Facebook launches cryptocurrency with backing of Uber, Visa and Spotify June 18, 2019 Facebook has today published the white paper for its widely anticipated cryptocurrency initiative, with the founding support of several major businesses across multiple sectors. Named libra after the Roman unit of measure once used to mint coins, the cryptocurrency will be managed by an independent eponymous association consisting of 28 initial founding companies. Alongside Facebook [...]
Small steps to giant leaps: The new space age is just beginning June 18, 2019 Next month marks the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landings, possibly one of the most important moments in human history. That one small step was not only a giant leap for mankind, it also became a giant leap for technological innovation, as President John F. Kennedy’s mission to put a man on the moon, announced [...]
London named top city for EU ‘tech for good’ June 17, 2019 London’s burgeoning socially-responsible tech sector has made it the top city in Europe for so-called ‘tech for good’, thanks to stellar support for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The European Digital Social Innovation Index by Nesta, published for the first time this year, found London came out on top in a ranking of 60 EU cities [...]
Huawei expects revenue to drop by billions amid US ban June 17, 2019 Huawei international smartphones sales dropped 40 per cent last month as the Chinese tech firm felt the immediate impact of the US ban. Chief executive said sales were expected to drop to $100bn (£79.5bn) this year and in 2020 and that production would be reduced by $30bn in anticipation of the decline. The revised revenue [...]
DEBATE: Is social media’s bad reputation retrievable? June 17, 2019 Is social media’s bad reputation retrievable? Sophie Scott, global managing director of FleishmanHillard’s tech practice, says YES. While technology has improved our lives in many wonderful ways, significant scandals and perennial privacy issues have deeply tarnished social media companies’ reputations. But has trust been lost forever? Absolutely not. Despite the criticism, stats don’t lie, and [...]
We must rediscover our pride in our shared European heritage June 17, 2019 With the insult of coming third in the Peterborough by-election, adding to the injury of fifth place in the European elections, the Conservative party needs to coalesce quickly around a new leader – one who can heal the party’s historic divisions and set out a distinctive agenda on Europe. Whether the UK leaves the EU [...]
Tech jobs in London rise by almost two thirds June 16, 2019 Jobs in London’s blossoming tech sector have risen by 60 per cent since 2010, as the number of roles in the capital reach 533,000. Figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed there have been 1,000 more tech sector jobs created on average every week in the last five years. Read more: Surge in demand [...]
‘Ideological war’ over future of AI as businesses warn against robot tax June 15, 2019 Businesses and trade bodies have urged the government and industry to embrace the rise of robots and better prepare workers and future generations. The business, energy, and industrial strategy (Beis) committee is in the midst of an inquiry into the automation and the future of work in the UK. Read more: The robots are coming [...]
Marketers threaten to cut social media spend unless tech giants crack down on online harm June 14, 2019 Social media firms risk losing advertising revenue from UK businesses unless they do more to protect users on their platforms, marketers have warned. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) said businesses needed to “carefully consider” whether they should continue to advertise on social media sites due to the failure to remove harmful material. Read more: [...]
Facebook poaches Standard Chartered executive ahead of cryptocurrency launch June 14, 2019 Facebook has hired a senior Standard Chartered executive as it gears up to launch a cryptocurrency and financial services business, according to reports. Standard Chartered’s European head of corporate and public affairs Ed Bowles is set to join the social media giant in September as director of public policy, the Financial Times reported. The role [...]