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Since lockdown began, the prospect of drone delivery from Amazon has gone from a wacky pie-in-the-sky idea to a genius innovation. What better way to offer contactless delivery to the masses during a pandemic than by utilising an army of flying robots to do the deed? It’s amazing how quickly perceptions can change. Amazon wouldn’t be “taking over the world” — it’d be saving it.  ​ As with all futuristic out-of-the-box ideas, however, some land better than others.  Take  Key  

Can you remember a time in recent years when you left home without your smartphone? No? Me neither… Over time, that small device has become as essential to us as clothes, cards and keys. It’s hard to fathom now how we ever survived without one. It has become indispensable.  To understand our ever-increasing reliance on smartphones (iPhones, in particular), is to consider their evolution over the past 13 years...  The original iPhone launched in 2007. It was the year that Gord

The new fully electric MINI has landed. How soon you’ll get the opportunity to drive one, however, is up for debate. Somehow I don’t think test driving a shiny new hatchback could be considered “essential” right now.   Even if you are so inclined, it may take a while for the automotive industry to get back into gear (MINI stalled production at all UK, European and South African plants earlier in the year due to Coronavirus). But that doesn’t mean we can’t look forward to the

I’m sure every human being is suffering from stress and anxiety right now to varying degrees. In this current climate of uncertainty, sleep may be the last thing on our minds but it remains as important as ever.   Spending three or four hours tossing and turning does not constitute a proper rest, and our body will be more than happy to remind us of that at the most inconvenient times.  Struggling to focus, lack of motivation, physical fatigue… these are all classic symptoms o

In 2018, Laura Nolan — a top software engineer — resigned from her role at Google in protest. First thoughts turn to gender pay gaps, poor work / life balance, workplace harassment or similar — but you’d be wrong. She resigned over killer robots. ​ Faced with the prospect of working on a project that would dramatically enhance US military drone technology, Nolan instead called for a ban on autonomous war systems, stating that those not guided by human remote control should be

Many moan about the long, dark nights of January and February, yearning for springtime when the sun stays out a bit longer and the temperatures start to rise. That is until a pandemic takes holds and our way of life changes completely…   A more “typical” springtime, however, does give some in our society a reason to celebrate — fireworks season is over. As early as October all the way through to New Year’s Eve, there are plenty of excuses to illuminate the night’s sky — Bonfi

For months we've been in the depths of a cold, wet and windy winter, and my trusty robot lawnmower has been in hibernation. Gone, but not forgotten. My once lovely lawn is languishing, as I expect most are at this time of year. In years gone by I despaired at the state of it — unkempt grass, waterlogged earth, frostbitten foliage — but now I can rest easy, safe in the knowledge that come spring my marvellous mulching machine will bring it back to life. ​ So, what is a robot l

Every year there’s at least one new drama on television that gets everyone talking — the “must-see”, water cooler, trending on Twitter phenomenon… 2019 was the year of BBC’s The Capture — a riveting six-part series led by Holliday Grainger and Callum Turner.    Having been acquitted of a war crime in Afghanistan, former Special Forces Lance Corporal Shaun Emery (played by Turner) finds himself accused of the kidnap and murder of his barrister. CCTV footage clearly shows the p

The UK General Election in December 2019 saw the Labour Party’s worst result since 1935. When the exit poll figures were revealed, I’m sure even the most die-hard of Conservative supporters were a little shocked at just how great the gains were.   In the run up to the result, numerous news outlets including the  Independent ,  Metro   and  The Telegraph spoke of how Labour were closing the gap, due in no small part — it was believed — to their savviness with social media.  J

Be honest with yourself; did you lightly sway your head waiting for the gorilla to thrash out that Phil Collins drum solo? Or ask your kid if th­ey had to choose, would it be Daddy or chips? Did you even go so far as to vote for Adam and Jane’s wedding song after watching their relationship unfold through a love of broadband?   Whether you’ve eaten a Dairy Milk bar, popped some McCain fries in the oven or switched your internet provider to BT, it’s likely that these ads ring

