How Halifax wants to use your heartbeat as a security device March 13, 2015 Bank security just took a step into the future, after the Halifax introduced a system that uses your heartbeat to identify you. Forget pin numbers and card readers – this system uses a Nymi wristband, which can read the rhythm of the wearer's heart. According to its makers, everyone's heartbeat is different – which makes [...]
Gotham Air is Uber for helicopters March 13, 2015 Pills, pets, hot stone massages – there's an Uber for all of them. But now the "hail something from your smartphone" model has gone considerably more upmarket, after the launch of Gotham Air – an Uber for helicopters. Admittedly hailing a helicopter comes with more conditions than hailing a cab. Firstly, at the moment it's [...]
Commerzbank fined $1.45bn over sanctions violations March 13, 2015 Commerzbank, Germany's second-biggest lender, has been fined $1.45bn (£974m) by US authorities. US regulators said this morning the bank was being charged for violating sanctions against Iran and Sudan, as well as for a part it played in money laundering on behalf of Olympus, the Japanese electronics giant. The bank turned a "blind eye", the [...]
Disney share price jumps after it announces there’s going to be a Frozen 2 March 13, 2015 Parents everywhere, rejoice – for there's about to be another round of dresses to buy, catchphrases to learn and soundtracks to listen to endlessly in the car – for Disney has announced plans to do a sequel to Frozen. The news was announced last night at Disney's annual shareholder meeting in San Francisco, with Pixar [...]
Mipim 2015: Tech takes its toll on the property sector March 12, 2015 I was up early on the third day of Mipim to chair a panel of Sir Eddie Lister, chief of staff at the Greater London Authority; Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council; and Bernstein's counterpart in Birmingham, Mark Rogers, all of whom made a powerful case for further devolution of power to [...]
Take a risk, invest in Ukraine says Kiev’s ex-boxer mayor Vitaliy “Iron Fist” Klitschko March 12, 2015 With the usual enormous Russian pavilion conspicuous by its absence at this year's Mipim property bash, Russians have all but deserted the event this year – but their warring partner Ukraine has arrived in force, with Kiev mayor and former world champion boxer Vitaliy Klitschko flying in yesterday to persuade institutions to invest in the [...]
TSB share price leaps 27 per cent as Lloyds backs £1.7bn takeover talks with Spanish bank Sabadell March 12, 2015 Lloyds appeared to give its blessing to an offer by Spanish Banco de Sabadell for challenger bank TSB this morning, in which it has a 50 per cent stake. TSB said it had been offered 340p in cash per share, about a 30 per cent premium on last night's closing price, valuing the lender at [...]
Challenger bank Shawbrook jumps on IPO bandwagon March 12, 2015 Shawbrook has become the latest challenger bank to announce plans to list on the London Stock Exchange, with plans to raise about £90m. The announcement of its intention to float follows an impressive showing by rival Aldermore earlier this week, whose shares closed 12 per cent higher on its first day of trading. Its shares [...]
NIESR: UK GDP grew 0.6 per cent between December and February March 11, 2015 The UK's GDP grew 0.6 per cent between the beginning of December and February, a think tank has suggested. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) reckons the UK economy's growth was flat between the period from December to February and the preceding three months, according to figures published today. It added that [...]
Mipim 2015: This year it’s not just about London March 11, 2015 Today is the day to see most of the British contingent arrive in Cannes for Mipim, Europe's biggest property get-together. It is a packed schedule and where better to start than the London marquee, right on the waterfront. Dominated by a huge model of our city, each borrower and district showcases their investment opportunities. [...]
