Philip Hammond enlists Mark Carney and Simon Kirby for first UK FinTech conference February 26, 2017 The government will host its first ever International FinTech conference as part of FinTech Week 2017, chancellor Philip Hammond announced today. City minister Simon Kirby and Bank of England governor Mark Carney will join the chancellor at the conference, which will feature panels and workshops as well as opportunities for UK FinTech firms to pitch [...]
Blackberry’s famous qwerty keyboard is back, resurrected by TCL at MWC 2017 February 26, 2017 If you miss the feel of a proper real-life keyboard rather than a touchscreen, there's a new phone for you. Blackberry has resurrected its much-loved qwerty keyboard in its latest phone, the KeyOne. Hang on… didn't Blackberry say it was ditching making smartphones altogether? Yes it did. After models like the Priv fell flat, failing [...]
My best friend the algorithm is a better human than you are February 24, 2017 Thanks to my friends, I discover some outstanding TV drama from time to time. Like Lost, for example, or the first three seasons of Homeland. Two years ago, someone suggested that I watch a show. To be precise, they did not suggest, they insisted – indeed, demanded – sending me message after message which said: [...]
Two Samsung execs stand down amid a corruption scandal that led to boss Jay Y Lee’s arrest February 24, 2017 Two senior Samsung executives have offered to resign, taking responsibility for the mobile phone giant's involvement in a scandal involving South Korean President Park Geun-hye. According to a report by the Yonhap news agency, vice chairman Choi Gee-sung and president Chang Choong-gi have offered to resign. Both were already identified as suspects by the South Korean special prosecution [...]
Monitise losses narrow as fintech firm’s transformation plan shows results February 23, 2017 Monitise revealed this morning it had crept further out of the red during the last six months of the year. The figures The fintech firm's interim results revealed a loss before tax of £7.5m for the six months to the end of December, a 96 per cent improvement on the £210.5m loss it announced for [...]
Regulators welcome fintech but aren’t sure what to do with it February 23, 2017 | City Talk Regulators have a 'wait and see' attitude about regulating fintech. Two governmental organisations recently released reports on regulatory approaches to fintech advances, including blockchain. First, the US Federal Reserve Board released its report on distributed ledger technology (i.e., blockchain) in payments, clearing, and settlement. Following that release, the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) — a joint [...]
Digital challenger bank Monzo’s just raised millions more and plans fresh crowdfunding February 23, 2017 Digital challenger bank Monzo has landed a new multimillion pound round of funding from fresh investors valuing it at £65m. The startup, which is seeking to disrupt traditional banking with online-only services, will combine the investment with a fresh round of crowdfunding following huge demand from private investors last year, totaling £22m. The round was [...]
Horizon Dark Zero review: A vast and exhilarating post-apocalyptic adventure February 22, 2017 Horizon Zero Dawn is the best looking console game ever made. Set centuries after the collapse of human civilisation, you play as Aloy, an outcast in a beautifully overgrown post apocalyptic world inhabited by futuristic machines. With tonnes of quests, a lengthy story and a huge open world, Horizon is rich with things to do [...]
Nasa has discovered a new solar system, where life could exist on three separate planets February 22, 2017 The boffins at Nasa have discovered three habitable planets in a newly discovered solar system a mere 39 light years away from Earth. In an announcement today, astronomers said they had found seven planets, all roughly the same size as Earth, orbiting a dwarf star, catchily named TRAPPIST-ONE. The six planets closest to the star all lie in [...]
Apple just announced when its futuristic new $5bn campus will launch February 22, 2017 It's been years in the making – but today Apple said its shiny, new $5bn campus in Cupertino will finally open in April. The 175-acre campus features a giant donut-shaped building designed by Foster + Partners, which will be clad in the world's largest panels of curved glass. As well as the 2.8m sq ft building, Apple [...]