Tech and Auto

When possible tube strikes were once again announced this week, I rolled my eyes. The subject has become an all too familiar commuter gripe and is a topic that we can’t resist commenting on. Angry commuters take to Twitter and social media every day to relieve their frustration over delays, strikes and being close to smelly armpits. I myself was thrust into the pit of a gentleman just the other day while riding the tube and words cannot describe the...

It seems simple; take a mega popular movie and tap into a ready made audience consisting of hordes of game fanatics. Unfortunately, this basic formula doesn’t always pay off; some movies don’t translate successfully into games, and some are adapted and altered to such a degree the gamer expecting a good facsimile of the film they’ve seen ends up very disappointed. It doesn’t stop game developers trying though, and amongst the misses have been some hits so they’re either considered acceptable...

Jogging is toil. Jogging is pain. Jogging is, ultimately, failure. You’re either outdoors in the rain dodging prams and traffic, or in the gym looking at your starkly-lit face in the mirror as you run in place. Time passes. Sweat falls. You go nowhere. Enjoy that runner’s high, because tomorrow it’s back to the cubicle, to the grind, where your juiced calves will remain hidden under formica desks and H&M trousers. The singular joy anyone can glean from exercise, besides...

Driverless cars are on course to generate €17 trillion for the European economy by 2050, according to new research. Fully ‘autonomous vehicles’ are predicted to be providing fully ‘hands-off’ door-to-door transport on the road within the decade. A poll of 6,000 people in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Norway found almost a quarter of those planning to buy a car in five or more years would consider an autonomous car, which will add 0.15 per cent to Europe’s annual growth rate...

Today the JBL audio brand celebrates 70 years of music. The company, founded by James Bullough Lansing, is now one of the oldest American audio companies. From revolutionary recordings, legendary concerts like Woodstock, record-breaking rock tours to iconic sports events like The Olympics, JBL has been there for big moments in music and audio innovation. As a celebration, here are some of those historic moments… Worldwide, you will hear JBL loudspeakers at more than half of all motion picture theatres...

It looks increasingly likely that living standards in the UK will be squeezed in the years ahead, not just by pricier Marmite and holidays, but also by a public sector that could face a £66 billion post-Brexit gap on receipts. Austerity as policy may have been temporarily put on hold.  But austerity as daily reality may be with us for years to come. This is likely to be good news for the many ideas bundled together under the term ‘the...

Mobile phones and cars don’t usually mix but a new game is bringing the two together, albeit safely. Downloads of over 1m in the first five days suggest that car fans were craving a realistic driving experience on their smartphones and with an Android launch this week, the success of Gear.Club, already the number one overall app in 25 countries and the number one grossing app in 10 markets is set to move up another gear. According to Newzoo, the...

Frustrated your existing car doesn’t connect seamlessly to your latest phone or you want better fuel economy? To keep pace with consumers’ demand in the real world, the global automotive industry is relying on a more ‘virtual’ world of development Since the late 1970s car manufacturers have trumpeted the use of computers to design and build better cars. Whilst there was a considerable marketing spin to many of those earlier claims, just cast your mind back to the car adverts...

What is it about the confines of a vehicle that make blokes feel impervious to societal norms? Last month our correspondent Courtney Greatrex became a national hero after she hit back at two tradesmen who wolf-whistled at her from their van. After she reminded them that their behaviour was not only intimidating but also a form of harassment they called her a "f**king whore" and sped off. Fortunately we work for a national news outlet, and they became headline news across all the national...