Why a red tape bonfire won’t help fintech: The FCA’s Christopher Woolard talks to City A.M. about regulation testing March 20, 2017 Regulation arguably doesn’t have the best reputation in the cutting-edge tech sector. Critics slam red tape for stifling creativity, while the regulators themselves get stick for failing to keep pace with ever-changing markets. This contempt creates dilemmas in the field of fintech, an industry which melds the fast-paced world of technology with the highly-regulated field [...]
It looks like DeepMind’s founders Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman are paying it forward in European tech March 19, 2017 The founders of DeepMind appear to be paying it forward after finding huge success with their own startup which sold to Google for £400m. Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman are reportedly forming a network of "super angel" investors across Europe to invest in other startups at the early stage. Read more: Google's DeepMind talks with National Grid to [...]
Twitter’s Jack Dorsey under pressure to entice advertisers after robot revelation March 19, 2017 Pressure is mounting on the boss of Twitter after research indicated the number of automated accounts on the platform was nearly double company estimates, according to reports. Analysis released this week by the University of Southern California estimated 15 per cent the entire population of Twitter accounts were managed by robots, much higher than the 8.5 [...]
Apple’s British design chief Jonny Ive invests in tech accessory startup that counts Victoria Beckham and Beyonce among customers March 19, 2017 A London-based phone case startup, that counts Victoria Beckham and Beyonce as customers, has attracted investment from Apple's British design chief Sir Jonathan Ive. Chaos, a fashion consultancy run by Charlotte Stockdale and Katie Lyall, has launched a tech accessory division which includes products like a £185 personalised initial case and a £170 phone cover that has [...]
International Day of Happiness 2017: Six things you probably never knew about being happy March 19, 2017 It's time to wish everyone a, er, happy International Day of Happiness. Yep, there really is a day for everything, and 20 March just happens to be when the United Nations asks everyone to consider the wellbeing and happiness of the world – and it even has possibly the least happy person on board. The big angry bird [...]
Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin has a plan on how to get to Mars and settle humans there – and he’s set it out in virtual reality March 18, 2017 As the second person to set foot on the moon, Buzz Aldrin knows more about space than most. And now, the former astronaut has released a virtual reality (VR) film setting out his plans to get humans to Mars. Read more: Elon Musk promises the moon (to two people who can afford it) It features Aldrin as [...]
Netflix is ditching its star ratings system for a new thumbs up feature in April March 17, 2017 Netflix and chill is just about to get a lot more personalised. The film streaming company is rolling out a new rating feature globally in April, replacing its one to five stars ratings with thumbs up or down. Read more: Want to watch Netflix and live sports on your flights? Now you can Users can also [...]
Ford’s bringing in night vision tech so its cars will brake for you if you’re going to hit someone at night March 17, 2017 Find driving at night fairly stressful? According to Ford, you're not alone. Many people across Europe are scared of driving on the roads at night (81 per cent of 5,030 drivers surveyed) with common fears being hitting someone or something while driving. So, the car firm is introducing technology designed to detect pedestrians at night and [...]
The majority of gig-economy workers want employment rights such holiday and sick pay – but they’re still happy March 17, 2017 The majority of people who are part of the gig economy want access to the same benefits as traditional employees such as holiday pay, new research reveals. Some 1.3m people in the UK are workers in the gig economy, the human resources trade body CIPD estimates, with 63 per cent saying the government should regulate to ensure [...]
Nokia charms consumers with the revival of its retro-style 3310 handset March 17, 2017 Ordinarily, when a new device hits the market, the talk is of innovation and revolutionary new features. However, the big story in the tech sector in recent weeks has been Nokia’s reincarnation of its 3310 phone. The original handset was wildly popular in the early 2000s, characterised by its long battery life and its popular game [...]