2021: Best year ever for UK tech sector with £26bn in VC, 116 unicorns, record London listings and more jobs December 28, 2021 The UK tech sector looks back on its best year ever, raking in £26bn in venture capital, record London listings, more jobs and the number of British unicorns climbing to 116. Success feeds cities outside London as Cambridge has become the leading regional tech city in the UK thanks to its combination of high levels [...]
Blockchain-based World Mobile agrees partnership to connect Africa with 4G and 5G December 28, 2021 World Mobile, the first mobile network built on blockchain, has announced a partnership with Altaeros, developers of the world’s first autonomous aerostats, to connect the unconnected across Africa.
Collision risk: China files official UN complaint against US’ space etiquette December 28, 2021 China has filed an official complaint with the United Nations regarding the US’ space etiquette. Two near collisions involving SpaceX’s Starlink Internet Services and the China Space Station on July 1 and October 21 prompted the filing. China’s foreign minister urged the US to act responsibly, after it accused it of ignoring its obligations to [...]
Half of all UK bank branches have been shut or are scheduled for closure as fintech kills off 736 locations in 2021 alone December 27, 2021 New figures published this morning show that the number of bank branches across the UK is dropping dramatically. In fact, nearly half of all banks’ branches have been lost since 2015, or are scheduled for closure, according to Which? Vulnerable customers are being left at risk of being “cut adrift”, the consumer organisation said after [...]
Best of 2021: Football training can be safer with VR technology December 26, 2021 Technology is ever-changing, and that includes in sport too. Matt Hardy took a look at how new VR could revolutionise the way football teams train. Originally published on October 15. A whipped cross and a powerful header towards goal are staples of football and the essence of set-piece tactics used by every football team. But [...]
‘New Hubble’ telescope lifts off December 25, 2021 The $10bn successor to the Hubble telescope has successfully launched into space today. The James Webb telescope launched from French Guiana after years of work which, scientists believe, will make it around a hundred times more powerful than its famous predecessor. It is hoped the telescope will be able to pick up images of the [...]
Metaverse set for regulation, reckons Digital Minister December 25, 2021 Meta’s new virtual reality project the Metaverse will be subject to new UK laws on digital harm, according to the Government’s digital minister. The metaverse was launched with great fanfare by Mark Zuckerberg earlier this year, as he rebranded Facebook with a new corporate identity. The metaverse is envisioned as a blending of both physical [...]
Nasa readies to launch $10bn James Webb Space Telescope on Christmas morning December 24, 2021 Nasa is readying to launch its $10bn James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on Christmas morning, which is set to revolutionise how we view space. The telescope, known as Webb, will be the first major space observatory since the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched more than three decades ago. It is also Nasa’s attempt to unravel [...]
TikTok beats Google for top internet hotspot December 24, 2021 Video sharing platform TikTok has beaten Google as the most popular online destination after soaring in popularity over the course of the pandemic. Fuelled by Gen Z amid social restrictions, the app has held the top position since August, after dethroning Google in February, March and June. Google came first last year, and was surrounded [...]
Octopus Renewables Infrastructure snaps up Finnish windfarms for €140m December 24, 2021 Octopus Renewables Infrastructure has snapped up two onshore wind farms in Finland for around €140m, as it expands into ‘new territory’. The figure includes the acquisition as well as the payments from its final construction stages, and forms part of Europe’s plan to transition to sustainable energy sources. The Saunamaa and Suolakangas wind farms have [...]