We’ve already spent more via contactless than in all of 2015 August 22, 2016 People are swiping their card rather than splashing the physical cash these days as new figures reveal payments made with contactless technology have already overtaken the amount spent in the whole of 2015. Just over £9bn was spent using contactless in the first half of the year compared to £7.75bn in the the entire of last year, the new [...]
Did Barbra Streisand just let slip Apple’s iOS 10 release date? August 21, 2016 When you're as big a star as Barbra Streisand, you can pretty much do what you want – including getting the boss of one of the biggest companies in the world to fix what might be a minor annoyance to us mere mortals. The singer's name is pronounced slightly wrong by iPhone voice assistant Siri, it turns out [...]
Apple’s iPhone sales fall as Chinese brands gain ground August 18, 2016 Apple continues to lose ground to Chinese rivals in the global smartphone market, ahead of the highly-anticipated launch of its new flagship iPhone 7. People are buying fewer iPhones and increasingly turning to challenger smartphone brands from Asia, the latest figures from Gartner show, as Apple confirmed it plans to plough more cash into China. iPhone sales declined [...]
How founders can become good chief executives August 18, 2016 Plenty of founders find themselves sidelined, or removed entirely, in favour of leaders considered more capable. Steve Jobs, famously deposed at Apple, managed to return and engineer a remarkable turnaround at the company. Most don’t get that opportunity, and none should rely on receiving it. So how do successful founders adapt to their evolving roles? And [...]
Target cuts its profit forecast as sales for electrical goods falter August 17, 2016 Retail group Target cut its profit outlook yesterday after its quarterly sales fell by more than expected. The sales drop was due to a weakened demand for electronics and a disappointing performance for its grocery business. The company said like-for-like sales in the second half of the year would be between flat and minus two [...]
Driverless cars, artificial intelligence and blockchain: Meet the Gartner Hype Cycle of 2016 August 16, 2016 Driverless car technology is careering towards the trough of disillusionment after hitting the peak of hype, according to Gartner analysts monitoring the progression of the world's emerging technology trends. The firm's annual Hype Cycle tracks where trends such as virtual reality, robotics, personal voice assistants and, of course, driverless cars, are in their journey from talked-about technology to [...]
Pressure mounts on government to scrap sugar tax as businesses and industry groups join forces in Face the Facts, Can the Tax campaign August 16, 2016 Soft drinks producers, off licences, pubs and sugar businesses have launched a new campaign to ramp up calls for the government to scrap its soft drinks levy. The sugar tax, which was first announced in the March Budget, will be applied to drinks containing more than five grams of sugar per 100ml from April 2018. The [...]
China gives green light to latest stock market tie-up August 16, 2016 Investors will soon be able to tap in to China's fledgling tech sector with the latest flagship international stock-market tie up set to be launched later this year. The Chinese premier signalled today the long-awaited Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect had been given the green light by the country's state council, meaning international investors will be able [...]
Apple is increasing its investment in China August 16, 2016 Apple is planning to increase its investment in China and will build its first ever research and development facility in the country, the tech company has revealed. Boss Tim Cook is visiting the country and commented on the plans during a meeting with China's vice premier Zhang Gaoli, according to China's official state broadcaster. "We look [...]
Four of the best: Investment opportunities from around the globe August 16, 2016 Markets have been turbulent this year and much talk has focused on potential risks. A smattering of uncertainties to consider include the ramifications of the Brexit vote and whether the UK will enter recession. Nor does anyone know how extraordinary monetary policy in Europe will pan out, or the ultimate impact there’ll be from the trillions [...]