Kevin Hart, the Oscars, and social media – don’t leave any skeletons in your online closet February 21, 2019 The Academy Awards and drama go hand in hand, but this year’s choice of host dominated the news for all the wrong reasons. In December, homophobic tweets made by the chosen host, American comedian Kevin Hart, resurfaced from the late 2000s. The Academy offered him an ultimatum: apologise or step down. He went for the [...]
Fintech startup Revolut pushes ministers for fast-track tech visas February 21, 2019 London will fall behind as a world-leading fintech hub if the government does not prioritise incoming tech talent, the chief executive of Revolut warned today. Nikolay Storonsky, a Russian native who started digital bank Revolut in 2015, called on ministers to introduce a fast-tracked visa process for technology workers, particularly within software development and data [...]
UK AI sector funding hits record £1bn for 2018, almost the same as the rest of Europe combined February 20, 2019 Investment into the UK’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector from venture capital firms reached a record $1.3bn (£998m) last year, almost as much as the rest of Europe combined. The new figures from Dealroom represent a fourfold increase in five years, up from a total of $200m in 2014. In comparison, French AI startups raised $400m last [...]
Best travel gadgets 2019: Here’s the essential holiday tech you shouldn’t leave home without February 20, 2019 Nintendo Switch £279, nintendo.co.uk More essential for surviving a long-haul flight than an oxygen mask and a couple of the engines, the Switch is the ideal way to while away a couple of hours in the sky. Nintendo’s hit console has become its most beloved since the Wii, and its growing library of games includes [...]
Accountancy funding platform Capitalise secures £3.5m Series A investment backed by QED Investors and Hambro Perks February 20, 2019 Accountancy funding platform Capitalise has closed a £3.5m Series A investment round led by US venture capital firm QED Investors and supported by existing investor Hambro Perks. Capitalise, which works with 105 institutional partners, will use the funding to expand the company’s cloud product for advisers to “navigate the ever growing market of financial products [...]
UK telecoms operators must strengthen cyber security to prevent cyber attacks, says top spy boss February 20, 2019 The UK needs higher standards of cyber security across the telecoms sector, a top spy boss said today, insisting no conclusion has been reached about the use of Huawei’s 5G equipment. Speaking at a cyber security conference in Brussels this afternoon, Ciaran Martin, head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said the telecoms market must [...]
Celebrity marketing fees fall by two-thirds in two years amid shift to micro-influencers February 20, 2019 The amount of money marketers are willing to splurge on high-profile celebrity influencers has plunged by two-thirds over the last two years, a new survey has revealed. Data published by Rakuten Marketing shows UK marketers are willing to fork out £25,000 for a single post by a Facebook influencer, down from £75,000 in 2017. Read [...]
The Dutch ‘Brexit Snatch’: Why Azimo is not quitting the UK February 20, 2019 Have you heard the news? Azimo is one of 250 companies moving to the Netherlands in an alleged ‘Brexit Snatch’ by the Dutch government. Read more: London fintech startups poised to expand in Europe They say never let the truth get in the way of a good story but as the chief executive of Azimo, [...]
Citymapper launches contactless London travelcard that is cheaper than TfL’s Tube and bus travel fares February 20, 2019 London commuter app Citymapper has launched a new subscription service that will allow people to pay for weekly travel across all modes of transport, built into a contactless card. From launch, Citymapper Pass will cover travel on the Tube, buses, trains, Santander bikes and its own Citymapper Ride shared taxi service in zones one and two. Read more: TfL told [...]
Microsoft opens up cyber security services in Europe in wake of fresh Russia attacks February 20, 2019 Microsoft has expanded the reach of its cyber security service for political organisations in Europe, after detecting a fresh wave of attacks from Russian hackers. The firm's vice president for customer security and trust Tom Burt said Microsoft's Threat Intelligence Centre (MSTIC) had discovered attacks on employees of the German Council of Foreign Relations, and European [...]