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London Underground will track everyone's Tube trip via WiFi
Transport for London, the UK capital's transit authority, will start collecting data on how people move around the Underground system by tracking phones and other connected devices using its extensive WiFi network. The agency's systems will depersonalize the data automatically and won't pick up any browsing or historical information from the devices. The data should offer sturdier details on how people move around the Tube system and even within stations, which will help the agency with long-term planning and providing effective updates to travelers.
Oyster card app simplifies top-ups in London
With the growing popularity of contactless payments, the humble Oyster card has a diminished role on the London Underground. Still, it's a useful option for tourists, children, or anyone who wants to keep a close eye on their travel spending. Today, Transport for London (TfL) has launched a mobile app for iOS and Android that makes it easier to top-up and review your balance. Once your account is set up, you can top-up from anywhere — no more queuing at a ticket machine. After 30 minutes, you simply need to touch a reader and the amount will be added on automatically.
Mayor of London promises public 4G on the Tube by 2019
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has vowed to bring proper mobile connectivity to the London Underground, including platforms and tunnels, by 2019. It's a promise that we've heard many times before, but this time it might actually happen because it's tied to a crucial network upgrade for the emergency services. A trunked radio system called Airwave, owned by Motorola Solutions, is due to be switched off before 2020. It'll be replaced by the Emergency Services Network (ESN), a 4G and 5G-ready service managed by EE. Khan's hope is that the new infrastructure required for ESN can also be offered to commuter and tourists on the Underground.
The only thing stopping 4G on the Tube is finding someone to deliver it
Londoners' dreams of using their phone on the Tube may soon become a reality after it emerged that Transport for London (TfL) is preparing to invite bids from companies to build a public underground 4G network. According to the Financial Times, the regulator -- with backing from London Mayor Sadiq Khan -- could hold an auction after next week's general election, extending connectivity beyond Virgin Media's station-centric WiFi network.
Android Pay helps Brits keep track of their Tube spending
It might have been late to the party, but Google is determined to make Android Pay the de facto payment solution for non-iPhone users in the UK. An update going out "this week" will add some deeper integrations with Transport for London (TfL), including incomplete journey notifications -- so you'll know when you forgot to tap out -- and daily travel summaries, complete with station names and bus numbers. Together, they should help you track your spending habits and spot when something strange has occurred, warranting further investigation and possibly a refund from TfL.
Google's memory-boosted AI could help you navigate the subway
Modern neural networks are good at making quick, reactive decisions and recognizing patterns, but they're not very skilled at the careful, deliberate thought that you need for complex choices. Google's DeepMind team may have licked that problem, however. Its researchers have developed a memory-boosted neural network (a "differentiable neural computer") that can create and work with sophisticated data structures. If it has a map of the London Underground, for example, it could figure out the quickest path from stop to stop or tell you where you'd end up after following a route sequence.
London Tube font redesigned for the internet age
The iconic typeface of the London Underground is getting a revamp. Design firm Monotype has been commissioned to rework the letters, numbers and symbols that people look at every day while they hurriedly board Tube carriages, stand on platforms and look at maps. The "Johnston" typeface was unveiled in 1916 and while it's undergone some changes since then, Transport for London (TfL) thinks it could use another tweak. The new "Johnston100" serves two purposes; to bring back some of the "soul" of the original typeface, which may have been lost in subsequent redesigns, and to make it more legible for apps and digital signage.
Twitter and TfL team up for instant Tube disruption alerts
From today, London's Tube and train passengers can get travel alerts sent to their phone, thanks to a partnership between Transport for London (TfL) and Twitter. In what's being described as a "world first" by the travel authority, the new service will notify travellers via a direct message if there are severe delays on their chosen line.
Ride on the Tube for free using Apple Pay next week
At the tail end of last year, Mastercard incentivized card owners to use Apple Pay by gifting them free travel as part of its "Fare Free Mondays" promotion. It must have proved popular, because the company has decided to run the campaign again, allowing Londoners with an Apple Watch or iPhone 6 (or newer) to ride the London Underground and buses for free over the next three Mondays.
