Google announces Stadia game streaming platform March 19, 2019 Google has announced a video game streaming service called Stradia as the tech giant attempts to challenge Sony and Microsoft in the $140bn gaming market. Stadia will allow users to play games on their internet browser without having to download any content or buy a new console, Google announced at the Game Developers Conference in [...]
Facebook hit with US criminal investigation over data-sharing deals March 14, 2019 US prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Facebook over a number of data deals it struck with other major tech firms. A grand jury in New York has ordered two smartphone manufacturers to hand over records, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Read more: Facebook to encrypt more messages [...]
WPP appoints Microsoft chief executive Cindy Rose to the board March 12, 2019 Advertising group WPP has appointed Microsoft UK chief executive Cindy Rose to its board as a non-executive director, the company said today. Rose, who has held a string of high-profile jobs in the media and technology sectors, will join the firm from the beginning of April and will serve as a member of the audit [...]
The UK’s competition policy must be fit for a world of tech giants and hidden cartels March 11, 2019 Competition is the oxygen of the capitalist system. From Adam Smith on, there have been warnings of the threats to economic health if competition is restricted by would-be monopolists or cartels. In the UK, the system is policed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It rarely hits the headlines except for occasional controversial cases like [...]
Business software M&A hits five-year high March 11, 2019 Business software merger and acquisition value hit a five-year high in 2018 driven by the rapid growth of technology firms. New research shows that enterprise software M&A was $182.2bn last year, and that a total of 629 deals were completed in the second half, up 35 per cent from a low of 465 deals in the [...]
UK cannabis firm Jacana blazes a trail to possible London listing February 28, 2019 Cannabis firm Jacana is “considering” a stock market flotation this year after raising $20m (£15.08m) in private investment in 2018. Read more: England lock George Kruis has high hopes for cannabis oil business Serial entrepreneur Alexandra Chong, the company’s co-founder, said “all options were on the table” in terms of funding, as Jacana seeks to expand [...]
Why the Fourth Industrial Revolution may create beach hotspots for investors February 27, 2019 | City Talk The Industrial Revolution resulted in a rail network that has influenced real estate values ever since. Now the Fourth Industrial Revolution is driving the latest wave of value creation – for certain beach locations. Our focus on this blog is on identifying the shifting fortunes of global cities. Part of this involves careful analysis of [...]
Flexible office rents tumble as London boom fuels more spaces February 24, 2019 Fresh evidence of a boom in the capital’s flexible workspace market has come to light with a report out today that shows a sharp rise in new spaces coming to the market. Growing demand for shorter leases led to more than 150 new flexible office space business centres opening in Central London during 2018, marking [...]
Microsoft goes all-in on holograms in the workplace with the new Hololens 2 February 24, 2019 Microsoft's long-awaited update to its mixed reality headset, the Hololens 2, has placed big bets on businesses including holograms in their day-to-day working life. Revising several major issues to the 2016 Hololens such as comfort and immersion, the biggest change to the Hololens 2 is the price. Coming down 30 per cent from the cost of [...]
Microsoft opens up cyber security services in Europe in wake of fresh Russia attacks February 20, 2019 Microsoft has expanded the reach of its cyber security service for political organisations in Europe, after detecting a fresh wave of attacks from Russian hackers. The firm's vice president for customer security and trust Tom Burt said Microsoft's Threat Intelligence Centre (MSTIC) had discovered attacks on employees of the German Council of Foreign Relations, and European [...]