Twitter cracks $20 for first time since March August 15, 2016 Twitter's stock has cracked the $20 mark for the first time in months and for only the second time since January, after opening as much as four per cent higher on Monday morning trading in New York. The beleaguered social network was likely buoyed by reports that it is in the midst of negotiating an ambitious deal [...]
How Edinburgh-based firm Krotos gave Avengers: Age of Ultron a monster August 14, 2016 An Edinburgh-based audio software specialist is attracting increasing interest from film, TV and game studios thanks to its innovative vocal processor software. Krotos has developed audio software that is now being used by Hollywood film and game studios. The company’s software – Dehumaniser – is a vocal processor which allows the production of high quality [...]
Business and entrepreneurs pile pressure on Sadiq over Uber red tape August 14, 2016 Business groups and entrepreneurs have piled the pressure on the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, warning that new rules clamping down on Uber will stifle innovation in the capital and its multi-billion pound digital economy as he attempts brand the city "open for business". New rules have drawn the ire of business groups and tech entrepreneurs, who labelled them a backwards step that threatened the [...]
Holiday taxes add £131 to typical family getaway August 13, 2016 A plethora of holiday taxes can add more than £130 to the typical family summer getaway, research by the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) has found. A combination of Air Passenger Duty (APD), the Insurance Premium Tax and the cost of VAT on holiday essentials such a sun cream and swimming costumes, sets vacationers back an extra £61.12 per adult [...]
The Cambrian Explosion: What does the CMA report mean for alt fi? August 11, 2016 After a two-year investigation into retail and SME banking, this week the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) mandated the adoption of Open Banking by early 2018. Open Banking will be underpinned by secure authorised data gateways called application programming interfaces (APIs), the pipes of modern software technology. Just as our Android or Apple smartphones opened [...]
Watch is going on? Fossil shares jump despite rocky revenue performance August 9, 2016 US watchmaker and retailer Fossil’s share price jumped in after-hours trading despite the company reporting some rocky revenue figures. The figures Worldwide net sales during the three months to 2 July were down seven per cent to $54.6m (£42m). Fossil said the fall was driven by a “decline in the company’s multi-brand licenced watch portfolio [...]
The Apple Watch 2 might be coming this year August 9, 2016 An updated version of Apple's first ever wearable and its newest device, the Apple Watch, could be coming as soon as this year, one analyst predicts. The Apple Watch 2 is expected to hit wrists by the end of the year, said Ming-Chi Kuo, an analysts at KGI and known as one of the most well informed [...]
Intellectual property strategy should be at the heart of every startup’s plans right from the start August 9, 2016 Protecting intellectual property is probably not the first thing that springs to an entrepreneur’s mind during the heady days of founding their business. But it can’t be ignored. In fact, it should be taken seriously right from the start and integrated into the overall strategy of the business. The most common mistake founders make is [...]
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 could be its best chance to pip Apple to the post August 8, 2016 Samsung versus Apple is one of the fiercest mobile tech rivalries ever and, with the right timing and its latest “phablet” device, the South Korean giant may have found the right formula to steal customers from the iPhone maker. Last week, Samsung released the Galaxy Note 7, a 5.7 inch “phablet” that comes with an [...]
Oxford Economics study finds soft drinks tax will cost UK economy £132m and put 4,000 jobs at risk August 8, 2016 The sugar tax will put more than 4,000 UK jobs at risk and will cost the economy £132m as a result of lower sales, research from global forecasting group Oxford Economics has found. The levy on soft drinks, which was a surprise announcement in the March Budget, will have the biggest impact on the hospitality sector and [...]