Uncanny valley: Explaining the rise of virtual influencers September 30, 2019 I have fallen down a social media rabbit hole. I’ve been scrolling through the feed of an online influencer called “Lil Miquela”, and watching her videos on YouTube. Her Instagram is just like any other influencer account. There are pictures of her on nights out with friends, several of her posing in trendy clothes, even [...]
Trying to spot phishing emails ‘like gambling on roulette’, report finds September 30, 2019 Fraudulent emails pose the greatest cyber threat to businesses, as the chances of an employee spotting one are extremely slim, according to a report published today. Cybersecurity wonks said that employees’ inability to identify malicious messages rendered email the most vulnerable access point for most companies. Read more: Hackers ‘tried to steal Airbus secrets’ in [...]
Authorities continue to question Airbnb as UK tax bill shrinks September 30, 2019 Enquiries into Airbnb’s UK tax structure have continued to plague the short-term holiday rental giant, even as its payouts to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have decreased. Airbnb said it remains subject to “tax enquiries and proceedings concerning its operations and intracompany transactions”, filings seen by City A.M. reveal. It has also been contacted regarding [...]
Funding Circle investors face four month wait to withdraw cash September 28, 2019 Funding Circle is conducting an internal review after it was revealed investors are having to wait more than 16 weeks to withdraw cash. The peer-to-peer platform told The Times it was “exploring a range of options” to tackle the problem delaying investors from selling their loans in its secondary market. Funding Circle has around 80,000 [...]
Google turns 21: US tech giant is now old enough to drink September 27, 2019 As Google turns 21 today, there can be no better time to review the last 21 years of the all-powerful search engine. On 27 September 1998, Sergey Brin and Larry Page launched an early prototype of what they called a ‘large scale search engine’ while studying for their PhDs at Stanford University. Read more: Google [...]
Ex-communication: Pope warns Silicon Valley against ‘barbarous’ AI September 27, 2019 Monks worried about losing their jobs to robots got a new champion today as the pope urged tech giants to ensure they do not lead the world into a new “form of barbarism” when developing artificial intelligence. Francis called for “open and concrete” discussions on the future of technology. Read more: Two thirds of adults [...]
Huawei is already making equipment without US parts, says founder September 26, 2019 Chinese tech firm Huawei is already producing 5G base stations that do not use any US components, the company’s founder said today. Read more: US proposes $1bn fund to replace Huawei network equipment Ren Zhengfei said his company is making 5,000 base stations per month and plans to ramp up production to make 1.5m of [...]
Micro Focus overhauls executive pay after shareholder backlash September 26, 2019 Troubled software firm Micro Focus has said it will overhaul its executive pay policy following a backlash from shareholders. Read more: Micro Focus taps Goldman Sachs to lead review after share price crash The Newbury-headquartered company said it had reviewed its remuneration scheme after investors raised concerns about the overall structure of its pay policy. [...]
Hackers ‘tried to steal Airbus secrets’ in targeted cyber attacks September 26, 2019 Airbus has fallen victim to a spate of cyber attacks over the past few months via the computer systems of its suppliers and contractors, according to AFP news agency. The world’s second-largest aerospace group, which is also one of the world’s foremost weapons manufacturers, admitted it “is a target for malicious actors,” but would not [...]
Workspace hub Knotel thinks it’s solved Wework’s business model problems September 26, 2019 Wework’s ill-fated initial public offering (IPO) will have only a “limited” impact on the fortunes of flexible workspace rival Knotel, the firm’s boss has said. Tom Dugarin, Knotel’s UK general manager, played down concerns about Wework’s troubled listing, saying his company had a more sustainable business model. Read more: Wework rival Knotel expands London presence [...]