a while, users who called 150 - the network's customer services number - while roaming in the EU got charged as though they were calling the USA. So instead of 19p per minute, they were charged £1.20 per minute.

With that affecting over 32,000 people, around £245,700 was charged overall - about £7.70 per person.

But that's not all, Ofcom says. In a statement, the regulator said: "In addition, while it did not set out to make money from its billing mistake, EE had decided not to reimburse the majority of affected customers until Ofcom intervened. EE wrongly decided it couldn't identify the people it overcharged and was proposing to give their money to charity, which would have left them out of pocket."

EE later made it free to call or text 150 from within the EU, but another mistake meant that EU roamers still got charged for it. That occurred between 18 November 2015 and 11 January 2016. In this case, though, the network was quick to act - anyone who was overcharged got reimbursed.

The majority of customers from the first incident have been reimbursed now too, but at least 6,905 still haven't been identified - and they're owed £60,000 (a little under £9 each).

In lieu of paying them back, EE has made a £62,000 charity donation, but Ofcom says it nonetheless needs to "make further attempts to trace and refund every customer who was overcharged".

EE has taken full responsibility for the blunder, and agreed to enter a formal settlement with Ofcom - meaning that £2.7 million fine is actually 10% lower than it could have been.

Consumer group Which? says it shouldn't have happened in the first place, however. In a statement, campaign and communications director Vickie Sheriff said: "Customers shouldn't have to wait for the regulator to step in to get an apology and their money back."

If you're an EE customer who called 150 from the EU in the last couple of years, it could be worth digging up your old phone bills to see if you were overcharged.

Source: Ofcom

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Apple raises UK app prices by 25%

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 13:15:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Apps that once cost 79p will increase to 99p, putting it in line with the US, where apps are $0.99. Apps that are more expensive than that will also go up by 25%.

The value of the pound has fallen dramatically post-Brexit vote, with indications of the UK's departure from the single market causing drops from more than $1.45 to $1.22. That means Apple has made the decision to increase the price of apps to compensate for that drop.

The company announced the plans in an email to developers, explaining that the prices would go up over the next week so that customers could beat it if they act quickly. If developers don't want their apps to increase in price, they don't really have a choice - Apple sets different price tiers on the app store and developers choose the one they want.

It's not the first post-Brexit vote price increase from Apple. In October, it raised the price of Macs by 20% - the Mac Pro saw its price go up by £500 overnight.

A company spokesperson said: "Price tiers on the App Store are set internationally on the basis of several factors, including currency exchange rates, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business. These factors vary from region to region and over time."

Source: The Guardian

Most common passwords of 2016 revealed

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:00:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

A huge 17% of accounts had the top password '123456', while nearly half the passwords on the list have six characters or fewer - which presents a security risk, Keeper says, as they can be guessed or unscrambled in seconds.

The company also pointed out that the most frequently used passwords haven't changed a whole lot over the last few years. "That means that user education has limits," Keeper said. "While it's important for users to be aware of risks, a sizable minority are never going to take the time or effort to protect themselves."

It puts a lot of the blame on the websites and services where we're using the passwords, however, saying they ought to be enforcing security measures - like longer word lengths and the use of special characters. A password like 'qwerty' shouldn't be allowed, Keeper says.

"Website operators that permit such flimsy protection are either reckless or lazy," it said on its blog.

The 25 most common passwords last year, according to Keeper, were:

1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. qwerty
4. 12345678
5. 111111
6. 1234567890
7. 1234567
8. password
9. 123123
10. 987654321
11. qwertyuiop
12. mynoob
13. 123321
14. 666666
15. 18atcskd2w
16. 7777777
17. 1q2w3e4r
18. 654321
19. 555555
20. 3rjs1la7qe
21. google
22. 1q2w3e4r5t
23. 123qwe
24. zxcvbnm
25. 1q2w3e

An interesting addition to the list is '18atcskd2w' - which doesn't appear to mean anything, nor is it easy to type. So why is it so common? Well, according to expert Graham Cluley, it's a common password used by spambots.

