Watch live: Astronauts at the International Space Station go on spacewalk while Tim Peake assists December 21, 2015 Two astronauts based at the International Space Station (ISS) are currently walking in space. Wearing their astronaut suits, they have exited their spacecraft are now floating around, gravity-free. The purpose of their space walk is to mend a key component of the ISS’ machinery, the mobile transporter, a rail car that moves a robotic arm along [...]
Three things we learned about Apple from Tim Cook on 60 Minutes – Tax “crap”, encryption and China December 21, 2015 Tim Cook has made a rare media appearance talking everything Apple, from tax to China, on CBS's 60 Minutes show. The chief executive of the world's largest listed company with a market cap of more than half a billion dollars, set the record straight on several criticism's of the tech giant. Here's what he had [...]
Intellectual property claims made by small businesses are on the up, as the internet makes original content harder to police December 21, 2015 The number of small businesses heading to court to protect their intellectual property (IP) is on the up, driven in part by an increase in digital copyright cases. According to research released today by law firm Hugh James, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) heard 308 claims in 2014, compared to 287 in 2013, and the [...]
Mobile phone fines for drivers will soon increase under new government plans December 20, 2015 Drivers breaking the law by using their mobile phones behind the wheel will soon be hit with more severe penalties if new proposals get the go ahead. The current fine for using a phone while driving would increase from £100 to £150 and drivers would lose an additional point from their licence taking the total penalty points to [...]
How can Silicon Roundabout compete with Silicon Valley? London’s digital edge depends on diversity December 19, 2015 This year I have attended and hosted events in Bangalore, Copenhagen, Berlin and New York all with a single purpose – to celebrate London’s thriving digital sector. Speaking to technology professionals abroad it is clear that London’s reputation is built on innovation, cultural openness and diversity. London’s diversity sparks ideas, welcomes new thinking and encourages [...]
Robots to take over the world in 2016, and five other crushingly predictable tech forecasts December 18, 2015 Every year the tech glitterati creates “tech predictions”. Once these were far-fetched, futuristic and fantastic. They promised jet cars, space food and handheld communicators. Nowadays, when our smartphones have almost as much computing power as Tim Peake’s new home, they can be a little… repetitive. So. Will those tech predictions everyone’s making come to pass? [...]
That Christmas feeling: Scientists have located the “Christmas spirit” in our brains December 17, 2015 That warm, fuzzy, Christmassy feeling we get every December is not just in our imagination – it's a physiological change that can actually be located in our brains. A study published in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal shows how the “Christmas Spirit” is present in five different areas of the brain during [...]
New Year wil be Airbnb’s busiest night of the year as one million renters expected – twice as many as last year December 17, 2015 The number of people spending New Year in an Airbnb will double this year, the home sharing platform has said, as more people than ever before choose to escape the celebrations by renting out someone elses home. More than one million people are expected to be staying in a place rented on Airbnb when the clock strikes midnight, compared [...]
Apple Pay, one year later: Why mobile payments have failed to catch on as we’re still looking for something better December 17, 2015 Mobile payments became a hot topic just about the time when first iPhone was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2007. Back then experts in payment, retail, telecommunication, and banking industries started thinking about a smartphone as a viable alternative to physical wallets suggesting many different technologies, but no one knew how exactly the winner was [...]
Jeff Williams promoted to Apple’s chief operating officer, Phil Schiller to head App Store, Grey’s Tor Myhren hired for marketing and communications in rare management rejig December 17, 2015 Jeff Williams has been named Apple's new chief operating officer, in a rare reshuffle of the tech company's senior team. “We are fortunate to have incredible depth and breadth of talent across Apple’s executive team. As we come to the end of the year, we’re recognising the contributions already being made by two key executives,” said [...]