London software firm Kape snaps up US cybersecurity company for $95m November 19, 2019 London-based security software firm Kape Technologies today said it has acquired US online privacy company Private Internet Access (PIA) for $95.5m (£74m). Kape, which provides privacy-focused security software, said the merger will create a new global cyber company and almost double its profit. Read more: Labour suffers second cyber attack in 24 hours The Aim-listed [...]
Augmented reality to add £62.5bn to British economy by 2030 November 19, 2019 Virtual and augmented reality (AR) technologies are forecast to add £62.5bn to the UK economy in the next decade, as businesses embrace innovation in the workplace. More than £44bn of the 2.44 per cent injection to UK GDP will come from AR, according to research published today by PwC. The technology is used by the [...]
Snapchat says it fact checks political ads in dig at rival Facebook November 18, 2019 Snapchat boss Evan Spiegel has revealed that his platform fact checks all political ads, as he took a swipe at rival social media firm Facebook. Read more: Mark Zuckerberg defends politics ads on Facebook after Twitter ban Tech giants have come under fire in recent months over their failure to crack down on adverts that [...]
Corporate sponsors review links to Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace scheme after disastrous interview November 18, 2019 FIRMS are under scrutiny over their support for Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace initiative, as the fallout from the Duke of York’s weekend interview regarding his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues. Founding partner of the entrepreneurs’ mentoring scheme KPMG is said to have decided not to renew its sponsorship, which expired at the end of last month. It [...]
Trump administration grants Huawei another 90-day reprieve on trade ban November 18, 2019 US President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a fresh 90-day extension allowing American companies to continue doing business with controversial Chinese tech firm Huawei. In May the US added Huawei to a trade blacklist, citing concerns its technology could be used for spying by authorities in Beijing. Read more: Huawei rewards staff with $286m in [...]
TSB IT meltdown blamed on data centre test failure November 18, 2019 The IT meltdown that left nearly 2m TSB customers without access to online banking is set to be partly blamed on the company’s failure to test one of its new data centres. A long-awaited inquiry by City law firm Slaughter and May has concluded that the decision to test only one of the new data [...]
Microsoft overhauls cloud contracts amid EU data privacy crackdown November 18, 2019 Microsoft has unveiled changes to its commercial cloud contracts after EU regulators warned the company may be breaching data privacy laws. The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) last month said it had “serious concerns” about Microsoft’s compliance with data protection rules and the use of its services by EU institutions. Read more: Amazon to appeal [...]
Airbnb secures deal to provide Olympic accommodation November 18, 2019 Holiday home rental company Airbnb has agreed a deal to become an Olympic partner, in a bid to reduce the cost of the games. Airbnb hosts will provide accommodation for athletes and Olympic officials as well as visiting fans at the Tokyo games next year, followed by Beijing, Paris, Milan and Los Angeles. Read more: [...]
UK tech firm IQE’s shares plunge after second revenue warning November 18, 2019 Shares in UK technology company IQE have plunged over 20 per cent after the firm issued its second revenue warning in five months. Read more: Shares in chipmaker IQE plummet as it warns Huawei ban will hit profits IQE, which makes parts for chips used in products made by Apple and various Asian manufacturers, said [...]
DEBATE: Is there a case for Labour’s ‘free broadband’ proposals? November 18, 2019 Is there a case for Labour’s ‘free broadband’ proposals? Miranda Hall, a researcher at the New Economics Foundation and co-author of forthcoming report on digital infrastructure for Common Wealth, says YES. Without internet you can’t look for a job, receive childcare and housing benefits, or keep in touch with friends. But across the UK, digital [...]