When women ruled the coding world: Female programmers have been written out of history – it’s time to turn back the clock May 9, 2019 Coding was once a field dominated by women. From the 1940s to the 1960s, about 90 per cent of computer programmers and systems analysts in the US were female. Hardware was largely run by men, but software was treated as clerical work and offered to women who were good at maths and logical thinking. In [...]
Huawei CFO hopes to avoid US extradition after Trump’s ‘corrosive’ comments May 9, 2019 Lawyers for Huawei’s chief financial officer have said she will seek a stay of extradition, citing a string of civil rights abuses including comments made by US President Donald Trump about the case. Meng Wanzhou, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Reng Zengfei, was arrested in Vancouver in December on allegations relating to the [...]
DEBATE: With Uber drivers striking over pay and conditions, is the gig economy bad news for workers? May 9, 2019 With Uber drivers striking over pay and conditions, is the gig economy bad news for workers? Dalia Gebrial, researcher on the gig economy and workers’ rights at the London School of Economics, says YES. The gig economy is currently rigged against workers. Platforms like Uber hide behind their status as tech firms, rather than employers, to [...]
Ocado chips in to £7m round for UK robotics startup Karakuri May 9, 2019 Ocado has led a £7m seed round for UK robotics firm Karakuri, its first investment in a tech startup. Other backers in the round included Hoxton Ventures, Firstminute Capital and Taylor Brothers. The online supermarket chain will use Karakuri's technology to expand its grocery offering after a fire devastated one of its automated warehouses. It [...]
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo invokes Iron Lady as he slams UK over Huawei decision May 8, 2019 US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has ramped up the rhetoric against Huawei, invoking the legacy of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as he urged the UK to take a tougher line on the Chinese tech firm. In an impassioned speech, Pompeo slammed the UK’s reported decision to allow Huawei to build parts of its [...]
Social media firms to be judged on safety standards ahead of new laws May 8, 2019 Social media firms will be judged on their ability to protect their users before tough new legislation is introduced, the culture secretary has warned. Jeremy Wright today said firms need to take greater action to crack down on harmful material posted to their platforms now or risk a clampdown from a future regulator. Read more: [...]
Senior executives now biggest target of corporate cyber crime May 8, 2019 Senior executives with access to the most sensitive corporate information are now the biggest targets of corporate cyber crime, a new report has revealed. Research by telecoms giant Verizon showed top bosses are 12 times more likely to be the target of so-called social engineering attacks, which trick users into giving away data or access [...]
Tesla closes $2.7bn offering as it raises cash to fuel expansion plans May 8, 2019 Electric car company Tesla said today it had closed its $2.7bn (£2.08bn) offering of stock and convertible notes in an offering it said was oversubscribed. The fundraise gives Tesla some much needed cash as it tries to boost production. Tesla sold about $1.84bn in debt and $860m shares, with underwriters exercising their option to buy [...]
Challenger bank Monzo teams up with challenger energy suppliers in bid to steal customers from Big Six May 8, 2019 Monzo customers will be able to use their apps to get a better deal on their electricity and gas, the company announced today. The challenger bank has teamed up with challenger energy suppliers Ovo and Octopus in a bid to lure more customers away from standard tariffs and the Big Six suppliers. Read more: Supercharged: Moneysupermarket booms [...]
Look After My Bills helps consumers save money by automatically switching their energy provider May 8, 2019 When did you last switch your energy provider? For renters and homeowners alike, managing the cost of our electricity and gas supply is a major headache. Consumers are encouraged to switch regularly, not only in order to find cheaper deals and save money, but also to ensure that the energy market remains competitive and offers [...]