Pay-by-selfie? Amazon wants to patent the facial recognition technology March 16, 2016 Soon you could be paying for cheese – and the bill for anything else – by saying cheese for a selfie, with a number of firms working on replacements for pins and passwords. Major companies such as Mastercard, HSBC as well as startups are playing around with technology that uses facial recognition for security. Now Amazon has [...]
FTSE reshuffle: Dixons Carphone, Easyjet, Capita and Intu all face relegation February 24, 2017 It's FTSE 100 reshuffle time again next week – and research suggests Dixons Carphone, EasyJet, Capita and Intu Properties could all be in the relegation zone. The Share Centre said potential replacements include the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, whose focus on international investments means it is making the most of a stronger pound, and asset [...]
Artificial Intelligence is a threat to society, an EU committee (EESC) has warned June 1, 2017 Artificial intelligence (AI) could pose a threat to the fabric of our society, according to an opinion published last night by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The EESC’s Workers’ Group, which is comprised of representatives from national trade unions, found 11 areas in which AI raises societal concerns – ranging from labour to [...]
Amazon and Microsoft in talks to park in self-driving car space with cloud computing April 1, 2016 Amazon and Microsoft are in discussions to provide cloud computing to a digital mapping business owned by a group making self-driving cars. BMW, Audi and Daimler acquired Here Maps from Nokia for €2.8bn (£1.97bn) last year. Read more: Audi, BMW and Daimler deal accelerates driverless car plans Reuters has reported that the technology companies are in talks [...]
Drones will transform our cities – and we’re totally unprepared for the consequences February 21, 2017 Drones are everywhere – whether that’s delivering Domino’s pizzas in New Zealand or dancing behind Lady Gaga at the US Super Bowl. With the news that Amazon’s new drone delivery plan includes “package parachutes”, considering how drones will impact our cities in the future is an issue that London must address now. No longer limited [...]
Uber granted appeal in landmark legal case over employment status of drivers as workers or self-employed April 19, 2017 Uber has been granted an appeal in a landmark legal battle over the employment status of its drivers in the UK. The multi-billion dollar startup will return to court later this year to argue against an employment tribunal ruling which last year said that Uber drivers should be classed as workers and are not self-employed. [...]
Private equity firm Privet Capital cuddles up with Care Bears maker Vivid Toy Group March 14, 2017 Private equity firm Privet Capital has snapped up a toymaker behind Care Bears, Thunderbirds and Moshi Monsters. Vivid Toy Group sells its products to major retailers across the UK, France, Benelux, Germany and the US, including in Tesco, Argos, Wal-Mart, Toys ‘R’ Us and Amazon. Headquartered in Guildford, the firm also has operations in Paris, Frankfurt and [...]
Vinyl comeback led by David Bowie helps UK music to vintage 2016 January 3, 2017 The vinyl comeback, David Bowie and streaming helped 2016 become a vintage year for UK music consumption. Industry body the BPI counted a total of 123m album equivalent sales (AES) last year, a 1.5 per cent increase on 2015’s figures. This corresponded to an estimated retail value of £1bn. There were 45bn audio streams served in 2016, [...]
The business rates backlash continues… this time Sainsbury’s speaks out February 19, 2017 Sainsbury's is the latest company to raise its voice amid growing concern over the impending rise in business rates which will see thousands of businesses with a bigger bill. The supermarket's chief executive Mike Coupe slammed the levy as "archaic" and called for reforms to "level the playing field with firms such as Amazon which [...]
Amazon delivers blow to Ocado with announcement of Morrisons deal February 29, 2016 Ocado shareholders fled to the checkout yesterday after its partner Morrisons revealed it had inked a major deal with Amazon, signing a ground-breaking agreement that will pave the way for the US giant to ramp up its presence in the UK grocery market. The tie-up, which is set to go live in the coming months, will see [...]