To stop your passwords making their way onto this list (and therefore being super easy to hack), Keeper recommends using a variety of characters - lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and punctuation - and avoiding any words that are in the dictionary.

Source: Keeper

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BT launches free service to deal with nuisance calls

Mon, 16 Jan 2017 10:38:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The service, called BT Call Protect, will divert unwanted calls to a junk voicemail box - similar to how junk emails end up in a spam folder. BT reckons the irritation suppression service could divert up to 30 million nuisance calls a week. That means no more PPI calls, or robots bleating on about personal injury - bliss.

According to BT, the new service is the first of its kind in the UK, and works by the analysing huge amounts of large data. BT staff are able to identify naughty numbers - they typically make lots of calls - and add them to a blacklist. This means that calls are automatically diverted into the junk voicemail box before they trouble the customer.

Although BT will have its own blacklist, customers can add numbers to their own personal list of blocked calls. To do that, they simply dial 1572 after receiving a nuisance call, or go online to log the number. In addition, who categories of calls can be blocked, such as withheld numbers or international calls.

Matt Hancock, the minister for digital and culture, said: "Nuisance callers are a terrible blight on society and government and industry are working together to crack down on them. We've forced companies to display their numbers when they call you, made it easier to prosecute those involved in making the calls, and increased the maximum fines up to £500,000.

We welcome BT's new service, which offers customers an additional level of protection, helping them to fight back against this ongoing harassment."

To coincide with the launch of BT Call Protect, the company's released some data about the most common nuisance calls between 13 and 19 December last year. The vast majority - 39% in fact - were accident claims, followed by PPI (9%), computer scam (9%), personal data requests (5%) and silent calls (3%).

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Hampshire to invest £7.8 million in superfast broadband

Mon, 16 Jan 2017 10:20:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

The scheme, which is a joint effort between Hampshire County Council, local investors, and providers, says it hopes to connect 10,000 more homes and businesses to speedy internet in this phase.

Two phases of the project have already been rolled out: the first phase connected up 59,500 properties, and the start of the second phase connected another 43,000 - though it expects that number will jump to 45,000 soon.

Superfast coverage in Hampshire was around 80% before the scheme started, but that's now jumped to over 90%. Over the next three years that ought to rise to 97.4%, Hampshire County Council says.

Councillor Roy Perry said: "We are committed to leaving no one behind… We recognise that this infrastructure is crucial for the future prosperity of the county which is why we're continuing to invest in this technology with our partners to support the local economy, help pupils with education and homework, and reduce social isolation by making it easier for people to communicate online."

He added that the next step is to approach local enterprise partnerships and secure more investments so the project can keep building.

BT, one of the providers involved in the rollout, is pleased with the announcement too. Regional partnership director Stacey King said: "Working with Hampshire County Council, we are able to bring high-speed fibre broadband to locations where the economics and engineering are more challenging. High-speed fibre broadband is increasingly important and this is a great opportunity."

For more info on what the scheme has done so far, and when your property might get fibre, take a look at the Hampshire Superfast Broadband website.

Source: Romsey Advertiser

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Sky Mobile is now available on broadbandchoices

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 16:23:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

Sky Mobile launched last week, and has clearly been designed around flexibility. You get to choose whether you want 1GB, 3GB or 5GB of data, and then add on unlimited calls and texts if you need them.

One particularly appealing aspect of Sky's mobile plans is data rollover. Any unused data each month is automatically moved into what Sky insists on calling a "piggybank of data". It's stored there for up to three years, and if you need to guzzle some extra gigabytes, you can withdraw it at any time. It applies for family SIM plans too - the rolled over data can be shared across multiple users.

Another thing we really like about Sky Mobile is that you can change your plan at any time. If, for example, you find you're eating through your data, or not using nearly enough to justify the plan you're on, you can simply change to different allowance.

There are some good bonuses for who also take Sky TV too, including free unlimited calls and texts for up to five users and the ability to sync your favourite shows from your Sky+ or Sky Q set top box.

