European banks will start using roboadvisers next year, says Morgan Stanley November 25, 2015 Roboadvisers are on the verge of making a huge entrance into Europe's banking sector, according to Morgan Stanley. In an outlook report by its EMEA analysts, the company said it expects high-street banks across the continent to start adopting the robotic finance experts as soon as next year, as they face intense pressures to cut [...]
Apple buys Star Wars motion capture startup Faceshift November 25, 2015 Apple has acquired a company which specialises in motion capture and facial recognition technology and which worked on the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens film, further fueling speculation that it's making a move into virtual reality. Apple confirmed the previously rumoured purchase to TechCrunch, saying: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss [...]
Why Japan’s fintech startups are turning to London November 24, 2015 There are a few major reasons why I decided to start my business in London instead of Tokyo. Firstly, the UK’s fintech scene is open, fairer and more equal and there’s many opportunities to network and engage with the community in London. All of these factors are contributing to greater competition, creating more synergy and [...]
Britain’s brightest bulbs from the tech industry to present to Commonwealth politicians and businesspeople in Malta November 24, 2015 A group of digital start-ups will travel to Malta between 27 and 29 November to showcase the UK’s burgeoning tech scene in front of politicians and businesspeople from across the Commonwealth. Backed by government-supported organisation Tech City UK, the entrepreneurs will be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will be themed around adding [...]
International Space Station flyover: How to trick your kids into thinking they’ve seen Santa tonight November 24, 2015 The International Space Station (ISS) has been in orbit for 16 years, but it seems this is the year parents have realised they can use it to play a devious trick on their kids: duping them into thinking it's Santa's sleigh. Yep – with excellent timing, the ISS will appear several times over the UK [...]
UK startups: We need to weaponise Europe’s diversity to ensure its digital future November 24, 2015 Attempts are being made to knit Europe’s rich tapestry of 28 national ecosystems together into a single digital market to create a more robust, borderless breeding ground for the European web giants of the future. If the EU pulls it off, the regulatory and legislative framework that has anchored but at times hindered the continent will be lifted [...]
Tech unicorns face fresh bubble fear November 24, 2015 Traders are piling up short interest on early stage technology firms after a string of young companies made market-busting initial public offerings (IPOs). The so-called “unicorns” – companies which are valued at $1bn before they have launched onto the stock market – are being targeted by traders betting their share prices will fall. Although they [...]
Fallout 4 review: Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic wasteland is a masterpiece November 23, 2015 ★★★★★ | PS4, XBO, PC Games like Fallout 4 don’t come around very often. Developer Bethesda is known for creating huge and richly detailed open worlds (the best example of which being its celebrated fantasy RPG, Skyrim). But while its games are piled high with incredible things to do and see, they’re also infamous for [...]
Need for Speed review: A bleakly uninteresting racer in an abandoned ghost town November 20, 2015 ★★☆☆☆ | PS4, XBO, PC Need For Speed, a tepid reboot of the sprawling, 20-year-old franchise, tries to cherry-pick the best elements of the series but fails on almost every conceivable level. It's ostensibly an open-world racer, but as you only see that world from freeways and slip-roads, the details quickly become little more than a repeating urban [...]
iPad Pro review: Apple’s ridiculously massive tablet is the greatest iOS device they’ve ever made November 20, 2015 ★★★★★ From £679, apple.com/uk I really do love the iPad Pro. I love its gigantic screen, which makes everyone sitting near you lean closer and say “wow, is that the new iPad?" I love how Apple has finally mastered both the hardware and software to make sketching and note-taking feasible. I like the typing solution [...]