Ever fancied seeing yourself on the silver screen? Think you’re the movie star that the world didn’t know they needed? No? Me neither. But the notion that one day any Joe Bloggs could feature centre stage in a film is an intriguing one.    So, what would it take for virtual movies to become a reality? Within ( www.with.in ) was founded in 2014 with an aim of expanding the potential of immersive storytelling via premium augmented reality and virtual reality experiences across

I recently happened upon a short  video   by Frank W. Abagnale on Big Think website on the subject of hackable technology. In it, Abagnale — a frequent lecturer at the FBI Academy — ponders: "We develop a lot of technology but we never go to the final step and that is the last question of the development in how would someone misuse this technology and let’s make sure it can’t be done." ​ It’s a thought-provoking statement that led me down a deep internet rabbit hole. What I d

Progress in health care can often be as prolonged and painful as the ailments we seek to treat. When you consider how far technology has come in the last century alone, it can feel frustrating to be told to “call back at 8.30am” to book a doctor’s appointment when the phone lines open. It’s the year 2020, after all.   My 1990’s self would likely be dumbfounded that we still use telephones as a method of communication at all, let alone relying on such an archaic process for so

I revisited a Q3 2018 report from StartUp Health around digital health funding earlier this week. It contains insights into the most active investors, functions and technologies from January to end of September 2018, and generally paints a rosy picture of growth within the digital health funding landscape.   It’s fascinating stuff. Not least because Q3 2018 achieved the highest quarter performance since tracking began in 2010, with a whopping $4.5bn generated through seed, v

With all the political posturing in the UK that surrounded December’s General Election, it was no surprise that cutting crime rates was a central talking point — after “oven-ready” Brexit deals, of course! ​ In January 2019, violent crime in England and Wales had risen by 19% in a year — the highest since 2007.  For the year ending June 2019, the Office for National Statistics  reported : ​ 5% decrease in the number of homicides following a period of increases over the last f

Peloton have certainly made a name for themselves in the seven years since they launched as an exercise equipment brand in New York City — and not just for lambasted ‘Peloton lady’  ad   that went viral in December for all the wrong reasons. Hailed as the  future   of tech fitness, the company is now believed to be worth billions. Their core offering is a luxury stationary bicycle that allows users to stream spinning classes through a monthly subscription.  Unsurprisingly, th

Disney is famed for its imagination, and way back in the 1990s they were toying with the idea of augmented reality (AR). A year after the commercial success of  Honey, I Shrunk the Kids  — the movie where Ghostbusters alumni Rick Moranis portrays a hapless inventor who quite literally reduces his children to a quarter of an inch in size — Walt Disney World Resort introduced Honey, I Shrunk the Audience; a 4D spin-off that used tactics including hidden water sprays and leg ti

My recent blog — Online on the High Street — took a closer look at how bricks-and-mortar stores can adopt digital practices to entice footfall. From personalisation to social media activations to immersive, interactive experiences, there are a lot of avenues that traditional shops can trial. One such avenue is Augmented Reality (AR). ​ Once thought of as gimmicky, AR is fast becoming a go-to medium — enthralling customers and unlocking new levels of engagement in the process.

As alluded to in blogs gone by I don’t have a lot of free time, so when I finally do dedicate an hour or so to watching a film or TV programme I want to ensure it’s of the highest quality. Black Mirror is one such programme.  ​ From humble beginnings on Channel 4, Charlies Brooker’s dark, dystopian and thought-provoking anthology series has evolved into an Emmy award-winning juggernaut for Netflix. Not bad for the guy we’re used to seeing angrily critiquing shows from his so

Just fifteen years ago, the average user rarely encountered language technology — now anyone with web access can use it. When you command Alexa to turn the lights on, ask Google what year your favourite movie was released or dictate a text message while you’re cooking dinner — all of these modern touches utilise human language technology.  ​ With over a quarter of UK homes now owning a smart device — not to mention the powerful computers we carry around in our pockets all day