Tag: COVID-19
Online shopping has positively exploded in recent months. The imposed lockdowns have forced even the tech-newbies to try out online shopping. It’s resulted in a 74.7% growth in online retail sales and has, according to some, killed the High Street’s revival stone dead. According to the November retail …
We’re all locked down again and that means we can’t pop along to our local network store to get advice on a new phone. It also means that those random people can’t walk in and say, “The phone just broke, I want a new one. I definitely didn’t …
Although our lives are becoming distinctly less mobile right now, our mobile phones are playing an incredibly critical part of life. Imagine, if you will, the coronavirus pandemic hitting us 20 years ago. It’s a sunny morning in the year 2000. You’ve got yourself the classic Nokia 3310 …
As we’ve seen in the UK, now we’re seeing it in the US too. The lockdowns, the COVID-19 restrictions, the closure of many pubs, bars, nightclubs and other social venues – it’s changed our habits. We’re now spending more time indoors and, although we’re using social media more …
A few weeks ago I received a pop-up message on the NHS COVID-19 app saying that I’d been “exposed” to COVID-19. However, if you click on the message it simply vanishes… It seemed to relate to me switching Bluetooth on and off, but for many people they were …
Our government haven’t been performing too brilliantly of late. An exams disaster, a police-enforced border around Kent, MP’s telling us to stop moaning about a lack of COVID-19 tests and a willingness to break the law whilst telling the public not to. It’s not cricket, is it? Our …
Produced in and shipped to the USA only at the moment, this is the “AIR”. A helmet which filters inlet and outlet air through HEPA filters via inbuilt fans. Looking a bit like a wrap-around face-shield / space-helmet, you can wear glasses and in-ear headphones without too much …
You may already be aware of the “DreamLab” app which Vodafone have long promoted. It’s an app you can run while your phone is on charge and, while you’re sleeping, the multi-award winning app uses the CPU power of your phone to assist with cancer and COVID-19 research. …
EE has announced their latest report into the changing habits and trends of their customers. It shows how the usage of services and apps has changed recently, as lockdown came in and then eased off. What’s perhaps not too surprising, as the lockdown restrictions eased some weeks ago, …
The global pandemic has had a huge impact on our lives and our livelihoods. Even those businesses that have traditionally been very protected from outside forces have experienced the consequences. Take my previous employers as an example. They’re a big online gambling company and, as the coronavirus lockdown …
The entire retail landscape has, without doubt, been irrevocably changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced even the most IT illiterate into using their phone more than ever. During the height of the lockdown, I was definitely a regular customer at Screwfix. If you need anything for yoru DIY, …
Now that we’re wearing face masks more, you don’t necessarily need to just grab the nearest one you find. Head to sites online and you can design your own. We’ve spotted some at Contrado which are made from non-irritable, latex free, sweat preventative material and, best of all, …
Sitting at home can be a solitary affair. The enforced coronavirus lockdown has led to many working from home and many companies have no plans for that to change any time soon. Many previously saw home working as an ideal solution to the stresses and strains of commuting, …
Covid-19 is affecting every aspect of life. As governments scramble to get this pandemic under control, they have enlisted the help of tech giants, including Apple, Google, and Microsoft, to create contact tracing apps. However, many privacy advocates are sounding the alarm out of fear that in an …
I’ve spoken many times about 5G here in the UK. The conspiracy theories surrounding the safety and health of 5G technology really kicked into high gear as we all went into a prolonged coronavirus lockdown. People spent more time inside browsing the web and getting sucked into Facebook …
Perhaps the most annoying thing about buying a phone is the not being able to “test it” first. Getting your hands on the thing, seeing how it works and so on. That’s what we’re here for to a degree, or you can go to a phone shop and …
You’ll have probably seen this one in the news recently. Today we’ve decided to dig deeper and find out how much money was being made from this. Recommended in a report prepared for Glastonbury Town Council, and mentioned heavily in the 5G conspiracy forums / Facebook groups, 5GBioShield …
Back in February we covered the fact that a certain hard-core section of society kept pushing the idea that 5G was causing or started COVID-19. It was followed by masts being set on fire and network engineers being abused and bullied in the street by people thinking that …
It’s been over a month since Vodafone started dishing out free data for NHA staff and now they’re giving unlimited data offer to both NHS staff and care workers. Free access to unlimited mobile data will now continue for a massive six months. Vulnerable customers can also benefit …
Those who have been with us for a while may remember the Seek Thermal Camera. I looked at it a few years ago and you can buy it right here and it just plugs into your phone so that you can see heat and cold. For those who …
