Creating user stories

A LUXURY hut maker has reported a 30 per cent rise in turnover as Brits create posh offices in their gardens. Plankbridge manufactures bespoke shepherd’s huts which have kitchens and showers along with a starting price of £22,500 - exporting them as far as the USA and Switzerland. In recent years, they have experienced an uptick in orders from people looking to cash in on their land by launching boutique staycation companies. But over the past 12 months, as people have been forced to work from home, there has been a surge in interest from customers looking to create an office in their garden. They have seen enquiries soar by 70 per cent and turnover is up 30 per cent in 2020. Plankbridge, which was founded by Richard Lee and his partner Jane Dennison in 2000, is based at a 15,000sq/ft hangar near Dorchester, Dorset. They now employ 24 staff who typically work on around 10 hand-made huts at a time - with each hut taking from six weeks to complete. The company … [Read more...] about Luxury hut maker’s sales rocket as Brits create posh offices in their gardens during lockdown

Amazon has changed the new logo of its smartphone app after users said the initial version reminded them of a smirking Adolf Hitler. The sales giant recently ditched its old logo, featuring the familiar symbol of a shopping cart, in favour of a brown Amazon box with a piece of tape with a jagged edge at the top. But combined with the smile-shaped arrow which also forms part of Amazon's branding, the tape looked like it could be part of a face - with what some shoppers thought was an uncomfortable resemblance to the dictator's distinctive moustache. The logo has since been changed again, with the tape now folded over in one corner and straight around the edges rather than jagged. Unlikely comparison: Amazon's first attempt at a new logo for its smartphone app (left) led some surprised shoppers to compare the image to Adolf Hitler (right) One user noticed the dubious logo on Sunday, saying: 'Well it happened.. my Amazon app icon finally updated to the … [Read more...] about Amazon changes its new smartphone app logo after shoppers say it reminds them of a smirking Adolf Hitler

Kim Kardashian has enraged fans by unveiling that her daughter North's pet bearded dragon wear clothes. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 40, took to her Instagram page on Wednesday evening to share how her little girl was in her element with her new scaly pet. Reality star Kim - who is amid divorce from North's father Kanye West - proudly uploaded snaps of the seven-year-old posing with the reptile as she told that the creature - named Speed - was the newest addition to the Kardashian-West clan. She then went on to explain that "Speed got a makeover" with a stuck-on gem applied to its head and has its own wardrobe full of miniature items that resemble Kim's SKIMS brand of clothing. Alongside a gallery of images that showcased the exotic pet being hugged by North and dressed in a furry ensemble, Kim Typed: "Meet the newest member of our family...Speed. I really wasn’t planning on liking Speed the way I do but she grew on me! "Speed was really my BFF Allison’s … [Read more...] about Kim Kardashian branded ‘cruel’ by fans for letting North dress up pet bearded dragon

Weddings can be pretty expensive. Once you add up the cost of the venue, the dress, plus the catering, photography and everything else, the happy couple is likely to be set back quite a sum. So, it's quite common for wedding guests to gift the newlyweds with money. But, one Australian couple has been harshly criticised after they asked people to put $100, (approximately £56), towards their big day. Ahead of the wedding, the pair sent out a "wishing well" card which encouraged the reader to "pull out your greens and let it be seen." In Australia, 'greens' is another word for $100 because of the colour of the note. The poem on the card reads: "Our bank account is in debt, and we would like it to go back into credit. "Please visit the ATM, we know you're a gem. "Pull out your greens and let it be seen that your kindness is real when it's given its final seal. "So place your cash in our wishing well and make our dreams come true, that will be swell." More quirky … [Read more...] about ‘Greedy’ couple shamed for ‘tacky’ wedding invites that demand guests gift money

Europe's competition watchdog has launched two investigations into Apple - including the way it limits the use of the contactless payment function on iPhones. The European Commission said it was looking into the US tech giant's Apple Pay platform as well as its mobile app store. It said there were concerns that the company's practices hurt consumers by limiting choice and innovation and keeping prices high. Apple dismissed the complaints as "baseless". The commission is looking at whether Apple Pay's rules require online stores to make it the preferred or default option - effectively shutting out rival payment systems. Advertisement It is also concerned about the "tap and go" function of Apple's iPhone handsets being reserved for the use of the Apple Pay platform. EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said it came at a time when growth in mobile payment systems was accelerating due to the coronavirus crisis increasing online … [Read more...] about EU launches two investigations into Apple