One in five EU consumers have shopped using a voice assistant like Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa June 4, 2018 While 87 per cent of US consumers are aware of voice and text aides, the European Union is miles ahead on adopting new technology from the likes of Apple, Amazon and Microsoft to carry out their daily buying needs. According to research carried out by Mastercard, 21 per cent of consumers in the EU have [...]
Facebook denies new data privacy allegations over its decade-old mobile device APIs June 4, 2018 In a post-Cambridge Analytica world where tech giants have to be increasingly touchy when fingers are pointed at privacy issues, Facebook has issued a rebuttal to allegations that parts of its tech are still leaking data to third parties. Over the last ten years, Facebook has reached data-sharing partnerships with at least 60 mobile device [...]
The top and bottom performing investment funds in May June 4, 2018 “Sell in May and go away” advises the well-known City adage, which also suggests returning to the market after “St Leger Day”. This is the date in September when the horse race of that name is run and, traditionally, when the summer lull in trading is over. It bears little relevance in the modern era [...]
A future society driven by tech must have freedom at its heart June 4, 2018 Spotify knows your own taste in music better than you do. It’s the promise made by predictive technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) – and it was the claim made to a recent gathering of Europe’s leading investors in technology. Taste in music is not something I’ve ever shouted about, and to say my playlists are [...]
New iOS features and updates for iPhone, Mac and the Apple Watch: What to expect from Apple’s WWDC 2018 June 3, 2018 From the long-awaited Universal Apps for MacOS, to the release of AirPower, here’s everything you need to know about what could happen at tomorrow’s Worldwide Developers Conference. A glimpse at Apple’s iOS 12 is hoped for as standard, as it’s expected to be released to the public later this autumn and so developers will be [...]
Last Week in the City: Stiff competition in funerals? June 1, 2018 Garry White, chief investment commentator, looks at the market-moving events that have shaped the UK equity markets this week (28 May to 1 June 2018). Shares in listed funeral director Dignity slumped after the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will examine the pre-paid funeral sector, a move that could see tougher regulation. [...]
Yandex amps up its premium offering with new smart speaker launch and subscription service May 29, 2018 Yandex, also colloquially known as Russia’s answer to Amazon and Google, has today launched a smart speaker and a corresponding premium subscription service, alongside a range of expansions to its artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem and intelligent assistant Alice. Known as Yandex.Station, the 9,990 roubles (£120) smart speaker is both Yandex’s first hardware product and the [...]
Apple reported to be adopting OLED iPhone screens with new HomePod and iOS 11.4 releases, as current provider Japan Display’s shares slump May 29, 2018 Apple has reportedly moved towards using organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens in all three of its new iPhone models planned for 2019, while also releasing the latest version of its iOS software, 11.4, and new international market locations for its HomePod speaker. The announcement, revealed today by South Korea’s Electronic Times, has sent share prices [...]
Could the office be staffed by chatbots? May 29, 2018 Whether checking insurance quotes, ordering concert tickets, or seeing if your favourite trainers are back in stock, almost all of us will have encountered a chatbot in our daily lives. Capable of providing fast access to information and offering pre- programmed responses to minimise misunderstanding in communication, businesses have found that chatbots have cut customer [...]
Apple teams up with Volkswagen to create self-driving vans after decline from Mercedes and BMW May 24, 2018 Technology giant Apple has struck a deal with the German car manufacturer Volkswagen to develop self-driving vans for its employees, according to the New York Times. Apple will be applying its own self-driving technology to Volkswagen’s T6 Transporter van and create a fleet of vehicles intended for transporting employees. The ambitious project was started by [...]