Google pays up as antitrust scrutiny heightens May 13, 2025 Google’s recent settlement of $1.38bn (£1.05bn) with the state of Texas marks a significant moment in the tech titan’s ongoing legal battles over both privacy violations and anti-competitive practices. The settlement, which resolves two major lawsuits filed in 2022, accused Google of secretly collecting biometric data such as facial recognition and local tracking, without user [...]
Apple looking at raising iPhone prices May 12, 2025 Apple is considering raising prices for its next iPhone lineup, with increases likely tied top new features and design changes, rather than ongoing US-China trade tensions. The current lineup ranges from $799 to $1,199. Yet analysts believe the newest model, Pro Max, could hit $1,900 if its pricing reflects upgrades and tariff costs. The Wall [...]
This is why the UK’s tech tax still riles Washington May 9, 2025 The UK and US have trumped a new trade framework aimed at unlocking growth between the two allies, but one key irritant remains notably unresolved: Britain’s tech tax or Digital Services Tax (DST). The two per cent levy, introduced in 2020 under Boris Johnson, continues to rankle American officials, particularly because it disproportionately affects the [...]
Octopus and Utility Warehouse: suppliers to pay £7m after Ofgem price cap breach May 9, 2025 Octopus Energy and Utility Warehouse are among ten UK energy suppliers ordered to refund and compensate over 34,000 customers after an Ofgem investigation uncovered systemic overcharging linked to technical billing errors. The total payout of 7m – comprising £5.6m in direct refunds and nearly £1.4m in goodwill payments – follows a compliance review by the [...]
Deliveroo’s sale reignites fear over UK’s tech exodus May 9, 2025 When London-headquartered Deliveroo announced in early May that it had agreed to be acquired by US delivery giant Doordash, it triggered more than just a major shakeup in the food tech sector. To many in the industry, it was a familiar story – yet another prominent British tech firm snapped up by an overseas buyer. [...]
AWS pushes UK chip plans amid AI energy crunch May 8, 2025 Amazon Web Services (AWS) has defended the environmental and economic rationale behind its push into custom silicon and AI infrastructure, amid increasing scrutiny over the carbon footprint and power demands of hyperscale cloud providers. Speaking at the AWS summit in London, Dave Brown, vice president of compute and networking at AWS, highlighted the firm’s investment [...]
Wikipedia mounts legal fight over UK online safety rules May 8, 2025 The Wikipedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, is fighting back against the UK’s online safety rules, seeking a review of some of the requirements of the act. The platform wishes to be in the threshold of a ‘category one’ service – a label reserved for platforms facing the strictest levels of user safety duties. This status [...]
Nvidia shares boosted as Trump ditches AI chip ban May 8, 2025 Leading chip maker Nvidia’s stock rose 3.1 per cent to $116.99 (£92.80) on Wednesday, as Trump administration plans to rescind the Biden-era’s ‘AI diffusion rule’ came to light – a rule which restricts exports of advanced chips used in AI. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index lifted by 1.7 per cent accordingly, and there was a 1.7 [...]
Alphabet slides as Apple eyes Google overhaul – and UK probe looms May 8, 2025 Alphabet – Google’s parent company – suffered its worst drop in shares since October on Wednesday, falling 7.5 per cent after the iPhone maker, Apple, revealed a historic sip in Safari search and hinted to a strategic shift to AI-powered rivals. This move may be the first signs of the end for Google’s long held [...]
Amazon arms UK warehouses with its new robot ‘Vulcan’ May 7, 2025 Amazon has unveiled its most advanced robot to date – a machine that can sense touch – in a move aimed to alter how its warehouses are staffed and operated. The robot, dubbed Vulcan, was announced today at Amazon’s ‘Delivering the Future’ event in Dortmund, Germany. It is designed to replicate one of the most [...]
