Xbox Series X fires first salvo against PS5 in new console war November 10, 2020 After months of leaks, speculation and anticipation, the first batch of Xbox Series X consoles have been delivered to fans. Microsoft has shipped its new flagship console two days before arch rival Sony’s PS5, kicking off what promises to be the most closely-fought console war in generations. Both the Xbox Series X and the PS5 [...]
EU accuses Amazon of ‘distorting’ competition in ecommerce market November 10, 2020 The EU has accused Amazon of distorting competition in online retail markets by misusing data from third-party sellers on its platform. In a statement today, competition tsar Margrethe Vestager said Amazon “systematically” relied on non-public business data of traders on its site. She accused the tech firm of using this data to benefit its own [...]
Netflix poaches ITN boss Anna Mallett to lead UK production November 10, 2020 Netflix has swooped on the chief executive of TV production giant ITN as the streaming giant bolsters its credentials in the UK. Anna Mallett will oversee Netflix’s production in Britain as well as local language productions across much of the rest of the world outside the US. Mallet currently leads ITN, which produces news programming [...]
Softbank ‘considers moving Vision Fund’ from London to Abu Dhabi November 10, 2020 Japanese tech investment giant Softbank is reportedly considering moving the unit that manages its $100bn (£75.6bn) Vision Fund from London to Abu Dhabi. The move has been under discussion for several weeks, the Financial Times reported, citing people with knowledge of the talks. The relocation of Softbank Investment Advisors, which manages the Vision Fund, is [...]
Acast and Patreon team up to launch subscriber-only podcast service November 10, 2020 Acast and Patreon have joined forces to launch a new service that will allow podcast creators to make exclusive content available to subscribers across all major platforms. The tie-up will allow creators on the Patreon membership service to distribute private, patron-only podcast episodes to listeners on apps including Apple and Amazon Music. “At Patreon, we’re [...]
Softbank rides e-scooter wave with $250m Tier funding deal November 10, 2020 Softbank has jumped onto the booming e-scooter market, leading a $250m (£190m) investment round in Berlin-based Tier. Tier has grown rapidly since its inception in 2018, and now operates 60,000 e-scooters in more than 80 cities across 10 countries. The latest funding takes its valuation to just under $1bn unicorn status, the Financial Times reported, [...]
Bad connection: Zoom shares sink after Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine breakthough November 9, 2020 Bad connection: Zoom shares sink 16% after Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine breakthough
Mobile trading – The power is in your pocket November 9, 2020 | City Talk In the 21st century, there is no longer a single factor that defines all traders across the markets. Your ‘typical trader’ is a thing of the past. In the FX industry a couple of decades ago, being a ‘trader’ mostly meant that you were dressed in a suit, sat coordinating trades on the phone all [...]
Social media firms to crack down on Covid-19 vaccine disinformation November 9, 2020 Major social media platforms have agreed a package of measures with the government in an effort to limit the spread of disinformation about any Covid-19 vaccine. Following a meeting with health secretary Matt Hancock and digital secretary Oliver Dowden, Facebook, Twitter and Google endorsed the principle that no company should profit from false or misleading [...]
Softbank’s Vision Fund posts record profit as startup valuations recover November 9, 2020 Softbank’s Vision Fund division posted a record ¥784.4bn (£5.7bn) profit for the third quarter after a recovery in startup valuations helped the unit rebound from a ¥612bn loss the previous year. The Japanese tech investment giant, which has stopped reporting operating profit figures, reported a net quarterly income for the entire group of ¥627.5bn. This [...]