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BBC iPlayer recorded its best ever month in March, with 320 million programme requests

Apr29
by on April 29, 2014 at 11:06 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, UK

The BBC today released the March edition of its iPlayer performance report, revealing new record highs for its Internet-based TV and radio service over the four-week period. Requests for TV and radio content rose to 320 million, breaking the previous high of 315 million documented in January. It also represents a hefty 18 percent increase on the same period last year. The BBC also launched an iPlayer redesign in mid-March, which might have contributed to the uptick in usage. TV performed particularly well, rising to 248 million requests. The previous record was again set in January, with 242 million requests across…

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Explore an eerie African ghost town engulfed by the desert

Apr29
by on April 29, 2014 at 11:00 am
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web

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Ashley Hefnawy is an editorial assistant and a content producer for Shutterstock’s blog. This post was originally published on the Shutterstock blog and has been adapted with permission. Abandoned places that once bustled and thrived with people, ghost towns are remarkable because they provide a vision of what once existed. While there’s a historical background to any city, ghost towns possess especially interesting ones, since their histories are all that remains. Kolmanskop, which means Coleman’s Hill in Afrikaans, is located in Namibia’s southern Namib Desert. It was settled by German miners after a diamond discovery in 1908. The inhabitants who took over built homes…

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Word up: Vocabulary.com brings its addictive word-learning app to Android

Apr29
by on April 29, 2014 at 10:38 am
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

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If you frequently while away a few hours playing Angry Birds, Words With Friends, or Candy Crush Saga, there’s every chance you engage without even a glimmer of guilt. However, if you do often feel like you’re being just a little bit unproductive with your time, you could check out Vocabulary.com’s mobile apps. Kicking off on the Web back in 2011, Vocabulary.com‘s mission from the start has been to help you improve your, well, vocabulary. It analyzes books, periodicals, and more, pulling out the “most essential English vocabulary words”, ones that you may use in an academic or business environment….

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You can now use Paym to transfer money with just a mobile number in the UK

Apr29
by on April 29, 2014 at 10:13 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Mobile, UK

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Right on schedule, the Payments Council today launched its new mobile-centric Paym bank transfer service in the UK. Once you’ve contacted your bank and registered your phone number, other people can transfer money into your account without specifying a sort code or account number. Likewise, you can send money to any contact in your address book that has already paired their bank account with Paym. Thankfully, all Paym-supported transfers are conducted through existing payments and mobile banking apps in the UK, so there’s no need to download yet another rarely used app for your smartphone or tablet. Most major UK banks are…

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This website puts your money on the line to help you achieve your goals

Apr29
by on April 29, 2014 at 10:08 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Shareables

Gofuckingdoit.com. The name pretty much says it all: this website is aimed at those who have a burning desire to do something in their life but don’t the motivation to actually get it done. The site was started by the founder of YouTube channel Panda Mix Show, as part of his bid to launch 12 new startups in 12 months. Rather than simply pledging to meet your goal, Gofuckingdoit.com asks users to put down a deadline, some money and a person who they will pay if they do not carry out their goal within the time provided. We checked in about the security of payment information and…

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