Spotify reports Apple to EU commission over rules which ‘disadvantage’ app developers March 13, 2019 Spotify fired a broadside at Apple today as it reported its rival to the EU competition authorities over the way that the tech giant's App Store works. Chief executive Daniel Ek blasted what he called an "Apple tax" which forces his company to pay a 30 per cent commission for sales made via Apple's payment system. [...]
Vegan sausage rolls and a Nandos uniform: 25 weird items people left in their Uber rides March 12, 2019 A Nandos uniform, a painting of the Last Supper, a tooth and a Gregg's vegan sausage roll are just some of the items that British passengers have left behind in Uber cars in the last year. While some witty Brits simply reported leaving behind their dignity and pride in an Uber – presumably after [...]
Google paid $105m to two executives accused of sexual harassment March 12, 2019 Google paid a total of $105m (£79m) to two executives after they were accused of sexual harassment, according to court documents released last night. The lawsuit, filed by shareholder James Martin, confirms previous reports that Android creator Andy Rubin was paid $90m after he allegedly coerced sex from a colleague. Read more: Fintech superstar Marta [...]
Softbank unveils $500m Softbank Acceleration Fund March 11, 2019 Softbank has launched a new global tech fund with up to $500m (£384.68m) to pour into early-stage startups. Read more: Softbank's Vision Fund pump $940m into robotics firm Nuro The Japanese telecoms giant could launch the Softbank Acceleration Fund as early as next month, according to Reuters. The new fund – a rebrand of Seoul-based [...]
Audiobook popularity soars as sales increase 13 per cent March 11, 2019 The popularity of audiobooks has continued to soar as sales of the format grew 13 per cent last year. Sales of audiobooks have increased 87 per cent since 2014, according to research by Nielsen Book, and they now account for five per cent of all book purchases after doubling their share of fiction sales. Read [...]
FOMO Driving Lyft Valuation March 8, 2019 Fear of missing out – FOMO – in financial markets is a powerful emotion. It can propel a bull market to record highs as investors watch stocks rise and want a piece of the action. It’s panic buying to a degree. And it’s just such a phenomenon that is behind investor appetite for stocks like [...]
Activist investor strikes upbeat tone as Just Eat interim boss rules himself out of the race March 6, 2019 A major Just Eat shareholder who has pressed the company to merge with a rival today welcomed the takeaway giant’s interim boss decision to rule himself out of the race for a permanent chief executive. Activist investor Cat Rock Capital Management, which owns a 1.7 per cent stake in Just Eat, said today that it appreciated Peter [...]
Uber avoids criminal liability following fatal self-driving car collision March 6, 2019 Uber has been cleared of liability by a US court after one of its self-driving cars struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona in March. A letter from the Yavapai County attorney, made public today, said there was “no basis for criminal liability” for Uber, but that the back-up driver, Rafaela Vasquez, should be referred [...]
Just Eat shares fall on 2019 outlook despite jumps in profit and revenue March 6, 2019 Just Eat scored huge boosts to profit and revenue in 2018 to relieve shareholder pressure to merge with a rival, it revealed today, but warned losses will impact 2019 earnings. The figures Profit before tax rose to £101.7m after a loss of £76m in 2017. Revenue rose 43 per cent year on year to £779.5m, [...]
Automakers and the tech giants are battling over the future of the car industry March 5, 2019 More than 100 years after the petrol-powered car passed go for the first time – and despite worldwide sales at a record high in 2018 – stress fractures are starting to appear. Tesla is on track to outsell both BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the US, car sales in China are declining for the first time in [...]