HMD launches new Nokia smartphone for the Chinese market January 8, 2017 The launch of the first Nokia smartphone produced by HMD Global was announced yesterday. Aimed at Chinese users, the new Nokia 6 will retail at 1,699 yuan (£200). It will be the first new smartphone to carry the Nokia name since 2014. In a statement, HMD said the decision to launch into China was “a [...]
Amazon’s Alexa totally infiltrated CES this year January 5, 2017 Amid gimmicky gadgets that may never make it to the shelves (smart whistle, anyone?) Amazon's Alexa artificial intelligence voice assistant has stealthily become the stand out winner of the Consumer Electronics Show. The technology which first appeared in Amazon's own smart home speaker Echo and Echo Dot made surprise appearances almost everywhere, from fridges and cars to robots and baby monitors. [...]
Snooping City: Do you live in London’s most spied-on neighbourhood? January 5, 2017 Londoners have been subject to more than 10,000 days of covert surveillance by councils since 2011, new figures have revealed. Some 27 London borough councils have launched almost 500 surveillance operations over the last five years, but which local authorities did the most spying? A raft of Freedom Of Information requests can reveal surveillance operations [...]
Bitcoin just took a major dive after nearing all-time high January 5, 2017 Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water… Anyone thinking of dipping their toe in the water of investing in bitcoin might want to have a rethink. A steady rally towards all-time highs for the cryptocurrency in recent weeks has veered totally off course, crashing as much as 20 per cent on Thursday [...]
Londoners can now use an AI chatbot instead of the NHS 111 number January 5, 2017 Londoners in some areas of the capital will now be able to turn to a chatbot for health advice from the NHS with a new smartphone app powered by artificial intelligence. London startup Babylon Health has partnered with one of the capital's NHS Trusts for a six month trial of the technology which is being pitched as an alternative to [...]
In charts: How we spent £6.3bn on digital music, movies and games in 2016 January 5, 2017 It's official: we now spend more cash on watching films and TV via digital than we do on DVDs and Blu-Rays. And that helped entertainment sales hit a record high of £6.3bn in 2016. Some 58 per cent of revenues in the video business came from digital, a majority for the first time as overall sales [...]
Equity crowdfunding’s leading founders predict what’s in store for the sector in 2017 January 5, 2017 Equity crowdfunding will look even more grown up by Christmas 2017. More regulation is coming to the sector: the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said it’ll consult this year on new rules, in a bid to improve protection for retail investors and increase transparency around financial promotions. Read more: The FCA is cracking down on [...]
Japanese telecoms giant SoftBank lures Apple, Foxconn and Qualcomm to invest in its London-based $100bn tech fund January 4, 2017 Japanese telecoms giant SoftBank has attracted the likes of Apple, Foxconn, Qualcomm and Oracle founder Larry Ellison to invest in its $100bn (£81.4bn) London-headquartered tech fund. SoftBank will plough $25bn into the Vision Fund, while Apple has committed to putting in $1bn. "We believe their new fund will speed the development of technologies which may be strategically [...]
The 9 most anticipated videogames of 2017 January 4, 2017 Red Dead Redemption 2 Release: Late 2017 Platforms: PS4, XBO (PC unconfirmed) Not much is known about Rockstar’s horse-bothering sequel, but the announcement of a follow up to 2010’s open world cowboy simulator was enough to inspire frenzied excitement among fans. You can expect a huge multiplayer world, pistols at dawn, horses and a scene [...]
“Alexa, what’s an annuity?” Insurance company Aviva is using Amazon Echo January 4, 2017 "Alexa, what's an annuity?" Now your Amazon Echo can tell you the answer to burning questions about insurance and guide you through the unfamiliar jargon of the industry. The Insurance giant Aviva has developed a so-called skill (like an app for smartphones) for the voice activated speaker which proved a big hit for Amazon over Christmas. Read more: [...]
