Forget Apple Watch: Intelligent virtual assistants are the next tech revolution September 10, 2014 THE APPLE Watch is just the latest exciting development in wearable technology. But the prospect of consumers interacting with Siri on their smartwatches also hints at another impending revolution in how we access digitised knowledge. Today, we stand on the brink of the third wave of computing – where machines become capable of learning and [...]
Devo max is a cheap last-gasp offer – but a federal UK may be the happy result September 10, 2014 WHATEVER the outcome of next week’s referendum on Scottish independence, of one thing we can be sure: the constitutional settlement that had helped make the Union such a success for 300 years will be tainted. This settlement had just about held together after devolution. However, many of us in the other Home Nations have been [...]
Why there’s nothing anti green about airport expansion September 10, 2014 IN RECENT years, a misplaced and damaging idea – that expanding the UK’s airport capacity is environmentally unsustainable – has permeated the public consciousness. Exacerbated by political gridlock on the question of new runways, it’s a myth that needs to be urgently corrected. As anyone in the UK’s business community will know, export-led growth can [...]
As Manchester United projects falling profits, will its big spending on players restore its fortunes? September 10, 2014 Trevor Birch, a partner at BDO and former chief executive of Chelsea Football Club, says Yes. The club is a commercial phenomenon in footballing terms. It’s just reported annual revenues of £430m, increasing commercial revenues by £135m since 2007. It generates astonishing positive cashflow and, as a self-financing business model, continues to be almost untouchable [...]
Manchester United is a commercial phenomenon – and will remain so September 10, 2014 Manchester United FC is a commercial phenomenon in footballing terms. It has just reported annual revenues of £430m and increased commercial revenues by £135m since 2007 – a staggering achievement. It generates astonishing positive cashflow and, as a self-financing business model, remains almost untouchable in the football industry, certainly in the UK. Where the club has [...]
Life after redundancy: How to pick yourself up after losing your job September 10, 2014 Losing your job is hard. Picking yourself up is tougher. You may have been fired or been made redundant, but getting back into the job market with the right mind frame is essential. Too often people fall into a rut after they lose their job – it is essential to keep healthy, both mentally and [...]
Why Labour’s landlord plans will mean a better private rented sector September 10, 2014 Contrary to the views expressed by Ryan Bourne of the IEA, Labour’s reforms to the private rented sector are designed to address the chronic instability faced by families up and down the country. However, I agree wholeheartedly with his analysis that addressing the shortage of homes is paramount, and that’s why Labour has committed [...]
How Manchester United and Chelsea showed loaning is the new buying for Premier League clubs September 10, 2014 So the window has slammed shut on the latest football transfer extravaganza. Well perhaps not so much slamming, more flapping shut with the deals that seemed to conclude after the deadline had passed. How do we all feel? I think we’re left with a sense of shock, amazement and bewilderment at the sheer [...]
Apple Watch is the start of a whole new era of growth for Apple under Tim Cook September 9, 2014 Apple is truly a creature of habit. You could almost set a watch (no pun intended) to the regular tick tock of its annual product cycles. But every so often, Apple must change its pattern, breaking with tradition to launch a new product or set a new direction for the company. The first iMac in [...]
Forget bonus caps: Why real executive pay reform must tackle short-termism September 9, 2014 EXECUTIVE pay is a high-profile topic which almost everyone has an opinion about, and many believe the entire system is broken. But despite being well-intentioned, many suggested reforms may not be targeting the elements of pay that are most critical for shareholder value and society. Much of the debate is on what I call a [...]