Forget HS2: Only radical education reform will rescue the Northern Powerhouse March 2, 2016 The head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw, warned last week that secondary schools in Liverpool and Manchester were “going into reverse”. Too many pupils in Northern towns and cities are simply not prepared for the next phase of their education, training or employment. In Liverpool, for example, four out of every ten schools are judged [...]
Ladies who don’t lunch: Maike Currie talks to financial services entrepreneur Joanne Smith about dry January and why compliance is the “new rock ‘n roll” February 18, 2016 My lunch date with Joanne Smith, financial services veteran turned entrepreneur, is long overdue. I have been using stalling tactics and to be honest it’s due to her area of expertise: compliance. (Read: boring box-ticker.) But it’s a New Year and, cloaked in noble resolutions, I finally make the time to meet her at a [...]
The politics of advertising: M&C Saatchi’s Tom Bazeley talks AI and Alex Salmond February 15, 2016 In the run-up to the 1997 general election, M&C Saatchi produced an iconic poster for the Conservative Party, which depicted Tony Blair’s face with the eyes of a demon. The strap-line read: “New Labour, new danger”. Though condemned in some corners as negative advertising, the piece won plaudits, though Labour still won in a landslide. For [...]
The end of growth? Why the techno-optimists could be wrong about a coming golden age of innovation February 4, 2016 A new book by the economist Robert J Gordon – The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The US Standard of Living since the Civil War – is causing quite a stir. His essential message is that future growth will be much slower than in the past, due to two broad arguments. First, the Third [...]
Microsoft’s just bought successful London-based startup Swiftkey February 3, 2016 One of London's most successful startups is being acquired by Microsoft for a multi-million pound sum. Swiftkey, a keyboard app for Android and iOS smartphones powered by artificial intelligence, has been snapped up by the US tech giant for as much as $250m (£174m), reports suggest. Co-founders Jon Reynolds and Ben Medlock said in a blog post: [...]
Why does Stephen Hawking hate the future? January 31, 2016 When it comes to modern day scientists none have managed to punch through into the collective psyche of our society more than Stephen Hawking. From his incredible ambition to explain the theory of everything through to his brilliant performances (in all senses of the word) on comedy and primetime TV shows, he has become the [...]
Relax: Artificially intelligent robot Godzilla won’t enslave us all – it’s humans, not technology, we should worry about says Oxford academic January 26, 2016 After stark warnings about the risk of artificial intelligence to the future of humankind from such luminaries as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, one academic has countered such arguments Breathe a sigh of relief: a robot Godzilla won't enslave us all, he reassures. Luciano Floridi, professor of philosophy and ethics of information at Oxford, has said [...]
Here’s what early and seed-stage investor Seedcamp’s portfolio looks like: UK tech startups, fintech and blockchain January 25, 2016 One of the UK and Europe's leading investors in startups at an early stage has lifted the lid on its portfolio of companies. Eight-year old Seedcamp which initially started life as an accelerator but now concentrates on first-round funding, has backed more than 200 companies, which went on to pick up a further $365, in their next stage. Investments include [...]
Apple hires VR researcher Doug Bowman to catch up with Facebook, Google and Microsoft in Silicon Valley virtual reality race January 22, 2016 Apple has hired a leading VR researcher in a bid to catch up to its rivals in the great Silicon Valley virtual reality race. Doug Bowman can now add Apple employee to his cv, joining the company from his current role as the director of the Centre for Human-Computer Interaction at Virginia Tech, reports the [...]
Davos 2016: Why London fintech can transform the 21st century January 20, 2016 In recent years, there has been cynicism about the objectives of the World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, with reports of parties, private jets and closed-door discussions. However, the core purpose of the forum should not be dismissed in an era of global upheaval, tensions and economic uncertainty for billions across the developed and [...]