Move over iPhone fingerprint tech, the latest Samsung scans eyes August 2, 2016 It's time for Apple's iPhone fingerprint technology to move over – at least that's what Samsung is hoping. The rival Korean smartphone maker has unveiled its latest device – the Galaxy Note 7 – which has trumped its rival's use of biometrics with eye-scanning technology. Read more: Passwords are passe: Nationwide is testing behavioural biometrics The Note [...]
Meet the most influential British innovator in the world August 2, 2016 Demis Hassabis, the man who founded the multi-million pound artificial intelligence company acquired by Google, has been named the most influential British innovator in the world. DeepMind hit headlines in 2014 when it was bought by Google for £400m and this year did it again when its machine learning technology beat the world-leading player of the [...]
Five things you need to know about the Uber Didi Chuxing deal August 1, 2016 Uber and Didi have thrown in the towel on their costly rivalry with a deal to merge in China, worth a reported $35bn. Here's what you need to know. 1. Profits matter Uber was burning more than $1bn a year on its Chinese operations, becoming its largest market, but not making any profit from it. That's what boss Travis Kalanick [...]
Uber is merging its China business with arch rival Didi Chuxing August 1, 2016 Ride-hailing app Uber is merging its Chinese operations with its biggest rival in the region, Didi Chuxing, signalling an end to a long-standing and expensive rivalry. Didi has confirmed earlier reports of a deal between the two, saying it will acquire Uber's China assets. In return, Uber will take a 17.7 per cent stake in Didi, while Uber China's shareholders [...]
Mobile momentum: Why advertising on handheld devices will allow Google and Facebook to sustain their remarkable growth August 1, 2016 If there was any lingering doubt about the potential of mobile advertising, it was put paid to last week. Advertising’s two behemoths, Google and Facebook, beat analysts’ expectations for growth in the second quarter, thanks largely to the rise of mobile advertising. In its statement, Google’s parent company Alphabet said that not only were companies continuing [...]
Addison Lee profits under pressure from rise of mobile app challengers July 31, 2016 Addison Lee’s profits are being driven down by rising competition from mobile-based apps. The UK private car hire company owned by private equity giant Carlyle has reported post-tax earnings for the year to August dipped to £11.6m, down almost two-thirds from £32.9m in the previous year. New players in the market, led by US upstart [...]
Phew! Facebook’s AI chief says intelligent machines are not a threat to humanity July 31, 2016 The chief scientist leading Facebook's research into artificial intelligence doesn't believe the technology is a threat to human existence – unless we are very stupid. "I don’t think at AI will become an existential threat to humanity," said Yann LeCun, the top professor who is leading Facebook's efforts in the space of AI and machine learning. "I’m [...]
Exxon Mobil profits plummet as oil prices keep on sliding July 29, 2016 Exxon Mobil had a difficult first half, with earnings sliding 62 per cent, results posted today showed. The figures Earnings fell 62 per cent to $3.5bn in its first half – and skidded 59 per cent to $1.7bn in the second quarter alone. That pushed earnings per share down 59 per cent in the second quarter, to $0.41. Meanwhile, upstream earnings fell to $294m, down $1.7bn from the [...]
The monster that is Facebook just hit a record high and overtook Exxon July 28, 2016 Shares in Facebook have hit a record high after smashing Wall Street forecasts across the board, helping it briefly overtake oil firm Exxon Mobil to become the fourth largest company in the world. Shares jumped nearly four per cent on the back of a more than impressive 59 per cent growth in revenue while net income rocketed [...]
Apple’s iPhone sales and revenue fall again – but Wall Street’s loving it July 28, 2016 Apple shares have jumped more than seven per cent, breaking through the $100 mark, after reporting earnings and iPhone sales slightly ahead of Wall Street expectations on Tuesday evening. The figures Apple revenue hit $42.4bn in the third quarter, down from $49.6bn in the same period last year and from $50.6bn in the previous quarter. That came in [...]