Tech Talk

“I’ve got a really high attention to detail, which might sound great, but it’s possibly a curse because I can’t help but spot problems with everything around me,” says Peter Ramsey . He’s the founder of Built for Mars , a U.K.-based UX advisory, and he has spent the last three months documenting and analyzing the user experience of a dozen leading British banks — both incumbents and challengers — including Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Monzo, Starling and Revolut. “Quite literally, I opened 12 real bank accounts,” he explains. “You remember the stress of opening one account? I did that 12 times, [and] it was probably a terrible idea. But I really needed to control as many variables as possible, and this was the only way of doing that.” Next, Ramsey says he “logged everything,” recording every click, screen and action. “I saved every letter, and made a note of when they arrived. I recorded pretty much everything I could,” he recalls. “At one point I even weighed all the debit cards to s

Johannes Lenhard Contributor Share on Twitter Dr. Johannes Lenhard is Centre Coordinator at the Max Planck Cambridge Centre for Ethics, Economy and Social Change . One of the VC partners in a well-established London firm told me straight out: Venture capital is money [laughs], it is a risky asset class, perhaps the wildest asset class […] and it has the biggest possible returns. I have detailed elsewhere how I think caring more beyond the immediate-return mentality often associated with shareholder value capitalism makes sense (financially and ethically). But the arguments I am making are normative and ideological and don’t describe the status quo of VC investing. The more VCs I speak to — so far more than 150 between Berlin and Silicon Valley — the more it becomes clear that most of them couldn’t care less about environmental, social and governance, impact, sustainability, green tech or what Nicholas Colin calls safety net 2.0 . Most VC money last year went into fint

Three of Apple's suppliers will share camera module orders for its forthcoming " iPhone 12 " lineup, according to sources from Taiwan's handset supply chain (via DigiTimes ). Rumors have suggested Apple will complete its transition to an all-OLED iPhone lineup in 2020 with one new 5.4-inch device, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch handset. Rumors suggest the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ and one 6.1-inch model will be higher-end OLED devices with triple-lens cameras, while the 5.4 and 6.1-inch models will be lower-end iPhones with dual-lens cameras and a more affordable price tag. LG has reportedly landed camera module orders for the two high-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch devices, with module shipments expected to reach 35-40 million units in 2020. Sharp and O-film are said to have grabbed orders for the two lower-end 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch phones, with camera module shipments expected to hit 50-55 million units this year. Sharp is thought to account for 60 to 70 percent

Version 2.0 of Google's Podcasts app is currently rolling out, bringing CarPlay support for users on iPhone and iPad , according to the app's release notes. Google Podcasts now supports Apple ‌CarPlay‌ so you can more easily and safely listen while you drive. We’ve also made several bug fixes to improve performance. Google announced its Google Podcasts app for iOS back in March . As part of the release, the previously Android-only app received an overhaul that makes it easier to find podcast content, create lists of favorite podcasts, and customize the listening experience. The app's interface has a simple focus that features three tabs: Home, Explore, and Activity. The Home tab features new episodes of subscribed shows, while Explore displays new show and episode recommendations. The Activity tab displays listening history, queued episodes, and downloaded podcasts, with automatic downloading supported for each podcast a user subscribes to. Google Podcasts 2.0 c

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is now down to $119.99 in refurbished condition at Woot for a limited time only. This deal takes almost $60 off the regular price for a refurb model, and over 50% off the cost of a brand new one, making this one of the best deals we've seen for it this year. Since the models on sale at Woot are certified refurbished, they have each been tested and internally certified by Amazon to ensure they look and work like new. They even come with a 1-year warranty. Ring's Video Doorbell Pro takes the place of your existing hardwired doorbell at home. It's equipped with a 1080p HD camera featuring infrared night vision that lets you view its video feed using an app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer, and you'll be able to do so from anywhere in the world. It's also equipped with a microphone and built-in speaker that allows you to speak with any visitors that arrive at your door. There's an integrated motion sensor as well which can sen

Amazon is joining India’s online food delivery market just as top local players Swiggy and Zomato reduce their workforces to steer through the coronavirus pandemic. The e-commerce giant, which has invested more than $6.5 billion in India , today launched its food delivery service, called Amazon Food, in select places in Bangalore. The company had originally planned to launch the service in India last year, which it then moved to March but pushed it further amid the nationwide stay-at-home order the Indian government issued in late March. In the run up to the launch, the e-commerce giant’s employees began testing the food delivery service with select restaurant partners in Bangalore, TechCrunch reported earlier this year. “Customers have been telling us for some time that they would like to order prepared meals on Amazon in addition to shopping for all other essentials. This is particularly relevant in present times as they stay home safe,” an Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunc

Facebook has rolled out a new safety feature in India that will enable users to easily lock their account so that people they are not friends with on the platform cannot view their posts and zoom into and download their profile picture and cover photo. The feature is especially aimed at women to give them more control over their Facebook experience, the company said. “We are deeply aware of the concerns people in India, particularly women, have about protecting their online profile,” said Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director at Facebook India, in a statement. Locking the profile applies multiple existing privacy settings and several new measures to a user’s Facebook profile in a few taps, the company said. Once a user has locked their account, people they are not friends with will no longer be able to see photos and posts — both historic and new — and zoom into, share, and download profile pictures and cover photos. “We have often heard from young girls that they are hesitant to sha