Space race: The ambitions, plans and delays of launching superpowers August 26, 2021 Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, following its landmark human flight last month, has launched an uncrewed mission of NASAs future moon landing technology today. The flight, known as NS-17 or New Shepard 17, set off from a Blue Origin site in West Texas. The NASA payload on board is to test technologies including a Doppler Lidar [...]
Research platform Atheneum looks to expand London team after £110m fundraiser August 26, 2021 Research platform Atheneum has set its sights on expanding its London team, as well as its Munich, Shanghai and New York offices, following a £110m funding round. The platform’s latest capital rally, led by Guidepost Growth Equity, will see Atheneum’s UK headcount swell from 50 to 200 over the next 12 months. “We are excited [...]
John Edwards: The ‘Facebook-hating’ Kiwi poised to shake up UK data laws August 26, 2021 The government today confirmed plans to appoint John Edwards, currently New Zealand’s privacy commissioner, as the next head of the UK’s data watchdog. The appointment is part of a planned overhaul of the UK’s data laws that will herald a new era of post-Brexit policy as ministers look to use online information to fuel economic [...]
Toshiba in talks with private equity giants KKR and Blackstone to revise strategy August 26, 2021 Toshiba is in talks with at least four global private equity firms including KKR & Co and Blackstone to seek their ideas for a new strategy, three sources with knowledge of the matter have said. Watch the full report.
Big Tech vows to ramp up cybersecurity after White House summit August 26, 2021 Major US tech firms have pledged to ramp up their cybersecurity defences following a White House summit yesterday. Google, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM were among the companies to make multi-billion-dollar commitments as President Joe Biden called on top chief executives to “raise the bar on cybersecurity”. During a meeting alongside his members of his Cabinet, [...]
UK to scrap web cookie requests in post-Brexit data revamp August 26, 2021 The UK will scrap “pointless” web cookie requests as part of a major package of reforms that will replace the EU’s data laws with a new post-Brexit regime. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden today unveiled a string of new measures designed to harness the power of data to drive growth and create jobs. The move will [...]
Data watchdog targets social media with new Children’s Code August 25, 2021 The UK data watchdog is setting its sights on social media and gaming companies with new regulations to protect children that come into force next week. The Children’s Code brings in new rules around protecting data for online services such as apps, online games and web and social media sites likely to be accessed by [...]
Inmarsat bids farewell to Old Street as it takes up new City HQ August 25, 2021 Inmarsat will be leaving its iconic headquarters in Shoreditch to take up new office space in the City. The British satellite giant has pre-let 121,00 square feet at 50 Finsbury Square, marking an end to its towering presence on Old Street roundabout. The move is the latest example of downsizing by a major British company [...]
Samsung to invest $200bn over three years in post-pandemic push August 24, 2021 Samsung is set to invest 240 trillion won ($206bn) by the end of 2023 in an effort to expand its biopharmaceuticals, AI, semiconductors and robotics offerings in the post-pandemic era. The South Korean tech giant said the investment will help strengthen its global standing in key industries such as chipmaking while allowing it to seek [...]
South Korea set to crack down on Apple and Google over app charges August 24, 2021 South Korea is poised to block Apple and Google from charging commission on in-app purchases in what could be the first such move by regulators around the world. The parliament’s legislation and judiciary committee is today expected to approve legal changes that will ban app store operators with dominant market positions from forcing certain payment [...]