Sky Mobile plans start from £10. If you want to see how that compares to other operators, then as of today, you can compare it on broadbandchoices. That means it's easy to browse Sky's different options and find the deal that's best for you.

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BBC iPlayer has best ever week in the run up to New Year

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 14:28:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

iPlayer received 69.3 million programme requests in the run up to New Year, more than any week in its history. In addition, December was its best ever month, with 281 million requests.

The biggest draw over the break was EastEnders - the BBC's weekly depress-athon made up half of the top ten. Its New Year's Day episode was the most-watched, generating 1.3 million requests.

It seems the sitcom is alive and well in the UK too. The second most watched show during the festive season was the Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas special, and the Outnumbered Christmas special was third.

In fourth was the long-awaited return of Sherlock. The episode may have divided fans, with some loving the shocking developments to its main characters, and others finding it descending into action schlock, but that didn't stop droves of people going online to watch it.

As well as revealing what we watched on iPlayer, the BBC also shared data on how we watch it. Connected TVs, which includes smart TVs, set top boxes, streaming sticks and game consoles, were the most common way people used iPlayer, with 7.48 million unique users.

Tablets are second most used, with 4.19 million users, mobiles third with 3.6 million, and finally computers at 3.55 million.

Dan Taylor-Watt, Head of BBC iPlayer, says: "Christmas is always a popular time for people to watch programmes on BBC iPlayer, but it's fantastic to have had our best ever week in our best ever month over the festive season, with huge numbers coming to iPlayer to see the cliff-hangers of Albert Square, the drama of The Witness for the Prosecution, comedic antics from Mrs Brown's Boys and the thrilling return of Sherlock."

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Sky broadband line rental to increase on 1 March

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 11:44:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The impending price increase was first spotted by money-advice site This is Money. Within the small print, the advert mentions that "Sky's Line Rental prices increase 1 March 2017." Although line rental isn't listed as a separate charge in advertisements anymore, it does still make up part of your monthly bill, and providers can still increase the price.

Although some providers, including BT and Virgin Media, increased line rental last year, Sky did not. Some TV packages saw price rises, but broadband has remained flat since December 2015.

Currently, Sky line rental costs £17.40 a month, but there's no word on the amount that will go up. Website ISPReview speculates that it could be bumped up to £17.99 to match packages from Now TV - also owned by Sky. Alternatively, it could be closer to BT's £18.99 a month.

A Sky spokesperson said: "Whenever we review our pricing we work hard to keep any rises to a minimum. Any time we do introduce changes, we contact the relevant customers in advance to let them know."

Sky will contact all its customers about the price increase in writing before the changes go through. If you're not happy, you can switch providers within 30 days of notification, without incurring any exit fees.

That said, price increases are a fairly regular occurrence in the broadband industry. Telecoms regulator Ofcom is investigating the issue, and some companies like TalkTalk offer fixed price contracts that won't go up in price over the contract length, but for now, a price increase remains a possibility with most packages.

Source: ISPReview | This is Money

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New HTC phone has two screens, but no headphone jack

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 15:02:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The HTC U Ultra is a phablet with a rather interesting design. The most striking feature is the second screen - a two-inch strip that sits below the front camera and above the main 5.7 inch display. It will display notifications and allow quick access to favoured apps, contacts, and music controls. As for the main screen, it's a stunner, with 2560 x 1440 pixel quad-HD resolution.

The U Ultra also has an all glass exterior, which HTC is calling Liquid Surface construction. Essentially, it copies the properties of liquid, creating a handset with a unique reflective surface. In practice it is, by all accounts, shockingly glossy. Expect fingerprints.

The specifications match what you'd expect from a company's flagship phone - which is to say they're pretty beefy. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB RAM. Storage is either 32GB or 64GB - both models feature expandable storage so you can boost capacity up to 2TB with a microSD card.

On the back is a 16 megapixel (MP) camera, with autofocus, optical image stabilisation, and large pixels. The front camera is also 16MP, with the ability to record 1080p video and a host of selfie-supporting features available to take care of it.

