Apple bought 9 startups in 2016. Here’s what they do December 8, 2016 Apple buys a lot of companies, but it doesn't talk much about them, making it hard to keep track. So we put together nine of its acquisitions reported this year. This list is not exhaustive, we know for sure some purchases have never been revealed. As expected, artificial intelligence companies remain the dominant category, but [...]
Top tech firms have formed a virtual reality supergroup December 8, 2016 Several of the biggest names in technology are joining forces to push forward innovation in the burgeoning world of virtual reality. Facebook, Google and Samsung are among the top tech companies to form the Global Virtual Reality Association (GVRA), tasked with promoting the global growth of the industry, which is expected to be worth $162bn by [...]
Minicab drivers in London are protesting against English language tests December 8, 2016 Minicab drivers in the capital will protest today against new rules on language tests which have been called "completely unfair". Drivers, represented by GMB union, will demonstrate at City Hall against the introduction of English language requirements by Transport for London. Hundreds of drivers are expected to turn out to protest against the "ludicrously priced" exam. All [...]
The Kodak Ektra half-asses two things when it should have just whole-assed one thing December 7, 2016 Approximately one hundred years ago, back when it was extremely novel and cool to have a mobile phone with a built-in camera, we would call such contraptions ‘cameraphones’. Nowadays we live in the future and we expect everything we own to have some type of camera embedded in it, but the new Kodak Ektra feels [...]
PlayStation VR review: An affordable entry into the world of virtual reality entertainment December 7, 2016 The PlayStation VR has made a right mess of my living room. Sony’s new headset requires the use of roughly seven thousand bits of cable, which snake and coil around your TV and your console and your neck like rubbery snakes. Truly, I have never felt more at risk of accidental self-strangulation than when reviewing [...]
Sony wants to make the next Pokemon Go December 7, 2016 Sony is hoping to mimic the success of rival Nintendo’s Pokemon Go with its announcement of as many as six new smartphone games to be released next year. Starting in April 2017, Sony will release new games made for mobile phones, initially available in Japan and other Asian countries, said Tomoki Kawaguchi, executive director of [...]
It’s official: RIP Pebble watch December 7, 2016 The Pebble watch is dead. Demonstrating just how quickly and harshly the tide has turned in the world of wearables, the startup will no longer make its smartwatches after Fitbit confirmed it's buying up parts of the business. As first reported exclusively by City PM, the deal means the end of the Pebble brand, which came to [...]
The UK City watchdog’s so good at fintech it’s going to teach Hong Kong December 7, 2016 The UK's forward thinking City regulator is exporting its fintech expertise, partnering with authorities in Hong Kong to foster innovation in finance. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to share its knowledge and promote innovation between the two countries. It's the latest example of the UK collaborating with other [...]
A major Apple supplier has US investment plans hot on the heels of SoftBank December 7, 2016 Foxconn, a major supplier of parts for Apple's iPhones, is following the lead of Softbank and is considering plans to invest in the US. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that SoftBank, the Japanese company which snapped up UK tech firm Arm in a £24bn deal over the summer, will plough $50bn into the country and create 50,000 new jobs. [...]
These are 2016’s top 100 influential leaders in fintech (part 4 of 4) December 7, 2016 City PM is publishing Hot Topics' top 100 fintech influential leaders list for 2016, supported by 360Leaders. This is part 4 of 4, in alphabetical order. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here, and part 3 is here. The most influential fintech leaders in 2016, R to Z Ricardo Martin Manjon, head of digital [...]
