Owlet and the appeal of wearable tech for babies August 12, 2019 Wellbeing is a big business. Technology can now closely track our personal health, with apps and devices to monitor how many steps we take, what calories we’ve eaten, our blood pressure, and even how well we sleep. Fitbits and other wearable gadgets have also exploded in popularity with health-conscious consumers. Is there a limit to [...]
Ailing economy puts strain on UK tech growth August 12, 2019 Following seven years of consecutive expansion in the fastest-growing sector of the UK economy, signs have emerged that growth in British tech has begun to slow. Business activity in the UK tech sector dropped from 54.4 in the first quarter to 53 in the second, according to a closely-watched industry bellwether index. Data from KPMG’s [...]
Facebook confirms ‘news tab’ launch in US as it offers newspapers $3m to reproduce content August 10, 2019 Facebook is set to launch a “news tab” in the US, confirming reports that it has been contacting media companies to license their stories. The social media giant has offered new executives up to $3m (£2.48m) a year to license their publications headlines and previews of articles a new tab, as reported by the Wall [...]
Tories outspend all their political rivals combined on Facebook advertising August 9, 2019 The Conservative Party has spent more money than any of its political rivals on Facebook advertising over the last month, within which time Boris Johnson has taken over from Theresa May as Prime Minister. The Tories have spent £51,719 on Facebook Ads during that period, almost three times more than the Labour Party, according to [...]
Huawei unveils Harmony operating system as it weans itself off Google Android August 9, 2019 Huawei has unveiled a new operating system for smartphones and other devices, as US trade restrictions threaten its access to American technologies such as Android. The Chinese firm said its smartphones will continue to use Google’s Android operating system for the moment, but that Harmony could replaced Android “immediately” if necessary. “Harmony OS is completely [...]
Social care crisis: Steps we can take now to help millions of unpaid carers August 9, 2019 An unnecessary stay in hospital can be bad for your health. Just seven days waiting in a hospital bed can cut a person’s muscle strength by 10 per cent – and every month thousands of people’s transfer out of hospital is delayed. We don’t need to wait for government action before we do something about [...]
MPs to probe UK-China trade following Huawei saga August 8, 2019 A group of MPs is to scrutinise the UK’s trading relationship with China, in the wake of the Huawei debacle. The International Trade Committee has launched an inquiry looking at the “opportunities, challenges and risks” in trading with China both now and any that may emerge in the future. Read more: Huawei shrugs off US [...]
Credit providers must learn to embrace new technology August 8, 2019 Personal finance has a legacy problem. Until now, those who weren’t familiar with its inner workings have never truly understood financial products and services. A combination of technical jargon and a lack of clarity concerning the impact that certain decisions might have on a person’s credit rating has often left consumers very confused about exactly [...]
Why Britain needs a minister for AI August 8, 2019 With the nation in a state of economic and political uncertainty, Britain’s newly appointed Prime Minister looks to technology to rejuvenate and refocus the country. He announces “a major national effort to bring advanced technology and new processes into industry”, launching the government’s first ministry of technology. Tech experts across the country rejoice as policymakers [...]
Public mistrust in AI ‘puts UK tech dominance at risk’ August 8, 2019 Public mistrust in artificial intelligence risks setting the UK back in the global tech race, according to a report published today. UK businesses must lead by example and take an ethical approach to the new technology if they are to secure consumer confidence, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned. Read more: Google-owned AI firm [...]