Swansong: Is Apple about to kill iTunes at WWDC 2019? June 3, 2019 If reports are true, iTunes could be about to play its last ever track at Apple’s WWDC 2019 event tonight. The beloved music player has been going strong for 15 years since its introduction in 2004. Read more: Apple takes on Netflix with TV streaming service But Apple CEO Tim Cook wants to boil it [...]
Mountain Warehouse eyes store expansion as profits jump May 31, 2019 Outdoor clothing group Mountain Warehouse is eyeing an expansion on the high street this year after reporting today a double-digit rise in annual pre-tax profits and sales. The retailer, which currently runs 350 stores and employs 3,500 staff, is planning to open a further 50 stores this year, including roughly 20 in the UK, following [...]
Mark Zuckerberg survives shareholder revolt at annual Facebook meeting May 30, 2019 Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has survived a shareholder revolt which sought to strip him of his chairman title, and reduce his monopoly over the firm's controlling shares. Zuckerberg owns 60 per cent of Facebook's voting shares, and acts as both its chief executive and chairman. Other motions, which requested the breakup of Facebook as a [...]
Notifications to EU Commission about unlawful tax breaks rocket in state aid crackdown May 30, 2019 The number of notifications to the EU Commission about potentially unlawful tax breaks has rocketed as countries take a tougher stance on state aid. In the last five years the Commission was notified about 385 potentially unlawful tax breaks, compared to just 80 between 2007 and 2013. Over the 12 months to 31 March the [...]
Bristol scaleup Ultrahaptics buys US augmented reality rival for $30m May 30, 2019 Bristol-based firm Ultrahaptics has acquired one of its main Silicon Valley rivals in a deal valued at $30m (£23.8m). Leap Motion, which specialises in hand-tracking technology, will join Ultrahaptics, bringing over its staff and technology to the combined group. The two companies had been partnered for almost six years before the tie-up. Ultrahaptics' technology projects [...]
Apple, Google and Whatsapp slam GCHQ over ‘ghost’ eavesdropping plans May 30, 2019 Major tech giants including Apple, Google and Whatsapp have launched a searing criticism of government plans to spy on encrypted messages, warning of “serious threats” to cybersecurity and human rights. In an open letter published today almost 50 companies, civil society groups and policy experts urged GCHQ to drop proposals that would see law enforcement [...]
Microsoft to open first UK store in London, one minute away from Apple’s Oxford Circus store May 30, 2019 Microsoft has announced it will open a UK flagship store in London this summer. The tech giant’s first physical UK store will open in Regent Street on 11 July, just a one minute walk away from Apple’s London flagship branch. Read more: Stockwatch: When you should buy Amazon and Microsoft The branch near Oxford Circus [...]
Should you really sell in May and go away – What is the truth of the old stock market saying? May 30, 2019 There are many phrases used to try to capture trends or patterns that supposedly appear in the movement of share prices over the years. For example, the concept of a “Santa Rally” suggests that stock prices increase in the run up to Christmas. Yet one of the oldest such phrases is “sell in May and [...]
WH Smith is the UK’s worst high street store, say shoppers May 29, 2019 WH Smith is the worst of all UK high street stores, according to a survey of British shoppers published today. Read more: Ranked: The top 15 retailers to work for The stationery provider got the worst rating of 100 retailers, with just 50 per cent of customers expressing satisfaction based on factors such as quality of [...]
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei says China should not retaliate over US trade ban May 27, 2019 Huawei’s founder has slammed US President Donald Trump over new trade restrictions on his firm, but insisted China should not retaliate against the measures. Ren Zhengfei admitted new laws effectively banning US companies from doing business with Huawei would hamper the firm’s growth, but said Beijing was unlikely to retaliate against American rival Apple. Read [...]