City workers not glued to their BlackBerrys can now still keep up with the latest financial news as they walk the streets, thanks to a batch of new recycling bins featuring screens showing content from the likes of the LSE and Economist.
The company behind the technology, Renew, is broadcasting news on 25 'pods' with two screens each, with another 75 of the bins set to be introduced in time for the Olympics, after inking a 20 year contract with the City of London.
Between 06.00 and 23.59 each market day, the bins will beam out breaking financial and corporate news as well as general headlines, weather updates and information about sport, fashion, travel, the arts and entertainment.
The firm has signed up the London Stock Exchange, Getty Images, AFP, Bloomberg, The Economist, Time Out and ESPN, among others, as content providers.
![](/finextra-images/articles/renewbin.jpg)
Kaveh Memari, CEO, Renew, says: "Millions of events happen in the City each day, from market developments to transport failures, which are difficult to forecast but are highly relevant to our working life in the City; Renew is the only channel that broadcasts this information directly to professionals on-the-go."
Content will be scheduled according to the location and time of day and, in the event of a major transport disruption or a civil emergency, instant messaging capabilities will deliver updates direct from the emergency services.
The firm is also promising to enhance wireless connectivity this year for "additional interactive capabilities" between the pods and mobile devices on the street.
Renew is planning to move into other major financial centres, securing permission to showcase its first pod in front of the New York Stock Exchange this Spring and talking to authorities in Japan and Singapore.