You can now sleep in a Tesla Model S on Airbnb January 27, 2015 Airbnb has some pretty funky spots – from a footballer's family vineyard to, er, Ikea. But this spot will be rather less roomy: for the bargain price of £58 per night, you can now stay the night in a Tesla Model S, courtesy of the room rental site. The listing dubs it "the world's first [...]
AA warns motor insurers face uphill battle to raise premiums January 19, 2015 CAR INSURANCE prices edged up slightly in the last quarter of 2014, while home insurance costs have been flat for the past three months. According to the AA’s British insurance premium index, average quoted insurance premiums went up by 0.2 per cent in the three months to 31 December, compared with a rise of 1.2 [...]
Uber’s Travis Kalanick wants to create 50,000 jobs in Europe January 18, 2015 Uber's chief executive Travis Kalanick has delivered a major speech on the company's future in Europe. Kalanick announced 2015 would the year that Uber worked with city authorities across Europe to introduce "progressive regulation" and work to update analogue rules. This follows the approach Uber has taken in the US. Uber's top boss struck a [...]
Here’s what could happen to the 1,400 luxury Jaguars, Minis and JCBs aboard the grounded Höegh Osaka January 6, 2015 As most people tucked into their roasts on Sunday, the Hampshire Constabulary reported a strange phenomenon: car parks around Calshot, a peninsula down the coast from Southampton, were filling up as tourists flocked to the area to take a look at a stricken car carrier, which had been deliberately run aground. The 51,000-tonne Höegh Osaka [...]
Why smart people make bad decisions December 14, 2014 A company’s corporate culture can sometimes encourage dangerous herd behaviour. When asked recently to deliver a keynote speech at the ACORD Forum in Fort Lauderdale, I instantly knew my topic – it’s something that has been puzzling me for years – “Why do smart people make bad decisions?” I’m not referring to just hiring [...]
Uber driver rape allegations: Can taxi app overcome its latest scandal in New Delhi? December 8, 2014 The controversial ridehire app faces public outcry after one of its drivers is accused of rape in New Delhi. Uber's success, its $40bn (£25.6bn) valuation and its rapid adoption as a verb is marred with questionable business practices and a rapid global expansion that has now brought into question whether Uber is “safest rides on [...]
Uber banned in New Delhi after driver rape allegations December 8, 2014 Uber has been banned in the Indian capital of New Delhi after one of its drivers was arrested on suspicion of raping a passenger. “[The] Transport Department has banned all activities relating to providing any transport service by the www.Uber.com with immediate effect," the city’s government said in a statement. Indian police arrested the Uber [...]
Andrew Tyrie’s claim about banks’ back-door lobbying is holed December 4, 2014 There are few things bankers dread more than being summoned for hours of intellectual flagellation by Andrew Tyrie, the relentless chairman of the Treasury Select Committee. He has scored several notable victories, including a blueprint for regulators to hold reserve powers to break up major UK banks. On his latest target – [...]
Amazon Local Services will allow customers to order plumbers and mechanics alongside books and boxsets November 28, 2014 In the midst of this week’s Black Friday madness, Amazon quietly launched a brand new site for service providers. Instead of cut-price plasma screen TVs, Amazon Local Services puts you in touch with those who can put one back together again following a ruckus at Tesco in Edmonton. Amazon Local Services was launched in [...]
Insurers launch guide to sharing November 25, 2014 A GROUP of insurance experts have launched a guide to the sharing economy for people who want to make money from assets such as their home or car. The guide is being launched as the government publishes the results of its independent review into the sector, which includes sites such as Airbnb and ZipCar. Business [...]