What the peer-to-peer lending industry learnt from Lego October 26, 2017 Fidget Spinners are out. Loom bands are out. Pokemon Go? So out. What’s the latest craze sweeping the nation’s playgrounds this term? Lego. And more precisely, Lego figurines. These little Lego people have broken free to become one of the must-have tradeable toys this autumn. Lego is no longer just about the bricks, and the [...]
The future may be powered by data, but it must be piloted by humans October 24, 2017 Of the six most valuable companies in the world, five are tech firms, whose worth is embodied less in physical assets than in intellectual property and customer data. Apple and Microsoft provide the tools to connect people, and to collect and process data. Google, Facebook and Amazon provide services, and in return accumulate more data [...]
London’s no longer the UK’s top smart city as Bristol overtakes October 23, 2017 Bristol has overtaken London as the UK’s leading smart city a new index reveals. The south west city leapfrogged the capital when it comes to how it approaches digital innovation and its vision for a connected city. Under the so-called smart cities label comes tech such as driverless cars, 5G connectivity and "big data" – [...]
New Wolff Olins boss Sairah Ashman on taking up the top job October 23, 2017 The opportunity to climb the meritocratic ladder, one rung at a time, is one of capitalism’s greatest feats. If you’re good at something and stick to it, eventually you’ll reach the top. Sairah Ashman, chief executive at brand consultancy Wolff Olins, is testament to that notion. Having worked at the firm for 23 years (“longer [...]
JP Morgan’s entire fixed income trading will use fintech startup Mosaic’s data anaytics tool after graduating “In-Residence” programme October 23, 2017 Investment banking giant JP Morgan is tapping a UK fintech startup to help it delve into its treasure trove of trading data in a rare move for the firm. Mosaic’s smart data platform will be rolled out across the bank’s entire fixed income trading business following months of testing as part of its “In-Residence” fintech [...]
The Land Registry’s tapping tech startups to make property more digital with artificial intelligence and chatbots October 19, 2017 The government department in charge of the country's property and land records is turning to startups for technological innovation. Land Registry will work with three property technology, or proptech, startups as part of a new programme aimed at improving property transactions A startup using artificial intelligence to help conveyancers asses risk, Orbital Witness, and another [...]
Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL review: Simply the best Android phones ever made October 18, 2017 Google’s new phones are rather good. The Pixel 2 and its bigger brother the Pixel 2 XL (identical in every way but shape, size, price and battery) are straightforwardly excellent. They are simply the best Android phones ever made. Life-changing, envelope-pushing, they can shift a paradigm from fifty paces. They do your laundry, improve your [...]
The UK’s law firms are seeing revenues plateau as they struggle to keep up with client expectations, according to PwC October 16, 2017 Law firms in the UK have seen muted revenue growth this year, as they are struggling to keep up with client expectations and advancing technologies. PwC’s annual UK law firms survey noted average fee income growth of just three per cent, while half of the businesses saw domestic profits fall. This was due to increased [...]
How AI could change the way you save for retirement October 13, 2017 A conversation in the not-too-distant future: Sarah: Hi Eva. Eva*: Hi Sarah, how’s it going? You came home early today. Yeah, I wasn't feeling too well so thought I would have an early night. What’s the problem? I have a booming headache and a runny nose. Sound’s terrible. Would you like me to order [...]
20 years since Deep Blue: Garry Kasparov on the human-machine relationship October 9, 2017 When Garry Kasparov was defeated in a game of chess by IBM’s Deep Blue in 1997, it represented more than just a PR exercise from an opportunistic computer manufacturer looking to bump its share price. For many, it signified the start of the end of human supremacy: the machines had won. Today, 20 years later, [...]