UK patent applications dropping as Sweden files 3.5 times more patents than the UK July 17, 2015 Bad news: the UK’s attitude to intellectual property remains dismissive, as new figures show that the number of patents filed were not just below the EU average, but actually falling. In absolute numbers, by far most patent applications come from Germany. With 22,800 filed, the country had over 40 per cent of all European applications. [...]
Apple Pay in the UK: Like not laughing at a Michael Mcintyre gag, resistance is futile July 16, 2015 When Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook revealed its physical wallet-replacement service last September, I recall a tut and an eye roll at yet another Apple product announcement. A form of contactless payment, re-marketed as a physical wallet-replacement service, would be with us this summer. Where's the innovation in that? In many ways Apple [...]
Samsung’s profit declines for seventh consecutive quarter as flagship Galaxy S6 falls short of expectations July 7, 2015 The figures Operating profit missed forecasts at Korean electronics giant Samsung, expected to be 6.9tn won (£3.9bn) for the quarter to the end of June, it said in an earnings forecast today. That's down slightly from £4bn the same quarter last year, making it the seventh consecutive quarterly decline for the firm. Profits were still [...]
Jobs, homes, sex and friends: Generation switch and the four ways 25 and 50-year-olds differ July 6, 2015 The difference between those in their 50s and under 25s isn’t just age, wisdom and experience. Those in their early twenties and teens are a generation of serial switchers, whether it’s their career, where they live, or who they’re sleeping with, compared to older generations. Here are four ways they differ. 1. Home sweet home [...]
John Lewis has started selling the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S6 and other smartphones, partnering Vodafone to offer contracts June 23, 2015 High street favourite John Lewis is going mobile and will for the first time stock smartphones on its shelves in an ambitious move to sate people's appetite for mobile devices and grab a share of the rocketing market. More than 25 sim-free handsets will go on sale online from today, while the department store is [...]
Riding the rollercoaster: Investing in emerging markets June 18, 2015 It’s been a risky few years but some have still made money. Top fund manager Edward Lam of Somerset Capital Management tells Annabelle Williams the tricks of the trade. From one crisis to the next, emerging markets have been a rollercoaster ride for investors over the last five years. Countries as diverse as Indonesia, [...]
Apple quietly snapped up Metaio, a German company specialising in augmented reality May 29, 2015 Apple has quietly acquired a German company that specialises in augmented reality, it's been revealed, pointing towards a burgeoning area of development for the tech company. It acquired Metaio, a software developer headquartered in Munich and founded in 2003, in an all-share deal on 21 May, TechCrunch reports. “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time [...]
Avago share price soars as $37bn Broadcom takeover is confirmed May 28, 2015 Avago Technologies has sealed a $37bn acquisition of fellow semiconductor company Broadcom to create an industry giant with estimated annual revenues of $15bn. Singapore-based Avago is paying $17bn in cash and $20bn worth of its own shares (making it the largest ever merger of chipmakers) to fund the deal for the US firm which builds [...]
Apple Watch review: It’s not perfect, but it’s still the best smartwatch out there May 14, 2015 The most hotly awaited device of the year bears all the hallmarks of the Cupertino company. Apple is the master of selling products that nobody knew they wanted. A phone with a computer in it? Yeah, you’re going to want that. A massive version of a phone that doesn’t make calls? Trust us. But a [...]
Five reasons why Chelsea’s Premier League title is just the beginning for Jose Mourinho and co May 4, 2015 Four seasons without a league title came to an end for Chelsea on Sunday; a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace ensuring the Blues will wrap their hands around the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2010. The detractors cry that Jose Mourinho's team has won thanks to an unattractive and attritional style of [...]