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EE has switched on its first UK 5G network
5G mobile broadband is now live for consumers in the UK, with BT-owned mobile provider EE enabling transmitters in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester. The Verge's Tom Warren reports download speed test results averaging around 200Mbit/s, and peaking at 980Mbit/s. But you'll need one of a tiny handful of 5G smartphones to take advantage of it: EE's flagship 5G phone is the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G.
Leap Motion has sold itself to British firm UltraHaptics
The Wall Street Journal reports that famed motion-tracking startup Leap Motion will sell itself to UltraHaptics for $30 million (TechCrunch). UltraHaptics is a British company working on touch-free haptic feedback hardware, with a focus on enterprise and industry, rather than the consumer market Leap Motion targeted. Its current development kits already use Leap Motion hardware for hand and gesture tracking.
How our addiction to big beef ended up ruining the planet
There are roughly 1.5 billion cows on the planet, and turning those cows into meat is one of the most environmentally ruinous forms of food production in existence (WIRED). Putting a precise figure on that impact is notoriously tricky – but one 2014 study estimates that beef production uses 28 times more land, 11 times more water and releases more carbon dioxide than poultry or pork. And the environmental impact of beef mostly comes down to the land needed to raise cattle and grow the crops that feed them.
Netflix will raise UK subscription prices
Netflix will be increasing the price of its standard and premium subscriptions in the UK, to £8.99 and £11.99 respectively (WIRED). The company is seeking funds to compete with Disney's forthcoming streaming services, a drive that's also clearly behind the spectacular trailer for its new Jim Henson Company series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, a spin-off from the 80s family movie hit.
Myst successor Obduction is free to keep right now
First-person puzzle and exploration adventure Obduction is free from the GOG games store until 14:00 BST on June 1 (Rock, Paper, Shotgun). Created by Myst developer Cyan Worlds, it's a modern adventure that shares its legendary predecessor's reality-bending themes and challenging mechanical puzzles. You'll need a free GOG account to get it.
Elon Musk's wild space internet plan
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
