How Amazon is inspiring the next generation of engineering October 30, 2019 When I was a teenager growing up in the 80s, I can clearly remember the “practical” lessons at school, and the satisfaction of building things – like my first ever circuit to power a lightbulb. These moments undoubtedly shaped my choice to become an engineer. Those “eureka” moments are powerful for any young person. When [...]
Microsoft beats Amazon to Pentagon’s $10bn cloud computing contract October 26, 2019 Microsoft has won a cloud-computing contract from the Pentagon worth $10bn (£8bn). The contract is for the Joint Enterprise Defence Infrastructure, dubbed Jedi, is for a 10-year period. Read more: Cloud computing drives Microsoft revenue up The project is aimed at making the US defence department more technologically agile. Amazon had been favourites for the [...]
Amazon share price slips after first profit drop in two years October 25, 2019 Investors have punished Amazon for a sharp fall in profits, targeting its shares as US markets opened this afternoon. Amazon’s share price fell 2.4 per cent to $1738.2 on the Nasdaq after billionaire Jeff Bezos’ company’s profits fell for the first time in two years yesterday. Read more: Amazon posts first profit drop for two [...]
Facial recognition tech powered by AI poses a threat to society October 24, 2019 Facial recognition software feels like it has stepped out of the realms of science fiction and into reality. Thanks to massive developments in artificial intelligence (AI), cameras and surveillance systems can now check and analyse someone’s facial features in real time. This is a profound step forward in the realms of biometric security, and major [...]
OECD targets tech giants as it shakes up global tax rules October 9, 2019 Multinational tech giants will face a crackdown on their corporate tax bills under new rules outlined by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Tech titans such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have been accused of dodging taxes by booking their profit in low-tax countries such as Ireland, despite serving customers across the world. [...]
Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge signs TV deal with Amazon Studios September 24, 2019 Actor and screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge has sealed a bumper deal with Amazon Studios, just days after sweeping up three Emmy awards. The Fleabag star has inked an overall deal to create exclusive new TV shows, which will be streamed on Amazon Prime. Read more: Netflix boss says The Crown will ‘look like a bargain’ as [...]
Advertisers need to get in on the streaming revolution September 23, 2019 TV consumption habits have undergone a revolutionary shift. It started with the arrival of players like Netflix, and a decade later, it’s rapidly accelerating as new platforms like Amazon Prime Video and BritBox enter the space. These new entrants are being spurred by consumer demand – 63 per cent of UK consumers stream today, with [...]
Digital battlegrounds: The war between big tech and regulators September 17, 2019 We now live in the age of the internet of things, where voice-sniffing devices abound, and consumers have the convenience of tailored search suggestions. Perhaps it is Amazon’s Alexa – revealed earlier this year to be forever listening to its users’ conversations – that provides the emblem of the age. However, while such devices can [...]
Tech giants are winning the war for talent, Glassdoor finds September 5, 2019 Tech giants dominate the rankings of the UK’s most popular employers as finance firms fall behind in the race to win top talent, according to a report published today. Read more: Tech founders warn UK at risk of losing global fintech crown Amazon topped the list of the 15 most sought-after companies over the last [...]
Unconscious bias and lack of diversity is holding business back August 6, 2019 The lack of diversity in technology is not a new issue. A study by Statista showed that female employees make up between 26 percent and 43 percent of the workforce at major tech companies. However, even this does not tell the whole story, as the number of women in engineering or product-focussed jobs is even [...]