Google Home is about to launch in the UK February 28, 2017 Hey Google! Google Home, the smart home speaker launched by the tech giant last year, is about to become available in the UK. The voice controlled assistant powered by artificial intelligence and which is a rival to the Amazon Echo is scheduled to be available for UK buyers in the second quarter of the year, it's been [...]
Debenhams raids Amazon for new chief executive May 26, 2016 Debenhams' share price rose this morning on the news it has appointed Amazon Fashion Europe's vice president Sergio Bucher as its new chief executive- giving a taste of the struggling department store's future. Bucher will join the retailer in October, having been in his current role since 2013. Previous positions include general manager of retail and e-commerce worldwide at Puma, [...]
The end of road rage? Your car will soon be able to tell what mood you’re in – then play your favourite music to cheer you up February 21, 2017 Could this be the end of road rage as we know it? Ford might just have a solution in the works as it expects the cars of tomorrow to be able to pick up on minute changes in our facial expression and inflections in our speaking voice. So advanced systems, equipped with microphones and in-car cameras, could [...]
The future may be powered by data, but it must be piloted by humans October 24, 2017 Of the six most valuable companies in the world, five are tech firms, whose worth is embodied less in physical assets than in intellectual property and customer data. Apple and Microsoft provide the tools to connect people, and to collect and process data. Google, Facebook and Amazon provide services, and in return accumulate more data [...]
SoftBank could be about to make Deliveroo a unicorn with talks of investment from Apple and Saudi-backed Vision Fund July 2, 2017 One of the UK’s star tech startups, Deliveroo, is on the verge of becoming a so-called unicorn, with SoftBank in talks over a potential investment. SoftBank’s Vision Fund, a huge new tech investment vehicle which has already backed several British tech companies, is in discussions to take a stake in the food delivery firm that [...]
Doubts about ‘value investing’ have returned to their pre-dotcom crash high December 18, 2017 Is legendary investor Warren Buffett losing his golden touch? On our Value Perspective investment blog, we would never dream of suggesting such a thing but type “Buffett losing touch” into Google and you will find plenty of financial commentators have, from time to time, had no such qualms. What is really interesting, however, is not [...]
Tesco is removing 1,700 deputy managers from its stores February 27, 2017 Around 1,700 Tesco employees face an uncertain future as the business eliminates a layer of management and replaces the jobs with lower-paid roles. The UK's biggest supermarket is replacing deputy managers in its "Express" convenience stores and creating 3,300 new, lower-paid "shift leader" jobs. Read more: Why Tesco could be better off leaving Booker on the shelf [...]
Roboshop: How Morrisons is using artificial intelligence to stock its shops March 20, 2017 Morrisons is using artificial intelligence to stock its stores in a bid to improve efficiency and customer service. The supermarket is rolling out a system from tech firm Blue Yonder that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict exactly what is needed in each of Morrisons' 491 stores. Read more: Amazon is looking for [...]
Amazon is going on a pre-Christmas hiring spree as it gears up for another bumper festive period July 6, 2016 Amazon, the US online retailer that has been ruffling feathers with its aggressive expansion plans, is upping its UK staff head count by a further 1,000 this year. It today announced plans to add 1,000 permanent jobs across the UK, on top of 2,500 permanent roles previously announced in January. The latest increase means it will [...]
Amazon and Goldman Sachs have backed this cyber security startup June 1, 2016 Amazon and Goldman Sachs are among investors to have put millions into a cyber security startup as worries grow around keeping private information secure for businesses and consumers. Ionic Security, which works with several Fortune 100 companies, has landed $45m (£31m) in a series D round of funding led by Hayman Capital and bringing total funding of [...]