Google Play TV shows now available in the UK

Don't be fooled by the fact that the app itself is still called "Play Movies" —Google Play TV has landed on British shores this morning. Individual episode prices start at £1.89 for SD or HD for £2.49, and season bundle prices vary depending on the series. Like Play Movies, purchased TV content can be played on the web or through the app on Android.

Google Play TV is offering a mix of British and American shows — highlights include The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Top Gear and Doctor Who. (There's also something called "Honey Boo Boo," which looks positively terrifying.)

So Brits get a pretty wide selection, including many shows that haven't made their way to rival service Netflix in the UK yet (thought admittedly it's still lagging behind iTunes). What's more, to celebrate the launch, pilot episodes of Battlestar Galactica, The Big C and Justified are free, too.

British Google Play users can fire up the Play Store app now to start browsing content. Let us know if you find any gems.

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Google Glass might face legal hurdles in UK over traffic safety

It isn’t even commercially released yet but already governments are discussing how to regulate use of Google Glass. In the UK, drivers using Google’s wearable computer might face the same trouble as people using phones while driving, which is to say, quite a lot.

One of the primary use cases of Glass is indeed for navigation and, unlike regular map apps on smartphones and tablets, Glass displays only a limited amount of data. However, it also has support for messaging, photography, voice calls, and other features that are worrying traffic regulators and lawmakers. Hands-free car technology is already facing some criticism, with studies showing that Bluetooth headsets and voice navigation can be equally distracting as taking a look at phone or tablet screens.

The UK’s Department for Transportation revealed that they are considering laying down the law for drivers using Google Glass. Glass drivers might incur the same penalties as phone-using drivers which include a fine of 60 GBP or $90 and a mark on the driver’s license. Similar discussions and proposals are also taking place in the US even before Google Glass becomes a commodity.

This legal situation could put in an odd position automobile makers who have shown interest in Glass and similar technology. Mercedes-Benz, for example, isplanning on utilizing Glass and Android to create a seamless navigation experience for its customers. Other car makers have also scaled back on their touchscreen and voice-driven interfaces, reverting to physical controls or reduced items on the dashboard.

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Half of the UK now covered by EE’s 4G network

The UK is still lagging pretty far behind when it comes to 4G network coverage. We currently only have one carrier, EE, and only major towns and cities have access to fast 4G internet speeds.
Even though 4G has been available in the UK since last year, large parts of the country are still stuck without a choice of network speed. Fortunately things are slowly starting to improve, and EE is apparently more determined than ever to have you covered.
Today the company has announced that 13 additional locations now fall under its 4G network. The new high speed area now includes: Bradford, Bingley, Doncaster, Dudley, Harpenden, Leicester, Lichfield, Loughborough, Luton, Reading, Shipley, St Albans and West Bromwich.

This brings the total number of regions supported up to 50, which EE claims now covers around 50 percent of the UK’s population. A further update is expected by June, bringing 4G to an additional 30 towns and cities by the start of summer.
It’s great that the UK is finally starting to see the coverage required to really be considered a 4G country, now all we need is a little competition to make the prices a little more reasonable.

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