Employers protected from mental health claims after landmark ruling April 16, 2015 Employers could be protected from paying out compensation for "causing" mental health problems among their employees, following a landmark ruling in the UK. The ruling came after John Yapp, a former British high commissioner to Belize, was suspended and subjected to a disciplinary process in 2008 after being accused of making a sexual advance towards [...]
The most popular lunch in Britain? Just a simple cheese sandwich April 16, 2015 When it comes to lunch, simplicity is key – Britons are more likely to opt for a good old cheese sandwich than anything else. Not only that, but three in 10 choose this humble meal every single working day, and have done so for an average of four and a half years (that's around 1,000 [...]
Tech sector divided over Google battle as EU launches antitrust probe April 15, 2015 Google faced the most serious regulatory threat in its history yesterday after EU officials launched a probe into its market dominance, sparking division among UK tech players about the benefits of the move. EU competition bosses confirmed they would investigate the US giant over its dominance and whether it abused it to rig Google shopping [...]
Park life: Portable speaker systems to see you through summer April 15, 2015 Make the most of those lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer with these excellent portable speaker systems. Bang & Olufsen A2, £299 Built from a rock-solid combination of extruded aluminium and a tough plastic polymer, this speaker is the perfect outdoor companion. As you’d expect from Bang & Olufsen, the sound is silky smooth and designed [...]
New discovery in mice paves the way for dementia cure April 15, 2015 Scientists at Duke University in the US have managed to stop mice developing dementia, and a similar cure could soon be on its way for humans. Using a drug that tinkers with the rodent's immune system, they were able to completely stop the onset of the age-related disorder, which is characterised by loss of memory [...]
Europe vs Google: EU accuses search giant of market dominance abuse in EU antitrust case and launches Android probe April 15, 2015 Five years after the European Commission first began investigating Google's dominance of internet search, formal charges against the search giant have finally been filed, accusing Google of anti-competitive behaviour. The EC's competition commissioner claims Google favours its own comparison of shopping products in search result pages over those of other shopping sites and has taken the [...]
A volcanic eruption could soon wipe out a huge chunk of the human population April 15, 2015 It sounds alarming, and it is – there's a reasonable chance a massive volcanic explosion will wipe out a significant portion of the global population before the end of the century, a report reckons. The European Science Foundation published finding estimating a probability of between five and 10 per cent that an eruption will reach a [...]
Being able to control your emotions is essential for career success – and it all starts in childhood April 15, 2015 Everyone knows being unable to manage your emotions won't go down too well at work, but having low self-control can actually ruin your career prospects way down the line – and it all starts in early childhood. A clear link has been uncovered between self-control and employment later in life by researchers at Scotland's University [...]
Taxi ride-sharing app Maaxi launches to join a crowded cab rank April 14, 2015 Maaxi, the black cab ride-sharing app will be launched today, joining the line-up in an already-competitive London taxi market. But founder and chief executive Gabriel Campos, former boss of online gaming website Pokerstars, insists the new offering is not just another taxi scheme, but rather “door-to-door public transport”. Campos, whose main backer is Nat [...]
Maaxi road test: The ride-sharing app turning black cabs into public transport April 14, 2015 It's a balmy London day and I’m sitting comfortably in a black cab, but, for the purposes of demonstrating his new ride sharing app, Maaxi boss Gabriel Campos wants me to envisage a more typical travel scenario. “Just imagine you’re waiting at the bus stop in the freezing cold and the next one’s not coming [...]