London Report: FTSE drops on worrying data on the economy June 24, 2014 BRITAIN’S top share index slipped slightly yesterday, led lower by mining stocks, as signs of economic weakness in Europe and growing tension in Iraq made investors cautious. The FTSE 100 closed down 0.2 per cent, or 13.49 points, at 6,787.06 points following gains in early trade. The UK mining index, down 0.8 per cent, was [...]
iPhone 6: New handset to be thinner, rounder and have a bigger screen June 24, 2014 Apple could be set to begin production of new, larger iPhones next month according to Bloomberg. The new devices are said to boast screens of 4.7 and 5.5 inches in size, a significant increase on the four inch display currently used by the iPhone 5s. The Bloomberg article, which cites people familiar with the company, [...]
We take the Aston Martin Vanquish to Dartmoor June 23, 2014 It’s the tail-end of dusk in Devon and silence is broken. Thundering down the twisting A382 from Exeter to Chagford, an ancient tin-mining town set on the upper reaches of southern England’s most rugged terrain, Dartmoor, the Aston Martin darts into a private road. Its V12 echoes through a dark tunnel of trees, skimming the [...]
Google and Microsoft to introduce ‘kill-switch’ to make stealing a phone pointless June 20, 2014 Anti-theft features will be introduced to phones using Google and Microsoft operating systems, as smartphone makers attempt to crack down on device theft. Essentially, the proposed 'kill-switch' feature should make stealing a handset pointless and follows the lead set by Apple and Samsung in tackling the surge in phone thefts. According to a report by [...]
Apple’s smartwatch: 8 rumours about the “iWatch” June 20, 2014 Apple’s smartwatch is a step closer to becoming reality with widespread reports that Taiwanese company Quanta Computers will begin making the product in July. The commercial launch of the “iWatch”, as it’s been dubbed but not officially named, could launch as early as October, according to sources. Details of Apple’s first foray into the much-hyped [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 19 June 2014 June 18, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES US share dividends hit record US share buybacks and dividend payments climbed to a record level in the first quarter of 2014, as companies chose to boost shareholder returns in the absence of robust revenue growth. Members of the S&P 500 index – led by Apple, IBM, ExxonMobil and FedEx – spent $241bn [...]
Amazon’s Fire smartphone looks set to light up mobile market June 18, 2014 Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos last night put Apple, Samsung and legions of online retailers on red alert with the launch of its new Fire smartphone, with the promise that the online giant would once again revolutionise shopping. Bezos, in a rare media appearance, demonstrated Firefly, a service that lets the $199 (£117) phone identify [...]
New York Report: Stocks rise on Fed outlook on interest rates June 18, 2014 WALL Street stocks jumped on Wednesday, taking the S&P 500 index of top companies to an all-time record after the Federal Reserve promised to keep in place low interest rates until 2015 and forecast a moderate growth in the economy. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 98.13 points, or 0.58 per cent, to end at [...]
Elon Musk is right to share Tesla’s patents: Now he should ditch them altogether June 18, 2014 A WAR is being waged by the litigators of Silicon Valley. Their chosen weaponry: patent law. The battle is most obvious among the tech giants. In 2011, Apple and Google spent more on patent lawsuits and purchases than they put towards research and development. And it is consumers who get stung. A report released by [...]
Apple settles $840m ebook pricing lawsuit June 17, 2014 Apple has agreed an out-of-court settlement to end an $840m (£495m) legal dispute with consumers who argued they had overpaid for ebooks due to price-fixing between the iPhone maker and book publishers. The settlement follows another case last year that ruled Apple had breached anti-trust laws by agreeing higher ebook prices in its stores.