The tech industry still needs clarity on Theresa May’s Brexit aims January 18, 2017 Theresa May’s speech yesterday was packed with soundbites that would give the casual listener reason to be optimistic. She intends to make Britain into a “great global trading nation” while investing in infrastructure, and said that the referendum result was a decision to go “truly global”. She used the word global 17 times in fact, [...]
Tech unicorn Deliveroo is planning to create hundreds of new jobs January 18, 2017 UK tech unicorn Deliveroo is planning to create hundreds of new jobs in London as it grows its business globally. The food delivery company will create more than 300 new positions, many of which it said will be in highly-skilled senior technical roles in areas such as software and hardware engineering, behavioural economics and algorithm development. The additions [...]
Deutsche Bank chief blames regulation for lack of banking innovation January 17, 2017 Regulatory pressures are to blame for a lack of innovation among traditional financial institutions, according to the top boss of Deutsche Bank. Speaking at Davos on the subject of the future of finance, chief executive John Cryan said: "As regulation becomes more granular, traditional institutions tend to become less innovative and we're looking elsewhere for disrupters. "Everything [...]
MEPs vote to put robots on the agenda to tackle safety and legal concerns January 17, 2017 MEPs have started on a European health and safety standard for robots – before the fracking toasters short circuit and become our overlords. Or before other countries like Japan and the US establish their standards first. A “kill” switch and creating a status for “electronic persons” that would bear legal responsibility are among recommendations that MEPs on [...]
Thanks Brexit: Now the price of iPhone apps are about to rise January 17, 2017 It's not just the price of your, Freddo, Fondant Fancy and Marmite which are being pushed up by the falling value of the pound. Apple is the latest company to raise prices, this time for apps you download from the app store by as much as 25 per cent, 9to5mac reports. The cost of apps downloaded on your [...]
How does the UK rank in the world’s 50 most innovative economies? January 17, 2017 The UK lags behind 16 global economies when it comes to innovation, as Scandinavian countries plough ahead in pushing boundaries. The UK has grasped on to its spot at number 17 for the second year, however, in Bloomberg's 2017 Innovation Index, which ranks 50 of the world's economies based on six factors which indicate a recipe for innovation. [...]
Global giant Shell helping Edinburgh innovators to harness power of air turbulence January 17, 2017 | City Talk Capture Mobility’s award-winning roadside micro-turbine can generate electricity from the turbulence of passing traffic – enough to supply an average-sized home for 24 hours. Integrated solar panels at the top of the turbine add extra energy to the system during the day and air filters inside the fins of the turbines also help to clean the [...]
China’s Baidu targets artificial intelligence with appointment of former Microsoft executive January 17, 2017 Chinese search giant Baidu has named a former Microsoft executive as its chief operating officer in an effort to push towards artificial intelligence. Baidu's core search engine business hasn't been performing well – new advertising regulations caused Baidu to lose 16 per cent of its ad customers in the quarter ending September 2016 – so the company is refocusing its [...]
Davos elites should look to UK fintech to see responsive leadership in action January 17, 2017 With the rise of digital, information networks, robotics, and the smartphone, the pace of technological change is accelerating. This has coincided with increasing populism, creating political and market volatility that some analysts are forecasting as the new normal. Across the political, business and academic landscape, leaders must be more in tune with their communities, and [...]
UK tech urges Theresa May to clarify skilled immigration in hard Brexit speech January 16, 2017 The UK tech industry is calling on Theresa May to consider the need for skilled migrants in her plans for Brexit, which are due to be revealed in a highly-anticipated speech on Tuesday. The Prime Minster is expected to lay out her most detailed plans yet for a so-called hard Brexit that would mean an exit from the Single Market, customs union [...]