Boris Johnson says Uber drivers must pass black cab style Knowledge test June 24, 2015 Fresh from his expletive-ridden verbal tussle with a cabbie, the Mayor of London has come out on the side of London's black cab drivers in their rivalry with Uber. Boris Johnson has promised Knowledge style tests and language requirements for Uber drivers who London's traditional taxi drivers believe should be better regulated. Speaking at the [...]
Uber vs black cab: Who wins among London passengers? – Brand Index June 23, 2015 London Mayor Boris Johnson’s fiery tête-à-tête with a black cab driver certainly provided plenty of fodder for the headline writers, but what does the exchange tell us about the nature of the taxi industry? And what does YouGov data tell us about attitudes towards Uber, in particular? Uber has shaken the industry to its core. [...]
My mid-life crisis over technology stocks – CNBC Comment June 22, 2015 Nostalgia is a dangerous thing. A couple of years ago I broke a golden rule of mine. I went to a LIFFE market reunion. It was a big mistake. There is nothing worse than a bunch of greying, balding, slightly tubby middle aged men (mostly) banging on about how great times were “back on the [...]
London mayor Boris Johnson told black cab driver to “f*** off and die” June 17, 2015 London mayor Boris Johnson has been filmed telling a London black cab driver to "f*** off and die" before adding "and not in that order". The Tory MP was cycling home when he became involved with the cabbie who appears to gesticulate at him and say "you're one of them mate" in footage obtained by [...]
London Technology Week: The hunt for London’s unicorn tech startups June 15, 2015 There's no doubting the impressive numbers rolling out of London Tech Week. There’s also no lack of people willing to shout about these impressive feats, whether it be entrepreneurs, investors, economists, or the mayor himself. More than a dozen of London’s tech types today gathered near the summit of the Shard to kick off London [...]
It’s a great time to be a landlord in Milan as tourists flock to Expo 2015 June 11, 2015 This summer, Italy’s making a comeback. After years struggling under a prolonged economic crisis of its own, it finally seems as though its on the path to recovery. And there’s no greater proof of this than its most fashionable city, Milan, hosting Expo 2015. The world trade fair is underway, uniting innovators from the tech, [...]
Londoners pay more than people in any other city to use Uber June 11, 2015 Customers in the UK pay more for Uber journey’s than clients in other countries. According to research by The Times, UK users of the taxi hailing app pay £6.56 on average for a three-mile, 10-minute journey, compared to £5.18 for US users and £5.94 in the Eurozone. Read more: After banning Uber in Guangzhou, the Chinese government [...]
Rakuten share price slumps again as $1.5bn share sale announced June 5, 2015 Shares in Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten slumped for a second day on the Tokyo Stock Exchange after the company revealed a $1.5bn (£9.8m) share sale. Read more: Japans's ecommerce giant drives global rollout On Thursday Rakuten's share price tumbled over six per cent to its lowest level in two months following the announcement of the public [...]
Is there a role for leadership in flat organisations? June 3, 2015 Time-sensitive and strategic decisions are best left in expert hands. For some time now, companies like Google and online retailer Zappos have championed flat organisational structures – where authority is widely distributed, everyone works together in a large space, and employees are encouraged to collaborate. This has certainly transformed leadership and management styles, [...]
Inside Uber’s huge new San Francisco HQ: Concept design pictures reveal plans for 420,000 sq ft Mission Bay office May 30, 2015 When you're one of the most highly valued startups in the world with millions of dollars of venture capital backing, there's a few things you could splash some of that cash on. For Uber, as well as expanding its global empire, that means building a huge new headquarters from which to mastermind that world domination. Plans [...]