US corporations including Apple and Google pledge billions to help Obama administration combat climate change ahead of Paris summit July 28, 2015 US corporations are pledging billions of dollars to green finance, as the private sector supports the Obama administration in securing a strong global deal on combating climate change. Thirteen top US companies, including Apple, Walmart and Google, teamed up with the White House to launch the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. The campaign is [...]
Stagefright hack: 95pc of Android phones are vulnerable to this text message hack July 27, 2015 Bad news for Android users: It takes just one multimedia text for hackers to gain access to 95 per cent of the world’s Android devices, according to researchers from the cybersecurity firm Zimperium. In what’s being described as one of the worst Android flaws to date, a vulnerability found in the operating system’s media library [...]
Secret Escapes gets $60m Google Ventures backing for global expansion July 26, 2015 Deals website Secret Escapes has landed $60m (£39m) investment from Google's venture arm to fuel ambitious global expansion plans. The flash deals website set up in London in 2010 which offers luxury holidays at a discount has completed a series C round of funding led by Google Ventures and existing investor Octopus Investments. Index and [...]
The EU risks damaging consumer interests in its push against Google dominance July 22, 2015 Jean Tirole won last year’s Nobel prize for economics for his work on a new type of market – and one that has grown with the meteoric rise of the internet. So-called two-sided markets arise when a company brings together suppliers and consumers. Google is a classic example: it provides browsers with web pages, and [...]
Google Maps introduces dystopian new location history feature called Your Timeline July 22, 2015 Depending on your point of view, this is either a dystopian vision of the future or a handy way to retrace your past steps. Either way, Google Maps has just introduced a new feature that lets you look back at your full location history. Which means Google knows everywhere you've been… The feature, called Your [...]
Is Apple planning an iCar? Tim Cook hires Chrysler executive Doug Betts as it eyes Tesla, Google and Uber over electric cars July 21, 2015 Not content with taking over our ears (Apple Music) and wrists (Apple Watch) this year, Apple may now have its sights set on taking over our roads. Tim Cook has hired the an executive from Chrysler, fueling speculation that there may be an iCar coming down the road. Doug Betts, a former senior vice president [...]
Google self-driving cars have had their first accident which caused an injury July 18, 2015 Google's self-driving cars have had their first accident which resulted in three passengers sustaining minor injuries according to the company. The tech giant said that the accident happened on 1 July when its driverless Lexus sports utility vehicle was rear-ended while stationary in a queue of traffic on a road in California. "Thankfully, everyone in both [...]
Google share price rises as chief financial officer Ruth Porat enjoys better than expected earnings July 16, 2015 The figures Google beat earnings expectations in its latest financial results with earnings of $6.99 (£4.48) a share, but overall revenue of $17.73bn came in below analysts' forecasts. Read more: Google could make joint bid for Tesco unit Excluding the cost to acquire traffic, Google's revenue in the second quarter rose 13 per cent to [...]
It turns out Google shows you better job ads if it thinks you’re a man July 7, 2015 You’ll do better in your job hunt if Google believes you’re a man. The search giant uses its vast amounts of data to figure out what advertisers should show you, and according to a new study, it'll show you ads for better jobs if Google thinks you’re a man. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon university and [...]
Driverless cars will soon be able to buy and collect your morning coffee July 6, 2015 The future of driverless cars lies not just in hardware allowing passengers to take their hands off the wheel, but also in internet connectivity and the many benefits it can bring. Read more: In Pictures: The evolution of Google’s driverless car One such advantage will be the ability to buy and collect morning coffee [...]