Speaking of features, here's another new one - HTC's version of Siri. The Sense Companion AI assistant can take search requests, message dictation and other instructions and uses four microphones located around the phone to listen.

HTC says it's smarter than other virtual assistants, and will learn your habits as you use the phone, and even react intelligently to breaks in routine. For example, if it detects a bank holiday, it may ask if you still want your daily alarm activated.

What's missing from the U Ultra, however, is the headphone jack. Like the iPhone 7, HTC has opted to drop the standard feature from its next phone. Instead, you'll have to connect the packaged headphones through the USB Type-C connection, or use an adapter. And, unlike the iPhone, you'll have to buy that adapter separately.

Source: The Verge

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Second phase of Northumberland fibre optic rollout begins

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 11:11:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

As it stands now, the iNorthumberland project has already made broadband connections with speeds of more than 24Mb available to 90% of the county. That works out at around 146,000 premises in the area - although that figure also includes BT's own commercial rollout.

Now the second phase has started, and the first areas to benefit have been revealed. Around 100 homes and businesses in the village of Maften have been connected this week, and in the coming months, Melkridge, Colwell, Langley, Warden, Oakwood, Dilston and Whitely Chapel will follow suit.

Northumberland County Council and BT, who are collaborating on the project, expect to reach 95% superfast coverage by the end of this year. After that, there's potential for a phase three, as take up of faster broadband packages have been strong in the region - especially compared to other parts of the country.

Dave Ledger, the deputy leader of Northumberland County Council, said: "It's great to see the second phase of this ambitious and high performing programme well underway. How fantastic to celebrate the delivery of high speed broadband to small settlements like Matfen - ensuring that residents, businesses and community organisations there can reap the same communications benefits as large towns.

Source: ISPReview

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BBC announces plans to revamp iPlayer

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:52:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

The plans were announced by Lord Hall, the director general of the BBC, as the broadcaster enters the next charter period. Hall states that "iPlayer was the biggest revolution of the last charter", but he believes it must "make the leap from a catch-up service to a must-visit destination in its own right."

The goal is to make iPlayer the biggest online streaming service in the UK by 2020, and to do so, the Beeb will have to double the number of people who use it and quadruple the amount of time spent watching shows.

To that end, the service will likely see some big changes in the coming years, based around three 'priorities': creativity, culture and global ambition.

It's not exactly clear what the BBC means by this, but some have speculated that the company will look to its rivals for inspiration. For example, it could allow users to access whole series at a time before they're on TV, allowing for the binge-watching marathons we enjoy on Netflix and Amazon. It's already tested the waters for this approach with Peter Kay's Car Share.

It will also put a greater focus on 'slow news' - more in-depth investigations and analysis into news stories to sit alongside the standard day to day events.

Hall says: "In a world of near-limitless choice, I want people to carry on choosing us.

"I want us to have shown that public service broadcasting has even more to offer Britain and the world in the next century - even more than it has done in its first 100 years. That excites me."

Source: BBC

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BT Sport to air NBA Global Game on Freeview and Facebook

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 10:15:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

The London game airs on 12 January at 8pm - featuring Denver Nuggets v Indiana Pacers.

It's the first time an NBA game will ever be shown live on Facebook, at least in the UK, and BT is pulling out all the stops. That includes a special 'NBA Mobile View', which optimises the video for smaller mobile and tablet screens, offering a closer shot of the action.

That means no more straining your eyes when you try and see where the ball is, so we're on board.

Head of BT Sport Simon Green said: "We are always looking for new and innovative ways of showcasing BT Sport. Showing BT Sport's coverage of the NBA Global Games London 2017 on Facebook is a great way to reach new audiences and sports fans who enjoy their entertainment online, through social media and on their mobile devices."

To catch the game, tune in to BT Sport Showcase - Freeview channel 59, Virgin Media channel 548 - or log on to Facebook and find the official BT Sport page.

