Could fintech be opening the door to more financial crime? December 8, 2017 Fintech startups aim to disrupt current practices and to do it fast. The emerging business model requires product managers find a buyer need, put out a minimum viable product, and iterate change in response to customer use. However, all this innovation—especially with entrepreneurs who have more tech savvy than experience in financial services—opens opportunities [...]
Just Eat has created a magic wand for ordering takeaway food December 8, 2017 The new must-have gadget to show off to friends is here. Forget the Alexa or the Apple Watch, because Just Eat has today launched a trial of a magic wand for ordering takeaways. The suspiciously elongated gadget is the latest addition to the crowded British mantlepiece, and will enable users to order Chinese with the [...]
Apple agrees to pay Ireland €13bn in back taxes after EU challenge December 5, 2017 Apple has agreed to pay Ireland up to €13bn (£11.5bn) in back taxes after the European Commission said it received unfair tax incentives. The European Commission ruled in 2016 that the tax arrangement was illegal under EU state aid rules, but Apple and Ireland have both appealed the order. In October, Europe’s competition chief Margrethe [...]
TSB boss adds voice to concerns over Santander inclusion on RBS competition fund November 30, 2017 The boss of high street bank TSB today criticised the possible inclusion of banking giant Santander in a scheme to boost competition in the small business lending market. Paul Pester publicly added his voice to concerns surrounding the use of funds which Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has been forced to set aside to spur [...]
How herd behaviour affects your money November 29, 2017 We are not quite the independent thinkers we like to believe we are. People value safety in numbers. And while imitating the actions of others is sometimes a good thing, we should be aware of how making decisions without thoughtful analysis can have a negative impact on our finances. Animals regularly move together as a [...]
Engaging with the right app users globally without sacrificing your brand, appScatter speak to National Geographic November 29, 2017 Taking your app global is a process that requires a focused strategy and a clear vision of where you want to be – and who you want to engage – with your app. National Geographic, an iconic brand with over 360 million social fans around the globe, is laying the groundwork to do both. We [...]
Apple’s MacOS High Sierra bug: A major security flaw can give easy root access to hackers November 29, 2017 Apple is scrambling to issue a fix to a major security flaw which has come to light overnight that could leave Mac users vulnerable. Anyone can gain access to a computer running MacOS High Sierra, the most up to date version of the Mac operating system, by typing in root when prompted for a username [...]
Questioning AI ethics doesn’t make you a gloomy Luddite November 29, 2017 Last month, Google-owned DeepMind introduced AlphaGo Zero, the latest evolution of AlphaGo, the first computer programme to defeat a world champion at the ancient Chinese game of Go. Speaking at Web Summit earlier this month, Kevin Bandy, chief digital officer at Cisco, told the audience that “there are more moves in this one game than [...]
Investing in disruption: Is the US tech boom a bubble? November 28, 2017 It has been a fantastic year so far to be a technology investor. The Fang (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google) stocks are leading again and are now up 33.6 per cent on average year to date. Add Tesla and Nvidia into the mix, and we have a group of businesses that capture the imagination of both [...]
Coincidence? Retailers’ profit margins have been squeezed since Black Friday hit UK shores, KPMG reveals November 24, 2017 The Black Friday phenomenon seems to be sticking around in the UK, as more and more retailers have extended offers on both sides of the big day. But there could be a darker side to the shopaholic frenzy, according to KPMG. Data compiled by the accountancy firm has found that profit margins of the UK’s [...]