Chipmaker revenue slips amid global oversupply and smartphone slowdown January 14, 2020 Global semiconductor firms suffered a decline in revenue last year as a huge oversupply in the market and a slowdown in smartphone sales took their toll. Semiconductor revenue totalled $418.3bn (£322bn) in 2019, down almost 12 per cent on the previous year, according to figures from research firm Gartner. This was driven by a huge [...]
The best (and weirdest) new gadgets from CES 2020 January 9, 2020 As difficult as it is to believe, 2019 has actually ended, slinking out of time’s backdoor like a scolded cat and into the history books under a chapter titled ‘Bloopers and Outtakes’. Of course, the annual changing of the calendar guards heralds many things – reflection, resolution, vegan steak bakes – but it’s also a [...]
Samsung chairman jailed over union-busting activities December 17, 2019 The board chairman of Samsung Electronics has been jailed for 18 months after sabotaging union activities. Lee Sang-hoon was sentenced by a South Korean court today after violating the country’s labour law alongside 25 other defendants. Samsung executives had used tactics such as closing sub-contracted firms with active unions, prosecutors said. Read more: Watchdog steps [...]
Sky scuppers hopes of Britbox deal in blow for new streaming service December 15, 2019 ITV and the BBC have suffered a major setback to their plans for Britbox, as the chances of securing a highly sought-after distribution deal with Sky have all but disappeared. The streaming service, jointly run by the public service broadcasters, has already bagged partnerships with the likes of BT, Freeview and Samsung to deliver its [...]
Samsung executives jailed over destruction of evidence in fraud case December 9, 2019 Eight employees of Samsung affiliates have been found guilty of destroying evidence by a South Korean court, in a case linked to allegations of a $3.9bn accounting fraud suspected to be part of a plot to cement the control of the company’s founding family. Three Samsung Electronics executives were handed jail sentences of up to [...]
Eight things investors need to know about energy storage December 6, 2019 With renewable energy growing in importance, effective storage will be vital. And as costs continue to decline, the potential to achieve growth could be huge. Why is the roll out of energy storage so important for achieving the Paris Agreement targets? Decarbonising the electricity supply will require a huge expansion of renewables to replace thermal [...]
Investigation finds Black Friday deals cheaper at other times of year November 26, 2019 Almost all Black Friday deals can be found cheaper or available for the same price at other times of the year, an investigation has found just days before the annual shopping event. An investigation tracked 83 products on sale on Black Friday last year, from six months before the discount day until six months after, [...]
The best smartwatches of 2019: Here’s our pick of this year’s top wearables November 20, 2019 Smartwatches have come a long way since the bulky strap-on devices of just a few years ago, and just like our phones they’ve begun to take on more and more useful functions as the underlying technology improves. Wearables have merged with fitness trackers, and have heroically untethered themselves from our phones by incorporating their very [...]
AirPods Pro review: An incredible step up to the top table of mobile audio for Apple November 15, 2019 Apple’s regular AirPods leave me cold. They look daft, with their elongated stalks – often compared to toothbrush heads – and have such poor sound insulation that unless you’re listening to music in an hermetically sealed room, everything sounds distant and muddy. When Sony came along with its excellent WF-1000XM3 noise cancelling buds it was [...]
Mobile shopping platform Rezolve bags tie-up with Korean retail giant Lotte November 11, 2019 Mobile shopping tech firm Rezolve has signed a multi-million-pound deal with South Korean conglomerate Lotte Corporation as it expands its presence in Asia. Lotte will use the London startup’s technology in its supermarket app, allowing customers to make purchases by scanning promotional print leaflets with their smartphone. Read more: Mobile shopping platform Rezolve secures bumper [...]