Apple shuts stores across the world amid coronavirus fears March 14, 2020 Apple is to close all its retail stores outside of China for two weeks in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Chief executive Tim Cook announced last night that the company would be taking the steps across the rest of the world to minimise the risk of transmission. It comes just a day after [...]
Coronavirus: Just Eat and Deliveroo offer contactless delivery March 13, 2020 Food delivery services have launched contactless delivery options to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Takeaway.com, the Dutch company that recently bought Just Eat, and Deliveroo have both committed to providing deliveries without physical contact. Takeaway said the measure is applicable to all restaurants on its platform throughout Europe. Drivers are being instructed to ring the [...]
Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia to quit as Salesforce UK boss March 12, 2020 Former Virgin Money boss Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia is set to quit Salesforce as its executive after just six months at the helm. Salesforce will announce tomorrow morning that Gadhia, who only joined the company last August, will step down as boss of the British business to become an adviser, according to Sky News. A Sky [...]
Tech giants urged to pre-screen content to stop child sexual abuse March 12, 2020 Tech giants should be forced to pre-screen all content uploaded to their platforms in a bid to stem the “explosion” of online child sexual abuse, an inquiry has found. In a damning report published today the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said tech giants had failed to do everything they could to prevent [...]
The EU’s attempt to regulate artificial intelligence could backfire March 12, 2020 The “Wild West” of artificial intelligence (AI) needs to be reined in, according to EU industry commissioner Thierry Breton. However, regulating AI generally, rather than regulating the technology’s uses specifically, may very well be putting the cart before the horse. Late last month, the European Commission revealed its intention to draft regulation around the use [...]
The Budget has recognised the potential of UK fintech March 12, 2020 All eyes were on the chancellor yesterday, as he delivered his first Budget against a challenging backdrop for the UK’s economy and health system alike. The focus was very much on backing the NHS, supporting small business, and boosting infrastructure spending across the country — and rightfully so, given the circumstances. We’ve also seen vital [...]
Budget 2020: What does the Red Box mean for UK tech firms? March 11, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today unveiled a raft of new fiscal measures as he vowed to deliver on the government’s promise of “levelling up” the UK. Sunak, who took over at No 11 just a month ago, put the coronavirus front and centre of his new policies as the number of cases continues to rise. But [...]
Kin and Carta loss widens as acquisition costs weigh March 11, 2020 Digital transformation firm Kin and Carta today reported a wider loss as acquisition and restructuring costs weighed on growth. The London-based firm posted a pre-tax loss of £5.9m in the six months to the end of January, compared to a £1.6m loss the year before. Like-for-like revenue also slipped 0.5 per cent to £89.6m over [...]
Gaming’s biggest conference E3 cancelled over coronavirus concerns March 11, 2020 This year’s upcoming E3 conference has been cancelled, as coronavirus continues to spread. Held in Los Angeles, E3 plays home to major gaming updates from Sony and Microsoft every year, and was this year set to feature the 2020 debut of the Playstation 5 and a new iteration of the Xbox. The Entertainment Software Association [...]
Budget 2020: Chancellor introduces digital services tax March 11, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today confirmed the introduction of a digital services tax as the government looks to ensure tech giants pay their fair share of tax. The new tax, which will come into force from 1 April, will charge two per cent levy on sales for certain digital businesses. The move is set to raise [...]