How to break up big tech? Regulating technology companies is more easily said than done February 20, 2020 Over the last few years, the public perception of technology companies has shifted quite dramatically. Large tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon are no longer the darlings of the world. They are attracting the same kind of ire that financiers attracted a decade ago. At the political level, this translates into a broad [...]
Tech leaders must adapt or risk obsolescence February 20, 2020 While it may not always have felt it, the tech sector has had a relatively easy path to growth over the last three decades. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in a “peace dividend” which released swathes of public money that would otherwise have gone into national defence. Much of this spare [...]
They’re not just phones, they hold our entire lives together February 20, 2020 This month, we are marking the eighteenth year of O2. The world of 2002 feels like a very long time ago — and over the past 18 years, the mobile industry has been at the heart of some seismic changes in the way we live our lives. An eighteenth birthday is an important milestone, sparking [...]
Tech jobs advertised in the UK plunged by half in 2019 February 20, 2020 The number of tech jobs advertised in the UK fell 52 per cent from mid-2019 to the end of the year, analysis published today said. The research found there were 78,000 jobs listed on social network Linkedin that required skills in emerging technologies at the end of 2019, down from 162,000 in June. The decrease [...]
The best smart home devices of 2020: Here’s how to transform your house with the very best in connected tech February 19, 2020 No longer the preserve of gadget geeks, the tech-powered home of the future is finally going mainstream. If you’re ready to get on board, here’s our pick of the best devices in every class to upgrade your dumb house to a smart home. Best smart display: Google Nest Hub Max Once your house is heaving [...]
EU imposes tougher AI and data rules to curb tech giants’ power February 19, 2020 The EU has today proposed a raft of new artificial intelligence (AI) rules to curb the power of US tech firms, forcing them to share their data with smaller rivals. The white paper, which is part of a wider digital programme released today by the European Commission, set out ways to limit the perceived dangers [...]
OTB Ventures launches $100m fund for tech investment in Europe February 19, 2020 OTB Ventures has announced the launch of its early growth technology fund with $100m in commitments. The investment vehicle, which specialises in investments in tech companies in Central and Eastern Europe. It focuses on early stage, post-product, start-ups in region and is targeting investment in a total of 16 companies to comprise its portfolio by [...]
Tiktok launches family mode in latest bid to improve user safety February 19, 2020 Tiktok today unveiled a new feature aimed at helping parents and guardians keep their children safe, marking the social media platform’s latest effort to fight off concerns about harmful material. The video-sharing app’s family safety mode will link a parent’s Tiktok account to their teenager’s, allowing them to control a range of features remotely. Parents [...]
US prosecutors overlooked HSBC sanctions breaches in exchange for help targeting Huawei February 18, 2020 US prosecutors overlooked violations of US sanctions against Iran by HSBC in exchange for cooperation with an investigation into Huawei, lawyers for the Chinese tech giant said. “The government agreed to overlook HSBC’s continued misconduct, electing not to punish the bank, prosecute its executives or even extend the monitorship,” Huawei’s lawyers wrote in a 10 [...]
Apple supply chain sinks into red on coronavirus fears February 18, 2020 Shares in Apple slipped more than two per cent in afternoon trading while its suppliers around the globe were dragged into the red after the tech giant warned the coronavirus outbreak would impact its quarterly targets. The iPhone maker last night told investors that it would not meet its revenue forecast of between $63bn (£48bn) [...]