How can you stop your credit card being sexist? November 14, 2019 Can a credit card be sexist? It’s not a question most people would have thought about before this week, but on Monday, the US financial regulator announced an investigation into claims of gender discrimination by Apple Card. The algorithms Apple Card used to set credit limits are, it has been reported, inherently biased against women. [...]
Nike pulls clothes and shoes from Amazon amid digital push November 13, 2019 Nike is pulling its clothes and shoes from e-commerce site Amazon as part of a pivot to selling directly to customers. Nike announced late on Tuesday that it was ending a pilot scheme to sell its goods through Amazon which began in 2017. “As part of Nike’s focus on elevating consumer experiences through more direct, [...]
Wework losses ballooned to $1.3bn in quarter before failed float November 13, 2019 Wework losses reportedly more than doubled to $1.3bn (£1bn) in the third quarter ahead of its expected initial public offering (IPO). The figures contained in a presentation for Wework creditors today showed why the company was thrown into crisis when its expected $9bn IPO and connected debt financing deal collapsed in September. The debacle led [...]
Netflix and Nickelodeon sign original content deal in wake of Disney Plus launch November 13, 2019 Netflix has signed a multi-year deal with Nickelodeon to create original animated films and TV series, just a day after Disney launched its new streaming service. Read more: Britbox launches in the UK – but can it challenge Netflix? As part of the deal, Netflix will produce new programming based both on the existing catalogue [...]
Brexit has cost Britain a Tesla gigafactory, according to Elon Musk November 13, 2019 Britain missed the opportunity to have Tesla’s first European factory because of Brexit, according to chief executive Elon Musk. Instead, the electric car maker plumped for a site near Berlin for the so called gigafactory, where it will make batteries, powertrains and vehicles. Read more: Tesla holds share gains after surprise third quarter profit The [...]
Tencent profit falls as Alibaba threat and economic woes weigh November 13, 2019 Chinese tech giant Tencent has posted a sharp drop in profit for the third quarter as rival Alibaba gears up for its Hong Kong listing. The gaming and social media firm reported net profit of 20.4bn yuan (£2.3bn), down 13 per cent on the same period last year. Read more: Blockchain startup Everledger raises $20m [...]
Google to offer current accounts from next year November 13, 2019 Google will offer personal current accounts from some time next year in partnership with banks and credit unions, as the tech titan tries to take a bite out of the personal banking market. Citigroup and the Stanford Federal Credit Union will run the accounts for the project, which has been named Cache, the Wall Street [...]
UK businesses are increasingly adopting automation November 13, 2019 Eighty seven per cent of businesses have automated a key process during the last year, a survey of chief financial officers showed today. One-in-five financial officers view automation as their most most important investment priority during the next five years, the survey by accountancy firm BDO said. A third of businesses (31 per cent) have [...]
Huawei rewards staff with $286m in bonuses as it fights US sanctions November 12, 2019 Huawei is set to pay its employees ¥2bn ($286m) in bonuses and double almost all October salaries as a reward for helping to fight US sanctions. The Chinese telecoms giant has been banned from doing business with American companies amid concerns its technology could be used for spying – accusations it has denied. Read more: [...]
Killer robots? It’s only a matter of time November 12, 2019 Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere in the news at the moment, but there is little discussion of an area where huge sums are being spent by all the major powers: automated intelligent weapons — or killer robots, as they are usually called. Some strategists now envision military operations conducted entirely by automata. Such fully automated [...]