De La Rue shares rise after it says it will acquire DuPont Authentication to strengthen its tech-led identification business December 12, 2016 Banknote maker De La Rue's shares were up 3.45 per cent in afternoon trading following an announcement it would acquire the authentication business of DuPont Electronics and Communications for $25m (£19.7) in cash. DuPont Authentication produces secure, anti-counterfeiting technology used to authenticate a range of products from consumer electronics to secure identity documents. The authentication company has a well-established customer [...]
Another British tech firm has been bought by a foreign company December 12, 2016 Shares in e2v, the British tech firm which supplies imaging sensors that help the Hubble space telescope and the Mars Curiosity Rover take pictures, have jumped almost 50 per cent after agreeing a £620m sale to US-based Teledyne. In the latest example of a US firm being snapped up by a foreign company, the conglomerate [...]
The secret to happiness? Scientists have a new theory (and it’s not money) December 12, 2016 Can money buy you happiness? It's a perennial question asked by exhausted shoppers and scientists, but new research has identified two other factors with greater influence on your life satisfaction than mere money. It's mental health and having a partner which determine your happiness more than income, or even education, London School of Economics researchers have discovered. Read more: Generation [...]
Bill Gates and top investors want to fight climate change with $1bn cleantech fund December 12, 2016 Bill Gates and several other top investors are planning to launch a billion dollar fund to plough into companies innovating in the energy space in the fight against climate change. The Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) fund is also backed by venture capitalists John Doerr and Vinod Khosla of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Khosla Ventures, respectively. Read more: [...]
Blockchain chief executive Peter Smith talks smart contracts, homelessness and starting the world’s largest bitcoin wallet December 12, 2016 When I speak to Peter Smith, he is mid-juggling three events in as many days: a board meeting, moving his entire London team to new offices, and the office Christmas party. “We haven’t even had the office opening yet, but it’s all been fine,” he reflects. The first of these requires a day trip to [...]
Uber treats drivers like Victorian “sweated labour”, says Frank Field in gig economy report December 9, 2016 Frank Field might be more commonly known as one of the thorns in Sir Philip Green's side, but Uber might now have a bone to pick with him too. The Labour MP and chair of the Work and Pensions Committee has uploaded a report to his site analysing the working relationship between Uber and its drivers, [...]
Shares in Nintendo jumped again today as anticipation around its Super Mario mobile game builds December 9, 2016 With the release of its hotly anticipated Super Mario iPhone game slated for next week, Nintendo's shares have got a power-star boost. Shares surged as much as five per cent immediately following the announcement of the game's release to Apple's App Store on 15 December. Read more: Yes, really. Japan's Prime Minister dressed up as Super [...]
London’s gig economy has grown 72 per cent since 2010 December 9, 2016 You might have suspected it given the influx of cyclists zooming by with Deliveroo boxes, and new research has confirmed it: the capital's gig economy is booming. In fact, it's grown 72 per cent, across the transport and storage sector, since 2010. The gig economy, driven by casual work, has become hugely popular in London, according to analysis [...]
Mark Carney is right; the robots are coming – but that doesn’t mean we should fear them December 9, 2016 On Tuesday governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, warned that up to 15m British jobs could be replaced by robots amid a merciless technological revolution. Unsurprisingly, the announcement sent headline writers into delirium and administrative staff up and down the country into a state of pre-Christmas anxiety rivaled only by that of a [...]
Facebook’s review of the year: What were the topics we discussed online in 2016? December 8, 2016 What sticks out about 2016 for you? Is it the massive political upheaval? The incredible number of global superstars who passed away? Or Pokemon? In case you need a bit of help recalling the events of what's been a fairly intense 12 months, Facebook has helpfully revealed the topics that got the most attention online [...]
