Smartphone now accounts for half of all UK digital ad spend
UK advertisers spent £13.44bn on digital advertising in 2018, marking a 15% year-on-year increase, according to new research.
Safety, cybersecurity and cost delaying mass deployment of autonomous cars
The biggest hurdle in turning prototype autonomous vehicles into mass market models is how to cut production costs, but the area energizing engineers most is how to tackle functional safety and cybersecurity, according to a Forrester survey of 54 automotive industry experts. Robert Day, Director of Automotive Solutions & Platforms, Arm, takes a look at why current self-driving prototypes are at least ten years away from mass distribution.
Urban Airship rebrands as just ‘Airship’: expands beyond ‘push’ mobile marketing
Urban Airship, one of the pioneers of mobile push notification marketing, is rebranding under the name Airship to reflect its expansion into wider customer engagement marketing.
Shutterstock launches “View in Room” augmented reality for mobile
Shutterstock has launched a virtual reality experience that lets iOS app users visualize how an image from Shutterstock’s collection would look in real life.
L’Oréal partners with Boots for AI-powered spot-scanning advice tool
L’Oreal has pioneered the role of AI and AR in cosmetics, creating the Makeup Genius app that trailblazed a new digital approach to “try before you buy”. In a sector where product trial is constrained by the number of people able to get to beauty counters in stores and meet advisors, L’Oreal realised that digital channels could overcome the bottleneck.
Ecommerce trends: Nearly 80% of people use shopping apps at home
People use ecommerce apps to increase the convenience and value of their shopping experience. Mass merchant (81%) and pure online retailer apps (77%) from stores like Target, WalMart, and Amazon are the most popular types of shopping apps, according to a new survey.
Gameloft picks PubMatic for programmatic in-app ads
Mobile games developer Gameloft is working with Pubmatic to run in-app advertising across its roster of titles.
Vodafone turns on first 5G train station at Birmingham New Street
Vodafone has turned on 5G connectivity at Birmingham New Street, making it the UK’s first train station to trial the superfast technology.
UK programmatic ads outperform direct buys for the first time
Programmatic viewability rates out-performed publisher direct buys across desktop and mobile web display in the UK, according to new research.
Skoda app lets couriers deliver shopping to car boots
Skoda is testing a new scheme that lets users choose their car as a delivery address when they shop online, avoiding the hassle of having to wait in for parcels.
Your round? Young’s pubs launches app payments (with option to split tab)
App developer Pepper HQ has worked with mobile payments service provider Judopay to produce an “online-offline” solution for Young’s, one of the largest pub chains in the UK.
Volvo unveils large scale autonomous bus in Singapore
Volvo has completed testing of an automated bus service in Singapore with plans for a large scale public rollout.
Mobile World Congress review: Foldable phones, tiny terabytes and Google Fi goes 5G
Mobile World Congress is one of the biggest tech events in the digital calendar, and this year was even bigger, with foldable phones, next-gen smartwatches and super-fast connectivity dominating the agenda. Taking place every 12 months in Barcelona, the gigantic tech show is a chance for new gadgets to be unveiled.
The weirdest tech from Mobile World Congress
Among the latest phones and networks, Mobile World Congress is also a great place to discover some more unconventional uses of technology. Here, we round up 7 of the strangest inventions on display at this year’s event.
Hands-free future: 80% of consumers believe voice control will soon become part of daily life
Nearly 80% of consumers believe that voice control will soon become part of daily life, with 70% of people under the age of 35 choosing voice regularly, according to new research.
Yext partners with Chinese apps for tourism targeting
Digital Knowledge Management platform Yext has teamed up with Baidu Map, Fliggy, CK Map, and PIRT to offer brands ways of reaching Chinese tourists in a region where Google fails to reach.
QVC UK debuts social commerce platform with Curalate
QVC UK is introducing social commerce to create a discovery-led shopping experience.
Google updates ‘Test My Site’ with new features for brands
Google has updated its Test My Site tool, which is designed to make it easier for businesses to both measure their mobile site speed and take specific actions to improve it.
Samsung reveals foldable phone and 5G Galaxy model
Samsung has unveiled its much-hyped Galaxy Fold, a smartphone with a second flexible display that opens out to offer a tablet-sized device, for a hefty price.
Top 7 smart tech: Laundry folding robots and recipe suggesting fridges among most wanted
Smart thermostat which automatically adjusts based on an individual’s body temperature, is the smart technology Brits would most like to have in their home, according to new research.
