My best friend the algorithm is a better human than you are February 24, 2017 Thanks to my friends, I discover some outstanding TV drama from time to time. Like Lost, for example, or the first three seasons of Homeland. Two years ago, someone suggested that I watch a show. To be precise, they did not suggest, they insisted – indeed, demanded – sending me message after message which said: [...]
Two Samsung execs stand down amid a corruption scandal that led to boss Jay Y Lee’s arrest February 24, 2017 Two senior Samsung executives have offered to resign, taking responsibility for the mobile phone giant's involvement in a scandal involving South Korean President Park Geun-hye. According to a report by the Yonhap news agency, vice chairman Choi Gee-sung and president Chang Choong-gi have offered to resign. Both were already identified as suspects by the South Korean special prosecution [...]
Monitise losses narrow as fintech firm’s transformation plan shows results February 23, 2017 Monitise revealed this morning it had crept further out of the red during the last six months of the year. The figures The fintech firm's interim results revealed a loss before tax of £7.5m for the six months to the end of December, a 96 per cent improvement on the £210.5m loss it announced for [...]
Regulators welcome fintech but aren’t sure what to do with it February 23, 2017 | City Talk Regulators have a 'wait and see' attitude about regulating fintech. Two governmental organisations recently released reports on regulatory approaches to fintech advances, including blockchain. First, the US Federal Reserve Board released its report on distributed ledger technology (i.e., blockchain) in payments, clearing, and settlement. Following that release, the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) — a joint [...]
Digital challenger bank Monzo’s just raised millions more and plans fresh crowdfunding February 23, 2017 Digital challenger bank Monzo has landed a new multimillion pound round of funding from fresh investors valuing it at £65m. The startup, which is seeking to disrupt traditional banking with online-only services, will combine the investment with a fresh round of crowdfunding following huge demand from private investors last year, totaling £22m. The round was [...]
Horizon Dark Zero review: A vast and exhilarating post-apocalyptic adventure February 22, 2017 Horizon Zero Dawn is the best looking console game ever made. Set centuries after the collapse of human civilisation, you play as Aloy, an outcast in a beautifully overgrown post apocalyptic world inhabited by futuristic machines. With tonnes of quests, a lengthy story and a huge open world, Horizon is rich with things to do [...]
Nasa has discovered a new solar system, where life could exist on three separate planets February 22, 2017 The boffins at Nasa have discovered three habitable planets in a newly discovered solar system a mere 39 light years away from Earth. In an announcement today, astronomers said they had found seven planets, all roughly the same size as Earth, orbiting a dwarf star, catchily named TRAPPIST-ONE. The six planets closest to the star all lie in [...]
Apple just announced when its futuristic new $5bn campus will launch February 22, 2017 It's been years in the making – but today Apple said its shiny, new $5bn campus in Cupertino will finally open in April. The 175-acre campus features a giant donut-shaped building designed by Foster + Partners, which will be clad in the world's largest panels of curved glass. As well as the 2.8m sq ft building, Apple [...]
Bring on the robots: We should welcome the demise of the human machine February 22, 2017 In decades to come, people will reflect on the present day with bewilderment and say: “they had humans doing what?” In the blizzard of noise around a looming acceleration in technological unemployment we need to balance our fears of the rise of the robots with excitement around the impending demise of the human machine. The [...]
Toshiba’s shares are finally making gains as its chip business reels in suitors February 22, 2017 Toshiba's shares closed more than 22 per cent higher after Japanese trading today on news rivals are interested in its chip business. A Nikkei Business Daily report suggested the troubled Japanese conglomerate has asked potential bidders to value its prized memory chip business at 2 trillion yen (£14.1bn) in a bid to maximise income from the sale. [...]
