Smartphones compared: How much storage do they really have? December 13, 2014 Most smartphones do not have as much free storage available as the companies that produce them claim, according to a new study by reviewing service Which? By looking at eight of the most popular smartphones, they found that a phone with an advertised 16 gigabytes of storage could have as little as 10 gigabytes [...]
Google Tax to prompt tech giants to kill Irish tax deals as government cracks down on avoidance tactics December 10, 2014 Rules, detailed by the government yesterday, aimed at clamping down on tax avoidance by tech giants including Google and Apple, could force US multinationals to start winding down “artificial arrangements” used to divert profits abroad. “What they’re trying to do is say ‘if you have a UK presence and if you are making UK sales, [...]
Is there ever an excuse to use PowerPoint in a presentation? December 10, 2014 Is there ever an excuse to use PowerPoint in a presentation? First of all, what is a presentation? It’s not a pitch. Pitches and presentations are different things. A pitch is a courtship – the (hopeful) beginning of a relationship. A presentation is the transfer of knowledge, facts, data etc within an existing relationship. [...]
Geopolitical fears weigh on Wall Street – New York Report December 9, 2014 THE S&P 500 ended nearly flat yesterday as concerns about global weakness and political turmoil were offset by gains in technology and energy shares. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 51.28 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 17,801.2, the S&P 500 lost 0.49 points, or 0.02 per cent, to 2,059.82. However, the Nasdaq Composite added [...]
Energy index and China data drag US stocks – New York Report December 8, 2014 THE S&P posted its biggest daily percentage drop since 22 October yesterday as oil’s slump to a five-year low caused a selloff in energy shares. Worries about global growth added to the bearish tone. Data showed China’s exports grew at a slower-than-expected pace and imports dropped in November, while Japan’s economy shrank more than expected [...]
Treasury will reveal tax structures targeted by Google Tax this week December 7, 2014 THE TREASURY will this week unveil details of how it will implement the so-called Google tax, targeting firms that shift profits to overseas tax havens, as well as a list of the “artificial arrangements” used by businesses to dodge UK tax. The draft 2015 Finance Act will be published on Wednesday along with guidance on [...]
Chinese media giants rivalling US dominance December 7, 2014 CHINA is gaining ground on America’s dominance of the world’s biggest digital media companies with the Asian powerhouse now accounting for two of the six largest online media firms, by revenues generated. Baidu, the Chinese internet search firm, and Tencent, the Chinese online services giant, both reached the top six with revenues of $3.4bn (£2.2bn) [...]
As Premier Foods is criticised, should the state take action against “pay and stay” practices? December 7, 2014 Toby Perkins is shadow business minister, says Yes. If we are to build a strong economy which works fairly, we need businesses of all sizes to thrive. Unfair business practices threaten the recovery by undermining free and fair markets. Firms always have a right to negotiate for better prices, but the Premier Foods approach takes [...]
Apple antitrust case on brink of collapse December 6, 2014 An anti-trust lawsuit brought against tech giant Apple could soon fall apart thanks to last-minute objections raised by the company's lawyers. The case is to decide whether Apple misused its position in the digital music market between 2006 and March 2009. Apple used software that meant only music bought from iTunes could be played the [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: Google Tax set to raise £1bn from companies shifting profits overseas December 3, 2014 Starbucks, Apple and Google will pay higher UK taxes under a new tax that looks to stem the tide of multinational companies shifting profits to overseas tax havens. The Diverted Profits Tax, already dubbed the Google Tax, is set to raise over £1bn over the next five years by applying a 25 per cent tax [...]