Uber drivers given green light by US judge to launch class-action lawsuit September 3, 2015 Uber drivers have been given the go-ahead by a judge in the US to launch a class-action lawsuit which could result in its model being radically altered Read more: Uber vs black cab: Who wins among London passengers? – Brand Index The drivers are fighting for the right to be classed as employees rather [...]
Why zero hours contracts are good news for both workers and businesses September 2, 2015 One in 40 British workers is now employed on a zero hours contract. Depending on your point of view, this is either a blight on the state of modern Britain, a sign of capitalism in dysfunction, or it is the jewel in Britain’s flexible labour market crown and proof that one in 40 people who [...]
Why your chief executive should wear a hoodie: Those with the technical know-how are increasingly in demand for the top jobs September 2, 2015 In the early days of a startup, once your company achieved scale, the technical founder would step back to be replaced with a “professional chief executive”. This used to be commonplace; everyone from Cisco to eBay went through the management team merry-go-round. But the tide is turning and there is a growing acceptance [...]
Black Cabs are offering cut-price off-peak fares to take on Uber September 2, 2015 London’s Black Cabs have launched a fightback against Uber and other app-based taxi services by offering cut-price, off-peak fares for journeys over six miles. The new prices will be up to 30 per cent lower than metered fares and can be booked through an app from Gett, an Israeli startup backed by Russia-born billionaire Len [...]
Ashton Kutcher is eSports’ latest high profile investor with Unikrn tie-up September 1, 2015 Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher has become the latest high-profile figure to jump on the eSports bandwagon after joining an investment round for Unikrn. Read more: American billionaire Mark Cuban invests in eSports firm Unikrn Kutcher, who has previously invested in successful tech start-ups such as Foursquare, Skype and Uber, has joined billionaire buddy Mark Cuban as [...]
As the satnav led to Uber’s success, how long before portals Rightmove and Zoopla create global estate agents? September 1, 2015 The rapid rise of Uber among its consumer base is often commented on by those looking for an example of a game changing force within an industry. But it isn’t just the taxi app's innovative use of tech or lower price, it’s much more than that. It has literally transformed the landscape of the taxi [...]
The evolution of mobile: From bricks and dumbphones to iPhones in 30 years September 1, 2015 You can’t even walk down the street without bumping into dozens of people talking, tweeting, taking Snapchats and hailing Ubers, all from the 5-inch smartphone screens they carry. London didn’t always look like this. In fact, it was 30 years ago this year that the very first British mobile phone call was made on [...]
Paul Mason’s Postcapitalism: The left’s unwitting conversion to neoliberal economics August 31, 2015 Unlike many other advocates of free markets, I quite like Channel 4 News economics editor Paul Mason. His journalistic approach, informative yet editorialised towards his own opinions, is compulsive viewing. So when he penned a book on his new idea – “Postcapitalism” – I knew it would be controversial yet worthy of review. [...]
P2P lender Zopa has a new chief executive Jaidev Janardana as Giles Andrews steps aside August 30, 2015 Peer-to-peer (P2P) lender Zopa has announced that former chief financial officer Jaidev Janardana has been promoted to the top spot with immediate effect. Janardana will implement the lenders strategy for its next phase of growth, as it targets £1bn in new loans for 2016, and aims to build a brand that becomes a mainstream service for [...]
How New York City’s yellow taxis are fighting back at Uber through ride-hailing app Arro August 28, 2015 London’s black cabs aren’t the only ones fuming: across the world, cab companies have been losing customers to ride-hailing app Uber. But New York City cabbies are trying a new way of fighting back – by giving the app a taste of its own medicine. Hoping to win back some customers that have gone over [...]