Latest news with #digitaldisplays
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Major London train station to remove three quarters of advertising billboards
Liverpool Street Station is set to strip back its advertising boards by more than 75 per cent, throwing out old posters in favour of new, modern digital displays and more information screens. Government rail company Network Rail has submitted a new planning application to remove dozens of adverts across the concourse and platforms of the UK's busiest railway station. Network Rail has identified 148 advertising boards throughout the station, and hopes to reduce this number to as few as 34, according to a heritage statement report in Network Rail's application. The rail company says that stripping back the adverts is an attempt to further improve the experience of the millions of passengers who pass through Liverpool Street every year. 'Our aim is to improve passengers' journeys through our station by installing additional information screens and replacing old advertising boards with modern digital displays,' a Network Rail spokesperson told The Independent. "Should we receive planning permission, we hope these changes will make travelling through Britain's busiest station a much smoother experience." Alongside a better passenger experience, the application's heritage statement said that removing adverts would reveal covered-up walls and views across the 1870s train shed, which will have a 'heritage benefit'. If approved, Liverpool Street will not be the first London station to revitalise the way it uses adverts around the station. In October last year, London's Euston station switched off a large advertising screen that overlooks the concourse as part of a plan to improve the station. The plan was put in place following overcrowding issues, last-minute train announcements, and people rushing to platforms forced authorities to look at improving conditions. To try to create a smoother experience passing through Euston, Network Rail later switched on its large overhead advertising board, but instead displayed live train travel updates for passengers. At Liverpool Street, most of the existing displays are static posters, which Network Rail hopes to replace. In total, 138 static posters will be removed and replaced with 17 digital advertising boards in new locations. A further seven static boards will be replaced with screens under a previously approved plan. Some digital displays will appear at the end of the platforms, with an additional screen showing train departures, allowing passengers to see travel information and find their platform, which promises to improve passenger flow. The overhaul of advertisements comes after a separate multi-million-pound proposal by Network Rail to redevelop Liverpool Street. The company hopes to transform the station into a 'landmark gateway to the City of London' that can accommodate over 200 million annual passengers. The proposal includes eight new lifts, six new escalators, a wider concourse and step-free access across the station to enhance accessibility at Liverpool Street.
Motor Trend
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2025 Audi Q5 Interior Review: Too Much Touchscreen?
Like its redesigned exterior, the new 2025 Audi Q5's interior evolves from the chiseled yet austere appearance of the outgoing model. There's a bit more flourish inside, enlivening the space. Still, practicality and ease of use remain areas of focus—this is a luxury SUV, after all. But the most prominent change in the new Q5's cabin is its digital displays, so let's use them—all three—as a starting point for our 2025 Audi Q5 interior review. Driver Display: Needs More Digital driver displays are ordinary in new cars and beneficial for how they can provide near-endless customization. But Audi's implementation stands out for its relatively few abilities. Actually, this 11.9-inch display seems to show less than the previous Q5's could. In the 2025 Q5, the driver display is split into three zones. The left panel shows fuel efficiency or a trip odometer, the right panel shows what media is playing or navigation prompts, and the circular center panel shows the vehicle's speed and driver assist feature status. A minimalistic view option expands the center and hides what's on the sides. That's pretty much all the new Q5's driver display offers. Some competitor equivalents are far more reconfigurable, able to show the AWD torque split, tire pressure monitoring, fluid temperatures, and more. In some cars, that information can then be arranged to suit individual preferences, in different layouts, design themes, and colors, unlike in the Q5. Especially odd is that the new Q5's driver display can't show a full-screen navigation map, a celebrated feature in the outgoing model. Infotainment: Good Fortunately, the big, sharp 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen can do much more. It's reconfigurable, in both the left-side panel of compact tiles, which can be rearranged by dragging apps from the main display, and in the climate control bar at the bottom, where preferred functions can be placed. This user interface is easy to navigate. A large grid of apps related to different settings and features puts it all on display. Responsiveness is near instant, and the screen is positioned so there's no awkward reach. Making changes rarely takes more than two taps, and for those that remain elusive, the 'Hey Audi' voice assistant can recognize more than 800 commands. Many automakers have rejected physical buttons and knobs in favor of touchscreen equivalents, and we can't think of an instance where that approach is an improvement. However, Audi's implementation is fairly innocuous. Fortunately, the climate vents remain manually adjustable. Additionally, a genuine volume knob remains, a welcome redundant control to the capacitive volume buttons on the steering wheel. As if there weren't enough screens in new cars already, some automakers now offer a touchscreen ahead of the front passenger. In the Q5, that display measures 10.9 inches and mirrors many of the primary touchscreen functions, allowing the passenger to serve as a co-pilot who can adjust the navigation route, media, or climate settings. We just don't really see the point. With an iota more effort, the passenger could reach over and do all those things from the primary touchscreen. Sure, the passenger display also has video streaming and gaming apps, which are blocked from the driver's view by a special coating. But we'll bet any Q5 passenger will already also have their own smartphone or tablet that can do those things and isn't locked into the vehicle's dashboard. The passenger display is included in the high-end Q5 Prestige trim. In the lower Premium and Premium Plus trims, the area where that would go is occupied by a panel of glossy black plastic that basically looks like the display, only permanently powered off. Had Audi instead put in an attractive piece of decorative wood or metal trim, it'd better advance the luxurious impression this interior is trying to make. Materials: Quite Nice Something that hasn't changed from the outgoing Q5 is the high-quality feel that pervades throughout the new version's cabin. Everything feels solid and well assembled, with all touchpoints enjoying engineered tactility. Stitched leather on the dashboard and doors adds to the upscale vibe, as does the satin silver trim on the doors and center console. More decor aside from the single wood strip spanning the dashboard would nicely elevate the ambiance. Speaking of ambiance, the multicolor interior ambient lighting helps the space still feel special in night driving. Furthermore, the light strips at the base of the A-pillars can work as blind-spot monitoring indicators and turn signal repeaters, a touch of smart and stylish functionality. There is some hard black plastic, most tangibly on the door pulls, but it all feels robust and is placed in a way so that premium materials are seen and felt most often. Back Seats: Little Compromise Moving to the back seats, there's no significant reduction in material quality or finishing; Audi didn't cheap out in making rear passengers feel special like those up front. The rear seats tilt and slide, though spaciousness seems comparable to other luxury compact SUVs, which is fine but not abundant. At least the back seat gets its own climate control zone and USB ports. One concern is the gigantic hump bisecting the floor between the seats, which would limit space for passengers to stretch their legs, particularly for anyone sitting in the middle. Practicality: Solid Audi claims gains in storage space inside the glove compartment, armrest bin, and door pockets; a tall cylindrical water bottle fit perfectly in the doors during our drive of the new 2025 Q5 and SQ5. Overall cargo capacity slightly increases, too, despite the nearly unchanged exterior dimensions. In the center console, two cupholders are positioned alongside the small and simple drive selector toggle. Ahead of those is a wireless charging pad, which angles a device away from the driver. That makes it tricky to take a glance while driving, but maybe that's safer. New Audi Q5 Interior: Verdict Audi succeeded in making the 2025 Q5's interior a stylish and functional place. Meanwhile, the impressive infotainment touchscreen mostly makes up for the shortcomings of the driver's display. We'd like to see a different approach to the misguided passenger display, especially to the cheap-looking panel in vehicles without that feature. Otherwise, though, there's not much we'd change about the new Q5's insides. It's equipped and trimmed in a way that will catch appeal while working how a well-thought-out daily driver should.
