Tech's Message

This podcast is an episode of Tech's Message, a weekly audio download from London-based technology journalists Nate Lanxon and Ian Morris. Hear a discussion based on the week's most interesting UK technology news, and other irreverent takes on tech issues deemed important for British ears to hear. Subscribe FREE Answer Me This! and The Allusionist host Helen Zaltzman joins Tech's Message to discuss how Spotify's move into podcast distribution could give iTunes a reason to rethink its approach to on-demand audio. News Discussed on Tech's Message episode 18: Premium phone costs will fall on bill changes Britain now prefers cashless payments to notes and coins The UK gets a dedicated esports betting service this week Email and feedback Hi Nate, Great podcast, I listen every week and have done since the days of Wired. I often think about writing in but rarely have a strong opinion about the discussion topics. …until the topic of Apple Products being classified as ‘obsolete’ and the iPhone 3GS in particular. I am a freelance Graphic Designer and long term user and fan of Apple products. I own a 2007 iMac, 2010 MacBook Pro and an iPhone 4. As a fan of new tech I am always tempted by new Apple products upon their release and when friends get out their new phones and thinner, retina laptops a part of me always considers looking at the available deals in hope of upgrading. On the other hand I don’t agree with the way so many of us have become accustomed to of purchasing tech products, religiously buying the latest phone when there isn’t a lot wrong with what you’ve got. I use my phone, laptop and desktop more than a lot of people would use theirs so I am very aware of computers slowing down and software updates becoming few and far between etc. But rather than buy a new laptop for example I’ve upgraded the hard drive to a 512GB SSD to keep it’s speed up. My girlfriend has an iPhone 3GS which she has been using every day for 5 years and she has no plans of upgrading soon. As a fellow Graphic Designer and some who uses Apple products everyday she obviously would love the speed and features of the newer products. But as someone who cares about issues of sustainability and the design of products fore fronting the lifespan of a product I can’t help but think that Apple just want to sell more of the latest products with disregard for it’s loyal consumers and the environment. Another point worth mentioning is that being a freelancer and someone who likes to use a product to it’s fullest before retiring it. The costs become more of an issue. The high prices of the latest models compared with the value and appeal of an item which is now classed as obsolete and not supported anymore makes it even more difficult to upgrade. It also doesn’t teach great values to the millions of Apple consumers out there. I can’t be the only fan/user of Apple (and other tech) products out there who feels like this. Keep up the good reporting! Best Regards, Jimmy Hi Nate and Ian Following your piece in last week's Tech's Message Podcast, I thought I would write in. I've been a resident of London for over twelve years, and used various forms of taxi throughout, both before and after the rise of app-based services. Whilst I agree that black cabs are being disrupted by the likes of Uber (and you did forget to mention that black cabs have their own apps, such as Hailo and Kabbee), I don't think that they're as much of a challenge as you think.  The problem comes down to "the knowledge", which, in my opinion, is considerably better than using GPS, as it's more than just being able to read a map - it's knowing where you are, or someone else is, and what's nearby. I've often been able to jump in the back of a black cab, tell them where I'm going, and then put my headphones in, comfortable in the knowledge that they know where to go. With Uber, which I've tried several times, I've had to tell them each step of the way, and, at one occasion, had&...