Uber teams up with meditation startup Calm to bring some peace to UK passengers January 24, 2019 Uber has launched a partnership with meditation startup Calm to offer in-app mindfulness exercises to passengers, in a bid to make us all slow down a little more. From today, Uber riders across the UK will be able to access a range of guided meditation and breathing exercises during a trip in one of its cars. [...]
DEBATE: Following reports of the Dyson relocation, is Singapore the new go-to place for tech? January 24, 2019 Following reports of the Dyson relocation, is Singapore the new go-to place for tech? Elsa Hu, director of Asia at GP Bullhound, says YES. Singapore has long been the headquarters of choice for Southeast Asian tech startups, due to its mature business ecosystem, proximity to two of the world’s booming economies, huge talent pool, and attitude [...]
Facebook to invest £3m in targeting spam ads in the UK as Martin Lewis drops lawsuit January 23, 2019 Facebook has said it will invest £3m into targeting fraudulent adverts on its UK platform, after reaching a settlement with Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis. Lewis first launched proceedings against Facebook last year over a series of ads appearing on the website which claimed he had backed several investment schemes. Those schemes later turned out [...]
FCA says UK firms need ‘clarity’ on cryptoassets as it consults on regulation January 23, 2019 The UK financial watchdog has called for further clarity in the regulation of cryptoassets, as it launches a consultation on guidance applicable to the wide sphere of crypto. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said firms will have a better understanding of whether their activities with cryptoassets such as bitcoin are compliant with regulation as a result of [...]
Sony confirms plans to shift European headquarters to Amsterdam in Brexit move January 23, 2019 Sony has moved its European headquarters to Amsterdam to safeguard itself from possible disruption from Brexit. The Japanese tech firm confirmed the move last night. Sony said it had established a new legal entity in the Netherlands which it will merge its UK-based business into. In a statement Sony said: “In this way we can [...]
Failed tech startup Blippar to relaunch as Nick Candy’s venture firm comes to its rescue January 23, 2019 Property tycoon Nick Candy has bought up the remaining assets of failed technology startup Blippar after it collapsed into administration last month. Already a major shareholder in the business, Candy now owns the intellectual property assets of Blippar and its various brands, which his venture firm said would be deployed into a new business. Blippar's chief [...]
London startup supporter Tech Hub grabs new Shoreditch venue in City expansion January 23, 2019 Europe’s longest-running tech workspace and startup support organisation Tech Hub has made a fresh commitment to London, revealing a £2.2m investment in a brand new home in Shoreditch. Launched in 2010 with Google as a founding sponsor, Tech Hub will move its 400 resident companies from its current spaces in London’s Silicon Roundabout and in [...]
Ebay shares spike as Elliott reveals stake and demands Stubhub spin-off January 22, 2019 Activist investor Elliott Management has revealed it has amassed a stake in Ebay worth roughly $1.4bn (£1.1bn), causing the retailer's share price to spike. In an open letter, Elliott urged Ebay to spin off or sell its ticket-sales franchise Stubhub and its classified ads business. It said Ebay could more than double its market value [...]
Mastercard slapped with €570m fine by EU antitrust watchdog over fee limits January 22, 2019 The European Commission has hit Mastercard with a €570.6m (£501.2m) fine for limiting the ability of banks to shop around for lower fee structures among member states. "By preventing merchants from shopping around for better conditions offered by banks in other member states, Mastercard's rules artificially raised the costs of card payments, harming consumers and [...]
Huawei chair calls for speedy resolution of case against its detained executive January 22, 2019 The chairman of Chinese tech company Huawei said the company will call for a speedy resolution of the case of its detained chief financial officer who is being held in Canada accused of breaking US sanctions on Iran. Liang Hua, who has been appointed as acting chief financial officer, was speaking to media on the [...]