Tim Peake’s mission marks a historic day for the UK space industry as Britain’s first International Space Station astronaut gets set for lift off December 15, 2015 Today marks an historic day for British science, innovation and space investment. It is the day that Tim Peake blasts off to the International Space Station – the first British astronaut from the European Space Agency to do so. This remarkable feat is the pinnacle of the UK’s growing global capability in space innovation and research – a [...]
Forget a fintech bubble: 2016 will be the year this booming market finally gets serious December 14, 2015 In 2015, global fintech investment will top $20bn, up from $12bn in 2014. There are wide-ranging estimates of the number of fintech players around the world today, but some say it’s surpassed 10,000. In China, there are over 2,000 marketplace platforms alone. The big banks are clambering over one another to invest in (or play [...]
Fintech 100: UK dominates KPMG’s global list of top fintech firms of 2015 with Transferwise, Funding Circle and Atom Bank December 14, 2015 As if you needed more proof that the UK fintech scene is booming… The UK is dominating a list of top fintech firms, with more emerging firms than any other country in the world, according to KPMG’s “Fintech 100”. The list of the leading fintech firms of 2015 is made up of 50 established firms [...]
Cybersecurity: Targeted cyber attacks doubled in the year to October 2015, with government and the finance sector bearing the brunt of cybercrime December 14, 2015 It's enough to make you want to permanently lose your login details: The number of criminal targeted cyber attacks doubled in the year to October 2015, according to a report released today by Control Risks. Other worrying trends identified by the risk consultancy's Riskmap Report 2016 report were a 56 per cent rise in the number [...]
Five ways London companies can recruit top talent to technology jobs December 14, 2015 1. It’s not all about the money We find 80 per cent of candidates accept interviews based on factors other than the highest salary offered, so take the time to promote what makes your company unique in order to engage candidates. For early stage startups that can’t compete with larger companies on salary, perks like flexible working hours [...]
**** yeah: Swearing is a sign you’re smarter, scientists say December 14, 2015 Good news for Malcolm Tucker-style Sweary Marys – scientists say the habit is not a sign you're bad with words and unable to express yourself, as many people would have you believe. In fact, new research suggests the swearier among us have a more comprehensive vocabulary than those who refrain from blaspheming. **** yeah. Scientists studied people's ability to name as many swear [...]
Tinder and NHS partner so you can give your actual heart away by becoming an organ donor December 14, 2015 Tinder users hoping to find love online can now give away their actual heart – not just metaphorically – to those in desperate need of it. Tinder is working with the NHS to promote organ donation among young people, the app's prime audience. The profiles of three celebrities will appear on the app – Jamie Laing from Made in Chelsea, Olympic gold [...]
Amazon pulls hoverboards from sale over safety fears December 14, 2015 Amazon has reportedly pulled hoverboards from sale on its site, over safety concerns. The online retailer has asked sellers of the gadget to prove they conform with safety standards in a bid to weed out fakes which could be dangerous, the Verge reported. A search on Amazon UK shows there are none for sale, only accessories. Amazon had not responded [...]
Twitter on cyber attack alert after warning of possible state-backed hack for the first time December 13, 2015 Twitter has issued a warning about a potential state-sponsored hack for the first time ever. The social media company sent out email warnings to users feared to have been affected, suggesting that hackers may have been after IP addresses, email addresses or phone numbers, which Twitter only began collecting some months ago. Cyber attacks have [...]
Facebook’s German office in Hamburg attacked by vandals who scrawled “dislike” graffiti December 13, 2015 Facebook's offices in Germany have been attacked by vandals who scrawled a wall of the buliding with "Facebook Dislike" in red spray paint. The office in Hamburg in the north of Germany was pelted with rocks and windows were smashed by a group of around 15 to 20 people dressed in black and wearing masks, AFP reports, citing a [...]