BT executive appointed by government to scrutinise tech regulation January 26, 2020 A senior BT executive will run a new body that looks at regulation in technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Cathryn Ross, the group’s director of regulatory affairs, will chair the government’s new Regulatory Horizons Council, first reported by Sky News. The body, which is still being set up, will scrutinise whether tech regulation is keeping [...]
Apple investors hope streaming boom will boost first-quarter figures January 26, 2020 Apple shareholders will be hoping for a boost from the escalating streaming wars when the tech giant reports its first-quarter figures this week. The iPhone maker will issue its quarterly results on Tuesday — the first time since it launched Apple TV Plus in November. Apple posted a three per cent decline in net profit [...]
Vodafone ranked ‘worst’ UK mobile and broadband provider January 24, 2020 Vodafone is the UK’s most complained about provider for broadband, landline and mobile, according to regulator Ofcom. The firm topped the broadband complaint charts for the second quarter in a row, between July and September last year. The Ofcom report said thousands of customers had complained to them regarding the supplier’s poor customer service, faulty [...]
Met Police to begin using facial recognition cameras in London January 24, 2020 The Metropolitan Police has announced that it will use live facial recognition cameras operationally in London for the first time. Use of the cameras will be intelligence-led, the Met said, with a bespoke watch list of suspects — predominantly those wanted for serious and violent offences — drawn up for each deployment. The cameras are [...]
Sonos boss apologises for decision to prevent older speakers receiving updates January 24, 2020 Sonos chief executive Patrick Spence has apologised for a decision to prevent its older speakers from receiving updates. The boss of the tech firm said it would deliver updates to all its product “for as long as possible”. However, Sonos did not retract its earlier decision despite the outrage from customers following the announcement earlier [...]
Uber ramps up British charm offensive with sweeping Nissan deal January 24, 2020 Nissan and Uber have signed a deal that will provide the ride-hailing giant’s drivers with a fleet of new electric cars, as Uber attempts to lay on the charm with on British authorities. The Japanese car maker will provide 2,000 new Nissan Leaf cars, made at the firm’s factory in Sunderland, to Uber at a [...]
Government urged to delay US extradition of Autonomy founder Mike Lynch January 23, 2020 Former Brexit secretary David Davis has urged the home secretary to block the extradition of Autonomy founder Mike Lynch to the US until after the verdict of a UK civil trial is announced. The US is seeking to extradite Lynch to stand trial on charges of securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy related to the [...]
Apple hits back at EU over ‘wasteful’ universal charger proposal January 23, 2020 Apple has today lashed out at an EU bid to make the tech firm ditch its Lightning charger, alleging the proposed rules would “create an unprecedented amount of waste”. Politicians in the European Parliament last week pushed forward calls for a universal charger for all mobile devices, amending a draft law to rule that all [...]
Tiktok inks licensing deal as it gears up for music streaming launch January 23, 2020 Tiktok has secured a licensing deal with a major music rights agency, marking a key step forward in the social media firm’s plans to launch a new rival to Spotify. The Chinese video app today said it has entered into a multi-territory partnership with Merlin, which represents tens of thousands of independent record labels. The [...]
Shares in AI specialist Blue Prism surge after revenue jumps January 23, 2020 Shares in Blue Prism, a London-based robotic automation specialist, jumped over 20 per cent today after the company reported an 83 per cent increase in revenue. Blue Prism’s revenue for the 12 months ending 31 October rose to £101m, up from £55.2m in 2019, with monthly recurring revenue (MRR) coming in ahead of expectations. The [...]