Five key takes from the Google IO conference 2015 May 28, 2015 Internet giant Google today unveiled its latest products, software and projects to an audience of developers at its annual I/O developer conference in San Francisco. Here are five key takes: Google challenges Apple Pay Google unveiled Android Pay which will let users pay in stores as well as online using their mobile phones. Android Pay will [...]
These are the most valuable brands in the world: Apple, Google, Microsft and IBM dominate in BrandZ 2015 ranking as tech triumphs May 27, 2015 Apple has overtaken Google as the most valuable brand in the world, reassuming the top spot in an annual ranking in which technology dominates. The value of the Apple brand grew 67 per cent, with an estimated worth of more than $245bn. The stellar performance of Apple over the past year pushed Google into second [...]
Clicks vs bricks is gone: Even savvy e-commerce firms need to do both May 21, 2015 The retail industry is in a state of flux. Consumers and technology are driving fundamental changes. And now, the line between in-store and online is increasingly blurred. When online shopping began to gain popularity, the future of retail was painted by numerous commentators as being a battle: clicks versus bricks. But recent events [...]
What does Google look for in new hires? Cognitive ability, emergent leadership, cultural fit and expertise – and no arrogance May 19, 2015 Tech giant Google has given an insight into its notoriously selective hiring process and revealed four characteristics prospective candidates should exhibit if they want to make the cut. Four attributes Lazlo Bock, senior vice president of Google’s people operation, told an audience at the London School of Economics yesterday four attributes that the company looks for in new [...]
Google is racing (at 25mph) ahead in the self-driving car wars May 18, 2015 Fed up waiting for Tesla's self-driving car to emerge? Us too. Luckily Google has the answer. The Silicon Valley giant is releasing its prototype fleet of self-driving cars this summer ahead of a “small pilot” in the coming years. According to Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car project, “a few” of the vehicles [...]
Is a major qualification board’s chief right that pupils should be able to use Google in exams? April 30, 2015 Mark Dawe, chief executive of OCR, says Yes The pupils of today will not be relying on rote learning for success in the workplace. Everyone has a computer available to them and uses search engines; what matters is how they interpret results. We aren’t suggesting that this is a replacement for traditional assessment, but it’s [...]
Google pledges to give millions of pounds to news organisations across Europe April 27, 2015 Google is offering to give news organisations across Europe €150m (£107m) worth of funding, to help them earn money from their own online coverage. Those eligible to receive the money range from established publishers to start-up news providers, and the money will be given over the course of the next three years. According to [...]
Google misses earnings and revenue estimates in first quarter results April 23, 2015 The figures Google once again disappointed investors after earnings in the first quarter missed analysts' expectations – the sixth quarter in a row it has fallen short. Earnings per share came in at $6.57 per share – short of the expected $6.61 per share – on revenue of $17.3bn. That marked a 12 per cent rise [...]
Google chairman Eric Scmidt buys stake in New York hedge fund from Lehman Brothers April 23, 2015 Google chairman Eric Schmidt has snapped up a 20 per cent stake in a New York hedge fund from the estate of Lehman Brothers Holdings. Hillspire LLC, the family office of multi-billionaire Schmidt, signed the deal for a passive stake in the $36bn firm. The price of the minority stake, which will not [...]
Project Fi: Everything you need to know about Google’s mobile phone network April 22, 2015 After venturing into manufacturing handsets and providing broadband, Google is making its first move into the mobile phone network business. "Project Fi" is the name given to Google's latest piece of disruptive technology. Here's everything you need to know about the internet giant's new mobile network. How does it work? Currently only available on the Google [...]