EU competition chief Vestager eyes new data rules as she turns up heat on tech giants September 13, 2019 EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has called for new rules to police how companies collect and use data as she dialled up the pressure on tech giants. Vestager, who this week was given expanded powers and a second term as competition chief, said more regulation was needed to protect the “fundamental values of our society”. [...]
Uber to raise $750m from debt markets to fund purchase of Emirati rival Careem September 12, 2019 Uber has said it will raise $750m (£608m) of debt to help finance the purchase of rival ride-hailing company Careem, the day after California passed a bill that threatens to undermine the company’s business model. The company said the debt placement would primarily be used to raise money for its pending $3.1bn purchase of Careem. [...]
Facebook Messenger down: users complain as tech issues hit platform September 12, 2019 Facebook’s Messenger appears to be experiencing significant problems in the UK, with users complaining of being unable to send or load messages. Read more: Shares in Angry Birds maker Rovio crash as it lowers outlook Outage website Downdetector has recieved at least 900 reports of the messaging app not working. The site shows a spike [...]
Shares in Angry Birds maker Rovio crash as it lowers outlook September 12, 2019 Shares in the company behind hit video game Angry Birds dropped more than 20 per cent this morning after it lowered its revenue forecast for the full year. Read more: Angry Birds maker Rovio predicts bumper 2019 despite halved profits Rovio said it now expected to post revenue of between €295m (£264m) and €310m, down [...]
France plans to block Facebook libra in Europe September 12, 2019 France is reportedly planning to block the development of Facebook’s libra cryptocurrency. AFP reported that France will aim to prevent the social media giant expanding its payment project in Europe. Read more: Facebook libra: Could regulators crush Mark Zukerberg’s dream cryptocurrency? Facebook announced the libra project in June this year, saying it will be a [...]
Share boost for audio firm Focusrite as it dials up revenue forecast September 12, 2019 Shares in audio equipment manufacturer Focusrite rose more than six per cent this morning after it forecast full-year revenue ahead of expectations. Read more: Audioboom posts revenue surge as it doubles down on original podcasts Focusrite, which makes studio equipment such as microphones and equalisers, said it expected revenue of roughly £84m, up from £75.1m [...]
Seeing, but not believing: The threat from Deepfake videos September 12, 2019 Both traditional and social media lit up earlier this year following the launch of a ground-breaking campaign for charity Malaria No More which was fronted by David Beckham. In this 55-second video ad, the football star makes a passionate appeal for support. He makes it, however, in nine different languages. No, David Beckham has not [...]
MPs call for regulation of video game ‘loot boxes’ amid gambling concerns September 12, 2019 The government is facing calls to regulate so-called loot boxes in video games and ban their sale to children amid growing concern they are harming players. Loot boxes, which refer to in-game purchases that award players random items or modifications, have become increasingly prevalent in console and mobile games in recent years. Read more: Competition [...]
Prosus hits European big leagues with 25 per cent jump on debut September 11, 2019 Shares in Prosus, an early investor in Tencent, soared on its Amsterdam debut this morning as the company’s former parent priced it lower than the market. The firm jumped 25 per cent in its Amsterdam stock market debut earlier today, instantly becoming one of the biggest internet companies in Europe. Read more: Tencent posts profit [...]
Google Nest Hub Max review: The best smart home hub you can buy September 11, 2019 Last year’s Nest Hub placed the Google Assistant at the centre of the connected home, integrating a voice-activated speaker and display into a single device. It brought together disparate smart home services from competing companies – lightbulbs, locks, cameras and thermostats – into one easy to use dashboard, so you could control your house from [...]