Amazon founder Jeff Bezos becomes the fourth richest person in the world, overtaking Carlos Slim November 11, 2015 Important news for billionaire watchers: last night Amazon founder Jeff Bezos became the fourth-richest person in the world, after a rally in the online retailer caused him to breeze past Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim. Amazon shares finished yesterday 0.64 per cent up, at $4.19. According to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, that pushes his fortune up to $58.2bn [...]
Telco giants Vodafone, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin and BT reignite broadband battle November 11, 2015 The war of words between the UK’s biggest telecoms giants reached new heights yesterday, as the clock ticks down on Ofcom’s probe into the broadband market and decision on whether to carve out Openreach from BT. With Ofcom due to reveal its verdict in January, Vodafone’s boss accused BT of trying to “re-monopolise” the sector, prompting [...]
US charges hackers who made millions after targeting financial services giants in biggest ever cyber-attack November 10, 2015 Cyber criminals have taken it up a gear. The US has charged three men accused of a major hacking scheme that targeted mainly financial services giants such as JPMorgan and generated hundreds of millions of dollars. "By any measure, the data breaches at these firms were breathtaking in scope and in size," and signal a "brave new world [...]
Hardly any of us actually believe artificial intelligence will take our jobs November 10, 2015 When it comes to robots stealing jobs, it seems we consider ourselves immune – we have the "it couldn't possibly happen to me" mentality. Research from Rocket Fuel shows that just nine per cent of Britons believe artificial intelligence will negatively impact their job, with the majority expecting it to either have no impact. 10 per cent [...]
Game of Drones: remote controlled, hovering robot minions are cheaper than ever November 10, 2015 Drones! They’re not just for extrajudicial killings any more. On the contrary, the latest flock of these floating, flying hoverbots has recently hit the affordable mainstream, allowing pretty much anybody to flood the sky with their own personal army of whirring plastic tyrants. To give them their proper – and slightly less terrifying – name, [...]
After 30 years, Sony finally kills off Betamax November 10, 2015 Apple vs Android may be the big battle of the digital era – but not so long ago, it was all about the showdown between video and Betamax. And after 30 long years, Sony has finally admitted defeat, with the announcement it will kill off the Betamax. In a statement today, Sony said it will [...]
Good news for runners: Having powerful legs means you have a powerful brain November 10, 2015 The more powerful your legs are, the healthier your brain is likely to be, according to new research from King's College London. On average, people with stronger, quicker legs tend to maintain healthy brains for longer, which means runners and cyclists can give themselves a pat on the back. The researchers studied the relationship between [...]
New research sheds light on why we believe in superstitions despite knowing they are irrational November 10, 2015 See a penny on the floor during a particularly busy rush hour at Bank station and still feel compelled to pick it up? A new research by University of Chicago Booth School of Business has discovered the reason why normally rational people sometimes do illogical things in the name of superstition. In her paper, Professor [...]
Business secretary Sajid Javid reveals latest plans to boost UK’s science and innovation capabilities November 9, 2015 We’ll soon have a clearer idea of what scientific know-how we have, as business secretary Sajid Javid today unveiled plans for a new national panel of innovation expertise alongside a regional review of the UK’s science capabilities. Speaking at Innovate UK’s annual conference, the business secretary explained that the national panel would help to direct funding [...]
Apple iPad Pro UK release date 2015 and price: When will iPad Pro go on sale and how much will it cost? The new 12.9-inch iPad will launch in 40 countries on Wednesday 11 November November 9, 2015 Apple fans, start your engines: the US tech giant has just announced the launch date of its monster, 12.9-inch iPad Pro. And you've only got a couple of days to wait… In a statement today the company said the iPad Pro will go on sale in stores and be available to order in 40 countries – including [...]