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Loading ...New Oyster cards
Alex Watson
In a previous post, I complained about a lack of innovation in the UK when it comes to integrating technology in to our daily lives. One example I gave was comparing the Tube to Hong Kong’s underground; both of these use a contactless, RFID-based ticket system, but in Hong Kong, you can use a huge range of RFID-enabled products such as watches and bracelets to hold your ticket, whereas in the UK, you’re stuck with… a plastic ticket.
Well, it seems we are catching up, slightly, with our Asian neighbours. Barclays has just launched a new version of the Barclaycard credit card - called One Pulse - which integrates a chip to hold your Oyster card into your own personal debtmine. Barclays has a website devoted to the new card which makes this sound like rocket science, but at least the option is now available to us poor luddite British people. I am in the process of requesting a review sample of the card - say, £2k credit, guys? - so I’ll let you know what it’s like if they ever send me one…
Rated: 93.33% (3 votes)
Loading ...The Octopus Watch
Alex Watson
One of the things I find most frustrating about technology is when you can imagine a use for it but the hardware, software and real life just don’t fit together in any sensible way. Seeing how the junction between these three differs in other countries is something I always enjoy when travelling, but sometimes I do just end up feeling jealous, especially when the Far East is involved. A friend from Hong Kong is back in the UK briefly and he showed me his watch, which kicked off the latest recurrence of this despondent feeling - not because he’s got some massive, ugly chronograph but because his watch also worked as his ticket for Hong Kong’s transport system.
Rated: 100% (1 votes)
Loading ...Asus Eee PC in the wild
Alex Watson
The biggest announcement at this year’s Computex show was also one of the smallest: Asus’s super portable, super cheap Eee PC. Clive and I got to see it, but were told it was too soon to play with a working sample. Asus has obviously been busy this last month, because a fully working sample has just been demoed to the guys at Notebook Review.
Rated: 100% (4 votes)
Loading ...Mobile internet is rubbish
Alex Watson
I’ve just moved house, and my commute now involves having to take an overland train, rather than just jumping on the tube. This means wrestling with train timetables in order to work out when it’s best to leave work, and, as my new house is between two stations, figuring out which is best to go to. This is exactly the sort of task mobile internet should be great at. Unfortunately, it’s been a massive disappointment so far, on a par with an England World Cup campaign. Read more