DEBATE: Netflix consumes 15 per cent of global net traffic – will an online traffic jam break the internet? November 19, 2018 Netflix consumes 15 per cent of global net traffic – will an online traffic jam break the internet? Carl Erik Kjaersgaard, chief executive of Blackwood Seven, says YES If the current internet infrastructure remains the same, this could be a risk. Netflix’s current consumption is only the tip of the iceberg. This statistic – published [...]
Cyber committee urges government to do more to combat security risks November 19, 2018 The UK government is in dire need of political direction on responding to national cyber security threats, as current efforts have left the country's infrastructure and businesses "wholly" unprepared for another attack. The joint committee on the national security security strategy warned today that the UK's critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, health services and water, face a [...]
London tech scene must shape up as it lags behind FTSE 100 on gender diversity, business group claims November 18, 2018 London’s technology scene is woefully far behind the FTSE 100 on gender diversity, a group representing tech leaders, entrepreneurs and experts is expected to say. Tech London Advocates, which has over 6,000 members, will on Tuesday call on the capital’s technology companies to hire more women and ethnic minorities. The group is launching the TLA [...]
Google appoints former Oracle executive Thomas Kurian as new chief of its cloud business November 17, 2018 Google is set to appoint former Oracle executive Thomas Kurian as the new chief executive officer of Google Cloud. Kurian will join the company on November 26 and take over Google's cloud business in January, when current CEO Diane Greene is due to depart. Greene announced on Friday that she would be leaving the role after [...]
Volkswagen embarks on $50bn plan to mass produce electric cars November 17, 2018 German car manufacturer Volkswagen has said it will become the most profitable manufacturer of electric cars in the world, under the terms of a new plan to mass produce battery-powered vehicles. Chief executive Herbert Diess said the company will spend almost €44bn (£39.1bn) on developing the technology for a fleet of electric and self-driving vehicles, [...]
Facebook shares hit near 20-month low as Sandberg defends its reputation November 17, 2018 Shares in social media giant Facebook dropped to their lowest point in 19 months last night, as its operations chief Sheryl Sandberg stepped in to defend the company's position on fake news and Russian interference. In an interview with CBS, Sandberg denied claims from a New York Times investigation that Facebook hired a Republican opposition research [...]
Court documents suggest Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been charged in secret November 16, 2018 Julian Assange, the founder of website Wikileaks, may have been criminally charged in secret, according to an apparent mistake in court documents filed in the US. Suggested by Wikileaks to be a "cut and paste" error, Assange's surname appeared in a filing submitted by US authorities in an unrelated case. A section of the filing mentioned the need [...]
Angry Birds maker Rovio shares spike on rising profits November 16, 2018 Rovio, the firm behind popular smartphone game Angry Birds, has more than doubled its third-quarter profits beyond analyst expectations. Its share price almost 13 per cent on the news, despite the company warning it would need new games to drive further growth. The figures For the three months to September, the Helsinki-based firm reported adjusted [...]
Blackberry buys artificial intelligence firm Cylance for $1.4bn November 16, 2018 Blackberry has today confirmed it is acquiring Cylance, a US artificial intelligence and cyber security firm, for $1.4bn (£1.1bn). The deal is expected to close before the end of Blackberry's current financial year in February 2019, pending regulatory approval. It is thought Cylance will work as part of Blackberry's Enterprise of Things (EoT) division, Blackberry Spark, [...]
Debate: As businesses start to implant their employees with microchips, should this be allowed? November 16, 2018 Debate: As businesses start to implant their employees with microchips, should this be allowed? Yes – Richard Skellett is a future of work expert and digital anthropologist. From smartphones to the media hubs we have at home, microchips are already collecting data on us which is uncontrollable. Surely, then, it makes sense to have your own [...]