Rather unsurprisingly, people are buying less smartphones right now. We’re not exactly “mobile” and so we’re not buying as many mobile phones, despite the fact that they’re still widely available to buy online. IDC and Strategy Analytics are now showing that the smartphone sector has suffered its largest …
This doesn’t stop does it? Sadly the internet, as we’ve mentioned before, perpetuates lies which – even when they are fact checked and dismissed – continue to be believed by many. The continual dopamine-driven hits make us live in a virtual echo-chamber and we can easily mute or …
Morning all, remember the Vodafone DreamLab app? It’s been around for a while and has helped to fight cancer for many years. It does this by running on your phone while you’re sleeping – using the processor on your phone to help with big research projects. The app …
OK, you’re trapped at home but, in order to keep fit and healthy, we’re bringing a selection things to keep you mentally and physically strong during the COVID-19 crisis. We might be on lockdown but we can keep things moving hopefully. I’ve just finished off my daily P.E. …
We spoke about the wild rumours connecting 5G to coronavirus cases over a month ago and, well, we got some “interesting” emails after that (mainly threats). Over the weekend, in the midst of a global pandemic and a lockdown here in the UK, some people have taken it …
Normally I record these podcasts whilst driving to and from work. However, the world has turned upside down of late and I’m instead sitting at home eating far too many biscuits. It’s all a bit weird isn’t it? The coronavirus has changed things so much, and despite the …
NHS staff are having to suffer quite a bit at the moment. There’s concern over a lack of protective equipment, COVID-19 testing, and their own already-long hours and stress. This has led Vodafone to launch an unlimited data initiative for NHS staff. Their existing 30 day unlimited data …
We recently mentioned the Joe Wicks daily workouts which are keeping us all active. With schools mostly shut down and kids stuck in the house, his daily PE lessons have been part of the morning routine for many. His YouTube channel, as you can see from the numbers, …
I’ve been loyal to Sky TV for a number of years now, but their behaviour over the last 12 months has left a really bad taste in my mouth. My recent “leaving Sky” feature has detailed a lot of this – including the regular price-hikes and poor or …
We’ve covered a number of free keep-fit ideas over the last few days including repairing an old exercise bike, taking part in free daily PE lessons and online keep-fit videos. Today it’s another one, and again it’s courtesy of my local gym. The people who make the equipment …
The Maths Factor was set up by Carol Vorderman a decade ago, and – for about £2 per week – you get a website which will help unlock every child’s confidence in maths. The maths tutoring site is for 4-11 year olds. It follows a 5-step philosophy – …
If you’re in the US, you’ll probably be familiar with emergency broadcast messages. However, here in the UK it’s rather unusual to receive a text with an emergency update. These, though, are not “usual” times. Today all mobile networks will be sending out emergency messages to keep everyone …
As I write this in the UK, we’re still allowed to go outside provided we pay attention to social distancing. This, however, can be tricky in a packed supermarket or train. At the weekend, instead of driving to the local Morrisons, we walked the 8 mile return trip. …
With schools closed down and kids spending more time in the house, parents will all have the same concerns. First, we’ve already hit the point where kids simply can’t go to each other’s homes. We’re also at the point where kids are sat all day playing on a …
Following moves by Netflix, Amazon and YouTube will now also be lowering the quality of video content. There’s also rumours that temporary measures may also be put in place by the BBC with their iPlayer service and by Disney+, which is set to launch shortly. Amazon stated .. …
We’ve started our “Home Active” feature as a way to keep you mentally and physically strong through these very strange times. Stuck at home, or limited on what you can do outside of home, we’re looking at the options that are available. Today this one comes courtesy of …
After a raft of criticism, Sky appear to have changed their tune slightly. Before, despite not being able to deliver the expected live football, golf, rugby and other sports events, they were refusing to refund those who had paid the additional Sky Sports subscription. This, though, is something …
We’re certainly living in very strange times at the moment. As most of Europe enters a prolonged lock-down period, internet usage has shot through the roof. Indeed, Vodafone got in touch with us to state that their network has seen a 50% rise in usage. This strange and …
If you’re at home and fighting over the broadband bandwidth, Vodafone have some options. The first is their short-term and mobile broadband packages. These can deliver solutions such as the Vodafone Gigacube, giving you fast broadband via the Vodafone masts. Secondly, Vodafone have also got in touch with …
If you’re looking to shop online right now, you can either put on some padding and go to the insane scrums at the local supermarket or try and get an online delivery slot. The latter is becoming an incredibly rare thing, and until the delivery capabilities are boosted, …
