How to stop worrying about being run over by a robot car February 26, 2019 Depending on who you ask, we are either very close or very far from having millions of autonomous vehicles on the roads. What few question is that we will eventually see widespread take-up; the opportunities for improved road safety are unparalleled. But driverless cars also offer a great exemplar of the wider automation debate, and the [...]
Ford links up with London startup What3words for a new way to map the world February 26, 2019 Ford is ramping up its innovation plans as the US car giant today announces a partnership with London startup What3words. The tie-up means drivers will be able to link the What3words app, which has mapped out the globe into 57 trillion 3m-by-3m squares using unique three-word addresses, with Ford's in-car navigation system. The technology will reduce address input errors [...]
Telecoms bosses warn of risks to 5G roll-out February 25, 2019 Top executives from Europe's major telecoms firms have identified multiple obstacles that could impede the roll-out of 5G across the continent. Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, BT consumer chief executive Marc Allera said that landlords across the UK were preventing the firm from constructing thousands of pieces of key infrastructure such as masts and [...]
Huawei boss pledges to be ‘more transparent’ on European cyber security February 25, 2019 Huawei's top executive in Europe has said the company needs to be "more transparent" in its cyber security practices, hours after Britain's spy agency voiced concerns about its tech. Vincent Peng told reporters at a trade event in Barcelona that the problems the firm is facing are "a technical challenge, not a political challenge". "I want to emphasise, [...]
Who wants a smartphone? Here’s how to sell the Nokia 3310 in 2019 February 25, 2019 "Hello? Yeah I’m on my mobile. Yeah I’m in the library. Nah I can’t talk right now. I’m in a library for Christ’s sake.” If you’re old enough to remember Trigger Happy TV, my apologies in advance for the earworming melody of the Nokia tune bouncing around your skull for the rest of the day. [...]
Facebook, social media and ads – when will marketers abandon the network? February 25, 2019 The Facebook-Google duopoly has a stranglehold over internet advertising. While the search engine dominates the pairing, Mark Zuckerberg’s creation is no slouch – last year, more than a fifth (21.8 per cent) of all US digital ad spending went to the social media network, equivalent to $28.2bn (£21.7bn). But the company is in hot water, [...]
An appetite for business: Deliveroo doubles down on corporate eating February 25, 2019 Late night dinners around the boardroom table have become something of a staple in modern City life, particularly for those working in demanding sectors. Food delivery startup Deliveroo is readying itself to take full advantage of that, with plans to double staff numbers in its business teams to 200 globally by the end of this year. [...]
Sony taps into cinematic screens for the Xperia 1 smartphone February 25, 2019 In a long-overdue revival of its smartphone line, Sony has attempted to utilise its history of producing high-quality cinema experiences to its advantage. Launching its new premium flagship phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Xperia 1 features a 21:9 aspect ratio screen at 6.5 inches tall, making it one of the longest phones on the [...]
The number of new tech startups in the UK grew 14 per cent last year February 24, 2019 The number of new tech companies launched in the UK rose 14 per cent in 2018. Data from Companies House shows there were 11,864 software development and programming businesses incorporated in 2018, up from 10,394 companies the year before. London had the highest number of tech startups with 4,752, a 14 per cent increase. Read [...]
Microsoft goes all-in on holograms in the workplace with the new Hololens 2 February 24, 2019 Microsoft's long-awaited update to its mixed reality headset, the Hololens 2, has placed big bets on businesses including holograms in their day-to-day working life. Revising several major issues to the 2016 Hololens such as comfort and immersion, the biggest change to the Hololens 2 is the price. Coming down 30 per cent from the cost of [...]