O2 tracks and sells what customers are doing on the Tube
If you're with O2 and regularly use the London Underground, you should know that the network is trying to track your phone and pass that information on to advertisers. If that sounds like a huge invasion of privacy, well, in some ways it is -- however, the silver lining is that all of the data is anonymised and aggregated before it's visible to any marketing folk. O2's owner Telefonica struck the deal with Exterion Media last summer, the latter of which owns every billboard on the subterranean transport system. It then came into effect on Thursday, monitoring customers' journeys, app usage and browsing activity over Wi-Fi.
Twitter's out-of-order timeline prompts TfL to narrow travel updates (updated)
Transport for London (TfL) runs a whole host of Twitter accounts designed to keep commuters up to date with travel disruptions. The organisation is now changing its approach, however, and reducing its overall tweet output for minor delays and incidents. Why? Well, because of "various changes" that Twitter has made to users' timelines. The organisation doesn't blame any specific features, mentioning instead how "selected content on Twitter is (now) shown out of sequence." In response, certain accounts will soon be tweaked. The handles for the Underground lines, for instance (@bakerlooline, @circleline, etc.) will switch from real-time service updates to focused news and alerts for major disruptions.
Almost every London Underground station now has WiFi
In case you hadn't noticed, Virgin Media is still expanding its WiFi service on the London Underground. The company says it's recently flicked the switch at 100 new stations, including end-of-the-line stops like Edgware, Cockfosters and Stanmore. That brings its grand total up to 250 stations, which is only 20 shy of a complete roll-out. That's if you're only counting the stations themselves, anyway. It's still basically impossible to connect to the service while you're actually on a train, hurtling down a tunnel. That hasn't stopped people from connecting while they're on the platform or waiting to depart though -- Transport for London (TfL) says daily data consumption has jumped from 3TB to 20TB over the last 12 months, with more than half a million devices logging on each day. It's not perfect, but it'll do until there's finally 3G and 4G coverage below the surface.
London Tube's 'regenerative braking' tech can power an entire station
To make the London Underground greener and more cost effective, Transport for London (TfL) has been trialling a new system that collects and recycles waste energy from train brakes. Over the course of a week, the company says it's been able to capture electricity at a rate of 1 Megawatt hour per day -- enough to slash 5 per cent off its energy bill. The salvaged energy could also be used to run a station as large as Holborn for at least two days every week, TfL claims. The "state-of-the-art regenerative breaking system" is dependent on a new "inverter" set up at a substation near Cloudesely Road, where TfL manages the power sent to the Victoria Line. The "world-first" setup also reduces the amount of heat that's normally produced by the train's brakes. Recovering power could, therefore, keep London's Tube cooler and reduce TfL's operating costs, leading to cheaper fares. The "inverter" is now in operation full-time, but only on the Victoria line -- all the same, it's good to see TfL exploring new ways to modernise its iconic transport network.
Londoners can now give to charity by paying for travel with a contactless card
More Londoners than ever are using contactless payments to get around the capital, and now, a new initiative called "Penny for London" is asking commuters to add charitable donations to their daily routine, too. The idea is that every time you use a contactless card to pay for travel, you also put aside a nominal amount -- between 1p and 10p -- for charity. Then, at the end of the each month, Penny for London charges the accumulated total to the same card, and forwards the money on to the Mayor's Fund for London, Cash for Kids, The Prince's Trust and other charitable organisations. To get involved, all you need to do is register the card you use to travel on the initiative's website, where you can also keep track of your donations, set up caps and change other preferences. While Barclaycard is responsible for developing the "micro-donation" system, any Visa or Mastercard can be used. The hope is other retailers that accept contactless payments will also sign up to participate in the initiative, but for now, at least you can feel like you're embarking on cramped, uncomfortable Tube journeys for a good cause.
