The latest media & technology news of interest to airline passengers in London and around the world, as published every Tuesday morning at 06:00 GMT.
We cover all the latest developments from the world’s major technology companies and social media platforms as well as the latest news in online media.
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 BST.
Your BA Executive Club card will soon be available in Apple Wallet
BA has just put through a minor update to its iPhone app. The Executive Club card has been redesigned and this is a precursor to BA making available your card in Apple Wallet, as well as the BA app.
Also of note this week:
The BBC begins trials of steaming of live Ultra-High Definition content in High Dynamic Range on the iPlayer beta. (BBC)
BBC Radio 1 replays an Essential Mix by the late Avicii from 2010. (BBC iPlayer Radio)
BBC Radio 1’s Ben Cooper writes on reinventing radio for the Alexa age (Medium)
The BBC’s Global News division partners with VICE Media to bring VICE News This Week to the BBC World News channel. (BBC)
“The Fourth Estate” documentary chronicles the New York Times in the era of Trump. (CBS News)
Two contrasting Wired Magazine covers on Facebook (Image Credit: Wired)
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 BST.
“Nothing to See Here” 27 February 2017; “Stormy” 23 April 2018. Illustrations by Tim O’Brien for TIME Magazine.
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 BST.
BBC Radio 1 Schedule Changes
Many listeners to BBC Radio 1 in the 1990s will recall Chris Evans’ tenure on the stations’ breakfast show from 1995 to 1997.
Radio 1 was reeling after the forced departure of high-profile DJs led to listening figures going into freefall. It turned to Chris Evans to turn the station’s fortunes around. It worked until Chris Evans’ ego got the better of him. He asked for Fridays off so he could concentrate on his Channel 4 TV show, TFI Friday. The Controller of Radio 1, Matthew Bannister, said no. Chris shortly departed the station.
The current Controller of Radio 1, Ben Cooper, clearly sees things differently. From June of this year, Radio 1’s weekday DJs Nick Grimshaw, Clara Amfo and Greg James will be given Fridays off. Instead, Radio 1 will run a three day weekend schedule from Friday to Sunday. (BBC Media Centre)
Qantas AVRO Accelerator Programme
Qantas is running its AVRO Accelerator programme for new technology start-ups for a second year.
Operated in partnership with Slingshot, successful applicants will receive funding and mentoring from the Qantas Group. Qantas is specifically for looking for applicant start-ups who are developing technology around themes such as the personalised, seamless customer journey; customer engagement; and smarter and safer airline and airport operations.
In Europe, International Airlines Group operates a similar programme called Hangar 51.
Two contrasting Wired Magazine covers on Facebook (Image Credit: Wired)
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 BST.
Facebook
Facebook CEO and Chairman Mark Zuckerberg, still under siege over the alleged unauthorised use of Facebook users’ data by third parties, is due to appear before two Senate committees in the United States, beginning with the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees on Tuesday afternoon (local time).
In advance of these hearings Facebook has announced a series of platform and policy changes:
It has removed 70 Facebook and 65 Instagram accounts, and 138 Facebook Pages that were controlled by the Russia-based Internet Research Agency (Facebook)
A number of restrictions have been placed on data made available to Facebook apps. Facebook has also disabled the ability to look up users with their e-mail address and phone number. From yesterday, Monday 9 April 2018, Facebook will begin to proactively advise users of the apps they are using and the data they are sharing with these apps. Facebook has also begun to notify some 87 million users that their data may have been shared with Cambridge Analytica. (Facebook)
Commodore 64 Computer (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 BST.
TheC64 Mini
Let’s start with something for children of the 1980s: A “mini” version of the much-loved Commodore 64 computer (pictured above), TheC64 Mini has just been released.
It follows in the footsteps of the mini Super Nintendo console. However, there’s no need to bring out the cassette player and sit patiently for games to load. It’s pre-loaded with 64 games. It also has the benefit of being designed to work with modern TVs in the way that the consoles and computers of the 20th century aren’t.
Hopefully, a similar version of the Commodore Amiga A500 will follow suit…
British Airways Boeing 747 G-BYGC featuring a radome encasing two satellite antenna for internet access (Image Credit: Nick Morrish/British Airways)
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 BST.
The long wait for BA WiFi
It was two years ago that BA confirmed it was to add WiFi to its long-haul fleet. BA first began trialling WiFi on a single Boeing 747 four years ago.
With a pair of flights on refurbished Boeing 747s, and one on BA’s most important route New York JFK, we thought our chances of finally experiencing a WiFi equipped aircraft would be good.
Would there be a glimpse of the radome on top of the aircraft before boarding? Would there be announcement from the Cabin Service Director? No.
There was a video on the in-flight entertainment system explaining how it worked. However, as the moving map tracked the climb of the aircraft to above 10,000 feet we checked devices for signs of a WiFi network. But, it wasn’t to be.
It is hugely frustrating that WiFi is still only on a small number of aircraft. It seems almost implausible that BA will meet its target of 90% of aircraft having WiFi by the end of 2019.
Two contrasting Wired Magazine covers on Facebook (Image Credit: Wired)
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 GMT.
Facebook in the dock
Make no doubt about it, Facebook is in serious trouble on both sides of the Atlantic.
This follows revelations that Cambridge Analytica is alleged to have mined data from some 50 million unwitting users of the platform. This was done via a Facebook app thisisyourdigitallife designed by an intermediary that posed psychological quizzes to users that chose to download it.
Facebook announced late on Friday evening (US East Coast time) that it had banned Cambridge Analytica from its platform. On Saturday, it became clear why. In the face of threats of litigation from Facebook, The Observer and The New York Times ran stories from a whistleblower detailing how the data was used.
This was followed by more revelations by Channel 4 News about Cambridge Analytica’s conduct, based on undercover filming.
The UK Information Commissioner has announced it is to seek a warrant to access Cambridge Analytica’s servers.
As ever, it’s Facebook handling of the dispute that has drawn the most ire. Notably the lack of public comment from senior Facebook executives Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg. The New York Times reports that a senior executive, chief information security officer, Alex Stamos, is to leave the company over internal disagreements over how it should respond to its role in spreading disinformation.
Credit should go to The Guardian’s Carole Cadwalladr for her dogged pursuit of this story for over a year. Over this time responses have ranged from “Move along. Nothing to see here.” to very personal abuse.
There are some parallels with work of Nick Davies at The Guardian in investigating phone hacking at the News Of The World. Robust denials, a woeful corporate response, and The Guardian having to give its own material to rival news outlets in order for the story to gain traction.
This story clearly has a long way to go. Whilst it perhaps premature to say this is the death-knell for the platform, it has proved that Facebook is certainly not invincible. And whatever the final outcome, it is clear that the days of Facebook, Google et al all having the commercial benefits of a mass media platform, with none of the legal and moral responsibilities that come with it, are over.
Biometric Boarding Gates Los Angeles (Image Credit: British Airways)
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 GMT.
BA extends trial of biometric boarding gates
Late last year, BA began a trial of using biometric gates to board aircraft on flights departing from Los Angeles.
Instead of presenting a boarding pass and passport, all passengers need to do is look into a camera, wait for their information to be verified, and board the aircraft. BA claims this can reduce boarding times by 50%. It has now been extended to select flights from Orlando (BA2036 to London Gatwick).
It is also now being operated for the purposes of US Customs & Immigration on select BA flights arriving at Miami and New York JFK from London, both of which can be absolute horror shows for immigration queues. More details from BA Media Centre.
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 GMT.
The Monocle Media Summit
The editorial team of Monocle Magazine and various movers & shakers from the world of media gathered in London last week for the 2nd annual Moncole Media Summit to take the temperature of broadcast and print media, as well as branding and advertising. Guests included Hala Gorani of CNN and Francine Lacqua of Bloomberg. You can hear highlights from Moncole 24’s weekly print media show “The Stack”.
Hello and welcome to our weekly travel media and technology bulletin featuring the latest developments on media and technology around the world, published every Tuesday at 06:00 GMT.
