Working 9 to 5? Actually, 14m of us are now independent workers October 10, 2016 As many as 14m people in the UK are classed as an independent worker employed outside the traditional 9 to 5 job, new research reveals. The figures calculated in a new report by McKinsey pegs the number of freelancers, temporary workers, and those selling items on eBay or renting out a room on Airbnb as part of the so-called [...]
Govcoin’s co-founder Robert Kay explains why his firm is using blockchain to change the lives of benefit claimants October 10, 2016 "When you get into this technology, you can let your imagination run wild with it. But as an entrepreneur, you have to focus. You can use a new technology to help those that can pay the most for it, or those who will benefit the most from it. It is our view that distributed ledger [...]
Look how much Facebook’s paid in UK corporation tax now October 9, 2016 Facebook's tax bill has sky rocketed in the UK after changing the way its business is structured, however, it has also racked up a credit from the tax man worth millions more effectively cancelling that out. The social network was billed £4.2m in corporation tax for the year to the end of 2015, newly filed documents [...]
How to watch tonight’s spectacular Draconids Meteor Shower – even if you’re in London October 7, 2016 No plans for this evening? How about sitting back and watching the spectacular Draconids Meteor Shower, which peaks tonight? Here’s our guide to getting the best views of tonight’s astronomical phenomenon. What is it? The Draconids, like any meteor shower, is a harmless stream of cosmic debris which causes a spectacular shooting star effect as it enters the [...]
Stop skipping after-work drinks: Scientists say getting along with your colleagues is good for your health October 7, 2016 Time to stop skipping that post-work pub trip on “health” grounds: a huge new study has shown getting along with colleagues makes us feel better and prevents burnout. Psychologists found workers strongly identifying with their workmates had a positive impact on mental health and performance. The study found the same health benefit when employees strongly [...]
Twitter shares are down 20 per cent in pre-market trading October 7, 2016 Twitter's share price has dropped by 20 per cent in pre-market trading. The social network's stock has been all over the place this week – first soaring on rumours of takeover interest from an array of companies including Google and Disney. However, as takeover talk cooled, the share price nosedived, tumbling by 16 per cent [...]
First sterling, now this: Twitter is down for some users October 7, 2016 First, an algorithm sent the pound into a tailspin, now Twitter has gone down. Anyone would have thought the machines have something against us… Downdetector, the site which displays technical issues on websites, suggested "problems at Twitter", while the site was having problems loading. It wasn't just its technical side having problems, though – Twitter's share price was [...]
Snapchat is marching towards a $25bn March IPO October 6, 2016 Photo-messaging app Snapchat is reportedly working towards an initial public offering (IPO) as early as late March which would value the firm at (£19.8bn) $25bn or more. The figure would be significantly higher than Snapchat's most recent valuation of $17.81bn, which was based on a $1.81bn financing round in May, the WSJ reported. It would also mark the biggest [...]
Bean counters are weighing digital’s contribution to the UK economy October 6, 2016 Bean counters are weighing up how they could count the contribution of smartphones and the digital content we consume on them – from watching Netflix to reading a newspaper online – to the British economy. Traditional economic measures have failed to keep up with the rise of digital and the online economy created by technology, and experts believe their [...]
Tech entrepreneurs are flocking back to Europe: We want to do it our own way, in our own place October 6, 2016 From Dropbox to Spotify to Deliveroo, it is undeniable that Europe now truly has startup success stories to contend with Silicon Valley. This trend has been bolstered by a wave of European tech entrepreneurs moving back home from the US, bringing with them the knowledge and the culture we so desperately need to foster our [...]