UK to force tech firms to disclose device security plans amid cyber fears April 21, 2021 Tech firms could be forced to tell customers how long their products will be guaranteed to receive security updates under draft new laws outlined today. Manufacturers including Apple, Samsung and Google would have to make upfront disclosures for smart devices such as phones, speakers, fridges and doorbells. The plans form part of efforts to beef [...]
Tiktok sued for billions over children’s data concerns April 21, 2021 Tiktok is being sued for billions of pounds over allegations the video-sharing app illegally harvested the private data of millions of European children. The lawsuit, which is being backed by former children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield, alleges that every child that has used Tiktok since 25 May 2018 may have had personal information collected [...]
Apple Event: New, thinner iMac is making the ‘computer disappear’ April 20, 2021 Tech giant Apple has this evening announced a raft of new products including podcast subscription services and a thinner version of its iMac computer. The Silicon Valley firm said that the new version of its computer, which uses its in-house processor, was the closest Apple had yet come to “making its computers disappear”. The new [...]
Daily Mail files competition lawsuit against Google over royal coverage April 20, 2021 The Daily Mail has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google over allegations the tech giant unfairly manipulated its rankings in search results. In the suit filed in Manhattan federal court, the newspaper’s parent company accused Google of punishing publishers’ search rankings if they do not sell enough advertising space through Google’s marketplace. The Daily Mail’s [...]
AI on the edge April 20, 2021 | City Talk Artificial intelligence (AI) has already been attracting the attention of deep tech investors for some years. The reasons why are clear. In its ‘Sizing The Prize’ analysis of artificial intelligence (AI), PwC forecast that AI will contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with the ‘AI boost’ available to most national economies being [...]
Explainer: Why has the UK intervened in Nvidia’s $40bn Arm merger? April 20, 2021 Ever since it was announced in September last year, Nvidia’s proposed $40bn (£30bn) takeover of British chipmaker Arm has proved controversial. Critics including rival tech firms and former Arm executives were quick to hit out at the deal, warning of a negative impact for Britain and the semiconductor industry more widely. Yesterday the government made [...]
Netflix lookahead: What to expect from the streaming giant’s earnings April 20, 2021 Netflix is leading the charge in a busy schedule of US earnings today, reporting first-quarter figures after the bell. The Silicon Valley streaming giant, which now has more than 200m subscribers, has cashed in on higher demand for at-home entertainment during the pandemic. With most lockdown measures still in place in the first three months [...]
Amazon executive in conflict of interest row over UK space role April 20, 2021 A senior Amazon executive is said to be in the running for a role as government space adviser despite concerns over serious conflicts of interest. Peter Marquez, head of space policy at Amazon, has been put forward to serve as a temporary, unpaid adviser to the government. He would take up the position alongside his [...]
Cyber firm Avast lifts guidance as revenue growth continues April 20, 2021 Cybersecurity firm Avast today hiked its forecasts for the full year after posting a strong rise in profit for the first quarter. The London-listed company booked revenue of $237m (£170m) in the first three months of the year, up 10.5 per cent on last year. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation also rose [...]
Music Magpie secures new funding ahead of £208m stock market float April 20, 2021 Tech resale site Music Magpie today said it has secured £20m in fresh funding, just days after confirming plans for an initial public offering in London. The online retailer, which allows consumers to exchange old devices such as phones and game consoles to cash, has inked the deal with Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) UK branch. [...]