Dishonored 2: This first-person assassin game by Arkane is a glorious steampunk wonderland November 23, 2016 Dishonored 2 feels reassuringly familiar. The action may have shifted from plague-ridden, Dickensian squalor to sun-baked, equatorial squalor, but the constituent parts remain: it looks the same, it plays the same, it almost smells the same. Thank goodness, because Dishonored is at the very apex of video-game design, dense and textured, beautiful despite the muck [...]
The chancellor’s new investments should boost productivity – but the next few years are going to be tough November 23, 2016 Philip Hammond kept the nation in suspense as to the new government’s priorities for the economy until the Autumn Statement, and generally it was worth the wait. The chancellor proved a bigger spender, focusing on one of the fundamental challenges facing the UK economy beyond Brexit – productivity. If the UK is to forge a [...]
Fed officials said rate hike needs to happen in December “to preserve credibility” November 23, 2016 Some Federal Reserve officials said a rate rise needs to happen next month "to preserve credibility", according to minutes of their November meeting released today. They said an interest rate increase was incoming "relatively soon", if incoming data continued to reflect an improving economy, with some explicitly calling for a move next month. Some participants, a [...]
Was the Autumn Statement a missed opportunity to tackle Britain’s housing crisis? November 23, 2016 Jeremy Leaf, a former RICS residential chairman, says Yes. As expected, the chancellor’s speech contained no reversal of stamp duty changes, withdrawal of mortgage interest relief proposals for landlords, or assistance for downsizers. This was despite the potential benefits for the wider economy of lower taxes, greater job mobility and more housebuilding. No measures were [...]
Commuters facing chaos at Euston with disruption expected throughout the night after man was hit by train November 23, 2016 Emergency services are dealing with an incident between London Euston and Watford Junction, which is causing chaos for commuters and significant disruption between the stations. British Transport Police said it was called to an area nearby London Euston station "following reports of a person being struck by a train". A spokesperson said: "Our officers attended [...]
Stock market winners and losers after Autumn Statement: Estate agents hit after chancellor scraps letting fees November 23, 2016 Estate agents Foxtons, appear to have been the biggest losers from the Autumn Statement on the stock exchange today after chancellor Philip Hammond announced plans to scrap letting agents’ fees. Estate agents: losers Foxtons' share price fell 14 per cent to 105pon the day of the Autumn Statement. The estate agent’s shares were already down [...]
An incremental upgrade to one of the best Android phones, the OnePlus 3T is fantastic, if a little difficult to get excited about November 23, 2016 You might remember the OnePlus 3. It’s the Chinese startup’s flagship phone that launched only six months ago, so it’s a little surprising to see an upgraded version arriving already. Design-wise it’s identical to the now discontinued OnePlus 3, using the same manufacturing techniques employed by Apple to ensure that every handset feels premium and [...]
Google Daydream View review: Potentially the coolest thing you’ll ever strap to your face November 23, 2016 Virtual reality headsets are about as fashionable as strapping a toaster to your face, so the fabric-coated Google Daydream View looks almost stylish by comparison. You still look like a bit of a tool while wearing one, obviously, but considerably less so than with other headsets. Slip in a compatible Android phone (currently only the [...]
Philip Hammond loosens George Osborne’s fiscal rules to give himself more elbow room as Brexit unfolds November 23, 2016 The government has published yet another new set of rules on fiscal policy, as chancellor Philip Hammond aims to give himself more room for manoeuvre over the course of the next five years than his predecessor, George Osborne. The former chancellor watched from the backbenches as Hammond abandoned all three of Osborne’s rules, introduced in [...]
Five important things fintech was handed in the Autumn Statement November 23, 2016 The UK's fintech powerhouse was not forgotten in the chancellor's Autumn Statement with several measures aimed at boosting the sector unveiled. Fintech census The government will carry out what's being called a fintech census, designed to identify the key figures driving the industry for investors. "An accurate measurement of this evolving space will help policymakers, investors [...]