The case against VC-backed employers February 2, 2017 Silicon Valley has carved an entirely new definition of the word “aspirational”. Notwithstanding that the companies it built are drip-feeding curated images of perfection into our lives, it has also created a paradoxical working culture: a curtain of free artisan lunches and unlimited holiday often drawn across a dark room of tiring and intense R&D. As [...]
Top business leaders are getting to work on making British industry digital to boost productivity and jobs February 1, 2017 It's full speed ahead for Britain's digital economy as top business leaders embark on ambitious plans to pull industry into the modern age and position itself at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution. Increasing productivity and creating highly-skilled jobs will be the focus of the ambitious new plan to put digital technology, such as artificial [...]
Facebook’s profit rockets despite a jury ruling against its VR firm Oculus February 1, 2017 Facebook's profits shot sky high in 2016, but a jury decided tonight it will pay $500m for its virtual-reality firm Oculus, which came under fire for breaking a non-disclosure agreement. The figures Facebooks profit rose 177 per cent to $10.2bn (£8.1bn) for the year ended 31 December. Revenue for the fourth quarter was up 51 per cent to $8.8bn, [...]
Startup Dead Right aims to bring digital disruption to the funeral industry February 1, 2017 A new digital disruptor is aiming to put the ‘fun’ in funeral. Dead Right, a service comparison startup, is backed by advertising exec Sir John Hegarty and his company Garage Soho, and is in the process of seeking further funding. Read more: A startup sprouting up across London could be getting a massive investment from Softbank [...]
The Volt Infinity ebike pairs world class cycling hardware with electric motor technology February 1, 2017 There are probably far worse problems, but riding around on electric bikes has thoroughly ruined regular pushbikes for me. It now seems an insurmountable hardship to have to use my own muscles and gears to propel a bike forwards, like some sort of caveman. Not feeling the familiar ghostly push of an electric motor as [...]
Apple’s shares have gone bananas on recovering iPhone sales February 1, 2017 Shares in Apple jumped almost six per cent as the market opened in New York this morning, after stellar earnings revealed record iPhone sales. Shares were up 5.7 per cent at $128.23 after figures published last night showed it sold 78.3m iPhones. The figure smashed analysts' expectations of 76m. The Christmas period was seen as crucial for [...]
Revealed: Boston Dynamics’ latest dancing jumping robot (on wheels) February 1, 2017 A new robot from Boston Dynamics, the Google/Alphabet-owned robot company, has accidently been revealed, and the agile creation can jump around… on wheels. Handle, as the new robot is known, was shown in a video on stage by Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert, with VC Steve Jurvetson catching it on camera (and first spotted by Gizmodo). [...]
It’s official: Roaming charges across Europe are over February 1, 2017 Roaming charges for using your mobile phone across Europe will officially end this summer after officials in Brussels agreed the "last piece of the puzzle" in its plans to ditch the expense of staying in touch while abroad. Making calls, sending texts and using the Internet will now cost the same in any country of [...]
An early investor in UK fintech unicorn Transferwise has reduced its stake January 31, 2017 An early backer of one of the UK's most successful fintech startups has sold a minority stake in the unicorn-valued firm in a private secondary share trading deal. Seedcamp, which has also invested in eMoov and BorrowyDoggy, last year sold of some of its shares in Transferwise, the money transfer startup with a valuation of more [...]
Look smart: essential facts about Smart Cities UK January 31, 2017 | City Talk The UK cities will have to adopt a transformational approach to many aspects of infrastructure to attract investment and operate more efficiently, a London conference has heard. Held at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium, the Smart Cities UK 2017 Conference, Expo and Awards is part of a global initiative for major conurbations to achieve Smart City status. [...]