User experience (UX) stories

Vodafone teams with Netcompany on a global travel eSIM, promising instant, data-only connectivity in 200-plus destinations worldwide.

YouTube sets 2026 agenda with tougher child safety tools, bigger creator payouts and expanded AI across production and viewing.

Monzo launches free HMRC-recognised in-app tax filing for sole traders and landlords, ahead of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax in 2026.

Walmart to embed shopping in Google’s Gemini app, letting users browse and buy Walmart and Sam’s Club items directly via AI chats.

Banks face outages costing USD $1.8 million an hour as New Relic says AI-driven observability becomes vital for risk, CX and resilience.

Betsson adopts Group-IB’s real-time fraud tech to counter rising account takeovers, bonus abuse and payment scams across its platforms.

Worldline and YouLend launch Cash Advance in Belgium and the Netherlands, offering SMEs embedded card-based funding of up to EUR €250,000.

UK shoppers spent a record GBP £26.9bn online over Christmas 2025, as mobile purchases surged and AI-driven referrals leapt from 2024.

Wise forecasts five shifts to speed up cross-border payments by 2026, as new rules, tech links and customer demands reshape the market.

New Zealand design leader Dave Clark dies; agency bearing his name says leadership and ownership stay unchanged under co-founders.

Google has unveiled Disco, a Labs testbed debuting GenTabs, an AI tool that turns browsing activity and prompts into web apps.

OpenAI rolls out USD $8-a-month ChatGPT Go across the US and prepares to trial clearly labelled ads for free and Go users.

Binance restores AUD bank transfers and PayID deposits for all Australian users, easing fiat access after months of card-only funding.

Bolt Insights predicts AI-driven, real-time insight, dynamic personas and a new strategist role for researchers will redefine the sector by 2026.

BT will equip 23,000 easyJet crew and ground devices with eSIM connectivity across 35 countries and 150-plus European airports.

Outdoor Outlook launches in New Zealand, giving trampers and other outdoor lovers personalised, colour-coded weather-based activity tips.

Rimini Street secures multiple awards for agentic AI, customer service and leadership, as Hitachi Vantara client also earns industry honour.

For Purpose Aged Care backs Acredia in an AI-driven rebuild of its aged care software platform, aiming to modernise systems nationwide.

Xero launches AI analytics across its platform, giving small firms dashboards, forecasts and scorecards once reserved for larger rivals.

KTC and Consult Red unveil AI Media Station, a Qualcomm-powered proof-of-concept bringing private edge AI control to living room media hubs.