Amazon Echo Look: It’s latest voice device is a crazy Clueless-style digital wardrobe with an Alexa activated camera and style assistant April 26, 2017 Amazon has unexpectedly launched a new Echo smart assistant device that lets users take pictures of their outfits to create a digital wardrobe in a modern day, real-life version of Clueless. The famous scene in the hit 90s movie showed the main character Cher pick outfits from a database of images on her computer. Now, [...]
HSBC boss Stuart Gulliver is facing pressure from shareholder groups over “excessive” pay April 26, 2017 HSBC is set to receive a frosty response from shareholders at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Friday, with some investor groups advocating a vote against top exec pay. Investor body Pirc has recommended a vote against HSBC’s remuneration report, calling benefits allocated to chief executive Stuart Gulliver “excessive”. Pirc added the ratio of executive [...]
Joey Barton betting ban: Football Association has forced me into retirement with “harsh” 18-month suspension April 26, 2017 Former England midfielder Joey Barton has accused the Football Association (FA) of unfairly forcing him into premature retirement by banning him for 18 months for betting offences. The 34-year-old, who rejoined Burnley in January, has been suspended from all football activity until late 2018, by which team he will be 36, and fined £30,000. Barton [...]
Bank of England launches new (voluntary, not legally binding) code of conduct for money market traders April 26, 2017 The Bank of England has launched a new code of integrity for all British participants in the money markets. The code’s guidelines will only be voluntary for traders in markets for deposits, repos and securities lending, so will not be legally binding. The UK Money Markets Code aims to “promote integrity and effective functioning” by [...]
Brexit campaigner Gina Miller launches “Best for Britain” tactical voting campaign April 26, 2017 Brexit campaigner Gina Miller has formally unveiled a new crowd-funded tactical voting campaign after raising almost £300,000 in just over a week. Miller’s “Best for Britain” campaign will back election candidates pushing for “a real final vote on Brexit, including rejecting any deal that leaves Britain worse off”. It marks the latest intervention into politics [...]
Government delays publication of report on Southern rail troubles until after the 2017 General Election April 26, 2017 The publication of a report into Southern rail troubles has been delayed until after the General Election, leading MPs to criticise the government for sitting on the findings. The report looking into Southern owner Govia Thameslink Railway, was carried out by Chris Gibb, a non-executive Network Rail director with 35 years’ experience in the industry. [...]
Bitcoin prices are rising to 2017 highs on the potential for mass-adoption in India and Japan while hope for a bitcoin ETF is revived April 26, 2017 Bitcoin is trading around its highest price of the year today on the prospect of mass-adoption in India and Japan. Bitcoin was more than one and a half per cent higher this morning at around $1,284 according to Coin Desk. The currency peaked just above that in early March before plummeting to a low of [...]
Britain’s fastest-growing companies: Follow this year’s Leap 100 and prepare to be inspired April 26, 2017 Now entering its third year, The Leap 100 is a group of some of Britain’s most exciting, fastest growing companies. Over the next 12 months, we will follow this latest cohort in pages of City A.M., through regular polls, entrepreneur profiles and expert comment. Alongside experts at City A.M., The Entrepreneurs Network and Seven Hills, [...]
Brexit, General Election 2017: It’s time for entrepreneurs to get involved in the policy debate April 26, 2017 Some people love politics – the cut and thrust, cheering and jeering, pavement pounding and leafleting in support of their tribe. Others, not so much. For the haters and agnostics, recent months and years have been a trying time. Brexit and Trump are more than enough politics for most of us; now we have a [...]
Will payday lender Wonga’s reputation pay a price for its customer data breach? April 26, 2017 Over the last few years a number of high-profile brands have seen their customers’ data compromised – as the result of a deliberate hack or because of inadequate security procedures. The latest brand to suffer is Wonga. Earlier this month the payday loan provider suffered a data breach and warned that up to a quarter [...]