Lloyds, HSBC, First Direct warn Apple Pay users: Storing other people’s fingerprints is like “giving out your pin” November 3, 2015 Store your spouse’s fingerprint on your phone? You could be in for a nasty surprise. UK banks are warning customers against the practice, announcing that if you wish to use Apple Pay, you must delete other people’s prints. Lloyds’ customers are warned in the bank’s terms and conditions: If Touch ID is available on your [...]
Britain needs to up its R&D spend or we will get left behind in innovation race November 3, 2015 The success of small and medium-sized businesses is vital to the UK’s economic success, and our ability to compete on the international stage. They make up 99 per cent of companies in the UK, yet they face a highly challenging environment in which to succeed. Even with the best will in the world, estimates show [...]
If a man takes on his fair share of housework, he’ll be a more amorous lover November 3, 2015 A man who is not afraid to do his fair share of the housework is likely to be a more amorous lover, according to new research from the University of Alberta. It found that on average, a more equal division of chores between a couple led to much more “satisfying sex” for both people. "Rather [...]
Reaction Engines: Tiny Oxfordshire space company gets massive injection of cash from BAE Systems November 2, 2015 Is this the UK's coolest startup? Reaction Engines, a tiny Oxfordshire business which aims to create the world's first combined rocket and jet engine aircraft, has raised £20.6m from defence giant BAE Systems, it announced today. The company is developing an engine which would allow an aircraft to take off horizontally like a plane, then use a [...]
Northern Ireland has the UK’s worst mobile phone network coverage – but smartphone users in the South East are also suffering November 2, 2015 The South East may be one of the UK's most built-up areas – but it's also one of the worst when it comes to mobile network coverage, a new study has found. The research, by Cable.co.uk. found 29.3 per cent of people in the region experience a "notspot" – an area with no network coverage [...]
City A.M. Awards 2015: Celebrating the best of the business world November 2, 2015 It has been a memorable year for the City, with milestones seemingly being met every week. In the last few months alone we’ve reported on some impressive trends and grounds for celebration. Financial services are powering a jobs boom, with employment in the City at an all time high. London’s tech sector has attracted record amounts [...]
Ken Clarke: The House of Lords needs to be reined in November 1, 2015 After the House of Lords twice voted to delay the implementation of the government's controversial tax credit cuts, former chancellor Ken Clarke has said the upper house needs to be reined in with new laws. Last week the Lords backed amendments from both Labour peer Baroness Hollis and crossbench peer Baroness Meacher, which frustrated the government's plans. [...]
Galloper’s £1.5bn wind farm off Suffolk coast gets green light October 30, 2015 German utilities giant RWE has been given the go-ahead to build a £1.5bn wind farm off the coast of Suffolk, creating nearly 800 jobs, after it found three partners to back the project. The Galloper wind farm’s future was jeopardised when electricity and gas supplier SSE shelved plans to invest in it, citing concerns over the viability of the UK's offshore [...]
How to avoid Uber’s surge pricing: Science explains how to beat the algorithm October 30, 2015 Uber may have changed our lives (for the better or worse, depending on which side of the "black cab" argument you're on), but there's no denying when that surge pricing screen pops up, it's a disappointment. Now scientists in the US have worked out a way to beat it. Troubled by what they call "Uber's [...]
Cambridge scientists make breakthrough on “super battery” which can power a car from London to Edinburgh October 30, 2015 Cambridge scientists are a step closer to developing a so-called "super battery", which could power a car from London to Edinburgh in one charge. Lithium-air batteries have been touted as the next generation of batteries, due to their theoretical ability to store ten times more energy than lithium-ion batteries. But their development has been beset with problems, such as low efficiency and [...]