As for the rest of the games in the season, BT Sport broadcasts up to seven of them live each week, but you'll need the full BT Sport pack to watch them.

Source: BT

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Virgin Media signs five year mobile deal with BT

Tue, 10 Jan 2017 11:36:00 +01:00

By Duncan Heaney

As a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Virgin Media needs to share an existing network to deliver mobile services to customers. It was the first operator of this type in the UK, and is now the second biggest MVNO in the UK - Tesco Mobile is number one.

The new contract with BT - which owns EE - will run until the end of 2021. According to sources, speaking to the Financial Times, EE's widespread 4G coverage was one of the biggest reasons Virgin Media decided to stick with the network.

The new contract will allow Virgin greater access to the network, and more control over the data and services it offers. This is important because it could allow it to better integrate mobile with its broadband and TV packages.

Peter Kelly, Virgin Mobile's managing director, said: "This winning combination with EE will give Virgin Mobile even more control and firepower to deliver innovative services to the UK mobile market. Virgin Mobile customers want fast speeds, flexibility and plans packed full of data - we're going to continue to deliver."

Source: Financial Times

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City of London to get ultrafast public Wi-Fi

Tue, 10 Jan 2017 10:45:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

At the moment, free Wi-Fi in the City is provided by The Cloud - owned and operated by Sky - and although it's got reasonable download speeds, they don't come anywhere close to the 1Gb the area wants installed. For comparison, the average home broadband speed is around 30Mb.

But, like the current Cloud Wi-Fi, it'll still be available in public for anyone to connect to for free.

The City of London Corporation (CoLC) are the folks behind the plan, with the Corporation announcing yesterday that the Square Mile will get a network of 400 'small cells' - a kind of hardware that delivers broadband without taking up much space or energy.

It's a perfect piece of tech to deploy in the City, since its tall buildings, odd street patterns, and masses of concrete aren't very conducive to Wi-Fi. Small cells, on the other hand, can be installed on things like street lamps and signs.

Mark Boleat, chair of the CoLC's policy committee, said: "As the world's leading financial hub, we are thrilled to bring our wireless connectivity up to speed. At a time when other major financial centres are competing with us, the Square Mile is boosting its appeal through initiatives such as this. The new service will allow City workers to become better connected than ever before."

For now, the CoLC hasn't announced which provider will be building the network, but says all will be revealed in the next few weeks.

The Wi-Fi network will then start going live in the spring.

Source: ISPReview | Computer Weekly

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British TV nabs top prizes at Golden Globes

Mon, 09 Jan 2017 12:15:00 +01:00

By Kim Staples

The Crown, a venture commissioned by Netflix about the life of our Queen Liz, snapped up Best Television Series in the Drama category, as well as securing a Best Actress win for star Claire Foy.

Actors in BBC show The Night Manager, meanwhile, won three awards - Tom Hiddleston for his key role as Jonathan Pine, and Olivia Coleman and Hugh Laurie for their supporting roles.

Not a bad cop for Brit TV then - though they're the only shows from the UK that even got nominated.

The winners of the TV awards at the 2017 Golden Globes were:

Best Television Series: Drama - The Crown
Best Television Series: Musical/comedy - Atlanta
Best actor in a TV series: Drama - Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath
Best actress in a TV series: Drama - Claire Foy, The Crown
Best actor in a TV series: Musical/comedy - Donald Glover, Atlanta
Best actress in a TV series: Musical/comedy - Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Best television limited series or motion picture made for TV - The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story
Best actor in a limited series or motion picture made for TV - Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
Best actress in a limited series or motion picture made for TV - Sarah Paulson, The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story
Best actor in a supporting role in a series - Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
Best actress in a supporting role in a series - Olivia Coleman, The Night Manager

Elsewhere among the awards was Meryl Streep, who hit headlines with an impassioned anti-Trump speech when she accepted her Outstanding Contribution gong; and musical movie La La Land, which nabbed an incredible seven wins.

Take a look at the full list of winners and nominees on the Globes' website.

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