Pandemic profiteers face tax hike on Covid winnings February 7, 2021 Companies that have cashed in a result of the coronavirus pandemic, including the likes of Amazon, will face a double tax raid under plans being draw up by the government. The government has summoned companies to discuss how an online sales tax would work, while plans are also being drawn up for a one-off “excessive profits tax,” the [...]
Big data: what is it and who is using it? May 13, 2022 As the capabilities of analytics technology become ever more sophisticated, how are organisations mining and using this information and what are they doing with it? The value of information has been described as on par with and, depending on the information and how it is used, exceeding that of precious metals and fossil fuels. Although [...]
Publisher Bloomsbury enjoys record year as books offer lockdown escapism June 2, 2021 Publishing house Bloomsbury has posted record results for the year as Brits reached for the escapism of reading during a series of lockdowns. “The popularity of reading has been a ray of sunshine in an otherwise very dark year. In an outstanding year for Bloomsbury, we delivered record results,” chief executive, Nigel Newton, said in a [...]
Telecom chiefs call on EU lawmakers to make Big Tech ‘share the burden’ of investment February 14, 2022 Chiefs at Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone have called on European lawmakers to push Big Tech to contribute to expanding internet infrastructure.
Channel 4 privatisation plans heat up amid media deal frenzy June 1, 2021 Ministers have taken another step forward in plans to explore a potential sale of Channel 4 as the growing popularity of streaming sparks a frenzy of major media dealmaking. The state-owned broadcaster has reportedly been added to a list of assets that could be sold as the Treasury looks to shore up the country’s finances [...]
Wings over the world as Blackbird flies high with unique technology May 9, 2022 It might be said that it was only a matter of time before London-based Blackbird plc won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Afterall it is a company that the world seems increasingly to need and as a consequence is growing rapidly, especially overseas, particularly in America. In the last year Blackbird has won a raft [...]
Second-hand market ripens as China’s $3bn platform plots US IPO July 5, 2021 Tencent-backed online second-hand marketplace Beijing Zhuanzhuan Spirit Technology (BZST) is plotting a $400m funding round ahead of an initial public offering, according to reports. BZST, currently valued at $3bn, is trying to gauge interest from private equity and strategic investors, Bloomberg first reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The second-hand retailer is eyeing a [...]
Snapchat’s UK boss Ed Couchman: Snap looks to snap back May 9, 2022 Five years ago, Snapchat’s parent firm Snap floated on the New York Stock Exchange in what was hailed as a milestone for the once-disruptor in the social media landscape. The plucky underdog – at least compared to other messaging and social media apps – listed at $24 a share in an IPO twelve times oversubscribed. [...]
Age hits equally, but the gender pension gap doesn’t May 19, 2022 According to Amazon’s rankings, the best selling products for sixty-plus Brits are elevated toilet seats, pill organisers and pain relief creams. As elderly age affects the population regardless of gender, Amazon’s pensioners’ insights don’t take into account whether the buyer is a man or a woman – raised toilet seats are so far yet to [...]
Avoid losing wi-fi signal in your home or office again April 14, 2021 One of the most frustrating parts of modern life is finding that so-called wireless technology can be blocked by walls and ceilings, causing to fall out of wi-fi range in your home. Sidestep this annoyance with Devolo Mesh WiFi 2, a nifty wi-fi booster that uses your home’s own powerline to transmit data and boost [...]