The gaff banner by: @brulaw
"The gaff is always filled with useful information and tips" -
@a1ant
6th April 2018/Issue #260
giffgaff Happenings
by bluemoonbaz
March 2018 Payback Calculations
@alex_w brings us payback news 🙂 . Easter is behind us, April Fools tomfoolery is done for another year, BST has started, and we've started work on calculating March's community payback. Current status is listed below, and I'll provide updates as we tick items off. Click here to see Alex's payback thread.
Activation with PayPal - Moving to trial format (April 2018)
@riaz7 Has an update this new option for members, we’re going to be working on improving our PayPal experience for activation by means of a trial. This means that over the next few months, PayPal may intermittently not be available in activation or will be available with a changed appearance whilst we trial these changes.
We apologise for the slight backtrack in functionality, but we want to make sure that we create an experience that makes life easier for everyone. We’ll be working closely with PayPal to ensure everything works as it should. Please note that PayPal will continue to be fully available for existing members as this trial only applies to activation. Click here to see the full thread.
Lab Highlights
by as7861
Special Mentions
@andyc5827 has been spotted in the comments of Lab
@simm76 has been spotted in the comments of Labs
@sana_j19 has been spotted in the comments of Labs
Changes / Idea Updates
Unfortunately, there are no updates this time around.
New / Old / Amazing Ideas (written by @ijustcantdoit)
Community to adopt Labs Forum format by @kaitroo An interesting idea , could think work on a busy community ?
Choose your own number by @padiho Wouldthis idea improve giffgaffs revenue and give our members more choice
Payback on death. by @pamfletch An amazing idea from pam that is well worth looking into
Glad you made it. You can now search for an idea you like by using the search bar located here. If you do not find the idea you are looking for, you can always post your idea in the contribute section, this would firstly allow you to get feedback on the idea and secondly there might be an idea that has been described very differently to what you were thinking. If all else fails, you have a chance to develop your idea and post your idea in the Lab. Good luck fellow inventors!
If you want to contribute to the changes (that will be listed under changes/idea updates section). Please free to join here, you just have to hit the join button.
High-Tech Highlights
by jammydodge
Superfast 5G mobiles are a step closer
An auction of frequencies for the next generation of mobile phone networks has raised £1.36bn, says regulator Ofcom. Vodafone, EE, O2 and Three all won the bandwidth needed for the future 5G mobile internet services, which are not expected to be launched until 2020. It is expected that 5G will provide much faster connections than the current system. In particular, Ofcom said accessing the internet from mobiles would be "quicker and easier" on 5G.
Telefónica, which owns O2, also bought additional frequency for its 4G coverage, which will improve existing connectivity for customers.
What is 5G?
5G will vastly improve data speeds on phone and tablets and will also help free up much-needed bandwidth to keep billions of devices connected to the web. In future, it could also help transform cities, allowing driverless cars to communicate with traffic lights and other cars to anticipate traffic conditions and avoid collisions. Ofcom auctioned two spectrum bands: 3.4GHz, which is one of the spectrum bands earmarked for 5G, and 2.3 GHz, which is usable by current mobile phones and will help improve 4G capacity for today's mobile users.
The 3.4GHz spectrum band is "hugely important" for 5G, as it lets operators add extra capacity to their existing networks without having to add many new base station sites, said Bengt Nordstrom, chief exec of telecoms consultancy Northstream. EE, Vodafone, Three and 02 all successfully bid for 3.4GHz spectrum band and O2 also bought some 2.4GHz spectrum band, which will improve 4G connectivity for current customers. Digital minister Margot James said the spectrum would be "instrumental in further improving 4G mobile services now, while helping the UK to lead the 5G revolution and build a Britain that is fit for the future".
When will I be able to get it?
5G is not expected to roll out widely to mobiles before 2020, but there will be plenty of testing before that, including at tourist hotspots in Bristol and Bath. Analyst Matthew Howett, founder of research firm Assembly, thinks most customers will not see 5G any time soon. "Everyone is getting a bit ahead of themselves," he said, "but the industry hasn't yet agreed on how it will be different from 4G."
What happens next?
In the second half of 2019, Ofcom will also auction off spectrum in the 700MHz band, but this will come with a caveat - the need to improve 4G coverage first. "To ensure widespread improvements in mobile coverage across the UK, we are proposing to attach coverage obligations to some of the licences we will award for the 700 MHz band," Ofcom said. "These obligations will require winning bidders to roll out improved mobile coverage in rural areas and the nations."
Say Hello!
by kathleen414
See if you can help @eve_79 over here.
Can you answer @cookoomahon's questions? Head over here.
Say hello to @barnl25 over here.
Photo Of The Week
by brulaw
This week's featured photo is Mdina (Malta's old city) by night from lilianafiott. Comments from giffgaffers included: "that's lovely" (illneverrememberit), "beautiful" (kazkat1), "lovely pic" (alwaysrite), "beautiful pic there" (bobrobinson), "looks a good photo" (davidevans2000) and "very nice shot" (thesepticpheasant).
The photo was taken by a friend but all thanks to lilianafiott for posting it and sharing such a beautiful image. Click here to see the original post.
Tech Developments
by revilo10
YouTube TV now on Firefox
Since I have been limited to a small amount of time this week, I thought I'd cover a small story from The Verge (My usual source!)
The popular YouTube TV service that allows access to TV channels for a small amount of money per month has been released for Firefox. The service will soon be fully available once Google setups the service in each host country with the individual offices in each country.
From the article: "YouTube TV costs $40 per month (after a recent price bump), and also has apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Roku, in addition to Chrome and Firefox on browsers."
More next week!
Thanks for reading
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