Vulnerable Brits are facing a personal debt crisis April 21, 2016 Back in 2010, reeling from a global financial crisis, Britain entered into a period of austerity. Talk from the government was of tightening belts, sensible spending and paying down debt. But while public expenditure has undoubtedly been tightened since then, levels of consumer credit have been creeping inexorably upwards. Findings from a new report by [...]
Cruising through the Moroccan Atlas Mountains in a 4×4 September 11, 2015 The ancient Greeks believed that Atlas was the primordial Titan who held up the sky. The mountain range that takes his name separates the Sahara desert from the Atlantic Ocean; Marrakesh, the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco, rests in its shadow. This would be my base before I set off in a 4×4 to [...]
The new topless Range Rover Evoque is a glorious blown-up Barbie car and we kind of love it October 4, 2016 As controversial as the EU referendum, the world’s foremost luxury 4×4 maker has lopped the top off its compact model in a bid to create a new lifestyle niche; the Cabrio SUV. To some, this is the best of all words. To others, it is a motorised selfie stick. Soft-top off-roaders aren’t a new concept. [...]
It’s easy to get away with an exaggerated CV: From Andrea Leadsom to super-hero interns, big claims too often go unchallenged July 11, 2016 Years ago, when I was at business school and applying for a summer internship, I came across the CV of a fellow student. It read: “X advised the chief executive of a consumer goods multinational on large-scale transformation. He developed from scratch the company’s risk management strategy, organisation and processes. He put together and led [...]
iPhone 7 review: A brilliant handset but one that hints at even bigger things to come September 21, 2016 There were no queues around the block for the UK launch of the iPhone 7. Flash floods were a mitigating factor (plus the fact the annual pilgrimage has been on the wane for a couple of years), but I suspect it’s also because it looks so damn similar to the last one. The aluminium chassis [...]
The rumours are true: Apple only expects its devices to last a few years April 15, 2016 Splashing £500-odd on a new iPhone every few years might seem like a bit of an ask – but at least if you're buying an Apple device, you know it's going to last, right? Wrong. Today the company published new information on how it deals with old devices – and revealed that iPhones are built to die [...]
Suicide Squad movie review: Jared Leto’s strong Joker game can’t save a film that’s too fixated on Margot Robbie’s behind August 2, 2016 There are lots of reasons to dislike Suicide Squad. It shamelessly fetishises guns, for instance, which in the current climate feels pretty distasteful. There are guns emblazoned with “love” and “hate”, guns made out of gold, guns that fly through the air in slow motion. It shamelessly objectifies women, particularly Margot Robbie and more particularly [...]
Space tourism, driverless cars and drones set for Queen’s Speech lift off May 15, 2016 New plans for driverless cars on Britain's roads are to be announced in the Queen's speech this week, as are proposals for creating an ambitious UK-based space tourism industry by 2018 along with drone-friendly innovations. “Driverless cars and commercial space flight might seem like something science fiction, but the economic potential of the new technology is huge [...]
Uber reveals London ride-sharing figures for UberPool June 7, 2016 Uber's ride-sharing service UberPool has hit a milestone in London, with more than a million people making journeys via the service in the six months since launch. The billion dollar startup which recently landed billions more in funding from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, claims more than 700,000 driving miles have been saved by UberPool in the capital since [...]
Tesla’s long-awaited Model X SUV electric car is getting ready to hit the road September 29, 2015 Today is a big day for those who pre-ordered Tesla's Model X electric car. After years of delays, the company is finally unveiling the SUVs to these eager consumers – but they are still months away from actually getting their hands on the cars. At a special ceremony held in the company's plant [...]