TRAVEL NOTES April 10, 2011 HOLIDAY IN THE SKIES It’s the only place on earth left – aside from subway trains (and not for long there) – that people are cut off from phones and internet. No wonder, then, that a recent survey from Delta finds that European business travelers see the aeroplane as a blissful escape rather than getting [...]
Gadgets for globetrotters April 6, 2011 APPLE IPAD 2 Thinner, lighter, faster and cooler still than its predecessor (and this time with a camera too), the new generation iPad is already inspiring tech-envy in airport executive lounges everywhere. Keep that seat-back telly switched off on a long-haul flight, and sit back with this instead. From £399. www.apple.com/uk NOKIA BOOKLET 3G Light [...]
Low volumes see Wall St tread water April 5, 2011 THE S&P 500 failed to break a key technical resistance level for a second day yesterday as low trading volume raised further questions about the market’s strength. The broader market index closed slightly below 1,333, a closely watched level as it represents double the low reached in March 2009. Trading volume was relatively low with [...]
Telecom deals continue with Vodafone exit April 4, 2011 Vodafone’s exit from France’s SFR marks another step in the revamp of its portfolio and reflects how Europe’s telecom giants are ditching weaker assets to achieve scale elsewhere ahead of a wave of big investments. The long-awaited €7.95bn (£7bn) sale of Vodafone’s 44 per cent stake in SFR to Vivendi comes two weeks after Deutsche [...]
Why a £4bn share buyback is uninspiring April 4, 2011 IF Steve Jobs were to announce plans to return Apple’s £50bn cash pile in a share buyback tomorrow, there would be an almighty outcry among some investors. If, as many believe, Apple has the Midas touch then shareholders would be better served by more investment and acquisitions. It all boils down to one question: who [...]
Google beats Apple in smartphone wars April 4, 2011 THE iPhone has been dethroned by a narrow margin as the favourite smartphone in Britain by mobiles running Google’s Android, a survey has revealed. Over 4m Britons over 18 years old own an Android, accounting for 28 per cent of smartphone owners in the UK, compared with 26 per cent who chose an iPhone and [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 31, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES TOPAZ POSTPONES $1.7BN FLOTATION Topaz Energy & Marine, one of the biggest oilfield service companies in the Middle East, has pulled its $1.7bn flotation in London less than a month after announcing its intention to list, becoming the latest corporate victim of the civil unrest sweeping the region. Oman’s Renaissance Services blamed the [...]
BORIS Vs BLOOMBERG March 31, 2011 BORIS Johnson yesterday hit back at New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, accusing him of trying to pinch London-based Barclays bank. Johnson said it would be a “tragedy” if London were to lose Barclays, and pointed out the bank had shown its commitment to the capital by sponsoring his flagship “Boris bike” cycle hire scheme. “This [...]
BLOOMBERG WOOS BARCLAYS March 30, 2011 New York mayor Michael Bloomberg (pictured) yesterday called on Barclays bank to move its headquarters to the Big Apple. “It would be a great move for them to move here,” Bloomberg said at a press briefing. “I hope they move here; it’d be great for us.” Barclays has held early-stage talks with US regulators about [...]
Celebrate Mother’s Day with a luxurious high tea March 30, 2011 LANDMARK LONDON The grand Marylebone hotel is well-known for its splendidly lavish Sunday brunch buffet served in the vast atrium of the Winter Garden, with everything from pastries and salads to roast dishes, and a sweeping array of desserts topped off with a chocolate fountain. As an added treat for Mother’s Day, you can mix [...]