DEBATE: With Nick Clegg joining Facebook, can we expect a new revolving door between politics and Silicon Valley? October 23, 2018 With Nick Clegg joining Facebook, can we expect a new revolving door between politics and Silicon Valley? YES, says Leon Emirali, an entrepreneur and investor. Stifling regulation, immense political upheaval, and very deep pockets have created the perfect environment for a politics/tech merry-go-round. For the Silicon Valley giants, it makes perfect sense to use their [...]
Flying taxis could help smart transport take off October 23, 2018 Flying taxis have this week moved one step closer to take-off, as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) opens a consultation for new rules to govern drone-filled skies. And not a moment too soon. Last month, a drone capable of carrying human passengers was trialled in Gloucestershire, while another British firm is working on electric [...]
A luddite levy on online shopping won’t help the high street October 23, 2018 Time and time again over the past few months, we’ve heard prominent figures in the retail world call for a special sales tax on online companies to help prop up their struggling sector, from the Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, to the New West End Company that represents Selfridges and Marks & Spencer. Chancellor Philip [...]
The UK extends its lead as Europe’s established tech unicorn capital October 23, 2018 London has cemented its standing as the capital of Europe’s billion-dollar technology startups, as surrounding cities help to push the UK forward while its companies expand internationally. New figures released today show the UK has now created 60 so-called unicorn startups – companies with a valuation of $1bn (£769.6m) or more – since 1990, according to [...]
Softbank operations boss to pull out of Saudi investment conference October 22, 2018 Japanese technology giant Softbank's chief operating officer is reportedly set to pull out of this week's Saudi Arabia business summit, as one of the world's biggest tech backers struggles with its controversial ties to the region. Marcelo Claure is said to have asked organisers of tomorrow's Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh to remove his name from [...]
Industry heavyweights from Barclays, RBS and Coutts back new personal investment robo-adviser Pia October 22, 2018 Big-name former executives from institutions such as Barclays, HSBC and Coutts are behind a new startup aiming to help consumers navigate the world of investing. Pia, an online "personal investment assistant" scheduled to begin its launch in summer, counts advisory board members such as T Rowe Price Global Investment Services' former chief executive Todd Ruppert, [...]
Uber to appeal Singaporean competition watchdog decision on Grab merger October 22, 2018 Uber has said it will appeal a decision made by the competition watchdog in Singapore on its merger with local ride-hailing rival Grab. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) last month imposed fines of 6.42m Singaporean dollars (£3.6m) on Grab and 6.58m Singaporean dollars on Uber, in addition to business restrictions, after concluding that their [...]
Truth to power: Adtech has to stand up for journalism October 22, 2018 The future of the press is in doubt. If you need an example of just how powerful fake news has become, remember August, when even seasoned journalists accepted at face value a spoof campaign ironically titled “Don’t believe every tweet”, featuring bogus quotes from Twitter’s chief executive Jack Dorsey. The changes in journalism have not [...]
Elon Musk says first Hyperloop tunnel to open in the US in December October 22, 2018 Entrepreneur Elon Musk has said the first testing tunnel of his Hyperloop transport system is almost fully completed, and will be open to the public later this year. Manufactured under his firm Boring Co., Hyperloop is a network of high-speed transit tunnels designed to maximise the efficiency of public transport at a lowered cost. Musk said on Twitter [...]
Do you want to save the turtles? Don’t ban plastics – ban littering October 22, 2018 Like any good Londoner, I used the fantastic summer weather to kayak from Limehouse to Hackney, discovering that part of the city by water. As a fairly experienced river and sea kayaker, I was taken aback by how full of litter London’s waters are. At around the same time, the national and global debate on [...]