In 50 years, dead users will outnumber the living on Facebook April 29, 2019 At least 1.4bn Facebook users will die before 2100, meaning the number of dead people on the platform could outnumber the living by 2070, according to a new study. If membership of the platform continues growing at the current rate of 13 per cent each year, then there could be as many as 4.9bn dead [...]
Spotify reaches 100m premium subscribers as it marks milestone in first quarter April 29, 2019 Spotify hit 100m premium subscribers in the first quarter of this year, as the music streaming platform expanded into India and saw a positive uptake of new services. The number of premium subscribers paying for the streaming service jumped 32 per cent to 100m driven by the expansion of its Google Home Mini promotion, which [...]
Tech giants urged to work with government in online harms battle April 29, 2019 Facebook, Google and Snapchat should use their technology to work with the government on tackling harmful content online, health secretary Matt Hancock will say today. The health secretary will challenge social media giants to make greater progress in protecting vulnerable users at a second UK summit between tech firms and internet providers, held as part [...]
Top banks inject $9m into London fintech startup Mosaic Smart Data April 29, 2019 The venture capital arm of Commerzbank and London investor Octopus Ventures have co-led a $9m (£7m) funding round into fintech startup Mosaic Smart Data. Existing backer and client JP Morgan also participated in the round, adding to its minority stake in the startup. The bank signed a multi-year deal to use Mosaic’s technology – which [...]
Could this be the Tesla of mopeds? We test ride the Super Soco CUX April 26, 2019 London’s mopeds have almost entirely avoided electrification so far, owing to the simple fact that they’re as cheap as the Deliveroo chips they carry, and you can run them from here to the moon on a figment of petrol. But as the sword of Damocles hanging over the city’s smog-belching engines looks increasingly precarious, and [...]
Has the government’s £1bn artificial intelligence sector deal made any difference? April 26, 2019 One year on, has the government’s £1bn artificial intelligence (AI) sector deal made any difference? Dr Jeremy Silver, chief executive of Digital Catapult, says YES. A year after the announcement of the government’s sector deal, investment is at an all-time high. AI startups in the UK raised nearly £1.3bn in 2018, very nearly eclipsing the [...]
Slack files for IPO as it targets New York Stock Exchange debut April 26, 2019 Collaboration tool Slack has confidentially filed to float on the New York Stock Exchange. Read more: Uber reveals IPO will value firm as high as $90bn The messaging app will join the stock market under the ticker symbol SK this summer, in either May or June, according to its filing. Slack, which was last valued [...]
Apple recalls plug adapter over electric shock fears April 26, 2019 Apple has recalled certain plug adapters in the UK over fears they could cause an electric shock. The tech giant has recalled the AC wall plug adapter shipped with Macs and iOS devices between 2003 and 2010 and included in the Apple World Traveller Adapter Kit. Read more: Microsoft’s valuation breaks through $1 trillion mark [...]
Uber IPO will value ride-hailing firm at up to $90bn, SEC filing confirms April 26, 2019 Uber is set to pitch shares at between $44 and $50 as it chases an initial public offering (IPO) that could value it at up to $90bn (£69.8bn), the ride-hailing firm revealed in an updated filing today. The technology transport giant will offer 180m shares in its stock market debut as it chases the valuation, with another [...]
The anti-vax movement is a symptom of our expert malaise April 26, 2019 The anti-vaccination movement is deadly. According to the charity Unicef, more than half a million UK children were not vaccinated against measles, a highly dangerous but preventable disease, between 2010 and 2017 – which is part of a terrifying global trend. When less than 95 per cent of a population are vaccinated, herd immunity is weakened, [...]