The biggest announcements from Google’s Pixel event October 4, 2016 After some hefty leaks last week, Google has just officially unveiled a new collection of devices with Google Assistant — the tech giant's artificial intelligence engine — at their core. Pixel Chief among Google's announcements was the reveal of its new phone, called Pixel. The iPhone rivalling handset is available in two sizes, Pixel and Pixel XL, with the former sporting a 5-inch 1080p screen and [...]
IAG is on the hunt for high-flying startups to join a new accelerator October 4, 2016 International Airlines Group (IAG) has launched Hangar 51, a global accelerator programme, to sniff out the best budding aviation startups. The parent company of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus is inviting new firms to pitch for a chance at joining Hangar 51, where they will work with the airline group to create “next generation [...]
Nobel Prize for Physics awarded to British scientists who revealed “secrets of exotic matter” October 4, 2016 The 2016 Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to a trio of British scientists for revealing "the secrets of exotic matter". David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and John Kosterlitz all made theoretical discoveries using an advanced branch of mathematics known as topology, and "opened the door to an unknown world where matter can assume strange states", the Nobel Prize committee for physics said [...]
Commerzbank ploughs more cash into London fintech startup Iwoca October 4, 2016 Commerzbank has ploughed more cash into London fintech startup Iwoca as part of a new multi-million pound round of funding for the lending platform. The German bank's venture capital arm CommerzVentures are among investors in the £21m series C round after participating in last year's £15.7m series B. New investor Prime Ventures led the latest round which [...]
Pay by selfie: Mastercard brings biometric technology to the UK October 4, 2016 Paying for things simply by taking a photo of yourself is now a step closer to reality as Mastercard brings its new biometric technology to the UK. So called selfie pay will let customers verify their identity with a snap of their smartphone camera when doing online shopping, or with fingerprints, doing away with passwords and pins -welcome relief [...]
What to expect from Google: More than just devices October 4, 2016 Dubbed by Google as the biggest event since the "birth" of its Android operating system (OS) in 2008, the company's latest launch will reveal new smartphones, the marriage of its two operating systems and updates to its Chromecast entertainment streaming service. Fuelled by some rather transparent teasers, Twitter is rife with speculation and expectation. What can [...]
Pixel phone and Google Home: What to expect from Google’s big event October 4, 2016 Google is preparing for an event almost as anticipated as any Apple has put on for its iPhones over the years. The tech giant is expected to launch a range of new hardware and software that even its own executives are billing as something as big as when it first launched the Android operating system. We [...]
Standing desks: How do you make the most of this moderately helpful technology? October 4, 2016 Standing desks were all the rage about two-and-a-half years ago. Transforming your working day, it was even suggested they could help you lose weight. Unfortunately, this is simply not true. A recent study published in the (rather apt) Journal of Physical Activity and Health examined how many calories people burnt when sitting at a computer [...]
Everyone’s massively underestimating fintech in capital markets October 3, 2016 The application of fintech in capital markets is being vastly underestimated by both banks and startups as other areas of banking steal the spotlight – and funding – new research reveals. Venture capital cash is failing to flow into fintech specialising in capital markets, according to the new report from Boston Consulting Group, adding that only a minority of startups are working [...]
Automotive and tech firms are poaching each other’s talent to pull ahead in the driverless car race October 3, 2016 Automotive and IT firms are poaching each other’s talent in a bid to nudge ahead in the driverless car race, according to research by CPA Global. Its analysis found that more than 20 patent inventors have made the switch from automotive to IT companies or vice versa since 2008, with Google’s self-driving car programme serving [...]