Gigs at Olympic Stadium this year January 2, 2013 The Olympic Stadium is set to reopen this July to host a series of rock concerts after promoters were forced to cut down the number of large-scale concerts held in Hyde Park. The news, revealed by BBC London, will be a boost to the capital’s live music promoters following a series of noise complaints at Hyde [...]
Digital sales hit £1bn as CDs and DVDs in decline January 2, 2013 BRITISH consumers spent more than £1bn on downloads of films, music and games in 2012, as sales of CDs and DVDs declined. Industry data released yesterday showed that digital entertainment spending rose by 11.4 per cent last year to reach a record £1.033bn. However, this growth did not make up for a decline in CD [...]
Microsoft’s new Windows 8 not making waves January 2, 2013 MICROSOFT’S flagship new software, Windows 8, has seen weak sales in its opening weeks on sale, and is now installed on less than two per cent of computers worldwide, data released yesterday claimed. Market share research from statistics firm Net Applications showed that the redesigned operating system, released at the end of October, is installed [...]
Apple tests new phone amid talk of early launch January 2, 2013 APPLE is testing a new version of its iPhone, as well as new iOS software for the device, heightening speculation that it will release its next handset earlier than expected. App developers have noticed that usage logs – records to track what devices are using their apps – include references to an “iPhone 6.1” identifier. [...]
Tech titans deemed unlikely to spend on film and music January 2, 2013 TECHNOLOGY giants are likely to defy market speculation that they will spend their vast reserves on buying up media rights, according to specialists at professional services firm Deloitte. The likes of Apple and Google, which have plenty of cash at their disposal, have long been expected to use it to snap up content or media [...]
Ronaldo signs for new role January 2, 2013 CRISTIANO Ronaldo, the Real Madrid and former Manchester United footballer, has signed up to be the public face of a new project from Aim-listed Sports Stars Media. The company is launching a “crowdsourced” football tournament in an effort to increase exposure of its sports cartoon business, which is currently producing a show featuring Portuguese manager [...]
Sun European takes a shine to packaging January 2, 2013 SUN EUROPEAN Partners has snapped up two packaging companies including Lincolnshire-based Paragon Print & Packaging in a £400m spending spree. Sun European, an arm of US private equity firm Sun Capital, yesterday said it had bought a 49 per cent stake in Paragon from Equistone and LDC for an undisclosed sum. Sun European also completed [...]
Europe to review accounting rules after investor criticism January 2, 2013 THE EUROPEAN Commission plans to re-examine the use of International Financial Reporting Standards after growing criticism from the investment industry. A group of investors wrote to Michel Barnier, the European commissioner for markets, to complain that the IFRS accounting rules obscure potential problems at banks by keeping loan losses off the books until they occur, [...]
Labour calls for Small Business Saturday in UK January 2, 2013 BRITAIN should follow the lead of the US and designate a day to encourage shopping in local independent retailers, shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said yesterday. The Labour MP wants 7 December 2013 to be the inaugural ‘Small Business Saturday’ in the hope it will focus consumer attention on local high streets. “We must do more to [...]
Delays hit key rail routes as fares balloon January 2, 2013 DELAYS and cancellations as well as above-inflation fare hikes greeted commuters returning to work after the festive break yesterday. As the price of a season ticket rose 4.2 per cent and the average fare increased by 3.9 per cent, some rail firms struggled to stay on track. First Great Western passengers endured the ongoing effects [...]