Three customers will soon get free WiFi on the Tube
After installing WiFi throughout the London underground and allowing free access during the 2012 Olympics and well beyond, Virgin Media eventually began charging for the service to recoup some of the investment. EE and Vodafone struck a deal to keep it free for their mobile customers before that solemn day even arrived, and O2 followed suit before too long. Apparently, Three didn't fancy jumping on the bandwagon then, but has just announced its patrons will be able to enjoy the same level of complementary connectivity by the end of the July. In early August, Three also plans to launch a new app called InTouch that'll allow you to call and text over WiFi (O2's Tu Go app lets you do the same), making even Tube platforms a stage for your loud and witty banter.
Tube Map Live for iOS displays real-time Tube movements
Tube Map Live (free) for iOS displays real-time data on tube train movements as they make their way around London. It's the latest app to come from developer Andy Drizen, who recently brought us Tube Tracker (US$2.99), which is a superb app for navigating your way around the London tube network. Essentially, Tube Map Live is the Transport for London (TfL) underground map with little circular train graphics representing tube trains as they move in and out of underground stations around the network. Train movement is based on a combination of officially supplied data from TfL and the same algorithm used in Tube Tracker to provided the most accurate train information. However, Drizen does provide a disclaimer stating info from TfL is not always 100 percent accurate, so things can look a bit odd from time to time. But by and large, the app gives you a pretty informative bird's-eye view of the tube network. Viewing the map with all the trains moving around at once can be a little overwhelming, so Tube Map Live has a few features to help make things a bit clearer. First, train lines can be de-selected from the map (removing the train info from that line). Second, each circular train graphic has a border shaded the color of the line it's traveling on. Third, a user can tap on a train to see its destination (for example, a Central Line train going to White City or Woodford via Hainault). Finally, at the bottom of the screen is a scrolling bar with current line information. If all that isn't enough, tap on "more," which takes you to the Tube Tracker app if you've got it installed. Though I love Tube Tracker for planning a journey and getting very specific info on train times, Tube Map Live is fantastic for those moments when you just need to view the TfL tube map with the additional benefit of seeing live train movement information. It's also plain good fun to watch and observe the trains going about their business, especially if you're a train aficionado. At night, the map also displays ghost trains (trains that move around the network, but are not for public use), displayed with a blue, scary-looking ghost train face!
Tube Tracker for iOS helps you get around London's Underground, Overground and DLR
Tube Tracker (US$2.99) is the ideal companion for those traveling London's Tube (underground train service), the DLR (Docklands Light Rail) and the London Overground rail service. I've lived in London for over 12 years. Almost everyday I use London's rail network in one form or another to get around the city. To this day, every now and again, I still get excited about using the network. I get overwhelmed by its sheer scale, size and the complexity of it. It's simply an incredible feat of engineering. According to the Transport for London website, there were 1.1 million passenger journeys on the Tube in the 2011 - 2012 period. There are stations and tunnels dozens of meters underground. It is incredible! However, there are days, more often than not, when I can't stand to be on the network. Unexpected delays, overcrowding and getting lost are very real problems train travelers face in London. That's where Tube Tracker comes in. I've spent the last few days using Tube Tracker and I've found it to be one of the most comprehensive apps I've used to navigate the London Underground, DLR and London Overground. When you first open the app, you're presented with a list of stations from the nearest to the farthest from you. Tube Tracker uses your iPhone's GPS to indicate how far away you are from a station -- to the nearest meter -- as well as displaying a GPS compass next to each station to point you in the direction of that station. The colors of the train lines that operate through each station are shown next to the name of each station, so from a glance you can easily see which station you need to get to in order to catch the train you're looking for. For example, if you need the Central Line, which is identified with red, simply scroll down until you see some red next to a station name. As well as the station list being populated according to location, you can also set the list to either show recent stations visited or stations you've indicated as favorites because you've starred them. When you tap on a station name, you're shown a map of the station as well as the platforms at the station. Tapping on the platforms shows you a list of trains due and how long it will be until they arrive. %Gallery-193475% For me, the above features alone are incredibly useful. Say I need to catch a train to Highbury & Islington, which is on the London Overground line, indicated by an orange color. I open Tube Tracker and see that the nearest station to me is Shoreditch High Street, a London Overground Station at 460 meters away. I know that Shoreditch High Street serves the London Overground line because the orange color is displayed next to that station name. I tap on the station name and see that from platform one, a train will arrive for Highbury & Islington in three minutes, then a Dalston Junction train in eight minutes and then another Highbury & Islington train in 11 minutes. Just from a glance and a single tap, I now know what time I need to leave, which train I need to catch, when it will arrive and which platform it will arrive on. This information is pulled directly from Transport For London (TFL), so if there are any delays or cancellations, it will be updated here. Extremely useful! On top of that, Tube Tracker also has a complete and searchable TFL map, live service updates, a journey planner, first and last train times, offline mode and service update alerts, which can be set by date, time and train line. This really is a comprehensive and extensive list of features. I've really enjoyed using Tube Tracker over the last few days. It's well-designed and particularly easy to read and navigate. If you're a Londoner or you're planning on visiting London anytime soon, Tube Tracker is most certainly worth checking out. If you're looking for a couple Underground app alternatives (one of them free), check out fellow Londoner and TUAW blogger Michael Grothaus' post here featuring two of his favorite apps to navigate the Underground.
