Rolls-Royce unveils ‘flying taxi’ at Farnborough Airshow July 15, 2018 Rolls-Royce has released plans for a flying taxi that could be taking to the skies in the early 2020s. The British manufacturer will unveil its designs for an electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) vehicle at the Farnborough Airshow, which will be officially opened by Prime Minister Theresa May tomorrow. The air show is one of [...]
Connecting London: Wifi holds the key to urban sustainability July 10, 2018 What comes to mind when you think about sustainability? Curbing pollution? Prohibiting industrial waste? Filtering plastic from the ocean? A 5p tax on plastic bags? It might be all or none of the above – but it’s unlikely to be wireless internet networks. Yet, if implemented properly, network technology will play a significant role in [...]
Rolls-Royce files patent for electric jet engines June 17, 2018 Engineering giant Rolls-Royce has filed a patent for a new type of electric engine that could revolutionise commercial air travel, as it strives to streamline its operations through large-scale job cuts. The British firm’s Indianapolis research team filed a patent in the US in November for a “combined AC and DC turboelectric distributed propulsion system,” [...]
The GranTurismo MC is the last hurrah for Maserati’s ageing V8-engined coupe. Tim Pitt drives it June 12, 2018 When the Maserati GranTurismo was launched, Tony Blair was in 10 Downing Street, Jade Goody was in the Big Brother house and the iPhone remained a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. Now, as this Italian stallion nears retirement age, Maserati has given it one last update to take on the ever-growing ranks of six-figure sports [...]
DEBATE: With House of Fraser closures, does it matter if consumers desert the high street for online outlets? June 8, 2018 With House of Fraser closures, does it matter if consumers desert the high street for online outlets? John Phillips, general manager (EMEA) at Zuora, says YES. Yes, it does matter if consumers desert the high street. Bricks-and-mortar retail is in trouble. Across the US and Europe, online retail is growing exponentially, while offline sales seem [...]
Brexit war Cabinet discussion today: What is a customs partnership, what is max fac, what is the hybrid model and when is the deadline for a decision? May 2, 2018 Theresa May convenes her Brexit war Cabinet today, where her most senior ministers will debate which of the government’s two customs union options it should take forward into the next round of negotiations. Although a decision is unlikely today it is thought there will be a standoff between Remainers including chancellor Philip Hammond and business [...]
Last week in the City March 23, 2018 This week, China warned the US that it is not afraid of engaging in a trade war, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates again, and Facebook shares plummeted after allegations that millions of users' profile data had been harvested. The FTSE 100 was down 3.5% over the course of the week by mid-session on Friday. [...]
Jaguar Land Rover reveals electric car software tie-up with Blackberry March 22, 2018 Blackberry is to provide the software for Jaguar Land Rover's next-generation electric vehicles, it was announced this morning. BlackBerry will provide its infotainment and security software to JLR, which is owned by India conglomerate Tata. The Canadian firm has agreed similar agreements with Qualcomm, Baidu and Aptiv. With a legacy as a hardware maker, Blackberry [...]
New Crossrail 2 delays could jeopardise plans for the £31bn project’s route February 14, 2018 A £31bn plan to build a second Crossrail risks going off track as fresh delays threaten to hinder the intended route for the new railway, with concern over land and property costs around parts of it which aren't safeguarded. With funding and a hybrid bill which would give the green light to a revised Crossrail [...]
New Crossrail 2 delays could jeopardise the planned route for the £31bn project as key milestones are pushed back February 14, 2018 A £31bn plan to build a second Crossrail risks going off track as fresh delays threaten to hinder the intended route for the new railway, with concern over land and property costs around parts of it which aren’t safeguarded. With funding and a hybrid bill which would give the green light to a revised Crossrail [...]