Mudge: Why has Twitter just hired a world-famous hacker? November 17, 2020 Twitter may have been awash with excitement about its new disappearing Fleets service, but behind the scenes there were other clandestine matters underway today. The social media platform said it had hired Mudge, one of the world’s best-regarded hackers, to the new position of head of security. The appointment comes at a crucial time for [...]
Locking down care homes risks the very lives we are trying to protect November 16, 2020 An overwhelming number of the UK’s elderly population are at risk — not just from Covid-19, but from our response to it. The recent news that Pfizer has developed an effective vaccine has been a source of optimism for millions, but mass immunisation is still a long way off. Many of our most elderly, especially [...]
Private Equity vs venture capital: Opposite investment mindsets November 16, 2020 Private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) firms have the same goal: maximising returns. Yet PE buyout and VC early-stage funds go about it in very different ways. Many prospective investors fail to appreciate that the two most popular alternative asset classes adopt often directly opposing methods to drive performance. VC’s deliberate diversification In asset [...]
The Covid mental health epidemic is threatening doctors too November 16, 2020 Many impacts of the coronavirus pandemic are easy to see: facemasks and visors, closed restaurants and shops, deserted high streets. Yet one consequence of this wretched virus — the one I fear most — cannot be seen. It is the devastating impact on our mental health. As the pandemic has worn on, people from all [...]
In tearing up America’s democratic norms, Donald Trump leaves behind a poisonous legacy November 15, 2020 As I write this, with the states of Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina circling around him, the first term of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States is about to come to a shattering end. Notice that I said first term. For there is little doubt that the Republican Party remains [...]
Bookshop.org: How a ‘scrappy’ online bookseller is trying to take on Amazon November 15, 2020 While the tech revolution has worked its way into all parts of daily life, few industries have experienced as extreme an overhaul as publishing. US bookstore sales have dropped from highs of more than $17bn (£12.9bn) to less than $10bn, while Amazon’s market share has grown to over 50 per cent. But now there’s a [...]
Don’t let lockdown ruin your weekend: From take away pints to virtual clubbing November 14, 2020 As we enter the second weekend of lockdown 2, things seem rather bleak. As if the total closure of bars, restaurants, galleries, cinemas and theatres wasn’t enough, it’s also forecast to rain for most of the weekend. Thankfully, we’re here to cheer you up a bit. With the latest movies to stream, restaurant delivery boxes [...]
Building consensus on London’s housing priorities November 13, 2020 The housing market has the potential to play a significant role in the UK’s economic and social recovery from the pandemic – but housing in London faces a mounting number of challenges and uncertainties in doing so. That was the verdict of a roundtable held as part of a UK-wide initiative by Lloyds Banking Group [...]
Lennox: The Untold Story review – a rose-tinted documentary of a fighter’s journey November 12, 2020 The world of boxing is dominated by loud, braggadocious personalities. Figures like Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson and, of course, Muhammad Ali became as famous for their personal journeys as they were for their pugilism. But while much is known about those names, we know less about Lennox Lewis, despite the British heavyweight champion having a [...]
Billie documentary review – an oral history of Billie Holiday November 12, 2020 Great documentaries are often founded on great discoveries. In the case of James Erskine’s Billie, that discovery is a treasure trove of interviews by the late Linda Lipnack Kuehl. A writer based in Washington, she spent a decade between the 60s and 70s researching a book about Billie Holiday, interviewing friends, fellow performers, and key [...]