The inflation basket of goods: As coffee pods are in and nightclubs out, here’s a short history of nearly seven decades of shopping basket shake-ups March 15, 2016 The party's over. Nightclub entry fees have been dropped from the official measure of prices in the UK, the ONS basket of goods, while our love affair with leggings and nail varnish have gained access to the list. (Find out what else was dropped and the latest items added here.) The yearly review is a barometer of changing [...]
The seven things to look out for at Apple WWDC June 12, 2016 Apple's already launched a phone this year, but there's more to come from the tech titan, and some of that will be revealed at its developer conference next week. Don't expect the iPhone 7 yet though, this will be all about software and services rather than devices. Last year, we had a bumper one that [...]
Fintech Week 2016: How London can become the fintech capital of the world March 2, 2016 Events like last week's Fintech Week show the government's commitment to be more than just words. But there is plenty more the government can – and must – do to ensure London cements its place as the global leader in fintech. There are several short-term pragmatic steps they could take, like setting up centres of excellence in specific fintech streams, [...]
“Uber for marijuana” startup raises $75m from Snoop Dogg and other investors April 15, 2015 A marijuana delivery start-up has raised $10m (£6.8m) in a funding round which included investments from Snoop Dogg's Casa Verde Capital and Silicon Valley firm DCM Ventures among others. Eaze, which has been dubbed the "Uber for weed", does not directly supply marijuana, but instead connects California medical marijuana card-carriers with local dispensaries, claiming it can [...]
London’s cabbies can’t afford to live in the past October 30, 2015 During last year’s Black Cab protest against Uber, one bit of news footage stood out. A cabbie was being interviewed on camera, explaining that Uber’s behaviour was unacceptable and unfair. Behind his seat, attached to the dividing screen between driver and passenger, was a sign that read “cash only”. This pigheaded refusal to join the [...]
Uber targets second largest market growth with Times of India partnership March 23, 2015 Uber has partnered with the publisher of the Times of India newspaper in a bid to shore up its position in the lucrative market – its largest outside the US. The tie up includes commercial arrangements for marketing and distribution through Times Internet, the digital arm of the Times of India Group, as the taxi [...]
2015 Forbes’ billionaires list: Bill Gates joined by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Uber’s Travis Kalanick and Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel March 2, 2015 While Forbes’ list of billionaires is topped by the usual suspects – Microsoft founder Bill Gates, business magnate Carlos Slim and investment guru Warren Buffett – young tech entrepreneurs are hot on their heels. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg joined the top 20 for the first time with an estimated fortune of $33.4bn (£21.7bn), placing him [...]
Private jet membership set to take off in 2016 January 31, 2016 Private jet usage is set to take off in London, following the roll out of membership schemes that allow people to make use of jets without owning them. A survey carried out by industry magazine Corporate Jet Investor found that nearly one in four (23 per cent) said that the growth of membership schemes and online [...]
High Court ruling on taximeters could spell the end for Uber as we know it March 28, 2015 An application by Transport for London (TfL) to the High Court could put the brakes on Uber services in London, and it all comes down to taximeters. These are the small boxes with which taxi drivers calculate the fare over the course of a journey, and the law states that in London they can only [...]
Uber rival Lyft valued at over £1.5bn March 12, 2015 TAXI APP Lyft has raised $530m (£353.6m) from a new funding round, softening the blow dealt by a US judge’s ruling against the ride-sharing service. Lyft is now valued at more than $2.5bn after the round led by Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten closed this week. Rakuten now owns an 11.9 per cent stake in the [...]