All eyes on Fed as it sets rates after ECB move – The week ahead on Wall St January 25, 2015 THE FEDERAL Reserve could be key for Wall Street this week as investors get to hear from the US central bank for the first time since a series of moves by its global peers, including the European Central Bank’s massive stimulus plan. Last Thursday’s larger-than-expected stimulus package from the ECB lifted US stocks, helping indexes [...]
GoPro teams up with NHL ice hockey in first foray into professional sports January 24, 2015 GoPro has long been the go-to gadget for amateur athletes to capture and share their exploits, but now the the small camera is stepping into the big time. The listed company has teamed up with the NHL, the biggest ice hockey league in the world, to broadcast intimate live footage right from the heart [...]
How much are Tim Cook and Apple’s top executives paid? Salary and bonuses rise after 2014 share price highs January 23, 2015 Tim Cook got a pay rise for the first time in three years, while the bonuses of Apple’s senior executives soared as shares in the tech company hit an all-time high last year Cook boasted a $2m (£1.3m) salary last year, a $6.7m bonus and £774m in other compensation, bringing his total remuneration to $9.2m, [...]
Apple swallows $50m Tech City music startup January 21, 2015 A SHOREDITCH-based music data firm has been quietly snapped up by tech giant Apple in a deal estimated to be worth $50m (£33m). Fresh from its $3bn takeover of Dr Dre’s Beats headphone brand, it was yesterday revealed that Apple has taken over Semetric in a deal believed to have occurred last year. The move [...]
Shazam joins $1bn tech club ahead of float January 21, 2015 MUSIC discovery app Shazam yesterday joined the $1bn (£662m) tech company club, by valuation, after it raised $30m in a new funding round and as it pushes towards a potentially lucrative initial public offering (IPO). The British company said the money would allow it to develop its technology and expand into new “market sectors”. Shazam [...]
Apple buys London startup Semetric January 21, 2015 Fresh from its $3bn (£2bn) of Dr Dre's Beats headphone brand, Apple has made its next big acquisition: UK music analytics startup Semetric. In the strongest sign yet that it's moving its focus back to music, the US tech giant has paid an estimated $50m for the company, based in London. The company, founded in [...]
Davos 2015: Who’s going to the World Economic Forum? January 20, 2015 Where else do world leaders, economists, royalty and even a celeb or two cross paths? It can only be Davos. The World Economic Forum’s annual summit hosts a privileged few, but if you’re lucky enough to be visiting, here’s who to look out for. If, like most people, you’ll be remaining at your desk and [...]
European Commission: Yup, Amazon’s Luxembourg tax deal probably gave it an unfair advantage January 16, 2015 European regulators admitted that a deal struck between Amazon and Luxembourgish authorities to minimise its tax bill probably did constitute state aid. In a 23-page letter dated 7 October but only published today, the European Commission pointed out that it "has doubts…. as to [the deal's] compatibility with the internal market" It added that it [...]
Intel smashes earnings expectations January 15, 2015 It was a strong end to 2014 for Intel. The world’s largest maker of semiconductors reported revenue of $55.9bn (£36.8bn) for the full year, a bump of six per cent on last year’s figure. That jump was matched by the fourth quarter figure: also up six per cent, this time to $14.7bn. The results were [...]
Cameron isn’t trying to ban Snapchat, WhatsApp, iMessage and encrypted messaging January 14, 2015 If the reports were right, David Cameron this week was trying to succeed where Kim Kardashian failed: to break the internet. The reaction against his comments implying the government might ban encryption was loud, angry and fast. This is entirely understandable – even setting aside the civil liberties arguments, any attempt to ban encryption would probably [...]