Samsung’s in a spin: Now it has to recall nearly three million washing machines November 4, 2016 Things have gone from bad to quite a bit worse for Samsung. It had only just cut profit forecasts by a third after the much-hyped launch of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 ended in a mass recall (and some spontaneous explosions). Now it's had to recall about 2.8m top-load washing machines in the US, following reports [...]
Patek Philippe’s Nautilus is four decades young, and proving as resilient as Captain Nemo’s own pioneering vessel November 4, 2016 Like Apple or Ferrari, the watch industry’s own gnomic leader, Patek Philippe, doesn’t “do” teasers. With such fanatical followers and peerless product, it doesn’t need to. However, this is the 40th-anniversary year of its sporty 70s icon the Nautilus, the brand has played its cards so close to its chest that it looked as though [...]
Mobile pay is still waiting for its “Uber moment” (even among millennials) November 3, 2016 Despite our addiction to smartphones, using them to pay for a new winter coat or that morning coffee has yet to become commonplace – even among tech obsessed digital natives, aka millennials. Just a quarter of those aged between 18 and 35 are using mobile pay and only two per cent are using Apple Pay, the [...]
Fitbit’s not looking so healthy as shares slump 30 per cent November 3, 2016 How time flies. It was only a year ago that Fitbit's share price leapt 52 per cent on its market debut in New York, valuing the firm at more than $4.1bn (£2.6bn at the time). Now the wearable device maker's fate doesn't look so healthy. Its revenue forecast for the holiday shopping quarter – a key period [...]
The age of deglobalisation is here: Now we must face up to its implications November 2, 2016 Politics is never certain. Yet from Brexit and wider Eurozone disquiet, to the isolationist rhetoric permeating the US elections, one thing is clear: the former mantras of globalisation and deregulation are facing increasing opposition. Voters across the developed world are expressing the view that the benefits of operating at an international scale have been offset by [...]
Theresa May’s industrial strategy isn’t about picking winners – but taking control of Britain’s economic destiny post-Brexit November 1, 2016 Purists likely shuddered at Theresa May’s commitment to a “proper, modern industrial strategy” as she reshaped the Business Department in July. Three decades of free market orthodoxy have convinced many business folk that a fully-fledged plan for industry represents a throwback to the 1970s, a decade when sickly British Leyland came to symbolise all that [...]
McLaren 570GT review: McLaren’s most practical supercar yet October 31, 2016 My secret vice, a Monday-night indulgence after others have retired to bed, is the US drama Ballers. It’s about American football players, their cars, their women and a never-ending desire to make more money. It’s cheesy and downmarket, but an addictive pleasure. It’s in the same basket as Coronation Street, but with a cast of [...]
Keeping in the loop: City A.M. talks with LoopMe founder Stephen Upstone October 31, 2016 Stephen Upstone, chief executive and founder of LoopMe, is pondering his company's reach. "I think that out of the top 10 global brands, as rated by Interbrand, we work with eight of them,” he says. His business has touched 1.5bn people, handles 500bn bits of data a day, and has opened offices from Los Angeles to [...]
New Apple MacBook Pro: Six things you need to know October 28, 2016 Last night Tim Cook unveiled the new MacBook Pro – the biggest refresh of its laptops since the new-look MacBook was released in April 2015. The new MacBook Pro comes in 13-inch and 15-inch variations, and is a snip at about £1,500. Here's everything you need to know: 1. RIP, F keys The traditional function [...]
Burger King spooks McDonald’s with Halloween stunt October 28, 2016 Scratching your head over what you can whip out as a last minute Halloween costume? Well, it doesn't matter what you go for as Burger King has already won Halloween this year. The restaurant disguised a location in Queens, New York as a McDonald's ghost (though still let its Burger King branding show through the eye [...]