Far Cry New Dawn review: An eye-searingly colourful expansion that isn’t afraid to have some fun March 6, 2019 The statute of limitations is probably up on Far Cry 5 spoilers, especially given that this stand-alone sequel, which takes place in the primary-coloured and strangely bucolic wasteland of irradiated post-apocalypse Montana, is set 17 years after the previous game’s finale. The last game ended when deranged evangelist Joseph Seed unexpectedly dropped a nuke on [...]
Five fintech trends to watch in 2019 March 6, 2019 There’s no shortage of stories on how tech breakthroughs will transform financial services, from changing the way we interact with our personal finances to threatening entire banking institutions with disruption. It can be difficult to predict exactly what this landscape will look like in the next few years, but most seem to agree that the [...]
One in 12 of Europe’s new startups work in AI sector March 5, 2019 One in every 12 newly founded companies in Europe calls itself an AI company, with the field dominated by UK startups, a new study reveals. But two-fifths of the 2,830 startups show little evidence of AI, the report released today from venture capital firm MMC Ventures and Barclays shows. Artificial intelligence, technology which allows software [...]
Automakers and the tech giants are battling over the future of the car industry March 5, 2019 More than 100 years after the petrol-powered car passed go for the first time – and despite worldwide sales at a record high in 2018 – stress fractures are starting to appear. Tesla is on track to outsell both BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the US, car sales in China are declining for the first time in [...]
Hipster investor The Craftory leads $30m funding round in vegan startup March 1, 2019 New “hipster” investor The Craftory has led a $30m (£22.59m) funding round in artificial intelligence meat substitution company Notco. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ family office Bezos Expeditions and existing investors Kaszek Ventures and Indiebio also took part in the round. Read more: New 'hipster' firm is investing $300m in challenger consumer brands Notco produces plant based replacements [...]
Strong and stable: London extends lead as Europe’s top hub for unicorn startups March 1, 2019 London has cemented its status as the home of more young billion-dollar tech companies than any other European city, taking home the crown for ten consecutive years. Read more: Female fintech leaders highlighted as sector battles gender imbalance The number of so-called unicorn startups – private businesses valued at $1bn (£752.6m) and founded after 2000 [...]
Marks & Spencer and Ocado confirm talks over joint retail venture February 26, 2019 Marks & Spencer and Ocado have confirmed they are “in discussions” around a £1.8bn joint venture. Read more: Ocado to develop 20 new warehouses in first stage of US deal with Kroger The tie-up would see M&S pay Ocado between £800m and £900m for a 50 per cent stake in the food delivery service, according [...]
IBM’s Watson supercomputer to solve the mobility problem in tie-up with Volkswagen’s SEAT February 26, 2019 IBM and Volkswagen's Spanish unit SEAT have unveiled a standalone app that hopes to predict what mode of transport and route is best for urban users through artificial intelligence (AI). The app, called Mobility Advisor, will utilise the power of IBM's Watson supercomputer to present commuters with the best way to navigate cities, whether that's [...]
Japanese space probe Hayabusa 2 successfully lands on asteroid February 22, 2019 A Japanese space probe has touched down on an asteroid 186 miles from Earth to collect samples that scientists hope will shed clues about the origins of life. The spacecraft, Hayabusa 2, named after the Japanese word for falcon, landed on the 3,000ft asteroid Ryugu this morning, more than four years after it launched from [...]
Blackberry completes $1.4bn deal for AI firm Cylance February 22, 2019 Blackberry has completed its $1.4bn acquisition of US artificial intelligence company Cylance. The deal will drive forward the development of Blackberry Spark, the Canadian company’s secure communications platform for the Internet of Things. Read more: Blackberry buys artificial intelligence firm Cylance for $1.4bn Cylance will continue to operate as a separate business unit within the [...]