O2 customers get free pass on Virgin Media's tube WiFi, last 12 stations go online this week
Unless you're a Virgin Media, EE or Vodafone customer, you've either been shelling out for subterranean internet, or bid the London Underground's WiFi network a solemn farewell when free access ended in January. If you're with O2, however, your free pass has now been reinstated, as the bubble-loving carrier has become the latest passenger riding on Virgin Media's tube hotspots -- O2 WiFi users will even find themselves automatically registered. Also, the underground network will shortly be meeting its 120-station target, as Virgin will be flipping switches at the final 12 locations throughout this week (the station list is available at the source link). So, should you start seeing more people in more places frantically hammering their smartphones during those 30-second pauses on the platform, you'll know why.
PSA: Virgin Media begins charging for tube WiFi today
Today's the day that your cost-free tweeting about red signals comes to end, as Virgin Media begins charging for its WiFi service on the London Underground. If you're a Virgin, Vodafone or EE customer, then you just need to sign up to continue getting access as part of your mobile plan. For everyone else, avoiding getting your fingers sticky on that day's issue of Metro will cost you £2 a day, £5 per seven-day week or £15 a month. If you take up the latter option at any point in February, you'll be given an additional sweetener: three months for the price of one. The company has also announced that Hampstead, Tooting Broadway and Great Portland Street are among 11 more stations that are due to come online this week.
Happy 150th birthday, London Underground! Two great tube apps to celebrate
As of yesterday, the London Underground is officially 150 years old. Way back on January 10, 1863, London's Tube became the first mass transit underground railway in the world. And what started as just seven stops on one line between Paddington and Farringdon stations has now grown into a massive rail network of more than 11 lines and 270 stations, which carries almost 4 million Londoners a day. In honor of the Tube's birthday I thought I'd list my two favorite apps to help me navigate London's iconic railway. While Transport for London doesn't have an official app, it does make its data available to developers. In the past two years I've tried virtually every Tube app out there; the following are the ones I believe every Londoner, or visitor, should have on their iPhone. Tube Tamer: London Journey Planner (Free) By far, Tube Tamer is the slickest, fastest and most pleasing London Tube app out there. Launch the app, enter your start and end stations, choose your departure time and tap search. Your journey options are displayed in a easy to navigate list. Or, if you don't know your stations, you can get directions by entering an address, post code or point of interest. The place search is powered by Google, so you know your results will be accurate. The power of this app lies in its simplicity. It's fast and easy to use -- something that comes in handy when you want to catch the next available train. Tube Map Pro (US$1.99/UK£1.49) Tube Map Pro is another great choice for navigating London's Underground. I don't use it as much as Tube Tamer because its UI is a little more convoluted. Then again, Tube Map Pro also does more than Tube Tamer. The app uses officially licensed maps from Transport for London that allow users to easily see an overview of the entire transport network and find out how to quickly get from one point to another. Besides maps and route-planning, the app uses GPS to show you the closest station to you, features live departure boards and lets you track the balance of your Oyster card (the Tube's ticketing system) right in the app. Are you a fellow Londoner? Have a favorite Tube app? Let me know in the comments!
