Goldman Sachs-backed fintech startup Circle wants to become the Alipay of Europe with social payment app expansion plans June 15, 2017 A fintech startup backed by Goldman Sachs has unveiled ambitious plans to make emoji friendly social payments as popular in Europe as they are in China, where nearly $3 trillion was sent via WeChat and Alipay last year. Circle lets users send payments to each other via its WhatsApp-style chat app and iMessage. It is [...]
Apple and Dell join with Foxconn to bid for Toshiba chips unit, but chief executive is coy over pricing June 13, 2017 Apple and Dell have partnered with electronics giant Foxconn to bid for Toshiba’s chip unit, according to Foxconn’s chief executive Terry Gou. In an interview with Reuters, he added that US-based Kingston Technology, a maker of memory products, would also be part of the bidding group. Amazon is apparently close to joining, while Google, Microsoft [...]
Apple reveals HomePod, a smart home speaker to rival Amazon Echo and Google Home powered by Siri – price, release date, spec June 5, 2017 Apple has confirmed the rumours and unveiled a home speaker taking on rivals Google and Amazon – it’s called HomePod. “No one’s quite nailed it yet” said Apple executive Phil Schiller of the increasing number of home speakers and voice assistants on the market. “Just like iPod reinvented music in our pockets, HomePod will reinvent [...]
It’s hip to be Square’s CFO: Meet Jack Dorsey’s right-hand woman, finance chief Sarah Friar June 1, 2017 Sarah Friar is the top Silicon Valley tech executive you’ve probably never heard of, but certainly should know about. “That fabulous CFO” as CNBC host Jim Cramer recently called her, was entrusted by Jack Dorsey to take his payments startup public and now takes on more than the traditional role of a finance chief at [...]
Artificial Intelligence is a threat to society, an EU committee (EESC) has warned June 1, 2017 Artificial intelligence (AI) could pose a threat to the fabric of our society, according to an opinion published last night by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The EESC’s Workers’ Group, which is comprised of representatives from national trade unions, found 11 areas in which AI raises societal concerns – ranging from labour to [...]
ING’s rolling out its fintech app Yolt more widely in the UK after beta testing, taking on homegrown startups June 1, 2017 Dutch bank ING is making more waves in the UK market with the wider roll out of its smartphone app Yolt. Launching today on Andorid and Apple after several months in beta which signalled the return of ING to the UK market, the lender is taking on fintech startups with the money management app. Yolt [...]
appScatter eyes AIM Listing as it addresses the alternative app economy May 31, 2017 It may come as a surprise, but there are more than two app stores. In fact, there are over 300 app stores worldwide and this number is continuing to grow. In China, the two technology giants, Apple and Google, only account for 25 per cent of total downloads. UK technology start-up, appScatter, represents the industry’s [...]
Dream on, the UK is not going to be a cashless society any time soon | City A.M. May 30, 2017 The next few years will be decisive in determining what payments and financial services will look like for decades to come. Driving this is a huge change in the way people manage their money – something that affects all of us as we go about our daily lives. The pace of change is only set [...]
Why the vaping industry is ready to send Brussels’ ill- conceived red tape up in smoke May 18, 2017 The 8 June is clearly going to be the date at the forefront of everyone’s mind over the coming weeks. But there’s another date soon upon us that has huge ramifications for the UK’s 3m vapers and the vaping industry. On 20 May, the next phase of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) takes effect. [...]
Here’s new insight on how to market and monetize your apps on a greater scale May 8, 2017 As the app market continues to grow, challenges and opportunities remain for developers and marketers of apps for a mobile world. A new whitepaper, sponsored by appScatter, the leading app distribution and management platform, offers perspective on the exploding market for app marketing and distribution, which currently includes approximately 20bn devices and 10m apps. “It [...]