DEBATE: As we head towards a cashless society, is there any point to a commemorative Brexit coin? October 30, 2018 As we head towards a cashless society, is there any point to a commemorative Brexit coin? Callum Price, events manager at the Centre for Policy Studies, says YES. There is no doubt that we are heading towards an increasingly cashless society, but we are far away from the point at which we will no longer [...]
Innovation game: £1.6bn promised for the UK’s modern industrial strategy as entrepreneurs get a boost October 29, 2018 The chancellor today promised £1.6bn of new investment into the government's modern industrial strategy, in a bid to ramp up the UK's digital infrastructure and power the country's startups. It will also be followed by an additional £150m in funding for fellowships to foster the UK's burgeoning skills pool with both homegrown and international talent, and £115m for [...]
Going it alone: Tech giants to be hit by UK digital services tax October 29, 2018 Technology giants operating in the UK will be served with a narrowly-targeted digital services tax, chancellor Philip Hammond announced today. With consultations to occur before the tax goes live in April 2020, the chancellor said the move is to ensure "the UK continues to be the best place in the world to start and scale [...]
Amazon breaks past $100m in charitable donations from sales October 29, 2018 Amazon's charitable donation programme, Amazonsmile, this month surpassed a milestone of $100m (£78m) in donations since it began in 2013. Shoppers can opt in to Amazonsmile for free when using Amazon in the UK, US and Germany, whereby the tech giant adds to their purchase with a 0.5 per cent donation to a charity of [...]
Ride-hailing app Mytaxi to pilot e-scooters in European cities October 29, 2018 Ride-hailing app Mytaxi is to join the swathes of European and US startups jostling for a slice of the electronic scooter market, with a pilot to be launched in European cities later this year. The branding of the scheme and the location of the first pilot have not been disclosed, however the firm said it will [...]
Cyclists are swapping their helmets for Hovding airbags – would you do the same? October 29, 2018 Imagine a London where no one wears a cycle helmet – and not because vanity has hit the roof, or because the roads have been made so safe that helmets are redundant (though that would also be nice). It’s because of a new invention: an airbag for cyclists. Created in Sweden in 2005 by Anna [...]
Killing Eve: A cautionary tale on privacy October 29, 2018 Villanelle: “What’s your pin?” Eve Polastri: “1…2…3…4” How many of us could relate to this scene in the popular BBC series Killing Eve? Whether it’s 1,2,3,4, a date of birth, or an easily guessable passphrase – our cavalier attitude to passwords is well-documented. The fact that an MI6 officer (albeit a fictitious one) had such [...]
The value of the average data breach fine in the UK doubles in one year October 29, 2018 The average value of fines issued by the UK’s data watchdog doubled over the last year to reach £146,000, according to new figures released today by City law firm RPC. Additionally, the total value of fines imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the twelve months to 30 September 2018 rose to just under £5m. [...]
The comeback kid: HMV tops Amazon in UK physical sales October 29, 2018 British entertainment retailer HMV has staged a comeback in the face of Amazon’s increased dominance to become the largest physical music retailer in the UK. In the 12 weeks to 23 September, HMV experienced market share growth for the second consecutive quarter to a total of 28 per cent, according to data published today by [...]
IBM to buy Red Hat for $34bn in largest software acquisition ever October 28, 2018 Software giant IBM has struck a deal with industry fellow Red Hat to acquire the firm for a total of $34bn (£26.5bn), including debt, the two businesses announced tonight. The transaction marks IBM’s biggest acquisition to date, and the largest software acquisition ever conducted. The deal is said to be a game-changer for the firm, [...]