Eurobites: BT Frozen Out of UK's 2.3GHz Spectrum AuctionEurobites: BT Frozen Out of UK's 2.3GHz Spectrum Auction

Facebook is to hire an additional 500 employees when it opens its new London headquarters next year, the BBC reports, increasing its current UK headcount by around 50%. According to Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook's vice-president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, many of the new roles will be "high-skilled engineering jobs."

Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) has done a deal with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to develop an ecosystem to support an unmanned aerial system (UAS) that will allow the authority to track and manage all UAS activity in the country's airspace. The vendor claims that the project will enable the UAE to become the first country that allows UAS use in a "safe and secure environment" and help embrace drone technology as part of a "smart city" strategy.

Barclays, the British banking giant, is introducing technology at its ATMs that will allow customers with an Android smartphone to withdraw money by simply tapping the ATM with their device. As the Daily Telegraph reports, the bank hopes that, as well as offering marginally more convenience, the technology will reduce the likelihood of their bank cards being "skimmed" by rogue ATMs for their account details. Barclays says it developed the technology itself.

Gemalto , the Netherlands-based digital security specialist, has launched what it says is the world's first system for real-time reactivation of dormant SIM cards. LinqUs SIM Reactivation is being launched in Ghana, where the SIM market is almost entirely prepaid, and most users accumulate two SIM cards as they shop around for bargain tariffs.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading