Two in three Brits play games on their devices, research reveals

1 in 6 Brits play video games every day Gaming is on the rise with two-thirds of Brits (66%) playing games on their devices, including 1 in 6 every day (18%) and over half (52%) at least once a month, according to research conducted by mobile smartphone brand Oppo. The results…

National Internet Day: Most baffling text abbreviations explained

SMH (Shake my head) tops the list as the most searched for text abbreviation, with nearly 900,000 average monthly global searches. Search interest for GOAT (Greatest of all time) has seen a 300% surge in the past 12 months on Google Trends. 35 out of 100 abbreviations analysed have amassed more than 100,000 average monthly searches worldwide. Millennials and Gen Z are continually…

New Xiaomi 5G smartphone can fully charge in 17 minutes

At a real-life launch, held at London's prestigious BAFTA venue and attended by ShinyShiny, Chinese phone brand Xiaomi announced a new range of 5G enabled smartphones.  And while you've probably never heard, or only vaguely heard, of the brand, Xiaomi - pronounced shau-mee - it is in fact the second-biggest mobile phone manufacturer in the…

Apple iPhone 13 promises longer battery life, storage up to 1TB

Apple has revealed its new iPhone 13 along with several other devices, including a new iPad, iPad Mini and Apple Watch Series 7 at a virtual event hosted by the company's boss Tim Cook this evening. Apple has promised up to 2.5 hours more battery life on the iPhone 13, and 1.5 hours more battery…

ShinyShiny tech news: O2 to reintroduce EU roaming charges

One of the UK’s biggest mobile phone networks has announced roaming charges for Britons travelling to the EU, in a blow to Boris Johnson’s Brexit celebrations. Customers of O2 have been told they will be billed £3.50 for every gigabyte (GB) of data used above a new limit of 25GB, from August. The move comes after the Christmas Eve trade agreement…

UK adults spent more time online in 2020 than those from other nations

UK adults spent more time online on computers, smartphones or tablets in 2020 than those in other European countries, according to Ofcom’s annual study into the nation’s online habits. Its Online Nation 2021 report looked at an unprecedented year, when communication, entertainment, culture, retail, work and education moved more online. UK adults spent more than…

Book review: Always On by Rory Cellan-Jones

Smartphones haven't just replaced several consumer devices in one, they've also had a profound effect on society, helping to prevent the spread of everything from covid to cancer. Blogger and editor of Where Are We Now? Simon Poulter reviews BBC Technology Editor Rory Cellan-Jones' new book, Always On: Hope and Fear in the Social Smartphone…

Apple iOS 14.5 update: 6 Big Changes

Own an iPhone or an iPad? Here are the six changes with the latest Apple software update, iOS 14.5, that you need to know about... 1. Unlock your iPhone while wearing a facemask Currently, you can't unlock your phone using facial recognition if you are wearing a face mask. However, Apple's new operating system (iOS…