Going off grid: How I spent a week living in an ‘apocalypse dome’ May 30, 2017 The more we learn about the effects of social media on the human psyche, the worse it seems to get. The planet is hooked on dopamine squirts triggered by clever algorithms developed by the world’s finest minds, for the sole purpose of keeping us scrolling. And scrolling, and scrolling. We’re connected to thousands of other humans from the second we wake to the [...]
Lloyds Bank share price rises as the government sells its final stake May 17, 2017 The government has sold its final stake in bailed-out lender Lloyds Bank, with the exchequer receiving £900m more than its original investment nine years ago. The Treasury put in £20.3bn to save the ailing bank at the height of the financial crisis. And this morning Lloyds Bank confirmed the state’s shareholding had been reduced to [...]
Home secretary: Almost all NHS systems hit in global ransomware attack have now recovered May 13, 2017 NHS IT systems have almost entirely recovered from the disruption caused by a global cyber attack, according to home secretary Amber Rudd. Speaking after chairing a meeting of Cobra, the crisis response committee, she said 97 per cent of Britain’s health service trusts are now “working as normal”. She said 48 of 248, around one [...]
How do free apps make money? April 19, 2017 In 2016, the revenue from mobile apps was an estimated $88.3bn. By 2020, projections indicate that the global app economy to be generating almost $190bn. The app economy has grown enormously and shows no sign of halting its exponential growth. At first glance, it can be hard to see where the money is coming from; [...]
Gold prices approach the key $1,300 mark after Donald Trump sparks a dollar sell-off April 13, 2017 Gold prices bounced up overnight as US investors reacted to comments from Donald Trump that sent the dollar tumbling. Investors were shaken after the US President said he thought the dollar was “getting too strong” and that he’d like the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates low in an interview with the Wall Street Journal [...]
What next for price of gold? March 31, 2017 Is now the time to be investing in gold? With inflation on the rise and political risk high opinion is divided. Here, we explain the basics on gold pricing and ask fund managers who specialise in the commodity to share their views. Gold, one of the oldest known metals, was revered by all the great [...]
Roboshop: How Morrisons is using artificial intelligence to stock its shops March 20, 2017 Morrisons is using artificial intelligence to stock its stores in a bid to improve efficiency and customer service. The supermarket is rolling out a system from tech firm Blue Yonder that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict exactly what is needed in each of Morrisons' 491 stores. Read more: Amazon is looking for [...]
Gold prices have hit a two-week high as the US dollar continues to edge lower March 20, 2017 Gold has built on gains made last week as the US dollar slides to six-week lows. The yellow metal edged up $5.30 to $1,235.50 per ounce, hitting a two-week high, after making substantial gains following the Federal Reserve's decision to hike interest rates last week. "Gold has continued its rally that began after Wednesday’s Fed meeting, with the fresh [...]
FTSE 100 falls off record highs to end the week March 17, 2017 The UK's bluechip index fell off a record high in late afternoon trading, but nevertheless ended the week almost 100 points up. The FTSE 100 finished at 7,423.6 points, 0.1 per cent higher. Both risers and fallers were a mixed bag, with insurer Admiral Group leading the way, rising 1.8 per cent to 1,941p, followed by healthcare [...]
Emerging markets and junk bonds suffered as investors thanked the Fed for the promise of higher US yields March 17, 2017 Investors pulled money out of emerging markets and high-yielding bond funds at the fastest rate this year, positioning instead for bigger returns from US assets as the Fed continued on the path to normal monetary policy. High-yield bond funds, which target junk bonds from riskier but higher-rewarding companies, saw their biggest outflows since the end [...]